Guest guest Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I think it can be part of AS/HFA. My oldest with HFA was just awful about eating for many years. My younger one shovels food just like you describe! With my oldest, the OT worked all summer teaching him to cut with a knife and it actually did work. He is not graceful about it, but he does a good enough job that he won't embarrass himself. What she did was buy those gummy worms and have him practice cutting them with a knife. She also had him do strengthening excercises as well. The biggest help I've seen with my own kids is just lots of practice. I haven't figured out how to stop the younger from stuffing food in but I have started discussing with him how the body works - how the stomach needs well chewed food. He tends to respond much better when I give him good reasons why instead of just the " because it looks better this way. " Roxanna ( ) Eats like a pig My son has always been a messy eater, he shovels food down so fast it's amazing that he doesn't choke. He piles it on his spoon or fork and is putting more in his mouth before he's even done swallowing the first bite. I have to cut his meat for him...and he's almost 12...if I don't he just picks it up and chews it off. He's always hungry and he always finishes seconds before the rest of us have finished the first serving, and then he wonders why his stomach hurts. His place setting is a huge mess, of course, crumbs all over the place, stains and spills, and no matter how often he's reminded, he eats like a pig. Is this an Aspie thing, or just a boy thing? Barbara in NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I think it has a lot to do with having AS/HFA since it is such a common problem for these kids to have. I also think it is a bigger issue when it's happening at your table! Plus, consider the social ramifications when a child is eating in the lunchroom and he's a messy eater. People will tend to move away from someone like that. Just like all social skills, this is one more that needs to be taught and worked on. Roxanna ----- Original Message ----- Neither. I'd say it's just a personality matter. It has nothing to do with gender and it certainly has nothing to do with Aspergers. It might be just his age. I wouldn't worry about it. And even if it would have anything to do with Aspergers, that should be one of the the (if not the) least bothersome feature of it. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: ( ) Eats like a pig My daughter, who was low-functioning, used a spoon solely for eating. She would " shovel " the food as well. We wanted to introduce her to a fork, which we also knew might slow down the pace and allow her to " fit in " better with the rest of society as she was then a teenager. She continued the shoveling motions and I tried to teach 'hand over hand', but that was not very effective. An o/t came by the house to observe and she showed us that if you stand behind the child and guide their elbow with a light tilt upwards at the joint, it allows them to stab the food more effectively (than hand over hand). We practised on easier to stab foods (banana) and was amazed at how quickly she picked up the skill. Like another poster said, it makes sense that this skill is delayed in many of the children on the spectrum when so many other delays are connected. Eating just happens to be another skill that needs to be guided. > > I think it has a lot to do with having AS/HFA since it is such a common problem for these kids to have. I also think it is a bigger issue when it's happening at your table! Plus, consider the social ramifications when a child is eating in the lunchroom and he's a messy eater. People will tend to move away from someone like that. Just like all social skills, this is one more that needs to be taught and worked on. > > > Roxanna > ----- Original Message ----- > > > Neither. I'd say it's just a personality matter. It has nothing to do > with gender and it certainly has nothing to do with Aspergers. It > might be just his age. I wouldn't worry about it. And even if it would > have anything to do with Aspergers, that should be one of the the (if > not the) least bothersome feature of it. > > > . > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 My daughter with AS is 9, and she does choke on her food and drinks regularly because of this very issue. She's gotten a lot better recently. I put a lot less on her plate, and cut everything really small for her. Also- and this is a very difficult one- I take her spoon or fork away when she starts shoveling, remind her how to eat like a big girl, and then give it back. If she doesn't comply, I do that again, and tell her its her last warning. If she still doesn't comply, I take her utensils and give her toddler utensils. This usually starts a screaming craze. I send her to her room so she can't ruin our dinner completely. Eventually she calms down, comes back out, and miserably eats with the toddler fork and spoon. And then it doesn't happen again for days... When I first started this approach, it would take hours to get through every meal, and would happen at every meal. Now, it only happens every several days. We're getting there! For the mess, she has to clean it up. That has helped considerably. Oh, it's still a garbage dump, and I still have to clean up what she's cleaned up. But it's a smaller garbage dump, so she's getting it. Meira > ( ) Eats like a pig > > > My son has always been a messy eater, he shovels food down so fast it's > amazing that he doesn't choke. He piles it on his spoon or fork and is putting more > in his mouth before he's even done swallowing the first bite. I have to cut > his meat for him...and he's almost 12...if I don't he just picks it up and > chews it off. > > He's always hungry and he always finishes seconds before the rest of us have > finished the first serving, and then he wonders why his stomach hurts. > > His place setting is a huge mess, of course, crumbs all over the place, > stains and spills, and no matter how often he's reminded, he eats like a pig. > > Is this an Aspie thing, or just a boy thing? > > Barbara in NJ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 When Christian is messing around at the table I make him leave. I tell him not to come back until he is ready to eat without messing around. Sometimes he will come back to the table only to leave again one two or three or four times. Sometimes he will come back and not have to leave again. Other times he will come back and leave so many times that I will tell him to not come back until everyone else(siblings) is done. He too has to clean up his mess. Admittedly, I have to re-clean but the mess that started at a typhoon is down to probably a tornado when he is done " cleaning " . It has not helped with everything, but his behavior at the table has gotten better since I started this about a year ago. Natasha > > > My daughter with AS is 9, and she does choke on her food and drinks > regularly because of this very issue. She's gotten a lot better > recently. I put a lot less on her plate, and cut everything really > small for her. Also- and this is a very difficult one- I take her > spoon or fork away when she starts shoveling, remind her how to eat > like a big girl, and then give it back. If she doesn't comply, I do > that again, and tell her its her last warning. If she still doesn't > comply, I take her utensils and give her toddler utensils. This > usually starts a screaming craze. I send her to her room so she > can't ruin our dinner completely. Eventually she calms down, comes > back out, and miserably eats with the toddler fork and spoon. And > then it doesn't happen again for days... When I first started this > approach, it would take hours to get through every meal, and would > happen at every meal. Now, it only happens every several days. > We're getting there! > > For the mess, she has to clean it up. That has helped considerably. > Oh, it's still a garbage dump, and I still have to clean up what > she's cleaned up. But it's a smaller garbage dump, so she's getting > it. > > Meira > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 On Nov 9, 7:41pm, " Toni Barker " wrote: } My sons try to sit with one leg hanging down and one in the chair and the } chair pushed backand turned kinda of sideways. We are consytantly telling } them, put your leg down and sit straight. Wonder what thats about?? I think it's a sensory issue. When my son lost his regular OT visits, he stopped being able to sit in a chair properly. Willa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 OH.. we never had any help with sensory issues so I don't know what all it involves. Thanks for letting me know.Toni Re: ( ) Re: Eats like a pig > On Nov 9, 7:41pm, " Toni Barker " wrote: > } My sons try to sit with one leg hanging down and one in the chair and the > } chair pushed backand turned kinda of sideways. We are consytantly telling > } them, put your leg down and sit straight. Wonder what thats about?? > > I think it's a sensory issue. When my son lost his regular > OT visits, he stopped being able to sit in a chair properly. > > Willa > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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