How to help an autistic child with eating challenges - presented by Purple Ella

In this video, autistic advocate and parent Purple Ella, shares strategies for helping autistic children through eating challenges. From understanding why an autistic child might struggle with eating, to introducing new foods, and helping them join in with family meals, Ella shares personal insights and tips that have made a big difference in their home.
This video was created by Clinical Partners for the NHS, as part of autism unlocked - a dedicated space for autistic people and their families to receive expert advice and guidance on a range of issues.
About Purple Ella:
Ella is a KZbin Content Creator and advocate. You can find their channel here: / purpleella
Visit the autism unlocked website:
lsc.autismunlo...
Find out more about Clinical Partners:
www.clinical-p...

[@bobbyb9718]

It would be great if more people understood these things vs. a child simply being picky or bratty. It is a real struggle, especially when ASD is not so obvious from the outside.

[@katharine2435]

Amen! My child chooses all of what he eats and I buy it for him. People think I let him rule me to eat garbage but I know better. He is autistic and it's almost painful for him to be forced to eat/eat foods that aren't safe. I feel very understood right now.

[@renayhayles6883]

I used to be afraid to eat bread and corn on the cob. Lol They made me eat one bite until I got used to eating it.

[@SophiaTaylor-k48y]

I’m autistic, and I’m moving to Year 8

[@theflonj]

I have been here with three young autistic grandchildren who were very picky and limited in what they would eat. As they've become teenagers I've been amazed how much they now enjoy things like homemade fragrant and flavourful curries, not too hot or garlicky for one of them though. Also homemade Chinese dishes with intriguing new flavours. So there is hope, all those despairing parents endlessly dishing up nuggets or bland beige things day after day!

[@cristianmerli5050]

I don't know if i have hope left! My son is 11 and still eats something like 5 foods (including cereal). He literally gags if he has anything else in his mouth

[@Padraigp]

I mean you can't live on beige nuggets regardless of how exciting it is or not its just going to fugg an already imparted child's health up even more.

[@Padraigp]

​@cristianmerli5050 do you have acsess to therapy in your country. Even if he can't eat the things get him out planting seeds growing food buying food helping chop and prepare foods. Even if he doesn't eat them don't even put pressure on him but if he can get involved and familiar that will help at least to be acclimatised to touching seeing smelling even if he can't eat it yet. And try to find out if there is therapy. I know there is not much here if your kid is little they do speech therapy but that's about it. Does he eat ice pops? Like ice cubes or ice cream? I used to have a juicer and i would make a rainbow ice pop for the kids eith beetroot for red carrot for orange orange juice for yellow spinach for green and blueberries with a little bit of baking soda for blue and the kids around the neighbourhood would always ask for them. Their parents said they would not eat any vegetables but at my house they would always help in the kitchen chopping mushrooms with a butter knife (they were like 5 or 6) and mixing things in a bowl things they had never seen like brocolli yoghurt etc. And they would taste everything but they didn't like everything. They liked the ice pops though. They didn't know they were vegetables. I used honey for the veg juices that were not sweet enough like spinach I would mix some orange juice and honey in. Maybe you could try that. There are also some crazy keto recipes I've seen (they don't sound good to me bit maybe your son would like them) for making cornflakes out of chicken!!! I think it was chicken i didn't watch the whole video cos it sounded crazy but if he likes cereal cos of the crunch maybe he could make it or you could. I think I saw it on a KZbin short . Also things like a dehydrator or freeze dryer which make things into powders. It makes them dry and crispy so you could make dry crispy parsnips and eat a bowl of it with milk i guess? Like cereal? Or people make it into powder and then into a smoothy if he likes smoothies. I used to put a lot of things into cake if he likes cake at all? Like I would make pink beetroot cake (lot of rainbows went on in my kitchen) and orange carrot cake with blended carrots. I do remember trying to sneak liver into bolognese but that did not work the kids could taste it😂 but there's so manny tools now to make things from one food into another. I also used to make a lot of deserts for my mom who at one point was sugar free gluten free and dairy free and I would make things with nuts dates and put them in the blender to make flour and date paste and then adding all kinds of things to try to get a cake or a biscuit to emerge. That might be more advanced. But if you can expose him to the other side of food the prep and shopping and growing side at least that is something. And if he has a texture he likes such as cereal then maybe introducing new flavours in the texture he likes could work. Good luck! All you can do is try, and try to make it fun like making art. My kids would make a lot of horrible horrible things they wouldn't eat before they ever made anything nice. But they had fun mixing things up and making a mess. God bless you.

