Raising Children Network | Forums / Parents like me / Parents of children with ASD / Fathers of children with ASD

ASD Eating Habits

prouddadtoo — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:02:19 GMT

Hello, I am new to this forum. I am seeking any opinions or advice in relation to how to handle and ultimately improve mealtimes with my 3 1/2 year old son, Alex.

I am the proud young father of two little boys, Alex, 3 1/2 and Zach, who is eighteen months old. After years (since his birth pretty much, we always felt something was amiss, we blamed ourselves naturally) of struggling to raise our son, Alex was diagnosed with ASD six months ago. Every day we experience new problems, and every now and then we share moments of progress which we cherish. I have a million questions (like all of you), but the main one I really need help with now is how can my wife and I better manage family mealtime?

Alex has always been picky with his food. After years of trial and error, we now try very hard to make mealtimes a relaxing, stress free occasion at home, with loads of routine added for good measure (mealtime is still a very difficult part of the day). Unfortunately this creates new problems. The first main problem is our younger son Zach - a normal kid and healthy eater, is now being influenced more by his older brother and picking up some of Alex's mealtime habits. Zach used to eat nearly everything served up to him but has now noticed Alex gets his meals in a secial plate with dividers and recieves far less items on his plate too, and of course Zach wants to be like Alex.

I guess the obvious solution is to give Zach the same type of plate and serving of food as Alex, but I don't want Zach to go backwards in his development, and Alex's meals are nearly always lacking in nutrition (vegetables and fruit get blended into chocolate cakes and meat patties and soups etc to help create a balanced diet, though Alex rarely eats these things anyway).

Another obvious thing to do is to separate mealtime for the boys, but this is both impractible and dysfunctional (as mealtimes would be twice as long, three times a day, and it is good for both Alex and Zach to eat with us all together as a family).

The last thing I can think of (and this has been what we have been doing, with diminishing amounts of success) is diciplining Zach and making him continue to eat what he is given (as we have learnt that dicipline is handled differently with ASD and normal kids eg. Punish Zach by taking away treats for unacceptable behaviour, while you could take all of Alex's privleges and deny treats and he doesn't seem to care or respond normally to this punishment. Zach now unfortunately attempts to mimic Alex's responses and behavoir at mealtime but this behaviour is starting to creep into other activities too).

They are great kids and we can get through this if we had more ideas as to how to feed our boys better, or any methods of handling this scenario if you have anything we can trial. Please suggest anything, and if I am doing something wrong - point it out please. Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy have not yielded any solutions either, but it is still early days and Alex has only gone to a few sessions.

I appreciate you taking time to read this topic, thanks.

Autistic adults support group Northern Territory

neils40 — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:27:52 GMT

Hi All,
A new support group for adults with Autism/Aspergers has started in Darwin.
We offer mentoring and peer support. Our website will soon be up and running and we will provide information, forums, and much more.
If you are on the autism spectrum or your child has an ASD and is nearing working age we may be able to help.
Our launch is January 23, in Darwin. We need many to attend and to help spread the word about us! Contact us by email for further information.
ASD Mentors NT
Facebook page: Asdmentors NT
Email: contact@asdmentorsnt.com.au
Web: http://asdmentorsnt.com.au

Impact of ASD on Father Expectations of Life

davidtrainman — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:28:51 GMT

I thought I'd kick off a post. we have a 12YO boy with ASD and a 10YO normal boy, referenced I believe as neurotypical. Life overall is ok but its just different quite regularly. Any other dad's want to talk about these differences. For me, its mostly around a sense of loss of normal friendships externally, and feeling disconnected from a lot of people who just don't get it

Early Days online worskhop for Fathers now available

Early Days — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:57:47 GMT

The Early Days Online Workshop for Fathers is now available.

The final two Early Days online workshops are now available - one specifically for dads, and the other focusing on managing sleep issues.

1. "They say my child has autism” – a workshop for fathers

This workshop has been designed specifically for fathers of young children who have, or are suspected to have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. In particular, this workshop is for fathers who were unable to attend the Early Days Introductory face-to-face workshop which covers much of the same material.

2. Sleep

We spend about one third of our lives sleeping and we all need a good night’s sleep to function at our best. This workshop focuses on sleep and strategies for promoting good sleep habits in young children with Autism.

These two workshops are the final workshops in a series of 8 topics now available. Mothers, fathers and family carers of children aged six years and under who have Autism can access these free online workshops offering quality information and support based on the latest research. The online format allows you to complete the workshops at times that best suit you.

To access online workshops, visit www.earlydays.net.au and chose 'online workshops' from the workshop search page.

Other online workshop topics now available are:

3. Self Management

Managing your own behaviour, or self-management, is a skill that is easily taken for granted, but it is an essential skill for successful living. This workshop is about helping your child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder to develop self-management skills.

4. Communication

One of the core features of autism is difficulty communicating with others. Much of the focus of early intervention and later support for children with autism is the development of communication skills. The skills covered in this workshop will provide a strong basis on which other strategies for promoting communication can be built and will complement many of the strategies used in early childhood intervention programs.

5. Video Modelling
Video modelling is an effective teaching strategy for children with autism. This workshop will introduce you to techniques for using video modelling to teach your child new skills.

6. Supporting Siblings
Brothers and sisters play an important role in the lives of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. They also have their own needs and concerns. This workshop is designed to assist you to effectively support all your children.

7. Managing stress
Parents of children with ASD can be prone to high levels of stress. This workshop explores the different reactions to stress, provides you with skills and strategies for managing stress, and provides tips for maintaining the wellbeing of the whole family.

8. Building your resilience to stress

This workshop is for parents and carers interested in keeping stress levels under control and building their resistance to stress in the future. The workshop explores strategies for improving the wellbeing of your whole family.

For more information about each of the topics or to register for an online workshop, visit www.earlydays.net.au

Obessive bathing

thoraboy — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:17:00 GMT

My autistic son is 20 years old. He has a compulsive habit of taking bath, more than about 10 times in one day. My wife and I are at end wits what to do. Any suggestions appreciated.

LINK: DADS - Dads Appreciating Disabilities Australia

allycat — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:09 GMT

Men working together and building positive futures for people who have a disability

http://www.dadsaustralia.org.au/index.htm

LINK: Australian Men's Shed Association

allycat — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:58:37 GMT

The official contact point for community "Men's Sheds" ... click to find a shed near you, enter your postcode or suburb name.

http://www.mensshed.org/page7859/Home.aspx