please help

[xsamx]

im new to this i have a 4 year old son who doesnt eat all he eat is youghrt and noddols and drink mil every thing has to be a certin way or he screams he wont go outside when it rain cause he say it dirty he desnt like anything on him nothing no dirt doesnt eat sweets no juice nothing he goes to school in september and he still in nappies i am really worried that he is going to get bullie in school cause he wears nappies i have took him to all the doctors and they have said that he has a mild touch of autism but i am really trying to get him out of nappies before he goes to school any one who has any advice please i would be greatful i have 3 other kids that i cant get to spend any time with them cause of my son so anything would help thankyou

[Martin Galvin]

Some children (with autism) are 'fussy' eaters. It may be a sensory issue, they may not like how the food feels in their mouth. Imagine a cherry tomato or a button mushroom bursting when you bite it. The sensation it creates may be too much for that person. Some people have difficulty experiencing the food in their mouth. They may need strong flavoured food prepared for them.
Are there any foods that you do not like? If so, ask yourself, why do you not like them? Is it the smell, the taste or the texture? I worked with a man with autism who did not like any food that was 'white' in colour e.g. potatoes or the sauce in lasagne. I found that trying to change the flavour, colour and texture produced results. For example, using curry powder to change the flavour of potatoes or using tomato sauce to change the colour. This man would not eat fried eggs however, if they were scrambled he would eat them because of the 'yellow' colour.

Regarding the issue of wearing a nappy when going to school. Some children develop toilet-training skills at a later stage than their peers. Don't worry. This is not unusual.

I hope that this information is of some help.

Martin Galvin
Dublin, Ireland

[timp]

Good info Martin.

Just a thought, but all the foods that you mention your son will eat seem to be soft. I'm sure you've tried many things already, but Martin's points about texture and colour seem relevant here. Liquidised or mashed foods might be more acceptable if you're worried about nutrition. Another alternative is to 'hide' nutritious ingredients in the foods your son likes; eg I had a conversation with some care staff the other week who were worried about the lack of protein in the diet of a service user who eats porridge almost exclusively, my suggestion was to occasionally mix in some protein powder like those used by body builders. Ultimately it's a case of trial and error, don't rule out things that haven't worked before, they might work in future.

I'm no great expert in toilet training, but I'm certainly aware of unlabelled children still wearing nappies at the age of four. I think it's more important to ensure that the school takes a sensitive approach to the issue than to worry about the other kids.