Welcome to my little blog all about raising a child with Autism and raising awareness

My son Connor was diagnosed with Autism at age 3. Now, at age 5 the diagnosis clearly takes a back seat to his fantastic personality. His sense of humor breaks through the Autism that has robbed him of his ability to get a grasp on other emotions that come naturally to the typical child. This blog is about one Moms perspective. The ups, downs, fears, joys and hopes that I and so many other Moms and Dads have from day to day when you have a child with Autism. So... read and learn a little, laugh a little, maybe even cry a little, hope a little and shout out with joy along with me!



Saturday, March 3, 2012

Dear Lunch Ladies......

Dear Lunch Ladies,

  I am writing today re: Connor's freakish eating habits. Rather than meet with you individually at a time of your convenience, I have decided to make multiple copies of my short course in Autism and Eating Habits 101. You will each receive a copy and I will file several for the poor &%#$*!@ who are your successors. Connor's aide has told me that you question why I don't just pack his lunch if he won't eat cafeteria food.

A. Connor eats randomly and stores his food (not unlike a camel stores water.) What he likes one month he may act as if it is poison for the next several months. Then, eventually, he will decide he likes it again.

B. Packing his food doesn't mean squat to him other than Mommy sent another thing to carry to school filled with stuff he isn't going to eat today either. Now I can send a loaf of bread and a box of crackers to school or you can provide him with these things which I am sure he will guzzle down, but I will also have to pack enemas for you to give him when he is so constipated he can't go potty for a week. I think you find the need to keep his bowels working trumps your happiness at seeing him chowing down.

C. Autistic children who have eatings problems (a whole lot of our kids do) don't just develope these problems overnight. I have been watching Connor's weight and growth along with his doctor his whole life. Just because you don't see him eating doesn't mean he doesn't eat enough at home or according to my aide, at school to enable him to gain weight and grow. I have the records to prove it. I have been trying to counteract his bizarre eating for a long time now and have reached a "happy place" by giving him extra fiber supplements (bowel production) and multivitamins (insurance and assurance) and we have a system to count down "bites" of food.

In short, what we are doing works. He continues to grow. I apologize that he doesn't eat the food that is far more nutritionally unbalanced than what he gets at home but there you are. Never fear, there are many more children who will appreciate the stuff you serve up.

                               Sincerely,

                                  Connors Mom
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