The Gut-Brain Connection | Improving Your Child’s Behavior With Food

For children with autism spectrum disorders, bringing awareness to food choices can improve behavior patterns

—

It is common for many children with autism spectrum disorders to avoid most foods and navigate toward a comfort in eating only a few of the same food choices every day. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone in facing this huge challenge.

Many children with autism spectrum disorders avoid foods due to oral, motor, and/or sensory issues. Orally, they may struggle with food placement in the mouth, chewing, and swallowing. Motor issues may keep a child from being able to move the food around, chew and swallow, and even pick up food. Sensory issues can create problems such as the taste or smell of foods causing a