I'm not feeling well this morning. A carryover from last night. Perhaps too much pink frosting...
Sean rarely gets sick. He complains alot about various things - mostly his neck and back - but he really is quite a healthy boy.
His diet is amazingly nutritious. I can't take all the credit though. Part of it is, in fact, due to his autism. All of his life Sean has loved the hard, crunchy texture of certain foods. Apple slices were his food of choice as a toddler. Carrots soon followed.
A big shout out goes to Barney. Yes, the purple dinosaur himself. I had initially banned him from my household but once he mentioned "broccoli trees" and eating the leaves off of them... Sean was hooked. How could you not love and embrace the big guy after that?
Over the years Sean has added other foods to his diet but always at his own pace. I remember one time I was going to eat a hamburger at a fast food restaurant. I knew better than to ask him if he was interested in this food or that food, finally giving in to the notion that he was set in his limited diet. Sean asked if he could try it. Was I shocked? Yes. More shocked though when he then proceeded to eat the entire thing. Spinach, mac & cheese, spaghetti... they have all become staples.
He has this unique, absolute unbreakable willpower when it comes to making his food decisions. If he sees a report saying something is not healthy about his favourite food, then he won't eat it again for years. He's a very conscious eater and his food choices make an impression. At school, for whatever reason they have some party or such, the teachers will include a veggie tray. Sure, it's mainly for Sean but if other children see him eating from it, then they may just follow his example.
Thus, our children, our wonderful autistic children, with their texture sensitivities to food may be telling us something....
Maybe we should all be a little pickier... a little healthier.... with our diets.
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