Newbie with Autistic daughter who won't eat.........

August 22, 2006

Hi everyone,

I have a 3 yr. old autistic daughter who is new to SCD. We have been

doing biomedical for about a year now but I didn't do the diet(s) at

first because of all the feeding/eating issues she has. She was always

a typical tan diet kid (nutrigrain bars, graham crackers, chicken

nuggets, pop tarts, bread).

She has a lot of texture issues and does not eat with a spoon. I

finally realized it was time when she got up to 12-14 diarrheas a day

that reeked of ammonia and gave her the worst diaper rashes you could

possibly imagine.

We started GFCF in April 2006 - she went through horrible withdrawals

but we got through that after 6 days. She then went on a 'banana only'

diet. Literally nothing but bananas for weeks. I finally found some

GFCF pizza crust she liked and she gave up on the bananas and ate

nothing but pizza crust. Her diarrhea didn't get better during these 7

weeks at all. They might have actually gotten worse.

Her DAN dr. recommended SCD and we started that on Saturday. Of

course, we are having no luck feeding her BUT her bowel movements the

past 2 days have been wonderful. Totally formed - no undigested food.

We haven't seen anything like it in over a year.

The only thing I can attribute this to is juicing. I bought a nice

juicer and have been juicing fruit and putting them in popsicle molds

and she's been eating those and of course, bananas again. The weird

thing is, she has only eaten bananas again since Saturday (NOTHING

ELSE) but her stools look a thousand times better than the last time

she went on a banana kick. Could it be the fresh juice ?????

The other question I had was, how long can she go on like this? If

it's up to her, she's eat popsicles and bananas forever. I spend

between 2-3 hours per day trying to feed her mashed up fruit with no

lumps at all. She tightens up her lips and won't let me near her. I

gently tap the spoon on her lip and she just wipes it off and screams.

If I do manage to get any in her mouth, she just spits it out. I know

being consistent is important and that's why I try 3 or 4 times a day

to get her to eat, even one small, tiny bite - but I wander what do I

do if I can't get her to eat soon. Can she really eat bananas and

fresh juice everyday? Has anyone else ever gone through this with

their child?

Feeding and eating has definitely been one of our major issues the

past 2 years. She is non-verbal and VERY, VERY STUBBORN, which makes

things even more difficult. But I know there is no way I'm giving up

on this diet - I haven't seen her stools look so normal in such a long

time. I called my Dad, my aunt and my Grandmother yesterday to tell

them and after I got off the phone, I giggled to myself thinking what

a very weird topic of conversation to most people but to us it's just

2nd nature!!! Everyone is just thrilled about the progress my daughter

has made in just a few short days and I can only imaging how far she

can come if I could just get her to eat a few different foods.

Any advice would be most appreciated - I can visualize the day she is

eating carrots with a fork or some fresh fruit with a spoon - I know

it can happen but it just feels soooooooooo out of reach right now and

I don't know what to do - we have a lot of re-teaching to do with her

being 3 1/2 AND autistic, it's like the double whammy and I know it's

going to take a lot of patience and effort on my part.

Thanks for listening - just very excited and also nervous on how to

move forward,

August 22, 2006

Hi ,

You've come to the right place. We started scd on May 1, 2006, and I joined

this group just a couple of weeks ago. So many here are a wealth of

knowledge. Have you read through all of the info on pecanbread.com? There

are some suggestions of picky eaters, recipes, ect. I have a somewhat picky

eater, but not like your daughter or others. I just offer him something,

and if he declines, he usually doesn't get a substitute. I don't know if

that would be the answer for the banana fixation or not. You would think

that if you don't let her eat all the bananas that she wants, she'll

eventually eat other foods too. I think someone had a similar problem with

bacon recently, and Patty helped them through it. I can say that you're on

the right track. If you've seen her stools becoming normal already, then

you're going down the right road. I'm excited for you just typing this.

Keep it up.

Meleah scd 05/06

iel 3yrs., asd Ethan 5yrs., Mark 1yr.

Newbie with Autistic daughter who won't eat.........

> Hi everyone,

>

> I have a 3 yr. old autistic daughter who is new to SCD. We have been

> doing biomedical for about a year now but I didn't do the diet(s) at

> first because of all the feeding/eating issues she has. She was always

> a typical tan diet kid (nutrigrain bars, graham crackers, chicken

> nuggets, pop tarts, bread).

>

> She has a lot of texture issues and does not eat with a spoon. I

> finally realized it was time when she got up to 12-14 diarrheas a day

> that reeked of ammonia and gave her the worst diaper rashes you could

> possibly imagine.

>

> We started GFCF in April 2006 - she went through horrible withdrawals

> but we got through that after 6 days. She then went on a 'banana only'

> diet. Literally nothing but bananas for weeks. I finally found some

> GFCF pizza crust she liked and she gave up on the bananas and ate

> nothing but pizza crust. Her diarrhea didn't get better during these 7

> weeks at all. They might have actually gotten worse.

>

> Her DAN dr. recommended SCD and we started that on Saturday. Of

> course, we are having no luck feeding her BUT her bowel movements the

> past 2 days have been wonderful. Totally formed - no undigested food.

> We haven't seen anything like it in over a year.

>

> The only thing I can attribute this to is juicing. I bought a nice

> juicer and have been juicing fruit and putting them in popsicle molds

> and she's been eating those and of course, bananas again. The weird

> thing is, she has only eaten bananas again since Saturday (NOTHING

> ELSE) but her stools look a thousand times better than the last time

> she went on a banana kick. Could it be the fresh juice ?????

