Just a little more info...

I am adding a little more information to yesterdays post - just in the hope that it may help someone else....
I found this section of an article article and thought it explains it best - for our situation anyway....

Feeding problems are real; they are hard-wired and neurological. Their far-reaching effects are nutritional, interpersonal, behavioral and developmental, altering the sense of self and self-esteem, family relations, sociability, as well as academic and professional performance.

Problem feeders describe the one out of twenty children between the ages of birth and 10 who refuse to eat or who will only eat limited numbers of selected foods.

A condition that is also called selective eating, perseverant feeding problems, or food neo-phobia is characterized by a strong fear of trying new foods, leaving its victims at risk for malnutrition and failure to grow normally.

Problem feeders tend to demonstrate diverse clusters of traits, covering a spectrum of broader, more pervasive, neurologically-based dysfunction which compromises the person’s existence; these might include sensory integration disorder (SID),

Asperger's Disorder, Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD), and/or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD.)

They typically demonstrate tactile and oral defensiveness and an overactive gag reflex.

A strapping pre-school youngster demonstrates an extreme reaction to certain foods. Not tolerating textures in his mouth or smells in his environment, the aroma of certain foods hurts his nose and makes him so upset, he runs out of the kitchen.

He spits out most foods, and typically gags, coughs or chokes during meals.

Though he was growing normally, his mother fears he isn’t getting adequate nutrition from the limited foods he is eating.

Their pediatrician has repeatedly told this mother not to worry, that her son’s height and weight were in the normal range.

An older youngster with a similar problem goes all day at school without anything to eat because he cannot tolerate the smell of food in the cafeteria at lunch time. His food intake during the school day is limited to cakes and chips that he can easily eat on the playground. This same child heaves at the beach in response to the smell of seaweed on the shore.

We have experienced most of the above, the situations have been a little different - eg Small Man cannot sit at the table with Z16 when he is eating peas.
The last piece of fruit Small Man ate was a grape - in Kindergarten - he swallowed it whole so as to avoid the texture of it.
Z16 (only a few weeks ago) refused to try some cappuccino I bought for him - I bought a different brand - oh no no no no!!! His 'usual' brand changed their packaging - it was almost an issue but they had a picture on the back of the new box showing the old packaging - then an arrow pointing to the new packaging - so that was o.k.

When the boys were younger they wouldn't eat anything but bread, chips or something else out of a packet at anyone elses house - I had to have prepared the food - and always had to take food for them when visiting.
Z16 just wouldn't eat. Small Man would want to come home. They are better with that now!

Eating out is still a battle - Z16 will only eat chips - unless it's a fast food place or pizza place. Small Man has to know exactly what is 'in it' - we can't have surprise toppings - so have found food halls to be the best place - he could order a chicken wrap, with cheese and mayo - no salad - and it's all good. It was extremely difficult when all he ate was two minute noodles, potato chips, bread and biscuits.......

G

xx