Autistic child eating things that are not food?!
Question:
Autistic child eating things that are not food?
My seven year old autistic son has recently started eating his brother's toys. He ate an entire styrofoam sword before we knew what he was doing. First, is this dangerous? Second, why is he doing this?
I suspect he ate the sword because his brother liked to try to play with him with it, and he didn't like that, but I can't explain him eating the hands off action figures, and the rubber snake, which he ate entirely. (He said he wanted the snake to be dead.)
He does have sensory issues, but why is he eating only his brother's toys, not his own?
Answers:
My daughter does the same. It's called "pica." I don't know the cause but you might do a search on that word.