No more white food only - Amaze

Welcome and Thank you

Get ready to ....

Presentation summary notes available at
www.overthespectrum.com.au

Presentation schedule
• A “picture” of food and Eating for children with Autism
• Our journey with the “crunchy white food eater”
• Your Try New Foods journey starts today!
• Try New Foods - 3 steps
• Strategies for building resilience and sustainability for the
child and the parent
• Over the Spectrum - website
• Conclusion

Food and social eating
The “picture”

Food and social eating
The reality for children with Autism and food and
eating issues
• Sensory overload
• Overwhelmed
• Anxious
• Melt downs
• Stress for parent
• Stress and anxiety
for entire family

Our journey with
“The crunchy white food eater” 2011
7 foods as part of core diet
•Fish (prepared only one way)
•Chicken (prepared only one way)
•White bread
•Kraft cheese singles
•Veal schnitzel
•Potatoes - “Hot chips”
•Red grapes

Our journey with
“The crunchy white food eater” 2012
• has tried in excess of 60 new foods
• 15 core foods as part of his everyday
eating, including a variety of fruits
• Asks to try new foods from magazine
adverts, TV shows and other sources

What is food & eating like at
your place right now?
2 minutes

How would you like it to be?
2 minutes

Get ready to help your child
Try New Foods....

Try New Foods - 3 step process
• Step 1: Create a support team
• Step 2: Create calm
• Step 3: VIP the event

Try New Foods
Step 1: Create a support Team
• Dietician
• Occupational Therapist
• Early Intervention Centre – Family services coordinator
• Respite Carer
• Speech therapist
• Family, friends, others who acknowledge what you are
trying to achieve and why

Try New Foods
Meet my support team
•“Dietician Mel”
•“Kinder Sally”
•“OT Sarah”

Step 1 - Create a support team?
Who are your support team?
OR
Who can support you on the Try New
Foods journey?
2 minutes
2 minutes

Step 2 – Create Calm
• Calm the sensory system – strategies for
calming the child and the eating
environment
• Visual Schedules – “show me” what will
happen next .....
• Menu planning – provide sensory breaks at
regular intervals
• Rituals, routine, repetition

Step 2 – Create Calm
•Calm the sensory system

Step 2 – Create Calm
•Calm the sensory system

Step 2 – Create Calm
•Calm the sensory system

Step 2 – Create Calm
•Calm the sensory system

Step 2 – Create Calm
•Calm the sensory system

Step 2 – Create Calm
•Calm the sensory system
• When menu planning, start with the foods your
child likes to eat
• Try and include this food every 2 -3 days as a
sensory break
• Introduce a new food on a day that is most
suitable for you and the whole family

What are your child’s 3 favourite
foods for dinner?
2 minutes

Which night/s are best for you and
your family to Try New Foods?
2 minutes

Step 2 – Create Calm
• Visual Schedules: Sample Weekly menu

Step 2 – Create Calm
•Pick up
•Smell
•Lick
•Taste/bite
•Swallow
•Eat whole serving
The SOS approach was explained to me by Dietician Mel.
And similar processes were also found in resource books

Step 3 – VIP the Event
Show your child that trying a new food
is
•Important
•Fun
•Special

Step 3 – VIP the Event
Show your child that trying a new food
is important

Step 3 – VIP the Event
Show your child that trying a new food
is important

Step 3 – VIP the Event
Show your child that trying a new food
is important

Step 3 – VIP the Event
Show your child that trying a new food is
fun – the Reward System
•Immediate
•Progressive
•“Lucky Dip” Friday

Step 3 – VIP the Event
The Reward system – Immediate reward
options
•quick
•cheap
•Age appropriate

Step 3 – VIP the Event
The Reward system – Progressive reward
options
•charts
•Theme related
•Record progress as a team

Step 3 – VIP the Event
The Reward system – Progressive reward
options - charts

Step 3 – VIP the Event
The Reward system – Progressive reward
options - themes
Pirates

What is your child interested in?
What are 3 theme’s you could use as part of your
reward system
2 minutes

Step 3 – VIP the Event
The Reward system – “Lucky Dip Friday”

Building resilience: Parent centred
•Nurture or re-build a positive
relationship with food and eating
•Schedule opportunities for this as
regularly as you can
•You are the expert on your child – have
belief and confidence in that and use
this in your planning and interaction
with your child

Building resilience for the parent

Building resilience for the parent

What did you/do you love about
food and eating?
2 minutes

Where in your day or week can you
make time to nurture this?
2 minutes

Sustainability for the child and
the parent
•Be positive and expect your child to do
what you ask of them
•Reward with lots of positive praise as
much as you can
•Seek out events and festivals with a
food focus

Sustainability for the child and
the parent
•This is not a race
•There are no “food and eating police”
•Always encourage your child to try a
new food

Sustainability for the child and
the parent
•Work on one food item at a time – over
a 3-5 week cycle
•Work on one food type e.g vegetables
for the year
•Provide a sensory break every 2-3 days
in the week in your menu

Sustainability for the child and
the parent
•Take short cuts where ever possible
•Outsource where you can

Over the Spectrum Web Site

Over the Spectrum Web Site

Try New Foods programs include
4 major components
Ritual
Routine
Calm
Repetition
Control

Try New Foods - 3 step process
• Step 1: Create a support team
• Step 2: Create calm
• Step 3: VIP the event

Programs, products
and services available at
www.overthespectrum.com.au