Re: My DS is bearly eating at all

[Guest guest]

Eddie, I think it is pretty common in most children with AS dx to be picky eaters. I have read this over and over and over again. I know it is difficult but bear with it. Hopefully as he gets older he will change. In the meantime, let him eat the foods he likes. ....even if it is peanut butter and jelly every day....or pizza. At least he is eating. Now you say he is on adderall...and that too decreases his appetite... I know this too because my son is also on it. My son doesn't eat in school at all. He use to but now claims he is not hungry. My son eats a bowl of frozen youghrt every morning...I feel at least he is getting something into his system. My son hates milk, cottage cheese, and youghrt. As a baby he would not eat mashed potatoes at all...I think it has to do with the color and consistency.

Now, on the up side, he is 15 and has some friend who are older. They would go to Burger King and one day my son tried a burger with lettuce and tomatoe...and liked it. He won't get any sauce on it. Now he has tried some different foods. He likes mashed potatoes now...but no gravy. He goes thru spurts of what he eats and doesn't eat...he would eat the small frozen pizza like crazy and now won't eat them at all.

Just bear with it. Let your son eat the foods he likes and don't make too much of a big deal about it. I think the more attention you give it, the worse it will get. As long as the doctor is not worried...then you should not be. Also, you may want to give him breaks on the weekend from the medicine unless he will be going somewhere or going to be with friends. We tried giving our son breaks...but in the summer when he is with his friends, he gets to hyper and the friend all notice the difference in him. They will actually tell him to go take his medicine. So, I guess the stuff really works.

Best of luck. And, try not to worry too much.

Jan

"In the Midst of Difficulty lies Opportunity" Albert Einstein

Success is not measured by one's position but by the obstacles one has overcome to obtain that position

From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Asperger Support < >; Autism - Asperger <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Sent: Sun, January 16, 2011 3:31:08 PMSubject: ( ) My DS is bearly eating at all

Dear Parents,As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage

that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong. takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that

is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He

is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?All the best,Eddie PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

O

[Guest guest]

I would get a second opinion and it wouldn't hurt to see an ENT.My aspie loves to eat so we have the opposite problem. Thank goodness my son loves sports too.-- Sent from my Palm PreOn Jan 16, 2011 22:18, Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...> wrote:

Dear Parents,

As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.

My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.

With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong.

takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.

I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.

Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.

Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?

All the best,

Eddie

PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

I am dealing with this same issue. My son went from 118 to 90 pounds real quick and is right now staying at 90 pounds but continues to not eat very much at all. Dislikes certain looks of food and temperature, and textures. Our dr is not concerned as of yet either. He is 12 and we have got 10s but like you said sometimes even that is too big. I think he is losing more weight and have an appt to go back to the dr soon. My son takes vyvanse in the morning and seroquel at night to go to sleep. If you get any ideas please let me know. Hope all goes well.

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From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Asperger Support <Aspergers Syndrome >; Autism - Asperger <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Sent: Sun, January 16, 2011 3:31:08 PMSubject: My DS is bearly eating at all

Dear Parents,As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage

that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong. takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that

is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He

is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?All the best,Eddie PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

Dear Eddie and Nikole,

Being really thin must be an autism thing. My daughter is on no drugs but low dose naltrexone (very benign immune system booster) and she eats like a horse and has gotten really thin again. We're raw vegan and she's been both chunky and thin with the same food.

Here's my take on it, and I don't know if this is right or not. Toxins (with which our kids are probably loaded) are stored in fat cells; in fact, that's pretty much what 'fat' cells are, repositories for toxins. So maybe getting really thin is the body housecleaning and ridding itself of unneeded poisons. She's got plenty of energy and stamina and exercises for hours a day.

And if people with autism are gluten-free and casein-free then those are two groups of foods, toxic to the immune system, that put on and keep weight on; not healthy weight though.

That's my 2-cents. And it's hard not to worry about anything out of the ordinary.

Francine

Speak with Him Thou for He hearest.

Spirit with Spirit can speak.

Closer is Love than breathing,

Nearer than hands and feet.

(with appreciation for Tennyson)

My DS is bearly eating at all

Dear Parents,

As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.

My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.

With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong.

takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.

I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.

Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.

Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?

