Are you frustrated with mealtime madness?
We get it.
Autistic children can be a handful at mealtime.
And we've heard it all...
"She wont eat anything that is green."
"He will only eat chicken nuggets from McDonalds."
"The grocery store is out of his favorite waffles,
he is never going to eat breakfast."
Who are we,
and how can we help?
The Learning Star was founded by autism advocates and parents Tara & Ed Kelly, whose real-world strategies are road-tested daily by their nonverbal son, Eddie.
Every tool we share is practical, relatable, and rooted in love, not just theory.
Research consistently shows that individuals on the autism spectrum tend to have less diverse diets, which can lead to poorer overall health. Many autistic children often avoid certain textures, colors, or smells, which limits their intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-rich foods. As a result, they may be at higher risk for nutritional deficiencies, gastrointestinal issues, and metabolic concerns.
Our goal is to teach parents real-world techniques of expanding dietary variety to improve the health of autistic children.
Top 3 Mistakes Parents Make with Autistic Eaters
Even the most dedicated parents can fall into these traps—especially when mealtime feels like a battlefield. But good news: our Bright Bites webinar shows you exactly how to turn things around.
1. Forcing or bribing a bite, saying things like “Just try it and you’ll get dessert”
It might seem harmless, but for autistic kids, this creates pressure that can actually make them avoid food even more.
✓In Bright Bites, you’ll learn how to make food feel safe and inviting, using visuals, routine charts, and small wins to build trust without pressure. When kids feel in control, tasting becomes possible.
2. Going Too Fast, “Just eat it!”
Skips crucial sensory steps. Autistic kids often need to look, touch, smell, and kiss food before they’re ready to taste it.
✓ We teach you the “From Peek to Eat” Desensitization Ladder, a step-by-step visual tool that helps your child move at their pace. You’ll learn how to make exploration part of the routine, without overwhelm.
3. Only Focusing on What They Ate
When success is measured only by clean plates, we miss the powerful moments in between, like sitting at the table, holding a spoon, or touching a new food.
✓ We’ll show you how to celebrate progress over perfection, using behavior tools and journaling strategies that help you see what’s working, so you can repeat it with confidence.
We can help.
Join us for our "Bright Bites" 1 hour webinar.
Learn the techniques that helped us to introduce new foods to our autistic son's diet.
And after the class we will have 30 minutes of live questions and answers.
Fill out the form and we'll be in touch
with the details for our next webinar.
Space is limited so contact us now.
Rather call us? Reach us at 860-631-7827.
We'll only contact you about this program. No spam, no pressure, ever.
