Q: Hi, my autistic son eats a narrow diet, which he will only accept a few types of food. When I want him to try on a new food, he will start to cry and refuse to eat it. I worry that he might not get enough nutrients for his growth, do you have any advice on this issue?
A: All of us have food preferences but children with autism tend to have extra strong preferences for certain foods and it was very difficult for them to accept new foods. You may introduce new foods to your child through gradual exposure. For example, you may begin to introduce new food with a minuscule amount and increase the portion gradually. You may also consider introducing new foods that are similar to foods that your child already liked. For instance, going from chicken nuggets to trying steam chicken.