All the best,

Eddie

PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

My son is 14 and a half and he is 77 pounds. He was always on the small side of things, but at least he kept gaining until about a year ago when under pressure from the school I had to put him under medication (Adderall 15 mg). Right away he started loosing weight and after I struggled with him the entire summer, in the fall he stopped loosing and started making small, modest gains.

Thanks for your response.

Best of all to you and your son.

Eddie

From: Nikole Benson <eleteach03@...>Subject: Re: My DS is bearly eating at allAutism and Aspergers Treatment Received: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 4:30 PM

I am dealing with this same issue. My son went from 118 to 90 pounds real quick and is right now staying at 90 pounds but continues to not eat very much at all. Dislikes certain looks of food and temperature, and textures. Our dr is not concerned as of yet either. He is 12 and we have got 10s but like you said sometimes even that is too big. I think he is losing more weight and have an appt to go back to the dr soon. My son takes vyvanse in the morning and seroquel at night to go to sleep. If you get any ideas please let me know. Hope all goes well.

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From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Asperger Support <Aspergers Syndrome >; Autism - Asperger <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Sent: Sun, January 16, 2011 3:31:08 PMSubject: My DS is bearly eating at all

Dear Parents,As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage

that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong. takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that

is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He

is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?All the best,Eddie PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

My daughter was always in the lowest weight group when she was younger. Even in

her teens she was super thin. When she was younger we gave her lots of protein

drinks that were high in calories and vitamins and minerals. While she never did

gain a lot of weight with those drinks at least she didn't appear anorexic.

Unfortunately when she was in her early 20's she developed schizoeffective

disorder, bipolar type. The drugs that they gave her caused a 50 pound weight

gain. (100 pounds is normal for these types of drugs). When she is depressed

she stops eating, but those protein drinks help her get some nutrition.

>

> Dear Parents,

>

> As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am

having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is

the first and the most stressful one.

>

> My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment

scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a

hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has

developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not

seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on

that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical

development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his

height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t

be concerned.

>

> With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he

has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him to send the food down

his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him

checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it

has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not

figure out what is wrong.

>

> takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug

cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well.

Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug

holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again

and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.

>

> I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even

some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers

and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another

food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are

consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he

needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.

>

> Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is

a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that

may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts

of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to

prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable

experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one

quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and

they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In

all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply

concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go

for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.

>

> Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the

same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try

to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?

>

> All the best,

> Eddie

>

> PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance

if you received it twice.

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, my child had similar problems and we go to occupational therapy and an eating specialist that is a psychologist. Occupational therapists are trained to work with these issues, especially concerning textures and colors of foods. Good luck. It is hard to have a child with eating issues. My child wouldn't eat anything, but now eats a wide variety of foods from his treatment. However, now he is gaining weight. I hate to talk to him about eating too much. I feel he is at risk for an eating disorder from his food issues. They stem from his diagnosis of aspergers. Good luck.

From: stephen <robindeutsch@...>Subject: Re: My DS is bearly eating at allAutism and Aspergers Treatment Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 9:56 PM

My daughter was always in the lowest weight group when she was younger. Even in her teens she was super thin. When she was younger we gave her lots of protein drinks that were high in calories and vitamins and minerals. While she never did gain a lot of weight with those drinks at least she didn't appear anorexic. Unfortunately when she was in her early 20's she developed schizoeffective disorder, bipolar type. The drugs that they gave her caused a 50 pound weight gain. (100 pounds is normal for these types of drugs). When she is depressed she stops eating, but those protein drinks help her get some nutrition. >> Dear Parents,> > As you may remember I joined the

group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.> > My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.> > With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow

him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong.> > takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.> > I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group

that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.> > Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his

physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.> > Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?> > All the best,> Eddie > > PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.>

[Guest guest]

Eddie,

My AS is 14 also and on Adderall XR 25 mg. He is also on Abilify. The

Abilify helps him control some ticks and stimulates the appetite. He

only takes 7 mg a day. This may be an option for you.

As for the too chewy things. He went threw this when he was 7 and

every once in awhile still says that. Especially for pork chops and

steak. I have a tendency to not have those foods all of the time.

When I do make them, I give him a smaller portion and let him have

extra veggies, fruits and dessert. I used to get on him for chewy

forever, which of course he said he wasn't and I think you know how

the rest of that goes.

