Welcome to “On the Horizon”
Issue 63: Picky Eater or Problem Feeder?
On the Horizon is an award winning weekly ezine for parents of children with developmental disabilities who want simple, effective strategies to reduce stress, support their child’s development, and improve quality of life for the whole family.
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Help for Picky Eaters
 A Note from Nicole: School’s out; The Airzoo Idea of the Week: Water the Outside Flowers
Feature Article: Picky Eater or Problem Feeder?
The Horizons Team Recommends: Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition; Explorations in Eating Audio Program, Calendar and Journal Set
Upcoming Events: CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar; Sibshop
Hi Everyone!
I’m looking out my window at gray skies and rain this morning, and trying to think about how it will help the flowers and yards. But, I have to admit that I’d much rather see sunshine! My kids finished school on Friday and are now on summer vacation. Amazing how bright and early they manage to rise when there isn’t a bus to catch! They are busy planning all the things they want to do while school is out, with sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa’s house near the top of the list.
Have you ever been to the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan? It’s a fabulous place dedicated to all things aviation. I wanted to let you know that they are offering free admission all summer long, which is a great savings! There are rides, simulation activities, museum exhibits, and much more to enjoy there. So, if you live within reasonable driving distance, or are planning to come see us this summer, I would encourage you to include the Air Zoo in your plans. Click here for more information.
Finally, here is one last reminder about summer camps opportunities with us in July and August. We have a couple of spaces left and would love to have your child attend if it works with your summer plans. Click here for information on the available options.
Have a great week!
Looking to the horizon,
Water the Outside Flowers
If you’ve already planted some flowers or hung some baskets of flowers at your house, it is necessary to make sure that they get plenty of water so that continue to say looking nice all summer long. Take a watering can or a hose with a sprayer on it and gently water the flowers around your hose about every other day so that they get a good amount of water. Have mom or dad help with the watering can if it’s too heavy or if you can’t reach some flowers – you may need help with the sprayer too as it can be tough to control. This activity has great opportunities for appraisal (how much water do they need, do we need to water if it’s rained, how heavy can the can get before I can’t lift it, etc.).
Picky Eater or Problem Feeder?
By:
Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP
Do you have a child who is a picky eater or has a very limited diet? Does s/he refuse to try new things, or struggle with bridging from one form of a food to another? To have a well balanced diet, people should eat a variety of foods that include proteins, carbohydrates, and fruits/vegetables. So what is the difference between a picky eater and a problem feeder?
When your child only eats foods from one category or only a few foods in each category, you have a picky eater. Picky eaters generally have a limited number of foods they will eat (about 30). Typically, a picky eater will eat at least one food from all food texture groups. If a picky eater loses a food from their repertoire due to a food jag (when a child eats the same food day after day or meal after meal for several weeks), it can most often be reacquired following a two week break. Picky eaters will generally tolerate new foods on their plate, and will usually touch or even taste new foods. These children are able to add new foods to their repertoire in anywhere from 12 to 25 steps on the Steps to Eating Hierarchy.
Problem feeders differ from picky eaters in that they tolerate a very restricted range or variety of foods, usually less than 20. When a problem feeder loses a food from their repertoire, it is not re-gained. It is not unusual for children who are problem feeders to cry or “melt-down” when faced with a new food. These types of eaters generally refuse to eat entire categories of food textures. For example, they typically stick to all crunchy foods or all soft foods, and often times they prefer foods of one taste, such as salty foods or sweet foods. It takes problem feeders more than 25 steps on the Steps to Eating Hierarchy to add a new food.
Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition Workshop
July 29-31, 2009 Grand Rapids, MI
Put together the soaring increase in students diagnosed with autism and related impairments, a group of dedicated educators seeking solutions to the challenges they face daily, a team of been-in-the-trenches experts, three days of amazing content and hands-on experience, and what do you get?
An amazing 3-day workshop that will transform how you understand and educate students with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Click here for more information!
Explorations in Eating Audio Program, Calendar and Journal Set
Making Eating an Adventure and Expanding Your Child’s Food Preferences.
If your child is a picky eater or has feeding issues,
mealtimes can feel like a battle zone. Try to introduce a new food and
you’re surely buying a front row seat to a meltdown. His limited diet
makes it difficult to enjoy a meal out or eat at friends and relatives’
homes. And you can’t help but worry about the impact such a limited
diet will have on his health and development.
But there is hope. Over the years we’ve found that
if a child has the opportunity to explore new foods in a
non-threatening and playful way, she will eventually taste it–and
often, ends up liking it. So, we’ve created a few
easy-to-use tools to help you follow the same process at home.
Discover how to start broadening your child’s
food preferences by ordering your Explorations in Eating Audio program, Calendar, and
Journal Set for just $49.95
today!
For more information, click here
Please join us!
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar: Gayle Noble, Author of It’s All About Attitude: Loving and Living Well with Autism (Horizons Families Only)
Thursday, June 18, 2009, 11:00AM to 12:00PM EST
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar: Q&A with Michelle & Courtney (Horizons Families Only)
Monday, July 6, 2009, 1:30PM to 2:30PM EST
- Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition
July 29-31, 2009
- Sibshop – Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday, July 11, 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
- Summer CAMPS – Zooming into Summer
CLOSED
July 6-9
- Summer CAMPS – Hawaiian Luau
CLOSED
July 13-16
- Summer CAMPS – Lions, Tigers, & Bears–Oh My!
Open to everyone!
July 20-23
- Summer CAMPS – All About Me
CLOSED
July 27-30
- Summer CAMPS – It’s A Bug’s Life
Openings in AM only
August 3-6
- Summer CAMPS – Wild, Wild West
CLOSED
August 10-13
- Summer CAMPS – Under The Sea
Open to everyone!
August 17-20
- Summer Program – Collaborate and Create!
Open to everyone!
Session 1: July 7-July 23
- Summer Program – Collaborate and Create!
Open to everyone!
Session 2: July 27-July 30
- Summer Program – Collaborate and Create!
Open to everyone!
Session 3: August 4-August 20
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