Vomiting (lovely!)

Aw that's sad. Yes we manage to get round most things now as my son is able to think more logically. We used to get very stressy over his eating as he was losing so much weight at one point.

In the end we decided that as long as he ate a reasonably balanced diet we would have to live with it and not make a fuss. It really helped and he tries hard now..he knows that to grow well he has to eat healthy foods and this makes it easier to reason with him. I never make him sit in front of anything but he's not allowed anything else except healthy stuff if he doesn't eat sufficiently at mealtimes.. If he manages to eat well he has a reward...and we don't expect a clear plate.

It's still hard for my partner to watch our son eat small amounts but he is eating much more now and i break his meals into smaller portions. We have made a pact that if he doesnt' eat and starts to lose weigh again, then we treat it as a medical issue and the pediatrician will be informed. It's never come to this since we decided this was our stance and my partner is less stressy knowing we have a plan in place should my son 'dip'. 

It' good to hear your experiences Macmador as I can get a better angle on my sons responses and what would/wouldn't work...thank you for sharing your experiences.

Oatie

Funnily enough, I used to LOVE cheese, then, all of a sudden, around the age of three-four (about the time I was vaccinated, I lost weight and got whooping cough), I turned completely against it. I still can't stomach the smell of it. I can't eat butter or margarine either, the notion of mixing them with jam, etc. I also find the sight of others eating nauseating. It's unpleasant when you know you shouldn't, but a very strong revulsion just takes over.

These food phobias steer the way, especially with young children, making it hard for parents who feel bound to have them eating healthy foods. You just have to adapt to the child's preference because once his sense of disgust sets in, the Aspergers'/Autism makes it nigh impossible to shift. It's not worth making a child cry at the table, and that trauma WILL remain with him for a very long time. I'm 39 and still remember sobbing in front of a bowl of fruit & custard, being shouted at - my earliest memory.

My son can gag too if there's a smell or texture he doesn't like. I ate cheese near him today and he wretched cause he said 'it smelled too cheesey'. He does like cheese but variations in smell or texture can make him gag...so it can be a bit of a lottery.

I am sure he would just prefer to eat pureed everything at times..just to avoid any 'nasty' surprises'. He was fine as a baby but once 'normal' meals were introduced he became more problematic with his food.

My son is awaiting assessment BTW.

It always makes you doubt yourself when people question you and then refuse the answer you give them...it's quite funny in a way..you answer then they deny the reasoning you gave them. 

You handled the situation well, looked out for your son and did the right thing by removing him from the distressing situation, so don't be hard on yourself.

Oatie

Hello,

Strong eating disorders are associated with autism. I've suffered from a food phobia since I was approx 3 years old, and find many foods nauseating - I WILL be sick if I'm surrounded by such foodstuffs, or if I put some in my mouth. There's a very deep anxiety attached to the commencement of food phobia, some form of stress around the dining table that non-sufferers may not even ontice, but to the Autistic, is mortifying, and which he/she has come to associate directly with some or all food consumption. I was the same as your son concerning being disgusted at finding 'bits' in food (I remember my Headmaster shouting at me for 'being stupid' for refusing school meals). I did not like to be surprised when I ate, needing the food to taste exactly the same throughout the meal, and not to have other foodstuffs mixed into it, invisible until I chewed on it, which activates a gag reflex.

Hope this is of some help,

- John