My oldest son "Bob" was diagnosed as being a child with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) when he was about four years old. He showed many signs at an early age but like many other parents/caregivers, I wrote it off as he was delayed. One of the first school memories I have of him is when he was in preschool and the teachers had to duct tape his crayons. Bob was obsessed with peeling and picking items. He was peeling the paper off of his crayons and didn't focus on anything but that task until it was completed. He would pull the loose strings in the circle time carpet and the tiniest strings he could find on his clothes.
Tip: Give him something else to have in his hands as a distraction! He is now older and still uses sensory squeezy items in his hands when he feels the need to pick/scratch/peel.
"Bob" is very sensory driven. He never liked a lot of mushy items foodwise. Some items that he won't eat so far : mashed potatoes, Salisbury steak, gravy , pudding, pie) We are always trying to get him exposed to different foods so that they are not as aversive . At mealtimes, I always put something he likes and two things that he either doesn't prefer or never had. We ask that he tries one bite of the non preferred foods. We learned not to put a lot of the unwanted items on his plate so that it is not overwhelming. We don't want to make the experience bad enough that he will never try new food again.
Tip: Talk about the foods that your child is eating, let them see you eating it, let them use their senses to explore the food (touch, taste, smell). Do NOT make the experience aggressive/forceful. This will make them associate food as a punishment or simply as an unpleasant activity.
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