4 year old eating won’t eat anything

My daughter was like this at 4 after the upheaval of starting school and cut back to just beans, bread, cereal and milk. I hadn’t realised she was autistic at that stage. She still has a tendency to cut foods out when stressed or given too many sweet things.

When this happens I try not to panic! I slowly and gradually cut back on sweet food and cut back on snacks between meals. I start by offering foods she will still eat and gradually add in foods I know she used to like (it’s not fair to broaden it too far - the sensory issues are real and need to be respected). For my daughter everything has to be bland and most sauces need to be blended. She will eat some vegetables if they are raw as she prefers the texture - that is worth trying. And I ask her how she would like things chopped up as size seems to matter too sometimes. And obviously no food touching each other. It is a slow process and it’s important not to make a fuss about it. Plate it all up and talk about anything else during the meal. And calmly say it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t want it - she can catch up at the next meal.

We too use multivitamins and minerals, more for my sanity than her health I suspect.

And then, when she is a bit older, see if you can gently expand the range of acceptable foods a bit when things are going well.

Most of all, don’t worry too much and don’t compare yourself to other families - that way leads to misery!

In any case, you need an adequate examination.  Because it is possible to miss some strange disease and then regret it. Some people I know have had this before. Fortunately they managed to fix it, but it is better not to repeat their mistakes.

In any case, you need an adequate examination.

Ouch. Sounds like me as a kid. Get her some vit supplements and keep trying bits of other things. Offer fruit juices.

The autistic sensory system is a capricious beast, her taste buds might suddenly switch on or off different things, just make sure the different things are there to try. 

Hi, I have no experience with young children, but this sounds very much like sensory issues/ ARFID-type eating issues. I don't know but have you tried slowly introducing new foods? Have you figured out what kinds of food textures/ colours etc she likes? Can you maybe pick something very similar to what she likes and try that- just a tiny amount to start off (from what you say it sounds like she might like soft textures and light colours of food??) Also you can maybe try fading in new foods into those that she already eats- so maybe if she likes mashed potatoes, what would happen if you mixed a tiny bit of mashed carrot with the mashed potato (if it works, you could increase the ratio of carrot to potato over time)? If she likes sweet things and mashed things- have you tried blending up fruits as smoothies as a starter? Or maybe banana? (I personally find banana very difficult due to texture and taste -but it is sweet, lightly coloured and soft, so she might like it... ?). Also maybe see if she likes any condiments with her food- if you find one she likes adding that to new foods could help maybe... Finally, even just touching and smelling and looking at new foods is progress. 

I don't know if any of this is useful, like I said I have no experience with young children and can just talk from personal experience with autism-related eating issues and based on the experiences of some of my autistic friends- I am autistic myself and also struggle with eating (though for me I have more issues with digestion, though I was very picky too as a child and even now often end up eating the same foods over and over). 

This is anecdotal but I do have an autistic friend that struggled a lot with eating due to sensory issues but over time by very very slowly introducing new foods and mixing them in with things he was comfortable with he is now able to eat a very varied diet- so with baby steps it is possible to expand the diet. 

It might also be useful to look into resources for people struggling with ARFID- I have a good book which gives advice for adults with ARFID but I am sure there are lots of resources out there tailored for children. 

Can you maybe also get some help from a dietitian or another professional that understands autism-related eating issues? I have a very good dietitian but I am not sure if she works with children... 

I wish you all the best! I hope with time your daughter will feel more comfortable with a slightly wider range of food that will give her the nutrition she needs. 

Hello, My younger boy is 4,7 years old. He eats only some snacks, no food at all. Some months ago he began french fries and now he just stopped to eat them. He drinks a lot of milk, eat 2 kinds of chocolate and popcorn. I´ve been searchimg for many therapys and honestly some times I don´t know how to help him. He do speech terapy, where he develloped a lot of his speech. But the impressiom I have is that he hates food. He feels like it´s disgusting. 

Thank you so much for your reply that is so helpful Nice to know your not alone and other people are going though it aswell

I understand how scary it is when your kids won't eat. I think this is something a lot of autistic people have problems with, my mum tells how I lived almost exclusively on trifle and cocktail sausages until I was about 5. My daughter is still has a super restrictive diet and it still worries me. We took her to the doctors because we were so worried and ended up getting referred to the paediatrics department at the hospital and a dietician there. Which in turn is how she got referred for an ASD assessment. She saw them for 3 years and I can't say either were much help when it came to how to broaden her diet, though they were very supportive.

The only way we have ever had any success in getting her to try new things is to just put a small amount in a separate bowl at dinner time and gently encourage her to touch it. When she could handle that we went to smelling it, then licking it. It was a VERY long and frustrating process, but it did result in her eating chicken nuggets and processed cheese. Up until that point she would only eat a small selection of fruit and veg, which sounds great in theory but in reality had very few calories and no protein at all. 

One thing we were advised repeatedly was to try giving a multivitamin or supplement drink. Didn't work for us, as she wouldn't go near either (and honestly, they smelt that bad I didn't really blame her!) but it's always worth a try if you haven't already.