Food Issues & Sensory Processing Disorder

Rachel - posted on 05/10/2013

I need help I have a 6 year old boy who has got SPD and Motor dyspraxia he is about to have his assessment done for asbergers finally in a few weeks. He has been having problems going to school he has started in a classroom of his own and he can't really socialise with others in the same classroom so issue is he goes 1 1/12 hours each day for the week

Now the big problem is he will not eat any meat or veggies and really anything he will only eat nuggets and they have to be tempura nuggets he now use to have vegemite sandwiches then it change he didn't want and margarine now he don't want vegemite so he will not try anything new at all and we have massive aguements when it comes to eating anything he likes certain fruits not citrus please any one have any ideas for meals as we can't even go out as he will not eat as his lack of attention he will not stay still let alone eat anything

Need help desperate single mum of 5

Joyce Ann - posted on 04/04/2013

I have felt i was in this alone, til i read your post. I go through the same thing with my son jacob and the people around me that dont understand.I do understand and have been looking for answers since jacob was diagnosed with SID at the age of 3. Jacob eats the same thing everyday and refuses to try anything different. The smell of certain foods will bother him to the point were he"ll have to eat away from the rest of us.Its
sad and heartbreaking! I worry about him all the time!

Kristi - posted on 08/03/2010

My son had spd also, and we go through the same thing. he doesn't like soft foods. he would rather starve to death than eat pudding or mashed potatoes. I've had everyone tell me I'm spoiling him, but his doctors said he can't help it, and I need to learn to live with it. To him it might as well be a matter of life and death. It's like he thinks its going to kill him if he actually eats it. He is 6 and has been like this for a long time. My daughters, the only kind of meat they will eat is chicken nuggets, ham, and bacon. They REFUSE to eat any ground meat. We make hamburger helper with no hamburger. I understand your frustration, but we have to look at it from there point of view. And I also had to learn the wonderful art of PICK YOUR BATTLES!!!!

Lisa - posted on 08/03/2010

I have this cookbook and am anxious to try it for my son who is 12 and has SID

Melissa - posted on 07/01/2010

I have food sensory issues and so does my daughter. For example, I can't yogurt, milkshakes,oatmeal, ect. If the foods I can't eat were the last foods on earth I would probably starve because I couldn't bring myself to eat it. My daughter nursed until she was 18 months old because we couldn't get her to eat anything or drink milk. She never would take even a bottle with breast milk in it. We had a wonderful OT who dealt with sensory issues. My son doesn't have feeding issues, but he does have other sensory issues.
I read the Out of Sync Child. It is about SPD. It is a wonderful book. There are other books about SPD.
Everyone has sensory issues. The questions is how much does it affect your daily living.
Things that have helped my daughter:
swinging, climbing, or heavy lifting
sour gummy candy/sour spray right before eating
electric toothbrush right before eating

Michelle - posted on 06/21/2010

yup and there is definitely a sensory component to it. don't force the issue just say ok try two pieces of the pasta. if you do the forcing they will also develop food sensory issues. My daughter has celiacs and we let her graze all day and we make her responsible for picking out foods, have your child help with all meals no matter what it is even if they don't eat it.

Carrie - posted on 06/21/2010

Have you read any books about spd? I just got a few books at our local library and realized they fit my son to a T, but he doesn't have any issues with feeding, just everything else with sensory integration.

Kathy - posted on 06/21/2010

Try this cookbook, The Sneaky Chef. At least you can get him to eat healthy while you work on the sensory issues! http://www.amazon.com/Sneaky-Chef-Rescue...

Rhionna - posted on 06/20/2010

My son is 3 and is autistic and really fussy with food! I've found that putting a food on his plate several times helps, I know he won't eat it for several months but getting used to seeing it, being able to touch it and watching us eat it all helps him. It may take a while and try to introduce new things slowly and in small amounts. Chris ate approx 1 teaspoon of beans for the 1st time last week after 8months of putting them on his plate!
I also find letting Chris touch his food is good!
Hope this helps!

Martha - posted on 06/10/2010

hi i know its totally differant but my 33 year old partner is the same wont try anything only veg he eats are onions no lumps etc and no new tastes or textures i know it is not the same thing but men are fussy also my 3 year old will not eat anything full stop he is back to drinking 5 bottles a day they would drive you up the walls

Heather - posted on 06/09/2010

Have you looked into a feeding therapist? My son sees a speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding/texture disorders. She's in the local hospital's pediatric rehab department.

Shirley - posted on 06/08/2010

But if your son is special needs and has tactile issues why would anyone consider getting him to eat, spoiling? I've had two kids with Asperger's and have had to do some pretty strange things just to get them to eat. My son, I had to peel the skin off of grapes! But then it was the only fruit that he would eat. My 17 yo dd was the skin but with turkey sausage. Through the years some things have progressed along with their age. My dd now can handle skin on sausage yet refuses to eat potatoes any longer. She will however eat fresh salad as long as it has Ranch Dressing(only) on it. She eventually began to eat chilcken but only if I dressed it up with banana and pickle slices(I know...gag) to make them look like flowers. I even made brownies with fresh spinach pureed into the mix! Hey, if spoiling is creating ways to get these kids to eat. Well then, I'm a spoiling mama! :)

Janine - posted on 06/07/2010

Oh boy - do I relate! However my daughter is only 4 and a half! She is a VERY fussy eater and like your son - refuses to try anything she does not like the look of! She has autism tho - which may have something to do with it....she can sometimes just look at something and if her brain thinks she doesn't like it - she even gags! I have tried to force her to try things which has even made her vomit! So I do not insist on making her try it if she chosses not to. She has 2 sisters she copies and will most times have a teeny tiny taste - but i am talking just dabbing the food onto her lip and licking it....not necessarily putting it into her mouth. I give my girls several items on their plates for dinner and if they dont try it - then that is all they get until breakfast! Its easier for me with my 6 y.o as she will try things - even eat a little (even if she doesn't like it) but will have water to "wash it down" hehehe!
I use to worry that my girls would starve until morning if i didn't make them something else - however i also learned that being at daycare - they only get one choice of food for lunch and if they don't eat that - the next meal is dinner - and boy were they hungry at dinner time!