When we first moved to here, we went through doctor after doctor meeting the new team of specialists we would be seeing for the next few years. During one of those meetings the micro progress of Bugs eating came into the conversation. The kid looked like a starving Ethiopian child he rarely ate and when he did it has to be the same brand, size, prepared and flavor. We could not vary even slightly.
Side story- before we knew the “why” behind Bugs eating habits we tried many ways to get him to widen his food palate. Not always by choice. Did you know back in 2009, the factory that make Kellogg’s Cinnamon toast waffles flooded during a rain? It stopped production of the certain product for months. Lowering the frozen waffle supply. So guess why we know that? Bc those are the only types of waffles Bug will eat and only 1 of 2 things he will eat for breakfast. So there I was in rual Alabama drive all over the state trying to find them. I finally broke down and called the company- who informed me of the issue. Gah! A great reason to try and get to eat other options.
Back to the story- so we were sent to a food clinic. The clinic was a eating group for dysfunctional kids. Dysfunctional because in order to be accepted into the group you have to already have a current diagnosis of some sort. It was a six week session that meet once a week. While our children were in their meeting touching, talking, smelling, tasting and preparing food to eat; the parents were in their own little pow wow session discussing ways we try to get our children to eat unsuccessfully. Within the first five minutes of the first meeting we discovered that all our children all had a unrealistic and unhealthy relationship with McDonalds chicken nuggets.
We giggled and sighed when we explained how we tried several different times to get our kids chicken nuggets other than McDonalds with no success.
So what is it with kids with Autism and McDonalds chicken nuggets? After talking to several of my other moms with kids with Autism; we realized if was more just one or two kids. And it’s not like it’s the restaurant chicken nuggets they prefer. I can’t tell you the last time Bug agreed to eat chicken nuggets from another restaurant happily. There is usually crying, gaging and snot involved.
During a food group meeting I suggested McDonald’s bottle the erogenous fragrance and sell to the public market. Then we could stash some used chicken nugget boxes and just spray the odor while cooking some in the oven. Maybe then we can get our kids to eat them at home.
So your also probably wondering if the good group helped. Nope. He failed it three times. After that they told me there was no hope and put him on a supplement of pedi sure.