SPD And Picky Eating

My son (Aspergers) went to an extremely limited diet at around age 3/4. You're right, there's no such thing as "They'll just eat when they're hungry" with these kids.

We worked painfully slowly. For a while, we let him stay within his comfort zone. Then we started requiring "one tastes", which often resulted in gagging, if not vomiting, and we adjusted to "one licks" until he was a little more mature to reason with.
We also taught him to hide his own food. Instead of hiding his "no" foods on him ourselves, we showed him how mashed potatoes could help a few peas go down, or how cheese on a bite of chicken would change the whole mouth feel.
As he got older, we traded bites of "no" foods for bites of desert. An entire small hamburger would earn an entire serving of ice cream. Smaller increments would mean less ice cream.

Pediasure was our friend. Yes, we brought our own food or fed him before/after events outside of the house.

He's still a picky eater (turning 13 this month), but NOTHING like how he used to be. He now eats almost all meats (vs only processed chicken nuggets), miniscule portions of vegetables (vs none), and will at least TRY most new foods, whereas the thought used to make him physically ill. What he does eat, he eats like a horse.
He's still very, very skinny, but has hit 5'7 and a size 10 shoe before becoming a teenager. His doctor is content with his growth.

ETA: Our occupational therapist had no suggestions on top of what we were already doing, nor did our developmental pediatrician. They were, however, both aware of the situation.

Hi Mom-

My daughter had some serious medical issues for the first few years of her life...was tube fed and extremely orally aversive. The 'good news' is she was tube fed...and additionally got MUCH speech and occupational therapy...so we could 'go slow'...she NOW eats by mouth...

BUT...some things we tried...

* setting her in a kiddie pool...and squirting different 'flavours' of things 'near' her mouth...to see if she would 'lick' one (apple juice...milk...tomato juice etc)

**Italian ices...they are 'grainy' to start...and then melt quickly away...and come tart (lemon)...or sweet (cherry or strawberry)

***I got a cotton candy maker...It made 'a' texture...but then melted away...

****Got her eating yogurt or fine applesauce textures...then S L O W L Y added cooked 'bits' of things cut VERY small...and VERY small amounts...and progressed there to 'more' of the 'extra' stuff...

******I always gave her a plate and milk along with her other sibs...and I have no doubt it helped...to have them to 'model'

BUT...in our case...it took years...and we had the feeding tube for night...so a different situation than yours...

We also did a LOT of oral stimulation on and around her mouth and lips...with sponge swaps...tooth brushes etc...we had songs we sang thru all of this...

There are both 'in patient' and out patient feeding programs at children's hospitals and pediatric re hab hospitals...

You might do a search on your area...

Best Luck!
Feel free to private me!
Michele/cat

A few points.....
1. "Autism" is such a broad term. So many levels and variance are encompassed in that one term. When my son was diagnosed (at 19 months old) the diagnostic team said the word was only good for the therapies it opened up to your child. PDD-NOS doesn't get people hoppin' like "autism" does.

2. My son got "feeding therapy" through Early Intervention. The provider was a Speech Pathologist who was trained in feeding issues. Since he turned 3 and the Early Intervention stopped, he was getting feeding therapy from his OT. Hopefully, you can get him going through early intervention before his birthday. Otherwise, you'll be looking for a service through your insurance.

3. Learn the concepts of Food Chaining. Basically, you take an accepted food and change one quality about it. This is how you build a chain to new foods and increase his accepted foods. For instance, if he likes French toast sticks, try making him homemade french toast. Then make it with food coloring. Then try making it with different kinds of bread. And so on....

My son loves french fries, so we chained to waffle fries, sweet potato fries, vegetable tempura.... I got him to eat grilled cheese, then grilled ham & cheese, then grilled turkey with spinach and swiss...... it goes on and on.

I would be happy to help you develop a specific plan if you like. I would say your first plan of attack is to try and get the feeding therapy started through Early Intervention ASAP. A good feeding therapist will teach you techniques and methods that will help.

It may get easier, but it also may always be an issue. I still work with my son on a daily basis.

Have you read Sensational Kids by Miller? I'm in the middle of it now. It was recommended by my son's OT.

Good luck. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more details.

Looks like you've had some great help from the other responders. I don't have a special needs child, myself, but I have a little great nephew with autism. I have one suggestion which could simplify your feeding routine & most likely generate some very noticeable improvement in your son's behavior and learning. Instead of the smoothies, try Reliv NOW for Kids, and possibly Reliv's 24K. The NOW for Kids is a perfectly balanced nutritional supplement for kids, and includes Omega 3 oils. 24K is packed with nutrients for the brain. My nephew & his wife noticed speech results with their son after his very first NOW for Kids shake. They had to put the powder into chocolate Silk, since he was already accustomed to drinking that, and he's definitely a kid with taste & texture issues. I'm not sure they've tried him on 24K yet, but I gave my nephew a little bottle of it for his birthday last month, and he noticed that a lot of the nutrients listed on the bottle were the same as what his son's doctor, a specialist in treating autistic children, wants their son to take.

If you want to talk with my nephew or his wife, I can get you on the phone with one of them so they can answer any questions you might have about the Reliv products that are helping their son. I just think it would be simpler for you and that your son would see more noticeable improvement in his health issues if he were drinking the Reliv shakes. I'm guessing it would cost less than what you're giving him in his smoothies, too.

My son has SPD. He is not in the extreme on the food part, but more with things on or around his feet/hands. But he had some issues with foods at first. He would choke on anything that was more solid than apple sauce.

We started giving him soft solids, like cooked elbow noodles or soft carrots or peas, things without much texture at all, now, he can eat just about anything and really likes beef jerky, because he can gnaw on it. Good luck, we dodged a bullet as to his eating and I'm fully aware of that.

My son is 3.5 and was diagnosed w/ a feeding disorder at 16 months old. It was suggested that he go on a feeding tube but we were able to find a SLP/feeding therapist w/ early intervention who stepped in. Up until a year ago, my son only ate a handful of pureed foods and the majority of his nutrition came from bottles of PediaSure. Today he is eating (still has issues but we can take him to a restaurant and find something he will eat) and his feeding therapist is talking about discharging him from therapy. My son has Apraxia (speech disorder), SPD, low muscle tone and secondary anxiety. I am in the KC metro area and would LOVE to recommend a few people/places for you. My son attends an early childhood center in Shawnee Mission which has a phenomenal feeding therapist on staff (everyone else is great, but she is the specific reason I drive 40 minutes to get him to this school). My son's EI feeding therapist was also from Kansas and she was amazing and I credit her with keeping him off the feeding tube.

Please send me a PM if you would like some local recommendations!

You NEED to get Therapy for him.
That way, he will be assessed, and per his conditions, they will help you and him.

Up until 3 years old, there is "Early Childhood Intervention" services, which is free. Just Google Search one for you area.
ALSO, your Pediatrician SHOULD be, able to refer you to a proper Occupational Therapist or whatever he needs.

How is his talking? Or is his speech delayed too? Many times, with this sort of conditions, speech is delayed too.

Or there is "Apraxia" and "Dysphagia" which affects eating and swallowing and what not, in some children.
Again, ONLY a Therapist, can address these concerns. And help, him.

You DO need a Therapist.
A layperson's knowledge of it, is limited.
You need to get a Professional's assistance on this.
THEY will tell you, what type of therapy you need... per your son.
Do not guess at it.