When you have a child with autism spectrum disorder, you may find yourself constantly worried about their overall well-being. One of the areas of concern you might have is their nutrition and their diet. Get to know some of the facts about nutrition and children with autism as well as what you can do to help your child with their potential nutritional issues. Then, you can be certain that you are doing what is best for your child with autism and their health.
Nutritional Deficiencies Are Common with Autism
Firstly, it is important to know that you are not alone in your worries about your child's nutrition. Nutritional deficiencies are quite common among children (and even adults) with autism. There are numerous reasons for these potential deficiencies.
Children with autism tend to be extremely picky eaters. They may have a strong distaste for certain foods and refuse to eat them. They may also get into ritualistic eating habits in which they eat the same thing at the same time every day (or every week, etc...). This can lead them to get some nutrients in droves and lack others entirely.
Forcing Your Child to Change Their Eating Habits Can Be Tough
As you know, when your child has autism, certain seemingly minor issues can become major catastrophes. Because of this, it can be difficult to try to force or convince your child to change their eating habits. If anything, the process will be quite gradual and slow and it will take a great deal of work to get your child to try new foods or to break their habits. Do not get discouraged and do not give up on trying to instill healthy eating habits in your child with autism. Just know that you need to be patient and persistent.
Vitamin Supplements Can Help
Of course, while you are trying to change your child's eating habits, your child will continue to experience nutritional deficiencies and imbalances. There are ways to deal with that problem in the meantime, however. Vitamin supplements can be utilized to help correct imbalances in your child's diet.
A general multivitamin may be a good option if your child refuses to eat fruits and vegetables, for example. However, if they are more prone to avoid meat and other iron-rich foods, a basic iron supplement may be sufficient. Be careful about the vitamins you choose for your child as the wrong one can create even bigger imbalance in their vitamin and mineral levels.
Now that you know more about nutrition and your child with autism, you can be sure that you are doing what is best for your child with autism and their health. Contact a service, like Spectrum Awakening for more help.
