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
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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
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BY LESLIE PERLMUTTER