Missing Signals. Many autistic people struggle with interoception. This means that they have a difficult time feeling and interpreting their body's signals. This connects with disordered eating behavior because it means they may miss their body's cues that they are
Eating problems are common in autistic people.
Issues such as only eating very few foods, not being able to eat at school, going long periods of time without eating and pica (eating non-foods) can feel difficult to understand and manage.
Children diagnosed with ASD often display sensory processing deficits that can affect their ability to interact with different foods. To a child with an oversensitive sensory system, food may look, sound, smell, feel, or taste offensive.
A child with ASD may have trouble processing sensations, such as touch, smell and taste. He may also have difficulty processing feelings of hunger, thirst and fullness. If he is oversensitive, he may prefer foods that are bland and soft or he may even avoid eating.
It's common for kids on the autism spectrum to have problems with eating. This can make it hard to get them to eat a healthy range of foods. And it can cause a lot of conflict at mealtime. To work on picky eating, the first step is having a doctor rule out stomach issues that might be causing it.
Kids with autism can be extremely selective when it comes to eating. An estimated 46–89% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have feeding problems. ASD children struggle with sensory defensiveness, a need for routine and sameness, and visual overstimulation which makes expanding the palate difficult.
Research also tells us that many individuals with autism tend to have strong preferences for carbohydrates and processed foods, while rejecting fruits and vegetables. This, too, may reflect an aversion to strong tastes and textures.
Many children with autism are drawn to water for its calming, sensory experience. In fact, a 2015 study[1] found that children with ASD enjoy swimming significantly more than children without ASD. And while water can present a safety concern, water play and swimming also offer several benefits for children with ASD.
Being autistic can make fatigue and burnout more likely, due to the pressures of social situations and sensory overload. If your child or the person you care for is experiencing fatigue or burnout, helping them to manage their energy levels is essential, as this guide explains.
Eating together with other people is a common activity to socialize and feel a sense of belonging. But autistic adults often prefer to eat alone, though they have a desire to socialize.
High amounts of sugar in a diet are not good for anyone but especially children with autism. It is common for children with autism to show signs of hyperactivity so limiting sugar can help to balance this out. Also, limiting sugar can help to improve concentration and decrease impulsiveness.
Types of feeding problems associated with autism
The feeding concern most commonly observed in children with autism is food selectivity, or eating a limited variety of foods. This most often involves preference for starches and snack foods and more frequent rejection of fruits and vegetables.
It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life. Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a "cure".
Children on the autism spectrum are more likely to have a restricted diet, refusing more foods and eating a more limited food repertoire than their typically developing peers [4–6]. This selectivity appears to be motivated by a number of factors.
Gastrointestinal abnormalities, such as increased intestinal permeability, altered composition of the intestinal microbiota, and dysregulated gastrointestinal motility and secretion, are described in subsets of individuals with ASD. Such phenotypes can affect the development of other autism-associated phenotypes.
Third, many people affected by autism experience what we call hyperphagia. This is an intense desire to eat that goes beyond true hunger. Given unchecked access to food, someone with hyperphagia may eat almost constantly.
Autistic people in burnout describe feeling exhausted and depleted. As if all of their internal reserves have been used up. These symptoms are not better explained by being physically unwell, malnourished, or having engaged in excessive exercise.
Being completely silent. Not being able to communicate in any way. Withdrawing to a quiet, dark space to get away from the cause of their shutdown. Not being able to move from where they are because they're thinking too much about the cause of their shutdown.
Being autistic can make fatigue and burnout more likely, due to the pressures of social situations and sensory overload. If you are experiencing fatigue or burnout, managing your energy levels is essential, as this guide explains.
Individuals with autism stand out in creative thinking
Autistic people have the ability to think in an abstract way, and they tend to provide solutions to problems in a different way than everyone else. Individuals on the spectrum are often described as people with the ability to think outside the box.
Maintaining personal hygiene can be problematic for someone with autism. It might simply be that they don't understand the importance of personal hygiene or the social implications, and need reminding to have a shower, brush their teeth, wash their clothes etc. For some, there are also sensory issues to consider.
Developing self-care skills such as washing and personal hygiene can sometimes be an issue for autistic people. Sensory differences, such as a heightened sense of smell or touch, can make washing an uncomfortable experience.
Sensory overload, changes in routine, social isolation, co-occurring conditions, and lack of support can all exacerbate the symptoms of autism. However, with early intervention, therapy, and support, individuals with autism can manage these challenges and improve their quality of life.
Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights). Certain sounds, smells, textures and tastes can also be overwhelming. This can result in sensory avoidance – trying to get away from stimuli that most people can easily tune out.