| Description |
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders have difficulties during mealtimes for a variety of reasons. Poor muscle control affects lips, tongue, jaw, facial muscles, hands, and core body movements—all of which impact our ability to move food into the digestive system. Sensory processing problems produce aversions or obsessions with specific smells, textures, and tastes that compromise good nutrition—which in turn increases hunger and food cravings. Mealtimes nourish our souls as much as our bodies, through the sharing of conversation and social relationships. Instead of a time for enjoyment, mealtimes often become battlegrounds—nourishing no one.
This course will outline typical development of eating skills, medically recognized nutritional needs of the growing child, and sensory-based approaches to mealtime behavioral issues—within the context of a holistic nutrition framework that focuses on primary as well as secondary sources of nourishment. We will explore a variety of techniques that encourage children to participate happily in their family or school mealtimes. Holistic nutrition synthesizes our needs for primary sources of nourishment—loving relationships, enjoyable physical activity, meaningful work, and spiritual connectedness—with our physiologic needs to eat a healthy diet. Successful mealtime programs must address a child’s need for compassionate caregivers, active play, self-care, and the use of their imagination. This course gives therapists the basic tools to create such a program.
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