Alex's Appetite

Any mom with autistic kids knows the frustrations

of their eating habits. Most have very limited diets...

self inflicted mental lists of what they can and cannot eat.

Many live on only a few items of food and have those things

for every meal. My three boys used to only eat potato chips,

Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, yogurt (specific brand and flavor)

and baby food veggies.....period. Nothing else...ever....

All three have drastically improved in adding fresh fruit, some proteins

and changing the baby food to canned green beans and carrots.

It was so nice at the time to stop buying those expensive baby veggies

for 9 year olds when that happened!

They are still quite strict about sticking to their list, even though it has

expanded somewhat over the years.

Alex has always been interested in what I'm cooking up in the kitchen.

He comes in and takes a peek in the oven or lifts the lid on a simmering pot.

He won't always try things, but I can tell he is interested!

Well, over the past few weeks he has tried and liked several new things!

He has eaten and loved a roast beef sandwich, turkey pot pie,

chicken and noodles and the newest addition...vegetable beef soup!

It does this mother's heart a lot of good!

Yea, Alex! Now if his brothers would just loosen up a little!