[@richardpearce9248]

How do you do this is they are non verbal and you can't communicate with them to find out what they want or what the issue is

[@mariemarcum5613]

I appreciate this perspective. At the same time I know kids who only eat processed starchy and sugary foods, and it’s toxic stuff. I can’t help but believe that this type of food is contributing to many severe health and behavioral issues. If the favorite food were fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy proteins then it would be more acceptable. But if a kids diet is spaghetti-o’s, pretzels, goldfish, sugary yogurt, overly sweet sugary cereal, and hot dogs, then there is a huge problem.

[@drusillah]

Thank you for the video! Do you have any recommendations on how to understand the child's difficulties, when they have speech impairment and are not very verbal?

[@pilarcintron3925]

Have you ever encountered an autistic child that after having their meal , laid down for anap and triedto eat objects on the shelves like styrofoam , or sponges? I saw this happen in a Montessori classroom. The TA immediately rushed over and removed the items from the child's mouth. The cild was slightly laughing at the incident.

[@SteveTamara]

Fantastic information vid from the heart! I am a special needs teacher and have 8 non-verbal students with autism in my class. One of them eats flavoured popcorn for snack and lunch time and full meals at home. Could you suggest any tips to help our plight?

[@MandyMellow]

So what if he doesn't want to eat all the new foods you let them try one bite of

[@knucklestheechidna5718]

Exactly

[@shanesorensen7878]

Don’t introduce fast food and try to introduce healthy foods at a young age is what I would do with children.

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes😊😊😊 they will get used to it😊

[@evibejbi1]

The only problem is that at very young age they are more reluctant to eat variety of food (healthy) but for example my son as soon as he turned 2 he refuse to eat anything other than chocolate, plain pasta, bread, potatoes .. otherwise he grinch like I just offered him a dead animal 😅

[@SA-Bean-Bean]

Yea if only it worked. I've tried that and my kid will literally not eat for days with only having healthy fruits and vegetables

[@nettie7645]

My son is hypo in his mouth so will happily eat neat mustard. He also crams food in, so he can never eat alone. He usually makes bold food choices until he is overwhelmed, on holidays he ate lots of seafood until it became "a bit too much" then stuck with icecream.

[@katharine2435]

Thank you so much! You are the first and ONLY person to validate that we let our son choose all of his safe foods. We do not force eating. I've been VERY adamant since day 1 that he wouldn't have food issues or have food used against him. That said, I struggle feeling like the shit mom that lets her child eat crap all the time. I want to stretch his safe food list, and this is the best advice I've heard. I want him to feel comfortable, not forced. Thank you!!!! ❤️

[@mariemarcum5613]

Are his safe foods processed junk or healthy foods? It makes a big difference.

[@katharine2435]

@mariemarcum5613 not all. I'm doing my best. He started out eating all healthy. Then he rejected it and out if desperation so he wouldn't starve I let him eat junk. It's been a tough road. Please don't judge.

[@mariemarcum5613]

I understand it’s hard. My SO is having the very same issue with his autistic children. Parenting is exhausting. You don’t want every meal to be a battle. I’m just convinced that that processed foods are part of this cycle we are in that might be increasing the incidence and symptoms of autism. It’s a serious issue in our whole culture. Our parents and grandparents ate the food that was served, and this processed food wasn’t as readily available. I know there are food therapists that can help. I don’t mean it to be judgmental. I just think it’s a very serious health issue. What kids eat in the first 20 years is a big predictor of their health over a lifetime.

[@Bouquers]

Beautiful explanation and the video would help assist people in the extended family who may not understand why ASD kids have limited foods initially.

[@jandkwhite6459]

NOTHING WORKS. Looks like only a Gtube will

[@thepaththatleads]

You’re stronger than this challenge Don’t give up ❤

[@obi1988]

My 2 yr old twins are giving me fits.. I do believe that my son is autistic. He is non verbal at this time and I'm struggling to get him to eat anything but chicken nuggets, or pizza. I've tryd to slip in different foods a little bit at a time but then he rejects everything on the plate like it's contaminated. No fruit, no veggies.. I'm worried he isn't getting what he needs.

