(201) Special Parent 2016 Edition | Page 24

eat up Nutrition plays an important role in your child’s health W hat parent has not pushed a fork toward a fussy toddler cajoling them with, “Here comes the choo-choo train,” or alternatively something about the airplane coming into the hangar? Parents are trained to worry about their children’s nutrition. However, usually, as children grow and their taste buds become more mature, we can convince them to eat a somewhat balanced diet, or at least balanced enough that they are having no issues as a result of their food intake. However, for children on the autism 22 S P E C I A L PA R E N T | 2 0 1 6 E D I T I O N spectrum, ensuring adequate nutrition can be challenging due to food aversions, sensitivities and behavioral issues. Two local experts agreed to tackle this topic for us and impart some words of wisdom to worried parents. Deborah Orlick Levy, a registered dietitian who does nutrition counseling and consulting out of her Tenafly practice, Health Above All, says, “It is important for parents to reach out to professionals who can help them through the difficult eating behaviors prevalent in autistic children.” She says a team approach is ideal, 201magazine.com/family THINKSTOCK BY LESLIE PERLMUTTER