My DS also gets constipated. Instead of letting him drink soda, we

let him have as much cranberry juice as he wants. He also likes the

Plum juice that is out now for digestive health. Soda we use as a treat.

I hope some of this helps you out.

Janice in Wisconsin

On Jan 16, 2011, at 2:31 PM, Eddie Lascu wrote:

> Dear Parents,

>

> As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I

> said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help

> and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.

>

> My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental

> assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the

> AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater,

> but in the last year this has developed into something that drives

> me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too

> concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that

> chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical

> development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight

> and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in

> sync I shouldn’t be concerned.

>

> With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to

> me that he has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him

> to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but

> simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and

> they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be

> mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could

> not figure out what is wrong.

>

> takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all

> know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why

> he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the

> winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his

> appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to

> go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.

>

> I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too

> chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For

> example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the

> food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that is a

> struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from

> here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to

> take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.

>

> Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My

> fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most

> incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really

> disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a

> little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare

> the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst

> imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time

> he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have

> to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is

> that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am

> running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply

> concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy

> him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.

>

> Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt

> with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on

> what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his

> development in such a destructive way?

>

> All the best,

> Eddie

>

> PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize

> in advance if you received it twice.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Eddie, You should look into Sensory Processing Disorder. If you type that in on google, you will find a TON of resources, although one website is particularly helpful : http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/ My daughter does not have oral sensitivities, however she has many other issues, and it can be a major issue for some kids to figure out what they will and won't eat.... Your son sounds picture perfect for the oral sensitivities (from my reading). If your pediatrician is not working with you I would find another pediatrician. I would also insist on getting an OT evaluation (you would need an order from your physician) and I have heard many instances where they have been able to help children with their

sensitivities. He may also need a speech eval (speech does eating stuff too:), but I would start with OT and see if they couldn't help you and him. The other thing I would do is figure out the things that he can't stand, and then stay away from those things. If he doesn't like chewy things, stay away from those. Be sensitive to him, SPD is a real issue, trust me I have it, and it can be almost painful to be forced to eat things that (or be touched or some sounds, depending on the child) you can't handle. Be sensitive to him, he cannot help the problems he has, it truly is some type of internal disconnect!!!

Carolyn

From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Asperger Support < >; Autism - Asperger <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Sent: Sun, January 16, 2011 2:31:08 PMSubject: ( ) My DS is bearly eating at all

Dear Parents,As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage

that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong. takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that

is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He

is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?All the best,Eddie PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

What he is below the 5% chart in height? Look up the Magic

Foundation. He has a growth issue. Kids are not below 5%

unless there is a problem. An endocronologist will check

thyroid, they will look for a genetic disorder etc.

There is no way below 5% is normal for a kid. My daughter

was always below the 5% curve too and we found out she did

indeed have a growth disorder. The Magic Foundation website

is very informative.

A good book on medical treatment is " Clinical

Treatment Of Autism " by Dr. Hollander, in it

he writes that stimulants don't work that well for

kids with autism. Do they help your son much?

No sense dealing with the side effects if they don't

help much.

Is your son anxious? Many kids with AS or NLD are very

anxious. Any kind of compulsion is caused by anxiety

disorders (shopping, gambling, food issues etc). When

my daughter started on a low dose of zoloft it helped

her appetite greatly. She gained 10 lbs in one year.

She too ate very slow, I use to put the TV on to distract

her from her swallowing issues and it seemed to help.

Does your son have a low gag reflex. My daughter does

she use to throw up very easily. And when she gets

a stomach virus I have to get a prescription filled

to stop her vomiting it is so extreme.

If your son has NLD he may not be so willing to participate

in therapy to reduce his anxiety. I am not pushing medication

but look at Dr. Hollander's book and at the drug

trials they have safe doses for kids with autism.

I tried going over 75mg of zoloft and it was not a good

reaction. Kids with autism are very sensitive.

I hope this is of some help.

Pam

>

> Dear Parents,

>

> As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am

having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is

the first and the most stressful one.

>

> My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment

scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a

hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has

developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not

seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on

that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical

development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his

height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t

be concerned.