>

> The other question I had was, how long can she go on like this? If

> it's up to her, she's eat popsicles and bananas forever. I spend

> between 2-3 hours per day trying to feed her mashed up fruit with no

> lumps at all. She tightens up her lips and won't let me near her. I

> gently tap the spoon on her lip and she just wipes it off and screams.

> If I do manage to get any in her mouth, she just spits it out. I know

> being consistent is important and that's why I try 3 or 4 times a day

> to get her to eat, even one small, tiny bite - but I wander what do I

> do if I can't get her to eat soon. Can she really eat bananas and

> fresh juice everyday? Has anyone else ever gone through this with

> their child?

>

> Feeding and eating has definitely been one of our major issues the

> past 2 years. She is non-verbal and VERY, VERY STUBBORN, which makes

> things even more difficult. But I know there is no way I'm giving up

> on this diet - I haven't seen her stools look so normal in such a long

> time. I called my Dad, my aunt and my Grandmother yesterday to tell

> them and after I got off the phone, I giggled to myself thinking what

> a very weird topic of conversation to most people but to us it's just

> 2nd nature!!! Everyone is just thrilled about the progress my daughter

> has made in just a few short days and I can only imaging how far she

> can come if I could just get her to eat a few different foods.

>

> Any advice would be most appreciated - I can visualize the day she is

> eating carrots with a fork or some fresh fruit with a spoon - I know

> it can happen but it just feels soooooooooo out of reach right now and

> I don't know what to do - we have a lot of re-teaching to do with her

> being 3 1/2 AND autistic, it's like the double whammy and I know it's

> going to take a lot of patience and effort on my part.

>

> Thanks for listening - just very excited and also nervous on how to

> move forward,

>

> For information on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, please read the book

> _Breaking the Vicious Cycle_ by Elaine Gottschall and read the following

> websites:

> http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info

> and

> http://www.pecanbread.com

>

August 22, 2006

,

I don't think the improvement in BMs is due to the fresh juice as much as it is

from the ABSENCE of illegal starches and sugars. I hope this is just the

beginning for your dear girl!

Sounds like you have some huge challenges with behavioral and sensory issues

related to her accepting the spoon, etc.

I have a 10-yr-old who still is just learning to eat with a spoon (but is not

autistic, just extremely developmentally disabled), so I can sort of relate.

If she accepts the popsicles, I can see a whole world of popsicle possibilities

ahead for you!

Can you possibly try a finely pureed cooked fruit, just a BIT of it, added to

the juice you're using, and then frozen into the popsicle mold? Start with the

TEENIEST bit of fruit puree mixed into a juice she already likes... then there

is a possibility that, over time, you could EVER-SO-GRADUALLY add miniscule

bits of other pureed foods to the mixture she will already accept..... a bit of

pureed butternut squash, for example... or carrots.

Now, I'm talking about such a small amount that she wouldn't be able to detect

it... like a half-teaspoon... to start with. Then, the next time, you could try

a full teaspoon, and just increase sooooo slowly that she doesn't notice. I

recommend butternut squash because it has a very smooth texture and mild

flavor... no strong smell.

Of course, cooked fruits would work well for this technique.... peaches, pears,

apples.... but it would be really nice to get some veggies into her. You might

consider adding some homemade coconut milk to the popsicle, too.... but again,

just the most incredibly SMALL amount, so she wouldn't be overwhelmed with a new

taste/smell/texture. Coconut milk is wonderful for a smoothie base (or for

popsicles)... and good for the gut, too... but must be homemade, not the canned

kind.

Eventually, you might be able to add a very small bit of nut butter to the

popsicle, and work up sllllooooowwwwllly. I know some parents who even add

chicken broth (or other bone broths) to their kids' smoothies, just for the

added minerals and other good stuff. Again, the key would be START SMALL. I

know, some kids have radar detection and/or the sense of smell of a bomb

sniffing dog, so maybe you've already tried all of this, but didn't get

anywhere?

I would just try really hard (easy for me to say) to not stress about her

reluctance to eat new things, but try to capitalize on what she WILL eat and

move her along, without her even knowing it. Don't try forcing her... you'll

just set up a giant power struggle which SHE is determined to win! Try to make

food available for her... but act like you don't care whether she eats it or

not. Just let her see you, and other family members, enjoying what you're eating

and don't force her.

One idea might be to use a plastic kid spoon as the handle for her popsicle....

just freeze one right into it.... and as she eats the popsicle, she eventually

gets down to the spoon itself. No big deal... but it would get her used to

eating " from the spoon " , without realizing it. (Maybe??)

You'd probably have to use much more advanced behavior mod (ABA) stuff to pair

the new activity or food with the thing you already know she likes... and I'm

certainly no expert on that, but I know you just always have to keep it positive

and reinforce the stuff you want to see more of. An OT might have some other

ideas on feeding... or an ABA professional.

Will she drink through a straw? If so... the smoothie possibilities are endless.

If she prefers her juice in frozen form right now, I'd run with that and just

try to sneak things in gradually.

As her gut actually begins to heal more, it is likely you will see a decrease in

the negative behaviors, and the self-limitation. This has been the case with

other parents of extremely picky eaters around here.

Also, be sure to read the " Overcoming Difficulties " section on

www.pecanbread.com ... and especially the part about " Picky Eaters " .

Best...

Patti