30 DAYS OF AUTISM...Day 6

YUM...

Ok, I missed a day, well actually 2 but as it is still Day 6 in other parts of the world, I think I can get away with this being Day 6's post and hopefully I can get Day 7 finished before it is actually Day 8!

Other then the traits listed in my previous post dealing  with the Diagnostic criteria for ASD, there are some other  not as well known but definitely common behaviours children on The Spectrum often display.

One of these is Pica. Pica is an eating disorder described by the National Institute of Health as " A pattern of eating non-food materials (such as dirt or paper).

The other day my Husband removed the seat cover from the drivers seat in our family car and found this...

" What happened to the seat? " he asked. I wasn't entirely sure but had a fair idea who to ask... I called for Ryan and he very sheepishly apologised and informed us he had been eating the seat. You see Ryan loves foam. He has over the years systematically devoured many mattress toppers and even his foam mattress that was on his bed when he was younger. We have now removed all foam from the house. We have inner spring mattresses and no more toppers. So I guess that seat was just too tempting.

Other things Ryan has found delectable over the years include, pencils, chalk (a whole box which he promptly threw up), egg shells, soap, toilet paper, rocks, the insides of our pillows and Duvets and Styrofoam. 

We have lots of things hanging on our walls. Visual aides in most rooms and posters in the children's rooms. They are quite often found to have mysteriously fallen on the floor,all Blu-Tak missing. Blu-Tak is another favourite of Ryan's and he slowly but surely eats his way through a piece at a time until there is nothing left to hold the items up. 

The most interesting thing about Ryan's Pica is, that also like a lot of children with an ASD, he is extremely particular about what foods he will eat. He also has many *food rules*.Like no two foods can be served on the same plate and toast must be cut in squares, not triangles or rectangles or any other shape for that matter.

These rules must NOT be broken and to do so means  A.He will not eat said food(s) and B. Can often result in a meltdown.

I find it amazing that with all these *food rules* and fussiness  Ryan will however eat this...

Lint from the Tumble Dryer

And this...

The contents of the Vacuum Cleaner  

We have tried to address Ryan's oral needs with chew toys, chewing gum and chewy lollies. It helps, but sometimes, as with the car seat, other not so suitable materials are just too tempting. 

I am now trying to figure out a way to disguise some *healthy* foods in some of  these materials Ryan finds  so irresistible.Lint and Vegetable patties anyone?

Don't forget to check out the other 30 DAYS OF AUTISM Bloggers...