>

> With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he

has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him to send the food down

his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him

checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it

has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not

figure out what is wrong.

>

> takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug

cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well.

Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug

holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again

and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.

>

> I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even

some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers

and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another

food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are

consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he

needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.

>

> Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is

a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that

may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts

of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to

prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable

experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one

quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and

they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In

all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply

concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go

for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.

>

> Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the

same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try

to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?

>

> All the best,

> Eddie

>

> PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance

if you received it twice.

>

[Guest guest]

You are right...the tyroid should be checked....my nephew was way below in height. When it was finally checked his thyroid...they found that was the problem. Although he was put on medication....he will never reach his full potential height. He is very small for a young man.

The other thing...Zoloft when used to treat complusions doesn't work well in high dosages for that disorder. My psychiatrist told me this as I too suffer from OCD....he lowered my dosage.

Jan

"In the Midst of Difficulty lies Opportunity" Albert Einstein

Success is not measured by one's position but by the obstacles one has overcome to obtain that position

From: Pamela <susanonderko@...> Sent: Mon, January 17, 2011 10:20:23 AMSubject: ( ) Re: My DS is bearly eating at all

What he is below the 5% chart in height? Look up the Magic Foundation. He has a growth issue. Kids are not below 5% unless there is a problem. An endocronologist will checkthyroid, they will look for a genetic disorder etc. There is no way below 5% is normal for a kid. My daughterwas always below the 5% curve too and we found out she didindeed have a growth disorder. The Magic Foundation websiteis very informative. A good book on medical treatment is "ClinicalTreatment Of Autism" by Dr. Hollander, in ithe writes that stimulants don't work that well forkids with autism. Do they help your son much?No sense dealing with the side effects if they don'thelp much.Is your son anxious? Many kids with AS or NLD are very anxious. Any kind of compulsion is caused by anxietydisorders (shopping, gambling, food issues etc). When my daughter started on a low dose of zoloft it

helpedher appetite greatly. She gained 10 lbs in one year.She too ate very slow, I use to put the TV on to distracther from her swallowing issues and it seemed to help.Does your son have a low gag reflex. My daughter doesshe use to throw up very easily. And when she getsa stomach virus I have to get a prescription filledto stop her vomiting it is so extreme. If your son has NLD he may not be so willing to participatein therapy to reduce his anxiety. I am not pushing medicationbut look at Dr. Hollander's book and at the drugtrials they have safe doses for kids with autism.I tried going over 75mg of zoloft and it was not a goodreaction. Kids with autism are very sensitive. I hope this is of some help.Pam >> Dear Parents,> > As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.> > My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the

two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.> > With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong.> > takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.> > I should also mention that he

refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.> > Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I

have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.> > Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?> > All the best,> Eddie > > PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.>

[Guest guest]

Eddie,

Your son's issues sound a lot like mine who is 13. He was always very small and thin for his age. I had him tested for thyroid and growth issues and the test showed he didn't have any. He was an extremely picky eater too. He's still picky, but not near as much.

My son also had issues with vomiting all the time or having diarrhea or both. This was almost weekly. Then we came to the states and the dr who now treats him for medication therapy took him off Adderall. He said it might help AS kids with attention but makes them more irritable and arguementative. He switched my son to Stratera for his ADHD and added Resperidon for the AS. This has helped tremedously. He stopped the vomiting and diahrea all the time. He started eating foods he didn't before. He still doesn't like most fruits, tomatoes, onions or rice. Mostly due to the texture. But he has gained weight and grown.

Now I have to worry about him gaining too much weight. Right now it's not too bad because he is so active. But he has caught up to his peers in growth quite a bit. He is still kind of short for his age and I think he always will be now. His dad is 6'1" but I'm only 5'3" so he'll probably end up somewhere in between.

Good luck and I would definitely recommend taking him off Adderall. But you'll have to see what works for your son best. ne

From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Subject: ( ) My DS is bearly eating at all"Asperger Support" < >, "Autism - Asperger" <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 3:31 PM

Dear Parents,As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage

that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong. takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that

is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He

is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?All the best,Eddie PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

Thank you ne for your response. I will book an appointment with our paediatrician and will ask him about switching from Adderall to Stratera (I hope the drug is available in Canada, because this is where we live). I will also ask him to refer us to a specialist that can do the thyroid check-up.

