Gagging on food...

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Is it an AS thing for a child to have an overly sensitive gag reflex?

Example: Over Christmas, Billy (my girlfriends 9 year old AS son), his mom, and I were at my family's dinner. Mashed potatoes is one of the foods that Billy will eat. My mom bought some pre-made ones that had potato bits in it. Until this point, he has only eaten instant. He put it these other potatoes in his mouth and gagged, then asked what was wrong with them.

Is this common among AS children? To have a gag reflex when something they are used to has a different texture? Or is he just being overly dramatic?

Just want to know, as if this is an AS thing, I want to know what to look for so he doesn't have to experience that again.

Thanks!

It sounds to me like he just assumed the potatoes were smooth and didnt chew thoroughly. Imagine if you were sipping what you though was plain applesauce, and then got a bit of apple chunk. I know that hypersensitivity to physical input is somewhat common in aspies, but if this was the first time he gagged I wouldnt think much into it. Everybody gets food down their wind pipe, or gags occasionally, unless it happens repeatedly, I wouldnt make too much out of it.

it's common at least at my house.....textures, or should i say, the wrong textures cause gagging..........at this point, there are just certain textures that my aspies won't eat. (for instance, daughter & son won't eat anything that is "mealy" like watermelon)

The bits of potato were absolutely tiny. But yeah, I guess it could be said that they were "meally".

Good to know. Thanks, guys!

Both I and my daughter have AS and I don't think we gag.
The only problem which isnt really cause we don't do it much, rarely. Is spitting out a mouth full or half of whatever you drink.

Sometimes we spill drinks on our tops or when I do, it goes all in my hair. The other day she had sports drink. She was talking seriously to me, then all of sudden she sploshes it all over her top. That is normal for her. She will do something like that everyday, a couple of times. I am no where near as clumsy as my daughter, thank goodness.

I did it this year when I was out drinking. Maybe to much cause I poured out half a glass or more right over my V. No where else just there. It seems strange to me cause Ive never done that before.

With accidently splatting drinks. It happens all of sudden. When I take a sip I am not expecting to laugh. Who ever is sitting near gets a mouth full sprayed or spat over them. It's rare I spit on people. Ive done it accidently to two or three people and my daughter does the same.. She spits and/or dribbles out her drink every where cause she can't help but laugh. I would tell her off if I didnt the same.

My son gagged and vomited food until he was about 2 1/2 years old. He doesn't do it much anymore. I'm not sure if the occupational therapy helped or if it was just something he grew out of.

We had a similar thread a little while ago so I would say that this does seem to be a common problem with AS, although not universal. As with many things, AS kids have heighened senses, which can lead to heightened gag reflexes.

It's so frustrating, isn't it, to give a child a "better" version of something he likes only to find he won't eat it? But kids, and especially AS kids, can be like that.

The first time I tried mashed potatos (at age 19) I almost threw up! It is common for me to gag on different food textures, smells, tastes, etc. The difference may seem minute to you but to an autistic it is extreme. Let your kid choose what he eats (within reason) and never, ever force him to eat something he "doesn't like." For us, its much worse than being a picky eater or "not liking" a certain food. It's like eating dirt or poop or rat carcasess. Sorry to be so graphic, but I think a lot of NTs don't understand.

Last edited by ooohprettycolors on 02 Jan 2009, 11:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

It happens to me.

I can't do apricots or peaches with any trace of skin on them, soggy bread, mushy apples...or melted ice cream (figure that one out ). Mashed potatoes used to be a problem when I was younger...loved instant (they where creamier)...hated fresh.

He wasn't being overly dramatic. This happens to my son. When he was younger, it happened quite frequently. At age 10, he will be a sport and attempt to eat different textures...but, he gags. He can't get over it. Also, if he's eating hamburger or chicken (which he really likes), if he finds a piece of fat or tiny speck of something hard, he will gag and the meal is over...pretty much over for anyone sitting at the table with him. He feels very bad and sorry for it, but he can't help it.

I hope that the pickiness will get better with time, but for now, his diet is limited.

Yep. Jake gags on foods with texture (like rice), foods he 'thinks' he won't like, as well as on foods that he does like that are in any way different. He cannot be persuaded to eat anything he doesn't like without vomiting. At age 1, he stopped eating altogether when the pediatrician told us to start feeding solids. He was underweight to begin with and began losing weight. He wouldn't even go back to smooth baby foods. He had to go into feeding therapy. We pick our battles and food isn't one of them. Vitamins are our friend.