Published on 12, July, 2020
My daughter has recently been diagnosed with ASD. I've noticed for some time that she will avoid eating when she is feeling anxious. Today was the first day back at school so she was very anxious and said she didn't want to eat the breakfast options I provided. She also rarely, if ever, eats at school. We've tried school dinners and packed lunches however mostly these go uneaten. I am very worried as today she refused breakfast - no matter what I offered and ultimately she could have had anything she wanted - and had to go into school on her first day back in a new year (year 1 of primary - new teacher, new classroom etc) on a completely empty stomach. My wife feels that we shouldn't add more pressure on her to eat before school and should allow her body autonomy (whatever that is?) but I know how not eating breakfast effects children's concentration and learning, their mood etc. I don't know what to do for the best. I feel like trying to explain in the nicest possible way that eating before school will make her feel better overall and help her enjoy her school day. But my wife feels differently and says she is displaying PDA symptoms and that we should approach it from that perspective. I would really appreciate some advice on this from anyone with experience. Basically, do we trade off sending her to school on an empty stomach so she doesn't feel pressured into eating, with starting her day off with a good breakfast that will help make her day more enjoyable. Or is there something in between? Than you. John
it does sound anxiety related, will she drink something like a smoothie?
Maybe she will get better as she goes through the school year and gets used to it all, going to school is a big thing for any child let alone an ASC one.
Avoiding food is one of the few ways a child can feel any sort of control in their lives, personally I think you need to work out what she's trying to tell you by not eating, it could simply be that her tummy's got so many butterflies that there dosen't feel as though there's room for anything else. If that is so maybe you can try asking her if she has butterflies in her tummy and if she'd like to feed them and what would they like to eat? If you turn it into some kind of game where the focus isn't all about her and what is and isn't doing it would be easier for her?