My son doesn’t vomit (though the occasional accident does happens as it is the case with any child). He almost never gets diarrhea because he is mega constipated. We need to give him a hefty dosage of stool-softener every day to keep him going.

How quick did you see results after taking your son off Adderall and starting him on Stratera? You say he caught up with his peers in terms of growth, after you switched his medication. How long ago did this happen (you said your son is 13 now)?

Thanks for your feedback. Excellent advise that I will most definitely follow up on.

All the best,

Eddie

From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Subject: ( ) My DS is bearly eating at all"Asperger Support" < >, "Autism - Asperger" <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 3:31 PM

Dear Parents,As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage

that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong. takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that

is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He

is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?All the best,Eddie PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

I think most medications for ADHD decrease the appetite. My son was on concerta and lost weight. We switched to Adderall XR....he doesn't eat lunch in school and doesn't really snack in between meals. But he eats what he wants when he wants. I just make sure he has something in his belly before school. He now eats 1/2 of a hard roll on the way to school.

My son has grown by leaps and bounds and is about 6' tall now and 155 lbs. He was a chubby baby at 3 months and I worried then about his weight. Now he is tall and thin. I think most of our children have eating problems due to textures and what not. I would have him tested and if everything is okay then just let him eat the foods he likes and hopefully as he matures he will try different foods.

My son was on Risperdal for a while and that puts weight on too!

Jan

"In the Midst of Difficulty lies Opportunity" Albert Einstein

Success is not measured by one's position but by the obstacles one has overcome to obtain that position

From: susanne hansen <s_hansen34@...> Sent: Mon, January 17, 2011 11:24:53 AMSubject: Re: ( ) My DS is bearly eating at all

Eddie,

Your son's issues sound a lot like mine who is 13. He was always very small and thin for his age. I had him tested for thyroid and growth issues and the test showed he didn't have any. He was an extremely picky eater too. He's still picky, but not near as much.

My son also had issues with vomiting all the time or having diarrhea or both. This was almost weekly. Then we came to the states and the dr who now treats him for medication therapy took him off Adderall. He said it might help AS kids with attention but makes them more irritable and arguementative. He switched my son to Stratera for his ADHD and added Resperidon for the AS. This has helped tremedously. He stopped the vomiting and diahrea all the time. He started eating foods he didn't before. He still doesn't like most fruits, tomatoes, onions or rice. Mostly due to the texture. But he has gained weight and grown.

Now I have to worry about him gaining too much weight. Right now it's not too bad because he is so active. But he has caught up to his peers in growth quite a bit. He is still kind of short for his age and I think he always will be now. His dad is 6'1" but I'm only 5'3" so he'll probably end up somewhere in between.

Good luck and I would definitely recommend taking him off Adderall. But you'll have to see what works for your son best. ne

From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Subject: ( ) My DS is bearly eating at all"Asperger Support" < >, "Autism - Asperger" <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 3:31 PM

Dear Parents,As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage

that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong. takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that

is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He

is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?All the best,Eddie PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

Hi. I'm the mom of a 5 yo who also has feeding issues. My little guy responded

well to feeding therapy although there are still some issues. He still has a

limited diet and still eats some baby food to get his nutritional needs met, but

compared to what we used to deal with, I'll take it.

The therapy that worked well for him was S.O.S therapy (Sequential Oral Sensory

therapy by Kay Toomey) it uses preferred foods/textures to segway to less

preferred foods. He used to only eat foods that shattered in his mouth

(chips,puffed cereal) or were completely smooth (no lumps what so ever)

I think the key to that therapy for my little guy was there was no pressure on

him to eat the food, the expectation at first was just getting him to tolerate

it being on his plate, then touching it, then putting it to his mouth, then

putting it in and having the option of spitting it out... I can still remember

how badly he wanted to eat a swedish fish, as he loved the flavor but just

couldn't get it to go down..he eventually was able to and now loves gummy

candies as well as chicken, sausage, etc

Before this intervention mealtime was usually tear time for me, and I didn't

realize it then, but all of the emotion and language I was displaying/using was

actually behaviorally reinforcing him not eating. I was making his not eating

not only a sensory issue but a behavior issue as well (my son has quite a few

attention maintained behaviors).

