Some steer clear of foods with smooth, creamy textures, such as mashed potatoes and yogurt, and others avoid foods with lumps (oatmeal) or foods that require chewing (meat and raw vegetables).
Research also tells us that many individuals with autism tend to have strong preferences for carbohydrates and processed foods, while rejecting fruits and vegetables. This, too, may reflect an aversion to strong tastes and textures.
Sensory issues: Children with autism often have strong preferences for certain textures and temperatures. Some kids prefer soft, creamy foods like purees or even baby food. Others need the extra stimulation of crunchy foods. In every case, sensory preferences can limit what kids are willing to eat.
Feeding problems, such as picky eating and food avoidance, are common in youth with autism. Other feeding and eating problems (e.g. disordered eating, fear of trying new foods, and insistence on specific food presentation) are also common in this population.
Children on the autism spectrum are more likely to have a restricted diet, refusing more foods and eating a more limited food repertoire than their typically developing peers [4–6].
Kids with autism can be extremely selective when it comes to eating. An estimated 46–89% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have feeding problems. ASD children struggle with sensory defensiveness, a need for routine and sameness, and visual overstimulation which makes expanding the palate difficult.
Common life experiences such as facing the death of a loved one, failed romantic relationships, employment problems, etc., can exacerbate autism symptoms in adults. In these cases, autism symptoms can get worse with age, but not necessarily due to the disorder neurologically worsening.
Amazingly, many of the fears reported in our sample were described in children with autism 70 years ago by Kanner, including fear of vacuum cleaners, elevators, mechanical toys, swings, and the wind. Children with autism perceive, experience, and react to the world differently than children without autism.
Strained social interactions
It is common for people with HFA to have difficulty interacting with their peers. Often, they are deemed socially awkward and have a problem making friends. Also, it is often challenging for them to understand nonverbal communication, puns, and other subtle forms of humour.
In fact, a recent comprehensive review of research on the subject confirms that children with autism are five times more likely to struggle with eating issues compared to their typically developing peers.
Eating problems are common in autistic people.
Issues such as only eating very few foods, not being able to eat at school, going long periods of time without eating and pica (eating non-foods) can feel difficult to understand and manage.
Many children who have autism experience great anxiety as mealtime approaches. The underlying reasons can include sensory aversions and fear of unfamiliar foods. Inadvertently, families can make the anxiety worse by trying to force a child to eat, setting up a pattern of mealtime stress.
Naturally, a blast of sweetness provides a powerful sensory input that many of us crave. This craving can be particularly powerful for an individual affected by autism. To encourage your child to expand out of the sweet-food realm, I suggest exploring healthier ways to provide the sensory input she craves.
Taste Some autistic people have very limited diets, due to having particular preference for certain textures and bland food. Others may seek out strong flavours like spicy food (these people are under-sensitive to taste). know where our bodies are in relation to other objects and space.
Many individuals on the autism spectrum have sensory difficulties with food that go beyond flavor. For example, a child may dislike the way a cherry tomato turns from solid to squishy in his or her mouth, though he or she likes the flavor.
Sensory Issues
Many people with autism experience sensory processing disorder. This is more commonly known as sensory overload. Noise, crowds, bright lights, strong tastes, smells, and being touched can feel unbearable to someone with HFA. This makes going to restaurants, movies, and shopping malls difficult.
Many autistic people enjoy spending time alone and consider it important for their wellbeing.
Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers. For many younger children it's Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs or particular cartoon characters.
While autism does not necessarily get worse with age, it is important to note that symptoms can vary over the course of a person's life. In fact, research has shown that autism symptoms tend to peak around the ages of 2-3 years old.
Strategies to consider include distraction, diversion, helping the person use calming strategies such as fiddle toys or listening to music, removing any potential triggers, and staying calm yourself.
Children with autism are often clumsy, physically awkward or uncoordinated.
Rapid eating is a common and potentially dangerous behavior among individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Favell et al., 1980).
Most prefer bland foods, although there are notable exceptions: One child reportedly likes raw lemons; another consumes ground pepper by the spoonful. Nearly half of the children are sensitive to certain textures.