School dinners
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| Thu, 01-31-2008 - 8:35am |
Euan (9, Aspergers) has struggled for ages with food and chewing and is a very slow eater. I've alerted the school to this several times - because if he doesn't eat enough his blood sugar goes awry and his behaviour also! Yesterday there was a problem when he apparently threw a box of wrist bands (they wear the bands to show what 'choice' of menu they are having) when he was told he had to go to the back of the queue because he didn't have his dinner card (which he is *always* losing, a whole other hoohaa), because, apparently, he was starving hungry (had missed snack time). Although the issue was resolved, by the time he actually got to get any food he didn't have time to eat it, and by then was too upset to eat anyway.
This really concerns me, but I suspect this is a mother 'oh my god my baby didn't eat' sort of thing so I need some perspective here. Should I talk to the school about it? They already know how difficult mealtimes are for him and do their best to help him (eg by allowing him to get food even when he doesn't have his card, which is usually not allowed, and by ensuring that a teacher or aide sits nearby him to encourage him to eat) and I don't want to come across as criticising them. But eating is such a delicate thing for him, I think he's borderline eating disorder territory and I have to battle to get food into him, I just want to make sure that mealtimes are calm enough for him to eat!
Should I talk to the school or leave it? I do risk it becoming an 'issue' if I talk to them, thus putting more pressure on him, when I know we have to back off or the food anxiety will get worse.
Kirsty mum to Euan (9, Asperger's) Rohan (4, NT) and Maeve (2, NT)

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Edited 2/19/2008 11:16 am ET by littleroses
Lunchtime is so overwhelming, so much activity, and choices.
You described my son to 'T'. I had to step in. So now my son has priority to purchase food. If he is getting hot lunch, then he can go 5 min earlier and do it. I really didn't care what others thought, until our kids learn to cope, this will always be an issue. The coping will take time and maturity as there is this major disparity between brain development and the actual maturity.