Problem Feeders

Parents can become overwhelmed and frightened when their child refuses to eat. Many struggle at mealtime, hoping to find a way for their child to eat and drink without resistance. To best address these challenges, we need to discern if the child is a problem feeder, learn why they are not eating, and provide avenues for parents to get professional and medical guidance, if necessary.

Some signs and symptoms of problem feeding are: eating fewer than 20 different foods, taking too long to eat (generally over 45 minutes).

Some signs and symptoms of problem feeding are:

• eating fewer than 20 different foods
• taking too long to eat (generally over 45 minutes)
• refusing food
• vomiting, gagging, or choking when eating
• inappropriate behaviors surrounding mealtime (e.g., hitting, kicking, throwing food)
• refusing entire categories of food textures or food groups
• tantrums when presented with new foods
• refusing to eat a once-favorite food and never reinstating that item back into his food inventory
• medical complications leading to poor growth

While eating fewer than twenty different foods or taking longer than 45 minutes to eat can be signs of feeding problems – these are not uncommon behaviors for a child with autism; typically, additional symptoms are present with problem feeders. For example, if a child ate fewer than 20 foods and took a long time to eat but was generally happy and not gagging or crying at meals, then the child may not be a problem feeder. And, as Julie points out in her article, many children with limited diets...
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