Mealtime Hell
Find a Conversation
| Mon, 12-05-2005 - 12:21am |
Hi all,
I was just wondering if any of you had any suggestions for me about my dd(17 months) who is still eating gerber jar food. Her OT is working on this every week and we have started an intensive food plan to get her to try new foods.She is tactile defensive but I'm not sure if it is a taste or feel problem or if she has oral motor problems and her OT can't figure it out either. The only thing she will eat are gerber foods, bananas,pizza,french fries and dry cereal.I think the problem is texture because she seems to prefer soft foods. Jake went through this stage for a long time but didn't start to refuse to try new foods until much later, around age 2. He is undersensitive in his mouth and stuffs it to the brim but recently has begun to gag and throw up when he stuffs it too much. His OT said that this is a good sign because she thinks he is becoming more aware of what he has in his mouth. He also is starting to try more new foods which is great.If you had similar problems with your little ones what worked for you?
Another question I had about Ella is her near constant crying and sreaming. I know toddlers get frustrated and have tantrums but she is constantly upset and easily frustrated by the smallest things e.g if she's stacking blocks and one falls down she almost loses it. Recently she has started to lash out at Jake if he takes something from her or just if he gets to close to her. I know some of this is sensory related and just typical toddler stuff but she's just so easily annoyed. She really responds well to music and it seems to calm her so I play lots of tapes for her to dance and sing to.(LOL)What were your kids temperments like around this age. She was a really calm baby and hardly cryed until around her first birthday but since then I just don't know what's causing her so much distress.Any ideas?
Teresa

Pages
Renee...I would love to try the "if - then" strategy but I am not too sure how it works. My son eats only a handful of items
*grilled cheese
*Easy Mac (only Easy Mac - not frozen mac&cheese or kraft...he knows the difference)
*PB&J (everyday for school lunch but won't eat any other time - only takes about 4 bites of it - it must be cut into 4 triangles)
*occasionally a hot dog on a bun (not wrapped in bread - must be a hotdog bun - no condiments)
*most crackers - unless he thinks they are too spicy
*american cheese slices or string cheese
*popcorn
*most ice creams
*any candy or chocolate
*McD's chix nuggets (only McDs and he really only eats the breading - rarely eats the whole pieces) - will have some fries
*will drink white milk, koolaid, Capri Sun's fruit punch....that's it
He will not eat any type of vegetable - nothing.....I believe the only fruit he will eat now is apples (must be cut and peeled) - no real meat (hot dogs and chix nuggets are not real meat in my book) and won't touch eggs....he will occasionally eat bacon but it has to be crispy but not burnt.
I am desperate for a way to introduce new items to him with the least amount of stress....mealtime is hell in our house as well. I would like to try a new approach when he gets home from school.....least stressful time in our house....DH is at work and baby brother is napping (and son is hungry for a snack). How does the "if-then" strategy work? If he tries a green bean then he can have an apple?
It makes sense that it is more of a control issue and goes along with his resistance to change....not wanting to try new, unfamilar foods.
Thanks for bumping up this thread
Christie
By "if - Then" I really just mean to provide a very concrete (and preferrably visual) structure to what you are likely already doing. Kind of a natural consequences thing or a positive reward thing, depending on what will work and what is needed.
So for instance, say your family rule is that you must eat dinner to get desert. Well now you have 1 new food out (only 1 small bite to start with) and the "if then" would be "if you eat one small bite then you get desert" or if that is going to be a huge problem you can set up a specific reinforcer around trying new foods "if you try this then you may have an extra 10 minutes of video games" something like that.
With most ASD kids it is best to have visuals for them because they tend to be concrete and have difficulty with communication. To do this you can simply set up an "if-then" board. How you set this up depends alot on his ability level as far as reading and comprehension. So for instance for a child who can not read you have a blank page with a line down the middle. On the top of the left side you write "if" and on the right "then". Underneath you stick pictures of what the steps are. So for a young child to complete a task you could have a "work" picture then "play". Gives them the structure of what is happening.
For dinner you can even write it out simple If you eat .... then you may have .... or you can use the board with pictures, or a board as mentioned above with a single word written on each side. At first I would provide an extremely small portion of the new food so it isn't overwhelming. But you may not want to get into the 1 bite thing because then it is harder to increase the amounts. But once they learn that trying new foods isn't evil incarnate it is usually alot easier.
Once a child uses an if-then board a few times they tend to get the hang of it. THey learn quickly that it is a good thing and how to use it.
Renee
I get it now....Thank you for the further explanation. It is worth a shot...I'll let you know how it goes.
Christie
Sorry I had to laugh, more of a "YES, it does happen in other houses" type laugh though!!! When I read this comment -
>It's driving me crazy!!!! Every mealtime is hell. 10 yr Adhd son won't sit if he's not drugged and won't eat if he is. Often sit there for 30+ min with kids telling them to eat... begging... threatening.... ordering... waiting.... bribing... re-heating... :( And then, 30 min later, they're in the pantry stealing what they do want to eat. :( <
It sounds EXACTLY like mealtimes in my house except my ADHD son is 11YRS!! We all sat down to a beautiful Christmas dinner that my Mum prepared & he had a tomato sauce sandwich!!! Lucky she knows him well, loves him & isn't easily offended!!!
Helen :)
Aussie Mum to Addison (ADHD, Tourettes, Nov94) & Eloise (NT May2000)
TOMATO SAUCE SANDWICH....LOL...that's a good one. It is nice to hear that your mom is understanding and accommodating...my parents are trying....my dad even went to the library and read Tony Attwood's book....they are trying.
Thanks for sharing,
Christie
Pages