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Autism & Eating Challenges: You Are Not Alone!… is well intended, it can make you feel isolated when others can’t fathom your experience.  The importance of community support And when we feel there’s no one with whom we can discuss our own anxieties, our thoughts can start spinning inside … the feeding tool kit’s original Facebook post provided a wonderful forum for many of you. You’ve been offering each other support, suggestions and, sometimes, just a simple “I understand.”  Feeling part of a community, even if it is virtual, can … for Autism Speaks ” or through your region’s AS-ATN center . Perhaps you’ll even feel inspired to start your own support group using these and other ways to connect with other families. Creating a long-term plan Establishing a support group …

Help! Our Adult Son Has Severe Autism and Extremely Narrow Diet… “Our grown son - who's severely affected by autism and living in a group home - no longer eats anything but white-bread bologna sandwiches. We're really concerned about his health. What can … causing his new food selectivity. We also recommend that your son be seen by a registered dietician to discuss nutritional support. The Autism Speaks Resource Guide includes local contact information for dieticians and other specialists who work … the text link and click on your state. Once you have input from your son’s doctor and dietician, you can work with the group-home staff to develop a plan that gradually expands his eating choices. Developing a plan In developing a realistic …

Grade-schooler with Autism Nauseated by Food Smells… Kuschner, of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a member of the  Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network . With the support of an Autism Speaks research grant , Dr. Kuschner is developing and testing a cognitive behavioral treatment … at a picture of the cafeteria together. Then plan small steps that build on your son’s progress. I recommend enlisting the support of a trusted adult in your son's school such as a counselor, psychologist or teacher. Your son will likely benefit … in a socially acceptable way. Instead of having a meltdown outside of the cafeteria at lunch, could he be part of a lunch group that eats somewhere other than the cafeteria? Perhaps you could talk with your son’s teachers and counselors about …

Autism and drooling… socially stigmatizing when it continues beyond infancy. It’s also unhygienic – an important issue as your son enters group settings such as preschool. That said, drooling in some situations – for instance, while sleeping – is generally … spill from parted lips. The therapist can help you position your child in ways that encourage proper trunk control and head support. Build oral muscle strength and control.  Therapists use a variety of playful oral-motor exercises to help children …