[@AreD893]

If here anyone who can help me please my son non diagnosed yet but i know he have something we waiting for his assessments !! He dont eat nothing only cookies or bakery or biscuits or cake or nuggets or burger but has to be empty no fruits no veggie’s nothing at all i have to put in his lunchbox every day sweets otherwise he would starve all day at school and when i literally begging for him to at least to bite the food he screaming and crying and telling me no 😢😢😢 He can speak and communicate but many things he dont understand and financially also cost me a lot to buy every single day different varieties of sweets and bakery because he doesnt eat anything else hardly sometimes i make him to eat rice and chicken but it cant be onion he checks the food before he puts in his mouth and even if he find just one microscopic small anything in the food like tomato which i cant even see he will Reject the food .. how can i make him to eat

[@rosemarieroberts9168]

Excellent information I need to understand my Granddaughter, thank you

[@WilliamFontaineJr]

Well said!

[@oprahwilliams8752]

I'm really struggling with this. My son used to eat well as a baby but around age one I lntroduced snacks and it all went downhill. He only wanted those smooth uniformed textures. I managed to bring him around to spaghetti and pancakes and such foods. He started school and it's been a nightmare. He won't eat the school lunch which I expected but he now only wants to drink, not even porridge or yogurt or smoothies anymore. Just juices I make at home and milk is all he will eat. I've no idea how he isn't constipated. He's 3 and refusing every single solid or semi solid thing.

[@beautifulsoul8432]

I am same struggling with food and toilet traing so hard I have trying to change his food but not happening too worried for school 😢

[@oprahwilliams8752]

@@beautifulsoul8432 Hi I actually managed to get my son to start eating. I asked for help on a mom's IG page and boy did they come to the rescue or what! I wished I'd weighed my son to tell you how much weight he's gained but just image before I could swing him with one hand and now (after only two weeks) I have to prepare my back before I lift him. He has calves now and theres fat on him! Anyway I'm just too happy to talk about this, so first I give him a vitamin called "Bells Vitamin Syrup" the mom's had recommended "Kiddies pharmaton" as well as the better option but the pharmacy didn't have that one but the Bells totally worked, he started eating smooth stuff again, his God mother bought another item called "Grobital" it's a kind of tonic that opens the appetite and momma! He's just wolfing down food. It says to give 3 times a day but I couldn't feed him so I cut it down to once a day with the vitamin. And lastly Pediaure grow and gain powder (it's in Wal-Mart or on Amazon), I put it I his smoothies and milk. Not sure of it's effect since I just started him on it but I've noticed he stayed full for longer when he's drunk anything with the powder in it. He still won't eat like rice but yesterday he ate mashed potato carrots and chicken I was over the moon! I hope these can help you too. Good luck mama

[@oprahwilliams8752]

@@beautifulsoul8432 for the potty training it's still going terribly for me. He knows to go to the toilet but his timing is off, he starts for the toilet AFTER the pee is coming out and he doesn't want to sit and poop so.... he hides and poops then takes off whatever he's wearing 🙄 it's been a nightmare.

[@beautifulsoul8432]

@@oprahwilliams8752 omg sames my son I am right now so struggl with food for him he won't eat fruit, non healthy food , to be honest just want to cry 😢 😭 😑 😫

[@oprahwilliams8752]

@@beautifulsoul8432 try the vitamin I mentioned, it's really really helping us.

[@myrnahuichapan7624]

I have friends who have issues with their family members and I hope this advice will help.

[@SA-Bean-Bean]

What do i do when the safe foods only last so long before they get rejected too? My son goes through phases of foods and it's impossible to feed him

[@gwyn111]

Same story with our 3 year old, try and rotate the "safe" foods and he may come back on them, but often the list is getting shorter and shorter.

[@AliceGibbs-x8j]

Your herbs has work wonders in my family. Thanks for the help Dr Oyalo for saving my son from autism spectrum with your herbs. Your herbs is the beste.

[@hepheprhymes602]

My 4 years old autistic son eats only bread and butter and nothing else no matter how hard we try to make him eat different kinds of good but he won't touch or taste them

[@thedudetrader6358]

Have you considered introducing different breads like low carb/egg white based? Good luck!!!

