Real Talk: Looking for autism picky eating resources was harder than I thought.
Hours of research yielded only unrealistic or bland advice mostly meant for neurotypical children.
Occasionally, I found an autism diet full of promises to “cure” my child. Seriously. A whole new diet for kids that can’t get past chicken nuggets.
The truth is most of us aren’t looking for a new diet or a cure. We are just exhausted parents full of dreams of prepping only one dinner and eating it without a meltdown.
Thankfully, my delusional optimism remained intact and I was rewarded with a treasure trove of resources meant for children with autism.
Each of the below picky eating resources understands children with autism, sensory processing disorder, and/or ADHD have real challenges with:
- physical limitations
- anxiety about mealtimes
- severe food aversions to colors and/or textures
- severe picky eating issues now described as Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Every resource listed will also set you, and your child with autism, up for success by stressing gradual changes.
Like speech and OT, introducing new foods is a marathon and not a sprint. The wins will take time.
Read on to up your grocery shopping game.
PICKY EATING INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS
I think we can all agree, free advice that comes to you on your Insta feed is the simplest way to go. These three accounts, by registered dieticians, are sure to make an impact at your dinner table with their helpful visuals and realistic advice.
AUTISM DIETICIAN
Brittyn Coleman is a Registered Dietitian specializing in nutritional counseling and therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD. Her holistic approach is based on integrative and functional medicine, which treats the root cause, not just the symptoms.
Follow: @autismdietitian
FEEDING PICKY EATERS
Jenny Friedman is a Registered Dietitian specializing in creating nutrition plans to help transition picky eaters into thriving eaters. Jenny’s goal is to optimize health and improve autism symptoms by resolving feeding barriers including selective eating, sensory food aversions, and challenging mealtime behaviors.
Follow: @feedingpickeaters
Kids Eat In Color
While not specific to extreme picky eaters or autism, Jennifer Anderson is a Registered Dietitian who is a mom that gets it. Her Instagram feed and blog are full of helpful age-appropriate advice including how to talk to your kids about food and the science behind getting them to eat it.
Follow: @kids.eat.in.color
SOCIAL STORIES ABOUT PICKY EATING
Introducing a new food takes more than plopping something different on a plate and hoping for the best. You need to prepare your child and social stories can be one of the easiest ways to communicate something new.
If you haven’t already used them, social stories are used to teach children with autism about what to expect and guidelines for behavior in almost any situation, including introducing new foods.
Check out these three different social stories and find out which one prepares your child the best.
Teaching Autism: Trying new foods Social Narrative
A social story that walks children through the importance of trying new foods and how it may make them feel.
And Next Comes L: Trying New Foods Social Story
A free social story that encourages picky eaters to explore new foods in other ways so that one day, they will take a bite.
Create Your Own: Social Story Creator & Library
Every situation is different and this app makes it possible to customize a social story for your picky eater with autism.
BOOKS FOR EXTREME PICKY EATERS
While there are countless books on autism diets, none of them are listed here. Why? Because most of them push the diet and never focus on picky eating challenges.
So, we decided to start a new book club and it only has books specific to extreme picky eaters with autism.
Just take a Bite: Easy, Effective Answers to Food Aversions and Eating Challenges! by Lori Ernsperger, Tania Stegan-Hanson, and Temple Grandin
Written by a behavioral therapist and occupational therapist, this book takes a clinical approach to slowly changing the eating habits of children with autism.
Food Chaining: The Proven 6-Step Plan to Stop Picky Eating, Solve Feeding Problems, and Expand Your Child’s Diet by Cheri Fraker, Dr. Mark Fishbein, Sibyl Cox, and Laura Walbert
This book starts with analyzing the child then taking preferred and accepted foods and gradually changing their diet in a gentle way. There is an entire chapter specific to special needs kids.
Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating by Katja Rowell
Written by a doctor specializing in childhood feeding and a speech pathologist, this book takes a refreshing tone by offering hope, education, and several practical strategies for frustrated parents.
Food Refusal and Avoidant Eating in Children, including those with Autism Spectrum Conditions by Gillian Harris and Elizabeth Shea
This book is based on successful training packages the authors have provided to parents and professionals. This book will also help you understand Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and how to work with it to gradually increase the range of food the child is able to eat.
The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (And Their Parents) by Elizabeth Verdick and Elizabeth Reeve M.D.
While this book doesn’t focus on eating, I love it anyway. My son is more open to things when he can learn. This book has a few sections on nutrition and picky eating written for kids with autism and their parents.
NUTRITION COACHES FOR AUTISM PICKY EATERS
Still at your wit’s end with getting your child to expand their diet? Understandable. Thankfully there are nutrition coaches that specialize in autism and extreme picky eating. After all, it takes a team and nobody knows that more than a special needs parent.
Autism Dietician Brittyn Coleman
Expand your child’s picky eating habits while discovering ways to allow your children to become their best selves. Check out Brittyn’s Biomedical Beginnings online course or get on the waitlist for her 1:1 course to learn how.
Jenny Friedman Nutrition
Jenny Friedman offers an Extreme Picky Eating program and 1:1 coaching program to help your child overcome picking eating or food aversions. Not sure if her programs are right for you? Book a free discovery call to make sure you both are a good fit for her program.
Anderson’s Nutrition
Anderson’s Nutrition offers virtual appointments with self-pay or insurance options. Trained experts will work with you to create realistic and customized goals that give you the education and resources you need to create small steps to successfully changing eating habits.
Nourishing Hope
Julie Matthews is a certified nutrition consultant dedicated to improving the lives of children or adults with autism. Nourishing Hope offers tons of free resources, a Facebook community, and programs to get you and/or your family on the path of eating to improve your health.
By now you may be thinking this all sounds great, but why would I subject myself to another challenge?
Well, the answer is pretty simple. When our kiddos eat better they do better.
A better diet for a child with autism can mean:
- a reduction in autism-related symptoms or severity of symptoms
- an increase in their ability to learn or process information
- less influx in how they manage emotions
- regular bowel movements
If you’ve tried everything including ruling out physical limitations, you may want to check out this article from Autism Speaks to rule out any eating disorders you need to seek specialized help for.
Let us know in the comments below which resource you plan on using to get your picky eater on the path to a healthy balanced diet.
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