Patient Success Stories

My son Dylan was formally diagnosed with high functioning autism at age 10. We had known for some time that Dylan was on the spectrum, but as he aged into a young teenager he began to need more and more help with his sensory issues.

One issue Dylan struggled with was eating. In addition to a very narrow group of foods Dylan would eat, food needed to be presented and prepared in a very ridged manner. When pre-packaged food “looked different” from normal, this was unacceptable. Dylan had been working with a wonderful mental health therapist for a few years and she got in touch with the CED Feeding and Swallowing Clinic. At our first visit I was truly blown away by how much the team was able to determine about Dylan’s feeding issues and how much there were able to help. Just by watching Dylan the Feeding Team were able to tell how much difficulty he was having with eating certain foods and textures. Dylan and I were taught how he could place the food in his mouth to limit gagging. Through working with the Feeding Clinic, I began to understand that in addition to textures Dylan was also hypersensitive to certain flavors and tastes. With the help of the Feeding Clinic Team Dylan has made great strides in his eating. Dylan’s group of foods that he will eat is ever-expanding and gagging is almost a thing of the past.

I can never express enough thanks or how much the Feeding Clinic has helped Dylan and I. I am hopeful that with continued help from the clinic, Dylan will be able to continue to discover the wonderful world of food. Thank you so much.

Melissa