How do I deal with my son's malnutrition due to autism?

Hi,



First off thank you so much for taking the time to read this because I know it鈥檚 long. The whole family appreciates all your feedback. I am posting today because I need advice and ideas from parents who have or are experiencing the dilemma my husband and I face. We have a 3.8 yr old boy named Justin who was diagnosed with PDD NOS, Sensory integration dysfunction and ADHD this past summer. He is a great kid and one of the happiest ones you鈥檒l ever meet. He always puts a smile on our face. We knew at the age of 18 months that Justin was atypical. He wouldn't make eye contact, wouldn鈥檛 notice others in the room with him, chewed objects constantly but refused regular food, spoke mostly gibberish and used a lot of stims (flapping, spinning in circles, banging his head and body into things). We battled and are still battling one of the biggest wars in our lives and that war is trying to get our son into the world we live in. Justin is now 3.8 yrs old and only eats either completely pureed or completely solid foods. I wish I could say that he eats pureed or solid fruits and veggies but if I did I would be lying. Justin can tolerate about 10 things which we apply to his diet but mainly he鈥檒l eat 7 spoonfuls of infant cereal for breakfast. He'll have 6 slices of crispy bacon or 3 slices of fried hard salami for lunch. Finally for dinner Justin will have 2oz of cooked rice with pureed beans both given separately and he must always eat in front of the T.V. to distract him. If he realizes he is eating, even if its food he enjoys that鈥檚 part of his daily routine, he will spit it out or cry until he throws up. I am very thankful for Pediasure which fills in the many, many gaps in his diet. The downside is that he will only drink the Pediasure from a bottle but I have no other choice at this point. Even with Pediasure being his main source of food Justin weighs 26lbs at almost 4yrs old. He started receiving Pt, Ot, feeding therapy, play therapy, speech therapy and special instruction at 18 months as soon as we had a confirmation of his delays. His early intervention terminated at age 3 but the Board of Education in the State of New York has a program called CPSE. That鈥檚 when we finally got an official diagnoses and we have a little more closure even though honestly this is just the beginning of a long journey. My son goes to school now and has made incredible progress in all the fields that were significantly delayed. With much work Justin now has an approximate 250+ word vocabulary, makes better eye contact, still uses stims but not as often but still will not eat. I have tried everything. Well not everything and this is why I am posting. I've seen numerous doctors. I've read some books. I am so desperate. I need parents to tell me how they coped or cope with this problem. My son is beginning to be dangerously underweight and I am petrified. His pediatrician doesn鈥檛 seem to put as much thought into it as I do which is why I am in search of a new one. Please help!!!How do I deal with my son's malnutrition due to autism?
i wish i had all the answers but i dont. i really feel for you. i just want to offer a little hope for the future. im a teaching assistant in a school and work with an autistic boy. he is now 12. when he first came to school his diet consisted of microchips and chocolate spread. he would not entertain anything else. however now, he eats fruit and some other things. i think this is partially because he is old enough to understand why he has to eat healthily. schools are constantly promoting this but as your son is so young he is unlikely to respond yet.

sounds silly but have you tried getting him to help you cook? maybe he would show more interest in it?



i hope you can take some comfort fromthis and understand that it might not always be like this for him, he may change with ageHow do I deal with my son's malnutrition due to autism?
Have you read Jenny Mc Carthys website on how to get toxins out of your childs system? I would make sure he is drinking things like mega milk like you buy from GNC if you can. High calorie liquids seem to be the best way to go. Im sorry you are going thru this.