My 4 Yr Old Never Wants to Eat

Wow!!! It sounds like my nephew, he too is a high functioning PDD child. What I find works well with him are the following: first a plate that interests him...my nephew loves Thomas so we bought him Thomas plates and he loves animals so we keep Zoopals on hand. Utensils are difficult for him at times so finger foods cut into bite size pieces...grab and go...he grabs a bite then runs off to play. Also try putting a variety of foods on the plate in small amounts ie-a spoonful of peas, a slice of cheese split in triangles, a couple crackers, and a spoonful of spaghetti. This way he has a choice in what to eat. He also loves this one as do my kids ...roll a piece of cheese up in lunchmeat(bologna is the current fave) put 4 toothipicks in them and slice into "pinwheels". I hope this helps, if you would like to discuss some of our ideas further, please email me!!!

My nephew is also what they call borderline autistic and he has the same problem. My sister in law has to stay on him when he is home to eat. The doctors said to her that it is part of his condition and it is a matter of finding the foods that he likes. He eats like a bird as far as I can see but she found that he likes the nutrigrain bars, milk but he can only have so much because it causes a build up of mucus in his chest and grilled cheese occasionally. The only thing I can suggest is since he seems to like fruit try and incorporate different foods with the fruit to work and just keep trying. My nephew loves ice cream with sprinkles so my sister in law sometimes bribes him (even though that may sound bad) to eat his lunch and he can have it afterwards. Good luck with everything and maybe with your spouse it would work better if the doctor explained the situation to him and maybe he would stay off your case. Good luck. Oh my nephew is five if that helps too.

My sister-in-law had the same problem. She was on an anit-depressant and sleeping pills and she seemed to just whither away and was never hungary. What they did was go back to the doctor and talk about alternative meds in the same "family". Sometimes one will help with the appetite and one will take away the appetite. She actually ended up finding a sleeping pill that gave her a healthy appetite.
No matter what if you think there is a problem with how much your son is eating don't let the docs or your husband make you feel bad or give up. You're his mom and mom have great instincts. It might be as simple as changing one med or the dosage. So keep trying and don't give up. There are other people out there who have had the same problem, you are not alone. :)

I am sure you've heard this before, you child will never starve himself- and that is true. Unfortunately with all the ADHD meds. it does cause a significant decrease in appetite. One thing our doctor told us to do- was to try to offer small snacks or meals through out the day. As long as he's drinking enough- he won't get dehydrated. You might also want to talk to your doctor about decreasing his dosage or changing his dosing schedule.

How about a milk shake made with ice cream and pediasure as a "treat" every now and then.