ThenHe ate six foods for twelve years.
Tyler is autistic. Today he is an author and speaker, and his list of foods has grown. In this program, he and his parents share how it grew, and what you can try at your own table.
NowWhat parents ask first
You are not the only parent asking. Here is what Tyler says about it, and what research has found.
For Tyler it was about knowing what to expect. “I was used to seeing those foods and realized, oh, this is something I can eat.” New food looked weird and tasted weird. Even his peanut butter and jelly sandwich had to be cut into four and eaten in the same order.
Feeding problems are about five times more common in autistic children.Source: Sharp et al., 2013
Often both, and many parents call it a food aversion. Tyler liked chewy foods and mandarin oranges, but not food that melts. Metal forks felt wrong in his mouth, while wooden chopsticks and toothpicks felt fine. Hot food was another surprise until his parents cooled it first.
Autistic children with strong mouth sensitivity refused more foods and ate fewer vegetables.Source: Chistol et al., 2018
Tyler believes so. “Even if it takes 10 years or even 20 years for you to absolutely love sushi, I believe it’s possible.” His list grew slowly, one small step at a time, from about age eight into his late teens and beyond.
It can take 8 to 15 tries before a child accepts a new food.Source: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
An honest word from Tyler’s dad
One of the things I really regret, and I regret to this day, is trying to force you to eat food… I look back on that and I really wish I hadn’t.
Jody McNamer, Tyler’s dad
Jody grew up with “finish your plate.” With Tyler, it only led to fights and choking. What helped instead was patience and very small steps. Research agrees: pressuring children to eat “can make them actively dislike foods.” Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
From six foods to just about anything
It did not happen in a week. It happened one small step at a time, over many years.
ThenSpaghetti, cheese pizza, peanut butter and jelly cut into four, the same plate every day. Anything new meant a meltdown.
About 8Same taste, new shape. His dad calls it the key: change only one thing at a time.
Small stepsA tiny portion next to a safe meal. Chicken nuggets led to fish sticks, because they look alike.
11 to 13Tyler became willing to try other foods, around the same time his words and sentences came.
15The boy who would not touch a hamburger bun began to love cheeseburgers.
About 19Simple salmon and tuna first. Then octopus, eel and spicy tuna.
TodayHis mom says he likes more foods than she does now.
What you’ll discover inside
Real moments from Tyler’s life, and what his parents learned beside him at the table. Here is a peek.
How spaghetti became lasagna, and nuggets became fish sticks, without a fight.
Why one sandwich could start a meltdown, and the trick Tyler worked out himself.
The tiny step his parents used, and the cartoon cookbook that helped.
Why a metal fork felt wrong in his mouth, and what he could use instead.
What his mom really put in it, and where else she hid the vegetables.
A simple plate idea for a child who can’t stand foods touching.
What “pocketing” food is, and what was really going on.
Why the family car felt safer than a restaurant, and how restaurants got easier.
…and much more, in Tyler’s own words.
Free bonusIncluded free with your program
See how far the boy with six foods has come. Watch eight of Tyler’s real talks to schools, writers and communities across the country.
His mom, today
“Tyler likes more foods now today than I do. He will eat just about anything.”
Kristina, Tyler’s mom
“Just do your best, and try not to stress too much about it.”Her advice to parents who are where she once was
Is this for you?
Tyler and his parents are not doctors, and they say so. Please see your child’s doctor or a feeding therapist if your child:
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Questions
In Tyler’s family, three things helped most: change only one thing at a time (spaghetti to lasagna), put a tiny portion of the new food next to a safe meal (two pieces of broccoli), and never force it. It took years, not weeks, and the program shows how each step happened.
Safe foods are the few foods a child knows and trusts, because they always look, taste and feel the same. For Tyler they included spaghetti, cheese pizza and peanut butter and jelly cut into four. New foods were built out from those safe foods, one small step at a time.
Picky eating usually involves a few foods and does not affect a child’s appetite or growth (Cleveland Clinic). ARFID is a medical condition that does. These videos share real family experience, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your child’s growth or weight, talk to their doctor.
Tyler McNamer, an autistic author and speaker, together with his dad, Jody McNamer, and his mom, Kristina.
No. Tyler and his parents say it themselves: they are not doctors. They share what they lived, what helped Tyler, and what they would do differently.
No. They talk honestly about a gluten-free, dairy-free diet they tried for a while, but they do not tell you to use any diet. As Jody says, they do not advocate one type of diet over another.
Parents of autistic children of any age. Tyler talks about eating from early childhood all the way to adulthood, so you can see the whole path.
It is an online video program. After you buy, log in to your AutismWorks library and watch at your own pace, on a phone, tablet or computer.
$99, one payment. It is not a subscription, and the bonus Talks with Tyler is included free.
Yes. After you buy, the program stays in your AutismWorks library, so you can come back to it any time.
Learn from someone who ate six foods for twelve years, and from the parents who sat beside him at the table.
Start the Program — $99AutismWorks is run by Tyler McNamer, autistic author of Population ONE (over 190,000 copies sold), and his dad, Jody.
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