AUTISM EATING “RITUALS” — PART 2

In part one of this topic, I explained that we all have senses that help us function and partake in everything that surrounds us and that we rely on these senses.

I also explained that people on the spectrum often experience sensory difficulties and are specifically sensitive to some if not all of them.

I also explained how much these senses influence their eating habits, causing them to perform very strange eating rituals. Let’s quickly recap our five senses, before I explain the remaining three, shall we?

These are the five senses we all have:

· See/sight (visual)

· Taste (gustatory)

· Hearing (auditory)

· Touch (tactile)

· Smell (olfactory)

In the previous post, I explained the first two and now, without any waste of time, I am going to explain the remaining three types of autistic eaters, do dive in with me, please.

The auditory eaters

I once mentioned in one of my previous posts that even food has sound. Now, I know this may sound crazy to you, but it’s the truth. I believe it to be the truth because I’ve seen my son doing it.

He would normally place his big ear at the food at very close proximity, listen and then smile or laugh, and then eat. IT’S AN AUTISM THING AND THERE IS ZILCH WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.

I have an adult autistic friend, David Snape whom I think might be able to shed some light on this, because as for me, my son is non-verbal, so, I can’t really explain this in-depth except by telling you that it is true, but as for the how and why, I have no answers.

All auditory eaters actually listen to “the sound” of their food, and I can only assume that if the food doesn’t “speak” with them, then they won’t eat it. So, if your child does this, now you know why.

Try to let them be instead of maybe scolding them. After all, autistic people see and hear things that you and I don’t see or hear, and just because we can’t see what they see or hear what they hear does not mean they are hallucinating.

We just aren’t designed and wired like them that’s all.

The tactile eaters

Now, the tactile eaters are those who are touchy-touchy. There are two types of tactile individuals in the spectrum.

We have those who are tactile-sensitive, or defensive (hyper), and tactile non-responders (hypo) and my son is the former, and in this post, we will only talk about the former types of tactile eaters.

What these children do is — they like to run their hands on their food before they can eat it. They like to feel the texture of the food in their hands. And if they can feel that texture, then they won’t eat. There are two reasons why they do this.

The first one is if the food texture gets too sticky in their hands and they look like they are bothered by this, then they are on the hyper side of the fence.

This means they are overly sensitive in their mouth. Then they won’t eat that food because the fact that it sticks in their hands makes them think or believe that it will also stick in their mouths (their most sensitive area which causes them to be picky eaters in the first place).

So, by running their hand first, they are testing the texture.

Another reason they do this is to check again the texture of the food, but this is done by those who are on the hypo side of the autism fence.

Remember, a hypo-autistic individual is non-responsive to texture and the more the food sticks the better they will eat and enjoy it.

The olfactory eaters

These types of autistic individuals, most people find rude and offensive. Why? Because olfactory eaters always smell their food before they eat it.

They never make that mistake no matter what they eat or where they are. They always, and I mean always smell their food first.

The reason they do this rather “rude or offensive” act is not to get your feathers ruffled or to check if the food is not off or anything like that.

But that is because such individuals are sensitive to strong smells and before they can eat, they need first to check if the smell of the food is it is not too strong for them.

If the smell is strong, they won’t eat the food. But if after smelling the food and you see them eat, then know the food doesn’t have a strong smell or at least to them.

Let me make an example with canned fish. Here we call it tin fish — well because the fish is in the tin (ha ha). Now, a tin fish has a very, very strong and unpleasant smell (apologies to the tin fish eaters but it’s true).

So, no matter how nicely you can cook that tin fish, an olfactory eater won’t eat it simply and only because of that smell.

Another example is ox liver. I know an autistic lady who doesn’t eat both these foods because of their smells and other foods with strong smells.

If your autistic loved one performs any of these rituals before they eat, now you know why. Your part is to let them be.

AGAIN, IT’S AN AUTISM THING AND THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT SINCE WE ARE NOT AUTISTIC.

Does your autistic loved one perform any of these, would you care to share them?

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