Dr Elizabeth Shea is a Clinical Psychologist who specialises in food and eating issues and has many years experience of working with autistic people. Here she shares her top 5 tips on eating issues and autism. 

Top 5 Tips

1. Do allow the child to eat their preferred and safe foods; this will maintain weight and allow the child to meet their expected growth pattern.      
2. Don’t hide or disguise new foods (including medicines) in the child’s familiar foods as this will ‘contaminate’ the liked food leading to its refusal.     
3. Do work with the child’s sensory issues by helping them get used to the look, texture, smell and taste of new foods.     
4. Don’t allow the child to go for long periods without eating or drinking as differences in appetite regulation mean they are at risk of dehydration or weight loss.
5. Do use relaxation techniques to reduce the child’s anxiety around new foods and eating situations. 

These top 5 tips are meant only as a very general guide to what to think about. Read more about eating issues and autism is Dr Shea's below articles: 

• Supporting autistic people with eating difficulties
• Eating disorder or disordered eating? Eating patterns in autism