Autism Vox

Teaching Strategy #14: Moderation or, Trying to Find the Golden Mean

by Kristina Chew, PhD on January 2nd, 2008

Charlie has been more or less on the gluten-free casein-free diet since June of 1999, when he had just turned two years old. I say “more or less” because, in the past year, we started to experiment with Charlie eating the occasional hamburger bun or a bagel when a classmate’s mother brought in a special holiday breakfast or…….a piece of pizza. His teachers did not report anything amiss and Jim and I have thought he maybe seemed to run around more and to be more hyper. It is the case, though, that Charlie (who is very fond of eating, and always has been since he was a baby) often gets excited after eating, period; sometimes he even seems excited before he has a single bite.

For now, we are sticking to the diet, except when we go out for dinner and when there is a special occasion, like school parties. There are more and more gluten-free products available than when Charlie was younger—he likes the English muffins from this company and we discovered this bakery in Berkeley and he eats a great deal of batter when we make brownies from this company. “The diet” was never a huge problem for us as rice, rice noodles, spring rolls, and other Asian-type foods have always been big favorites of Charlie’s.

As Charlie has gotten older, he has become more and more aware of the world around him and he knows (why would he not) when he’s been served heated-up frozen rice crust pizza with soy cheese and there’s a nice greasy pie from a Jersey pizzeria on the other table. Lately it seems that, the more something is “off limits,” the more Charlie wants it: Last year, he liked ketchup so much he consumed half a bottle if I was not careful. I sent in a bottle to school a few months ago; there is a full bottle in plain view in a kitchen cabinet and Charlie, though knowing where it is, has yet to ask for it. He got a burger and fries in Hoboken tonight and, after eating a poppy slowly dipped bites of food into a small cup of ketchup and was more than ready for a brisk walk by Frank Sinatra Drive and Pier C, across from a glittering view of Manhattan.

When Charlie was younger, I often heard other parents whose children were older noting that one reason they had chosen to take their child off the diet was because of social issues: Their child would be invited to a pizza party and not be able to attend, or have to bring “special foods,” and this made the situation harder. Charlie of course sees that other people have buns with their burgers; why not him? And, I have been finding, by giving him “just one” instead of “simply none,” he is calmer and does not grab for other’s food (well, there’s still the odd French fry or two) and sits at the table. Hearing “no, it’s not for you” and, indeed, “no, no, no” too many times does not fall well on anyone’s ears.

We did long ago establish that milk does not agree with Charlie and, except for that occasional slice of pizza, are still staying away from dairy products; I’m still packing his lunchbox with bags of fruit and vegetables and containers of rice and edamame (which he never seems to tire of–whereas Charlie lost his appetite for potato chips when he was 7); his teacher still likes to check with me if another mother sends in cupcakes. All in moderation.

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POSTED IN: Family, Food and Diet, Teaching Strategies