My 1st bit of advice is to not take his aversion to the pepper skin, (or

anything else for that matter) personally. I know it stinks to prepare all day

and put so much love and effort into a meal and then have it not be appreciated,

but being that our children are not typical, we need to put a heck of a lot more

effort and understanding in to our expectations.

Have you ever had him allergy tested? Our GI doctor believed my son had IEE

(intraepithelial esophageal eosinophils)) but rather than have him biopsied I

just took him off of all the foods he was allergic to. If you take him to a GI

doctor they will test his nutrient /vitamin levels and such and may give you

liquid shakes to be sure he is getting all that he needs (that what our GI did).

Also, miralx helped greatly with the constipation (you can get a script by it's

drug name to get it covered by insurance...much cheaper)

Hang in there!

>

> Dear Parents,

>

> As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am

having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is

the first and the most stressful one.

>

> My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment

scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a

hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has

developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not

seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on

that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical

development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his

height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t

be concerned.

>

> With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he

has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him to send the food down

his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him

checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it

has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not

figure out what is wrong.

>

> takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug

cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well.

Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug

holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again

and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.

>

> I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even

some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers

and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another

food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are

consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he

needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.

>

> Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is

a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that

may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts

of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to

prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable

experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one

quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and

they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In

all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply

concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go

for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.

>

> Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the

same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try

to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?

>

> All the best,

> Eddie

>

> PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance

if you received it twice.

>

[Guest guest]

Ask to see your son's growth chart, you may see a decrease

in growth when he started the medication. If he was always

below the curves that is a growth issue or perhaps

a metabolic disorder.

Pam

>

>

> From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>

> Subject: ( ) My DS is bearly eating at all

> " Asperger Support " < >, " Autism - Asperger "

<Autism and Aspergers Treatment >

> Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 3:31 PM

>

>

>  

>

> Dear Parents,

>

> As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am

having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is

the first and the most stressful one.

>

> My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment

scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a

hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has

developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not

seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on

that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical

development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his

height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t

be concerned.

>

> With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he

has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him to send the food down

his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him

checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it

has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not

figure out what is wrong.

>

> takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug

cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well.

Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug

holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again

and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.

>

> I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even

some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers

and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another

food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are

consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he

needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.

>

> Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is

a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that

may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts

of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to

prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable

experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one

quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and

they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In

all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply

concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go

for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.

>

> Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the

same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try

to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?

>

> All the best,

> Eddie

>

> PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance

if you received it twice.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Eddie, I had a picky eater with texture problems. I don't think I'd have to

use all my fingers to count the foods he would eat. He's 21 now, but let's see.

He ate chicken nuggets/patties. Mac & cheese. Hot dogs w/mayo or plain.

Vanilla ice cream. Mashed potatoes. French fries. Certain pasta, but couldn't

have a red sauce. (ate spaghetti noodles without sauce) Pancakes but only with

margarine, no syrup. Waffles same way but quit eating them so don't count.

Biscuits. Ham sandwiches w/mayo (quit eating those in middle school) but will

eat ham & cheese Hot Pockets. Brownies. Plain potato chips. Did eat BBQ

Fritos but quit that later. Oh, corn on the cob, but not off.

No fruit. Only way to get fruit down him was apple juice or orange juice w/out

pulp.

So basically, a lot of meals had mashed potatos and biscuits with them so there

would be SOMEthing he would like and be able to eat. So long as he had

something to eat at each meal, I didn't worry. Just tried to have 2 things on

the table he would eat and get seconds if he wanted, large portion, etc.

We did encourage him to try new things. I even just said once a month, please.

He didn't always. But he did find out that he liked soft tacos that way, 6th or

7th grade. That was the first hamburger meat that he'd ever got in him! And I

talked to him about it, here & there, told him there were many foods I didn't

like as a child but tried again later in life and did like. Like mac & cheese.

I didn't like it as a kid but do like it now!

I myself have never liked vegetables other than potatoes (but my other 2 sons

love them) so I wasn't really pushy on him to eat those, after all I made it to

adulthood without 'em! Though I will eat them in dishes like vegetable beef

soup, a rice dish, or pot pies, like that.

