Hello,:)
Ive only just joined this community online, and im looking for any help or advice if possible.
My step daughter is 21 years old. has severe autism, is verbal, but has a mental age (as they say) of about 4-5.
She was always a good eater, eating whatever she as given, we never had any problems at all. But for the last good few months, she just wont eat anything that isnt sweet or sugary.And also drinks hardly anything.
She has lost so much weight, she is a bag of bones. When given food she will either tear it to pieces, or put it in her mouth, chew it up and spit it back on her plate or wherever the food spit may land.
If it is anything sweet like a chocolate bar, biscuit or sweets she will eat them normally, just chews and swallows it.
She is looking malnourished an its heartbreaking.
We sit with her for hours while she has a meal. We know her taste buds have changed, but she just isnt getting any nutrition from proper meals.
In her residential college, they just dont have the time to sit with her while she eats a she has lessons to go to. We have explained in a way she will understand, what happens if you dont eat, how it affects your body and the way you think, but it makes no difference, she just wont eat.
Is there anyone out there, that can help. has anyone been through this before?
She has lost just over a stone in a month, she has a social worker and is under a very good doctor, she is on lorazapam and all the help we have is getting us nowhere, we cant physically force her to eat.
She is about 5ft4 and weighs 7st7 now.
