When Autism Defies Logic

[insanityscratching]

Ds has always had difficulty with food packaging. If it changes then he refuses to eat what's inside.

Sometimes we have got away with it by putting food into old boxes but the list of foods he will no longer eat because of the change in packaging is a long one.

I haven't noticed it for a while probably because he is down to eating two things at the minute and because one of them is burgers that I put into the freezer out of the box so he doesn't get to see the packaging.

Got up this morning to a note underneath the bedroom door saying "I need big dairy milk bars". Thought it odd because I shopped on Thursday but he hasn't eaten much this week (not even Mcdonalds) so thought he must have eaten loads of chocolate during the night instead.

Checked the drawer and there is a huge stash of chocolate there and then I noticed the Olympics promotion on the wrapper.

So he's sixteen, he's pretty smart, he'll even understand advertising, he knows logically at least that it won't change what's inside the wrapper but even so there isn't a cat in hell's chance he will eat that chocolate and no amount of reasoning will change that.

So he'll either starve, I'll find a shop with older stock or he'll pick something else out of the blue that he will eat instead.

Packaging troubles have to be the bane of my life tbh not least because I don't automatically notice the difference.

Ds also has an aversion to anything bought from our local shop (a co op) Believe it or not I could buy when he was at school, hide the bag or even use my own put it in the cupboard alongside others bought elsewhere and he's like a sniffer dog he'll pick out the one item from the co op and insist it's disposed of.

No idea how he does it, haven't been there in years now.

Anyone else have kids the same?

Yep DS is just as bad. He's 9 and if you try to convince him that it is the same thing he just won't have it.

He's getting better though. He's very wary of it but he'll now at least try something that's changed.

Except for Asda Smartprice Bourbons. They changed the packet, the shape of the biscuit and the chocolate cream inside so he point blank refuses to go near them. Just too much change there.

Wow, it's got to be so tough to be that restricted we are still on the hot food should NOT be served at lunchtime and on your head be it

Ds is 5 and just started this, his thing is primula spread in the tube. They have just added a navy blue panel to the end of the tube now he wont go near it, that's if he see's it!

My DS, has to use same bowls and spoons, he's 2. If he doesn't recognise a food or a drink, he won't touch it without a massive palava...

Mango ds uses the same blue plastic plates he had as a toddler. We have four identical ones thankfully because he won't entertain any others.

And cups! Dont know how I am going to get rid of the blasted tommie tippee beakers! :)

Food is our biggest issue. DS1 is very brand and shape specific. Asda pasta shells are too stripey! Some food is too bumpy, hard, spiky. Thank you to Tesco for changing the packaging of cocktail sausages the other week, now is very reluctant but think we're getting there! Only 1 particular packet of ham, 6 different shapes of pasta. cheese strings (only the plain original ones). cadbury chocolate yoghurt.
It is so hard and every mealtime is stressful. he chooses the food otherwise he won't eat it.
DS1 is also smell orientated and if he doesn't like a smell then that's it.

oh and I should say DS1 does not have a diag of ASD or anything as yet. We are going for a 2nd opinion.

I tool ds away on holiday for a fortnight and forced him to go cold turkey The plates aren't so bad because they aren't allowed out of the house so he can eat off other plates when he's not at home.

:) at your ds eating off other plates when out. Kind of get it though. I guess DS finds comfort in the routine. When it's all different he doesn't know what to expect when he puts it in his mouth and he's very sensory defensive.

Went on a picnic recently with DS1. Point blank refused to eat his chocolate yoghurt (the only youghurt he eats) because I only took our picnic (plastic) cutlery. He only uses one type of spoon at home, and when we got home he couldn't wait to get started. I forgot to say he also doesn't eat things if they are slightly damaged and I mean slightly!