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Asperger Syndome & Diet

Most parents have a clear idea of what constitutes a balanced diet even if they find it difficult always to obey the rules themselves. Most children go through phases when they resist the balanced diet, refusing to eat certain 'healthy' foods such as fruit and vegetables or eating too much 'junk' or snack food. The usual advice is as follows - 'no-one ever died of eating jam sandwiches every day' or 'encourage the child to eat just a little of what he dislikes, then 'reward' them with something he likes.'

But children with AS need more careful consideration when eating problems arise. Parents list the following problems:

• S/he will not eat in the same room as a bowl of fruit
• It has to be fish & chips every Monday without fail
• S/he has to eat sitting at a coffee table and may choose not to join the family for meals
• S/he is not allowed enough time to finish his/her meal at school so they don't eat enough
• S/he gets into trouble for being messy so, refuses to eat at all at school
• S/he eats a whole chocolate cake almost every day

These rigid ideas about food and eating worry parents, but the more they try logical argument the more stubborn the AS child becomes. What can be done to break the pattern?

First of all, check what they eating over the course of a few days. Although their diet may be unconventional, it may be quite well balanced. For instance, even if they are not eating fruit and vegetables they may still be eating sufficient minerals, vitamins and roughage via brown bread, Ribena and dairy produce. If you are still worried the next step is to try to understand why the child behaves as s/he does and then work out a strategy to increase the quality and quantity of food intake.

For instance, AS children have poor hand/eye co-ordination, so eating 'nicely' is difficult for them and frustrating. Don't insist too early on correct cutlery, don't fuss about spillages. Use the messiness as an opportunity to show how such problems can be overcome (using a spoon, spreading papers under their chair, not providing food he finds difficult to manipulate). Once they realise something can be done their self esteem rises.

AS children's senses are finely tuned - their sense of smell is particularly acute. Their dislike for a certain food may be as much to do with its smell as its texture. However, I once mistakenly told my AS son that a restaurant dish was noodles when it was actually cabbage. I discovered my mistake with the first mouthful but did not let on while he ate it with relish. Some weeks later I admitted my mistake, he saw the funny side; I learned to cook cabbage in the German way and he agreed to eat it!

Some AS children eat painfully slowly, partly because of the co-ordination problem and partly because they have difficulty focusing on one task alone. Eating in a group may be difficult for them because they get distracted or because they hate being last (again). So provide a stress-free environment for their meals and allow them to return to their plate even though the other children have finished.

Sometimes you can turn a bad experience around by appealing to logic. For instance, a bout of constipation might be used as an opportunity to introduce All Bran or larger vegetable portions as a cure. Or you might discuss in advance how you would deal with the Monday night fish & chips routine if there was a power cut. Once he's agreed that it might just be possible to substitute another dish, you are some way to testing it out!

Whatever you do, try not to make food and meals a battleground. You will not win this battle and you may start your child on some unhealthy attitudes to food and eating in the process. The aim of all this is to encourage him to enjoy eating! It's one of the pleasures of life and AS people need to experience such pleasures.