Years before even getting my autism diagnosis I experienced what I now know is food aversion. It has always been difficult to understand what it has been but now having a name to put to what I have been experiencing all my life has made all the difference.

Throughout my life, I have had dislikes for many foods. I had gag reflexes to these foods, which are mostly fruits and vegetables and some types of beef. Throughout my life this was thought of me as being a defiant or stubborn child that was unwilling to at least try, but when I tried and was even forced, this at times was consequential to not only me, but also provided unpleasant circumstances among others in my presence.

Food aversion as it relates to those with sensory sensitivities can include:

• Not liking the feeling of the food in their mouth (texture)
• Feeling full or not hungry
• Food being too hot or too cold.
• Food does not look like something they think tastes good.
• Dental problems (tooth pain).
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing.
• Undiagnosed allergy. (Food causes their body to react negatively to it.)

Source: Cleveland Clinic

Because often food aversion is not diagnosed, individuals such as me live their lives as normal and work around the foods that are challenging for them. For me, now that I live independently and that we are in the times we are with the understanding of what food aversion is and how it relates to my sensory sensitivities. I now realize that what I have experienced is particularly normal and part of my being autistic.

This has allowed me to accept that there are foods that I just cannot eat. Sometimes the food can be modified in the way that it is prepared but that is not always the case. Over the years I have begun this process, especially in recent years where I have cooked at home more and worked at making foods better for me to digest.

There is evidence that individuals can slowly grow out aversion to specific foods because time could desensitize the dislike to food. But there are some things that I just do not have the extended time or taste for. This will always be a part of my life and how things will be. It is learning how to navigate things by becoming aware of food being served at functions if possible and advocating if necessary for you dietary needs or further details to be given about food items, especially if they are out of your control. It is also important to always have food, snacks, or drinks as you need them when you are in an environment where you may not be able to have control over the food that is served.

Accepting food aversion is also knowing that I cannot have resentment towards anyone for the way that they treated me in the past for not eating food because they did not know that I struggled with food in way that I do, nor did I realize that it affected me in the way that it still does. I am also realizing that I must be a member of the “clean plate club” to meet my own or others personal satisfaction.

In the end, finally understanding and acceptance of what  has been happening to me for over three decades has a name to it and what I have experienced is planning that is perfectly normal and that I now know the importance of not only planning ahead but also advocating and working on bettering the nutrition on the things I can eat so I can better my health overall.