Meat was a texture problem for him. I think that is why chicken nuggets were

okay, sort of " processed " and not actual meat/chunks. I remember asking the

dentist, more than once, were his teeth aligned okay because I wondered if it

was a chewing problem. But later I compared it to how I felt when I tried some

of those gummy worm candy things my kids like. Could not stand the feel of that

in my mouth when I chewed, just terrible, figured maybe he felt like that with

some foods.

Later in high school he decided on his own to try more foods. And, yay, he did

begin to eat more variety. And at 21 he eats a better variety than I do. All

kinds of vege dishes, meats, etc. But still no fruit. Still only vanilla ice

cream (won't try another flavor). Oh, and he still will not eat popcorn.

Now his twin (not identical) did get checked out in 6th grade because he wasn't

growing. Was practically the smallest (shortest) kid in his grade. Hadn't

grown much after a certain point in elementary school. We got his bone age

checked and it showed his bone age was 5 years younger than his age. So, at 13

he had a bone age of 8 yrs. Doctor said that just meant he would go through

puberty later. And he is fine, still not as tall as his brothers (dad was

shorter too; I'm divorced, single mom). But he had huge anxiety back then about

being so small, wanted to take ANYthing to make him taller. He's...5'5 " or

maybe 6 " now.

Swallowing - my son above also has problems swallowing. Like it goes through

phases. I don't know why. He does very rarely have panic attacks, I haven't

pinpointed if they relate in any way. He also gets tonsil stones and I know he

feels like he will choke when he goes through having them. He will stick to

certain foods until he gets past this choking feeling when he swallows.

has OCD too, along with Aspergers. In my OCD group, some children

also go thru a swallowing problem, feel like they will choke. We tend to advise

them to try to use the nutritional type drinks (Ensure, etc), while their

children are going through this. Any soft food the child is willing to eat, just

to get food into them.

I don't know if it's med related? But since you feel it could be med related,

you might try switching From Adderall to another med?

Probably rambled a lot above, but I feel for what you're going through.

's 21 and for jeans really needs a 28 waist, we're lucky to find 29's;

usually end up having to get 30's and he uses a belt. He's about 5'10 " .

>

> Dear Parents,

>

> As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am

having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is

the first and the most stressful one.

>

[Guest guest]

Eddie,

Our son has sensory issues, so refuses to eat foods that are certain textures.

Like my son doesn't like soft foods, like mashed potatoes or puddings or

something. The foods he refuses all have similar textures. We have our son in

feeding therapy, where they work on building up tolerance to the textures he

doesn't like. They start by being willing to touch them, and then work up to

putting them in the mouth and chewing and swallowing. I would recommend looking

for a feeding therapist to see your son(ours is an O.T. who specializes in

feeding.)

It's completely a mental thing, and I'm not sure how willing your son will be to

participate in therapy, if he's 14 year old, but it's definitely what I would

try. We've seen great help with our son, whereas he wouldn't even touch

play-dough before, he now will play with it, and sometimes even eat scrambled

eggs. Not as often as we would like, but it's progress. It is kind of a slow

process though.

Hope you can find something that works for your son. I know the frustration of

making food that my child won't eat, or even touch sometimes! It's enough to

drive you mad!

Good luck

P.

>

> Dear Parents,

> I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even

some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers

and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another

food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are

consequences from here.

>

> All the best,

> Eddie

[Guest guest]

Ask the doctor if there is another medication that he can switch too. My 15 year old has been on Addreall since Kindergarten. His last dose was the XR 30mg, that is when I noticed severe drop in appetite plus other side effects. I talked to the doctor and she switched him to Focalin 10mg and then moved it up to 15mg due to lack of attention in the afternoon. He has been doing great and his appetite has come back in full force. There are still some thing he refuses to eat, but it has been so much better. Littlepage"The

past is the same, but the present has no boundary." From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Asperger Support <Aspergers Syndrome >; Autism - Asperger <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Cc: Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2011 2:31 PMSubject: My DS is bearly eating at all

Dear Parents,

As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.

My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.

With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong.

takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.

I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.

Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.

Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?

All the best,

Eddie

PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.

