Parents know how important nutrition is for children. We spend a lot of time worrying about the food that our children eat, whether or not it is providing them with all of the nutrients they need to live their best lives. This anxiety can be compounded by complications that children on the autism spectrum experience, as many parents will agree. Why? Many children with autism may not agree to eat certain foods because of sensory processing issues that challenges their five senses and makes the process of eating food overwhelming. Other children may have a restrictive diet because of chronic digestive issues, from inflammation to diarrhea to constipation and beyond. If you find yourself struggling to ensure that your child gets the nutrition that he or she needs, you will be encouraged to know that there are many kinds of vitamins and supplements for children that will help them to get what they need. Let’s go over some of the basics here.

The first and most practical solution to a restricted diet is a multivitamin. As you are looking into what multivitamin will be best for your child, be sure to explore active vitamins that can be absorbed quickly and easily while it’s being metabolized. It may also help to find a multivitamin that is chewable, since swallowing a pill can be a challenge even for adults; making a tasty gummy part of a daily routine is much easier! Next, be sure to examine the amount of omega-3s that your child is getting in their regular diet to see if a supplement might benefit them; since omega-3s are vital for cognitive function as well as many other vital bodily processes, getting more into your child’s diet may be just what they need.

When digestion is an issue for your child, finding a child-friendly probiotic or prebiotic is a great idea. Taking probiotics can help to level out the imbalance of gut bacteria that many children on the autism spectrum suffer from and there are many that are designed specifically to help children with ASD. Your healthcare provider is going to be an invaluable expert as you navigate your way through the many different kinds of supplements and vitamins that will help to improve your child’s nutrition, health and wellness.