Mary Sheppherd posted a great article on healthy diets for autistic and IDD persons.
As a mom of 4 myself with one child on the spectrum ( non verbal) but learning.....I think all kids pretty much go through phases of eating ...it really starts when we introduce solids...and change.
I'm old school...breast fed my babies till 8-12 months...then formula or whole milk, and pablum...then baby foods!
I was told to start with veggies first because once the babies tasted sweet fruits they wouldn't want peas, or squash....and I found this to be true...after I tried it my way feeling I knew better than the professionals !!
But I think most parents have found a young picky eater at their table. We address it usually , find compromise , beg, barter, reward, discipline etc....I've gone through fussy eating periods when kids were younger... And yes there were times my kids didn't get dessert ( only on Sundays I serve desserts) or didn't get dinner, and had a bowl of cereal before bed.
It's called parenting.
Val has had a husband, mother, teachers, doctors, therapists , specialists , autism groups, a daughter in law..( Before she was butts munching was a certified dietician and all about healthy nutrition ) at her fingertips ....when your child is diagnosed many doors open... And there is help.lots of it.
The problem is Val expects everyone else to do the work and fix Jessica , teach Jessica then send her home where Val reeps the rewards of everyone's work.... It's beneath her to actually continue the work at home, keep up with what she's being TAUGHT at school of with therapy ...
I know I sit once a week or month with my daughters team and we work together creating a plan to help her succeed...we discuss and address the hard issues and share ideas on new tactics... Communication with my daughter care team is crucial so we are keeping everything constant ...we are all in the same page.
And yes.... It's time consuming , it's not always easy...we make sacrifices and keep trying ...we research more ideas, and try something else until we find what works.
VAL simply doesn't want to put the work in, she was a stay at home mother...up until she moved out then she went to school for 3 yrs. Then worked one year...then quit to again be Jessica's full time care giver... But she's not!
She never has been... Her mother had custody for years, then she had Campbell and her other kids pitching in , and Jessica was full time in school even went away all week only coming home on weekends...and she still stayed home while Campbell worked and the kids were all in school.
Why?
Because she is lazy.... Doesn't want to work, still doesn't , didn't want to raise Jessica so her mommy did it, then sent her away for a year....
And now Val has staff... Campbell who now does Jessica's grocery shopping, Marlow to shower and take care of Jessica's hygiene and Vals errands, Hannah who cooks, babysits, does the filming for Val ....
But not one person actually teaches Jessica or follows through with anything.
There's not one good reason that Jessica's diet is as awful as it is.... It's simply not important to Val to work on.... And adding a cut up strawberry to a double serving of chocolate cake s not fixing the problem .
I don't know one autism family who does not have professionals involved and part of the team not one, and I deal with many in my groups ....
Val doesn't want professionals to see she does nothing ...she has much to hide.
(personally, I think she has probably had an emotional breakdown and is being protected. Aww heck, more likely, a Disney trip) 
