Who to see for eating help?

DD 3 yo is still narrowing the foods she’ll eat and I think it’s time we sought some proper advice. We’ve tried offering new foods with ones she’ll eat, shared plates, games, bribery and not providing alternatives. Nothing is working and she’s pretty much living on white carbs, nuggets, yoghurt and blueberries.

Do we get a referral for an OT, dietician or other?

Dietician.

But in the meantime, I highly recommend following kids eat in color on you choice of social platforms https://www.facebook.com/kids.eat.in.color

Really brilliant advice

Also your feeding team

https://www.yourfeedingteam.com/

Both sources of educated, scientific, practical advice.

Dietician, they will refer on to OT or an OT run program if necessary.

Would you consider kids vita gummies in the meantime?

Has she had her iron levels checked? Low iron can affect appetite.

Your GP might be able to refer her to a dietician.

Slightly off topic, but I have a fussy DS with sensory issues who likes carbs, white bread, yoghurt and crumbed chicken. He likes wet food and crunchy food, apart from raw fruit and vegetables, I have to cook / stew those.

This is my recipe for tuna casserole that he eats most nights, so I thought I'd share in case it's something your DD likes.

1 large tin sirena tuna in oil

1 big wedge kent pumpkin, diced

5 peeled white potatoes, diced

Knob of butter

Steam the pumpkin and potato in the microwave (or a steamer) until the potato is soft. Whilst still hot, stir in the tin of tuna (including the oil) and the butter.

I mix with a fork, mash with a potato masher and then stir again until it's mixed through with some texture, but still quite soft. Makes lots of serves that can be frozen and reheated.

You can add cheese to it and we add milk when reheating, so it's nice and creamy. DS seriously lives off the stuff. I've tried adding broccoli, but no dice so far.

Good luck and all the best!

Depending on your budget and where you live it can be worthwhile seeing what your community health services have to offer via the MHCN. We have been referred via them to a speechie, ot, physio and the feeding clinic at the hospital for our 2.5yr old and I know they have a dietitian as well. You do get a limited number of sessions (for speech there was 6), but it’s given us a direction to pursue in regards to support & we’re now on track to apply for NDIS. There was about a 6wk wait, but I think we would face that going privately anyway.

Speech therapist (weird though it sounds) is the specialty in Australia (unless it's just NSW) that deals with this. Non intuitive I know (or anyway that's what I thought when that's who they referred me to), but sure enough they were the ones.

Its speech therapist in WA as well usually. Often very limited diet is associated with chewing or swallowing mechanics (movement of tongue, throat etc) or sensory aversion (eg texture, taste, temperature, smell).

It may also be worth looking into food intolerance, though I'm not sure how you'd see for that initially.

Both my kids are more restrictive with food at the moment (though older than yours and autistic) due to anxiety from the disruption of the last year. Foods that aren't really comforting for them are just not worth the effort ATM (from their perspective).

Check if your local hospital has a feeding clinic. It's free. Personally, I didn't find it much help, but you never know.

I have no advice, OP. But my son is the same, just turned 3 and is developing a bigger list of what he doesn't like and won't eat. I am getting worried about it. I am not sure about where to go next, but maybe to the GP. It's hard to know whether it is just a standard toddler issue!