Distraction Eating: Part One

If you have an ASD child who doesn’t want to eat, maybe you should think about distraction eating. Even though it is frowned upon by most health professionals, distraction eating can actually be a saviour for the mum of an ASD child. Here is my experience with distraction eating……..

Tyson (5 in August) has had a ‘food intolerance’ most of his life. There is no actual medical reason why, it’s just that Tyson seems to see food as being over rated. Don’t get me wrong, Tyson loves McDonald’s and KFC and any other type of ‘junk food’, it’s just that he doesn’t like all the other food.

We had tried just about everything to get Tyson to eat and mealtimes started to turn into a real battle. There were lots of tears and temper tantrums – it used to take about 2 hours to get Tyson to eat his dinner at the table (something that we have always insisted on). Steve and I thought that there was no other way to get Tyson to eat and that this was how things were going to be: difficult!

For families with NT children, meals can be eaten at the table – it just makes sense and the NT child can understand the importance of sitting at the table, enjoying some family time. Not so with Tyson (ASD). He started reacting to sitting at the table as if he was in pain/fear/terror – which just made everything a lot worse.

Things had to change so we decided to start feeding the boys in the lounge room whilst their favourtie t.v. shows were on. WOW!! The difference was amazing! No temper tantrums, not hissy-fits, just lots of eating and………………… a happy little boy!

So we gave in and started feeding them whilst watching t.v. and continued on like this for about 12 months (maybe longer). For the past month and a half, the boys are back to eating in the kitchen. They can hear the t.v. but now that they have to finish dinner first before they can leave the table. The boys are now feeding themselves (we help if they need it).

For Tyson, I think the hardest part for him was getting over his fear of trying new things. He is still fearful but isn’t quite as anxious as he was, say, 12 months ago. His comprehension of PECS has helped heaps and this is backed up with a ‘First and Then’ card.

I recommend distraction eating if your ASD child isn’t able to comprehend a ‘First and Then’ card – it just makes it so much easier for everybody, and it eliminates the all the frustration, anger and disappointment us parents carry. Once eating has been established and favourite foods decided, maybe then think about getting them back to the dinner table

Roxy