Comments on: Picky Picky

By: What’s Medically Necessary?

What’s Medically Necessary? — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:45:12 +0000

[...] self-injurious behavior (frequent head-banging in previous years). ABA has helped Charlie to eat new and different foods; I think he was only sick for a day or two (and on the weekends) last year because he has a healthy [...]

By: Don’t Got Milk?

Don’t Got Milk? — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:46:00 +0000

[...] cited for autistic children’s deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D are aversions to food (neophobia), digestive problems that interfere with the absorption of nutrients, and a tendency to stay [...]

By: Glad to Be Charlie’s Mother

Glad to Be Charlie’s Mother — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:10:53 +0000

[...] that autistic children can have problems—for very different reasons—with eating from neophobia to pica. Nonetheless the worries that seem to be attendant on raising a girl in today’s [...]

By: JMW

JMW — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:05:59 +0000

My son is now 13. He used to eat anything I put in front of him as a baby. Then the elimination process started. It is now and has been for some time now, a chore to get him to eat anything he sees as non-edible. I noticed along with this that it seemed all the sensory functions seemed to become extremely hightened around the same time ( in his toddler years). Sounds were too loud, lights too bright, SMELLS too strong, foods became offensive to him when he put them in his mouth. I would even have to put socks on him inside out because he would scream, because the seam on the inside was bugging him.
Due to the sensory factors, I noticed if it didn’t look right he wouldn’t eat it, if it didn’t smell right he wouldn’t eat it. (too hot, too cold, texture, you name it, and nothing was to be mixed up or forget it!) An opened can of tuna in the kitchen could send him to throwing up clear in another room.
we have learned to accept that he only eats certain foods, along with an offer to try new things periodically. We’ve also tried really hard to try to make sure he understands the dangers as he ages of not eating healthy foods. We can now only pray that eventually he will reintroduce better foods as he gets older along with some gentle reminders of healthy eating.

By: Mom, There’s Puréed Butternut Squash in My Brownies!

Mom, There’s Puréed Butternut Squash in My Brownies! — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 05:59:37 +0000

[...] you ever tried to sneak—”get”—some zucchini into your neophobic, sensory-picky child who, if she or he is autistic, knows exactly what you are up to because of [...]

By: RAJ

RAJ — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:08:57 +0000

The study calculated heritability at 78%. They also used the classical twin study method which compares the ratio of concordance in identical twins compared to fraternal twins. The classical twin design is coming under increasing scrutiny since there is no environmental component, specifically the intrauterine enironment.

More in depth methods have been used that segregates concordance rates of identical twins by placentation status. A number of studies in the general population have found the highest variance in cognition, brain structure and even personality development all aggregate in identical twins who did not share the same prenatal environment having developed in seperate placentas. Identical twins who share a single placenta are more alike than identical twins who did not share the same prenatal environment.

In leprosy, the concordance rate for identical twins is 60 – 85% and there is a rapid falloff in concordance in fraternal twins 5 – 20%. Using the classic twin study design for calculating heritability has produced the astonishing figure of 80% heritability. The cause of leprosy is exposure to myobacterium laprae so even though there is a strong genetic component the heritability calculation could lead to a misinterpretation in the etiolgy of leprosy. The same phenomena may also be at work in calculating heritibality estimtes in autism which to data has only used the classical twin design method.

A recent article in cardiology explains why heritability estimates may be uninformative.

http://www.circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/113/8/1136

By: Lolasmom

Lolasmom — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:53:44 +0000

After reading this article, I don’t feel too bad about my kids’ eating habits. Lola will eat several types of fruits and vegetables, breads, pasta, any and all dairy, and “soft” meats (meatloaf, meatballs, hot dogs, nuggets, etc.) – she just doesn’t like her stuff mixed together, doesn’t like most sauces, and often doesn’t eat much for dinner (she prefers to graze). She takes after her parents and aunt, though – I didn’t eat a casserole until I was in my teens, my husband ate nothing but PB&J for lunch as a child, and my sister shunned “chewy” meat for years.

By: Leanne

Leanne — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:16:49 +0000

I’ve heard children have to try a new food 10 times before they will like it. It has to do with them having more tastebuds. I have found this to be true with Patrick. Used to hate lasagne. We insisted he eat some each time we had it and by the 12th try he now loves it!!!

Obviously this won’t work for everything but I found it very heartening. It’s a slow campaign for sure.

By: athina

athina — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:19:08 +0000

Both my husband and I were picky eaters when we were children. I myself recall not eating any kind of pasta(!!!), or peppers, or meat (apart from meatballs), and the list goes on. So, my son’s eating habits are no surprise. What is especially remarkable about him though, is that he also doesn’t eat any chocolate or lays, or any of the other treats that children adore. In fact, it was his problem with eating that opened the way to his diagnosis. We didn’t suspect that something was wrong with him until he was two years old and we were adviced to see a child psychiatrist to help us deal with his eating problem. He is now 4 years old and no matter what we’ve tried, we didn’t see any improvement. However, I feel more relaxed about it now and I just let him decide what he’ll eat. It’s the only way to keep myself sane.

By: Casdok

Casdok — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:40:19 +0000

Interesting! Whish my son would eat chicken nuggets!
He is now over 6 foot, dont know how as he hardley eats anything!
So parents, dont worry to much!