5 Tools To Drastically Improve Your Child’s Relationship with Food
According to recent studies, more than 80% of autistic children experience challenges when it comes to food. Picky eating, sensory issues, and overall behavioral challenges are some of the reasons why nutrition becomes a hard task for parents on the spectrum.
Today we will analyze the latest (worth-buying) tools that will facilitate your child‘s mealtime and enhance his/her proper nutrition.
1.- A Plate With Compartments: Most autistic children dislike when food touches and gets mixed. This separate plate is a great choice to allow your child to enjoy his/her meal without the food getting mixed.
2.- Latex-Free Kids Gloves: Sensory issues are the ones to blame when it comes to texture discomfort, and up to 80% of autistic children suffer from it. Allowing your child to wear gloves is a great alternative for him/her to eat freely, without the discomfort of sticky fingers.
These are hypoallergenic, latex-free, powder-free, and fragrance-free.
These are hypoallergenic, latex-free, powder-free, and fragrance-free.
3.- A Visual Timer: Autistic children thrive on routines and schedules, this is why tracking his/her mealtimes is a great opportunity to provide a sense of safety. A visual timer will ensure that your child knows that he/she is supposed to eat at that time and will help you to properly manage that time. Remember, limiting mealtimes is key to support your child‘s nutrition and establish a healthy mealtime routine.
4.- A Wavy Chopper: Making food fun is key to gain your child‘s interest and a wavy chopper is a great way to make veggies and fruits look more attractive. Investing in a wavy knife is a good way to add interesting textures to your meals while giving them a more fun appearance, which is crucial to children’s interest.
5.- Adventures in Veggieland: If you want to build a fun atmosphere when it comes to eating healthy, the book Adventures in Veggieland is a must. Besides including lots of fun recipes, the book teaches parents how to properly help their children like each veggie, by providing different related games and activities. Additionally, it comes with ASD friendly games ideas such as beet tattoos and plays cabbage bingo!
Keep in mind that mealtime should not be a moment of suffering but a celebration. Building a positive atmosphere around food and including your child in related activities will help him/her feel more comfortable and happy around meal preparations and mealtimes.
In our blog post
Supporting Your ASD Child’s Nutrition, you will find helpful tips to improve and establish eating routines.Remember, life should be a celebration, and every meal a feast itself. Make sure to honor every accomplishment of your child and yours, because you deserve it!
At WSCC, we offer support for autistic families and their children with Stem Cell Therapy treatments that can transform autistic conditions by healing the gut, decreasing inflammation and improving brain function. We also created an autistic community on Facebook that is destined to offer support and companionship for ASD parents and their families on their journey.
Remember, you are not alone!
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