[@jasropergoins2468]

I really really appreciate you sharing this information. My 4 year old is on the spectrum and I have an appointment for a feeding evaluation. While filling out the questionnaire/giving details of my observation, I wrote about me not understanding how he likes chicken nuggets, but only from one brand that we buy compared to others that we tried. Same with macaroni and cheese, and sandwiches (PB and J vs cheese/deli). Thank you, I thought I was on an island by myself, thank you for sharing the information

[@TheRachelHaircut]

My three year old Autistic son is the same. He is very specific about a certain cereal but once I try a similar cereal of any other brand, he will not eat it. He also will eat the same thing for what seems forever and suddenly be sick of eating it. Atm he only likes rice noodles, some cookies, some pies, dumplings bt even these favourites sometimes he will randomly not eat it and i never kno why

[@jasropergoins2468]

@@TheRachelHaircut my son was that way with blueberries. Then for me it was back to the drawing board to see what he would eat instead. The feeding evaluation came back, and based on my son's medical history, in person evaluation, and feeding history with new, he has as a "chronic pediatric feeding disorder". So we're starting therapy at least once a week to help support him. Keep going, know you're not alone and that although every child is different, it's nice to hear shared experiences. At least for me.

[@TheRachelHaircut]

@@jasropergoins2468 I hope the therapy works for your son & your family. Yes I agree it helps to know we are not alone in the struggles & we can also learn alot, I have learnt more in these YT comments where I can read parents own experiences with their kids than anything else really.

[@m.51373]

Anxiety before leaving for school

[@margaretopoku474]

Thank you so much for this, now I know better 😊

[@EmpressNatiLocs]

What a wonderful video. ❤

[@turtleanton6539]

😊😊😊😊😊🎉

[@deonbracey9002]

My son is 7 he eats fries nuggets when Its like he wants to but he rather eat Doritos all day he went to food therapy but he still do the same" I get frustrated at times but I understand Its something going on in the inside that we as parent can't see

[@jedisteven1]

My son was about a year and I had him starting baby food and we were up to about a jar a day. Then our nurse started to shovel it into his mouth while I was at work and now he is 2 and 3 months and won't even touch a spoon, and eating is not happening. He has been tube fed since he was born but I need him to learn how to eat. Any ideas would help if anyone has been in this situation.

[@Aleakwe]

thank you, so helpful. re-affirms. "listen to your child". i agree, is key

[@SipHappensPodcastt]

My 3 yr old has reverted back to only drinking milk and juice. He won’t eat any of the few foods he would eat at 1st. He’ll be doing occupational & speech therapy soon. I just feel bad that he will only drink and not eat solid foods right now. Any suggestions in the meantime?

[@trulyauthentic1980]

Get a juicer

[@SipHappensPodcastt]

@@trulyauthentic1980 thanks…I’ll try it tomorrow

[@turtleanton6539]

Very great video. Informative 😊

[@JaninaVigurs]

Good grief, these videos are excellent.

[@castmemberadventures]

My child eats literally ritz a crackers, Graham water, milk. Has to be brand specific. And only eats BK nuggets :/ I’m learning how to help her since we lost our BT due to stupid insurance

[@KeshiaGraham-o8q]

How do you explain this to a non-verbal child, who probably doesn't understand what you are saying? I have tried to throw 1 chopped up piece of broccoli, carrot, apple slice, cantaloupe or melon cube or just about anything alongside of her food and it won't be eaten, nor touched. I have been repeating this step for about a year and a half. Now that she is starting a special school, she will need to bring in her own meals. It will be hard to put her favorite nuggets in her box because if it doesn't have the crisp feeling she likes, she will not eat it. I don't force her to eat and hope they don't either at her school, but more than likely, if she doesn't eat at all during the day, they will send her home to eat.

[@evibejbi1]

Same issue here .. I am packing lunch for day care (my son 3 years old) plain bread or with butter of honey, plain pasta and basically that’s it. When he was younger he ate a bit of variety of foods but now .. nothing .. it’s hard to watch

[@mrzkeshiag]

Definitely hard to watch for me as well! 😢

[@leo-unddieAnderen]

Those hand movements are so distracting, is that necessary for the video?