[Guest guest]

My son (w/Aspergers)  has also been a very picky, slow eater and on the thin to underweight side all of his life.His orthodontist stated he has " Tongue Thrust " .  Which means his tongue pushes forward, which helps explain his incredible problems swallowing vitamins, and why he takes so long to chew his food and get it down.  There was no medical remedy suggested when we heard of this a few years ago, as he 'gets by' with it.  Perhaps your son has a more severe version of Tongue Thrust, or something similar to this.

Our son still takes a long time to eat meals (he's 21).  He is very methodical when he lays out his food, and then he chews each bite for what seems like 20 times.  I had thought this might improve as he got older, but he is actually more rigid in his eating habits now.

He also checks the nutritional value of everything.  It drives me nuts as he doesn't like to go over the recommended fat or sodium intake each day, yet if anyone could afford to eat a little extra fat it's him. lol

take care and I wish you the best with your son.Melani

[Guest guest]

Hi Eddie,

I'm glad you found my experience with my son useful. When he was taken off Adderall he was 10. Within a year he was at average weight for his age and height and has maintained his weight since then. He also grew about a foot over the last three years. Like I said though, he is still a bit short for his age. But hopefully he will have a growth spurt soon!

Most kids with AS don't do well on stimulant medications. Also, many kids with AS suffer from gastrointestinal problems. Maybe that is why your son is constipated a lot. What does your doctor say about that? I would request having your son seen by a gastrointestinal specialist. Does your son eat a lot of dairy products or drink a lot of milk? If he is lactose intolerant this could be a problem for him.

I hope you get some help from your pediatrician for your son. Good luck and keep us posted. Best Regards,

ne

From: Eddie Lascu <mensana_88@...>Subject: ( ) My DS is bearly eating at all"Asperger Support" < >, "Autism - Asperger" <Autism and Aspergers Treatment >Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 3:31 PM

Dear Parents,As you may remember I joined the group recently and at the time I said I am having a few challenges for which I was looking for help and support. Here is the first and the most stressful one.My 14-year old son, ADHD & NVLD, with a full developmental assessment scheduled for February that will most likely confirm the AS diagnosis, has a hard time eating. He was always a picky eater, but in the last year this has developed into something that drives me for therapy. Our paediatrician does not seem to be too concerned, despite the fact that is below the 0% line on that chart that doctors use to keep track of the children’s physical development. is about 5% below the 0% line for both his weight and his height. The dr. says that as long as the two of them are in sync I shouldn’t be concerned.With it all comes down to his ability to swallow. It seems to me that he has some kind of mental blockage

that doesn’t allow him to send the food down his pipe. He chews the food forever but simply refuses to swallow. I had him checked by and ENT doctor and they could not find anything wrong with him, so it has to be mental. I took him to two different psychologists but they could not figure out what is wrong. takes Adderall 15 mg for his attention issues. As you all know, this drug cuts your appetite, so this could be a reason why he doesn’t eat as well. Usually, in the summer vacation and the winter vacation, I give him a drug holiday and with that I see his appetite returning. Now the school started again and he needed to go back on meds, with all the side effects that come from here.I should also mention that he refuses to eat foods that are too chewy. Even some textures are making him refuse the food. For example, the peel from peppers and tomatoes will make him spit the food out of his mouth. Fruits are another food group that

is a struggle to put in his organism. Again, there are consequences from here. He gets constipated all the time and to fix that he needs to take a daily dosage of MiraLAX, a stool-softener that helps him.Both my fiancée and I are coming from families that love food. My fiancée is a foodie and she always tries to cook the most incredible meals in the hope that may eat better. It’s really disheartening to see him throwing all sorts of tantrums over a little bit or red pepper peel, after we worked all day to prepare the food. And going out to a restaurant with him is the worst imaginable experience. He takes forever to eat and most of the time he barely touches one quarter of the plate in front of him. I have to smaller kids that are OK and they eat like normal kids do. Is that challenges us on a daily basis. In all honesty, I am running out of ideas on what else to try with him. I am deeply concerned with his physical development. He

is 14 but when I buy him cloths I go for size 12 and even those are sometimes too big.Is anyone else on this amazing group of people that deals or dealt with the same kind of problems? Can you guys share some ideas on what else I should try to get my son to eat and not hinder his development in such a destructive way?All the best,Eddie PS: This message was sent to two different groups, so I apologize in advance if you received it twice.