Great article about picky eaters

[Big Bad Kitty]

I was "stumbling upon" and ran across this article

It focuses mostly on kids with autism and their picky eating habits, but I would say that it covers any child with sensory issues.

What really stood out to me was the last paragraph:

Autistics are not motivated by desires to please other people (dogs). They are almost exclusively self-motivated (cats). A deep grasp of this simple concept will go a long way in understanding autistic behavior and how to modify it enough to be a functional family member. Social graces are externally modifiable through scripts, practice, stories. Eating habits rarely are, as they are tied to deeper issues of sensory perception hardwired into our unusual neural systems.

Ding! Like a bell going off in my head. That makes so much sense!

Tink is a cat! And Copper, bless her heart, is a doggie.

 

[tammyjh]

lol....we bought difficult child a book for christmas and the name of it is "All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome." lol. Its a cute book with pics of kitties and captions. She loved it. Right now she's in a cat hating mood but thats a whole other post in itself.lol.

I'm a picky eater too and I know its sensory for me. I don't like certain foods due to their smells and how they feel in my mouth.

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

LOL, all cats have Aspergers syndrome!!

That's hilarious!

 

[meowbunny]

Never thought of cats as Aspies, but it makes perfect sense.

I definitely have food issues. If it can't get past my nose, it doesn't go down my throat. I've always been that way. I also truly dislike soft, mushy foods. It took me about 35 years to accept the fact that I have to eat mashed potatoes without making a face at them first. Just the thought of something that soft makes my throat tighten. But I can tolerate some soft foods if I have to. Smells I can't get around. I truly gag if I have to put something in my mouth my nose doesn't like.

I was lucky -- my parents let me eat what I wanted. Something tells me my mom got the message when I spit stewed spinach at her in my high chair (stored it in my cheeks until they couldn't hold anymore and then let loose). I was asked to take a bite of new foods but if I said it stunk, I didn't even have to try it. Mushy stuff had to be tested once.

Sensory issues are no fun whether on the spectrum or not. They really do affect you and stop you from doing things others take for granted (like eating mashed potatoes without wanting to throw up or being an adult who loathes bell peppers because they S T I N K. (Boy, am I glad I think garlic smells yummy! Imagine hating jello and pudding and the looks you get from other kids because you can't touch those things. Ditto hot cereals. And the operative word is CAN'T, not won't.

So, if you have a picky eater, I agree with the article. Don't force them or shame them. Kids aren't difficult to make your life harder. They're difficult because the smell, feel, whatever is harder to tolerate than your displeasure. If most kids could please their parents, especially in food issues, they would.

 

[fuddleduddledee]

Such a perfect analogy, aspies are like cats. I wish I had heard this explanation about 15 years ago, it would have saved so much of the sanity that I've lost over the years. Food issues were the bane of my existence for a very long time, until one day I decided food was going to become a "basket C" item.

I remember back in the early years, in public school, when the teachers would send home notes, telephone me, pull me aside, to tell me that my son did not eat the lunch I had sent and could I please send something he likes. Something he likes? Hmm, Chicken nuggets and French Fries, he likes them, so are you Missy Teacher gonna drive to McDonalds and get him what he wants for lunch every day? That problem got easily solved when the Principal of the school decided that he would not be allowed at school at lunch any more because he caused far too many disruptions and they had no staff to watch him. Oh, I wish I'd known then what I know now but that's a whole different topic.

Anyway, was a wonderful concept. My son would be the first to love this idea, comparing him to a cat.

 

[Wiped Out]

Great article. My difficult child isn't autistic but food is a huge issue for him and he is very picky. Most often the food battle isn't worth it at our house.

 

[KTMom91]

Miss KT (and her father, too) are picky pickys. I didn't even think about her gfgness affecting her sense of taste/smell/texture, but it does make sense. Her father would cook and eat the most amazing things, but wouldn't touch chicken because "it feels funny in my mouth." And yes, Miss KT is definitely a cat.