Managing eating issues in children with Asperger Syndrome:

Researchers at UQ have developed a set of food and nutrition resources that aim to provide strategies for managing selective eating in children with Asperger’s Syndrome. You’ll find hypothetical case studies developed from discussions with parents of children with Asperger’s, activity sheets, and a comprehensive selection of supporting materials.

http://www.autismqld.com.au/userfiles/Appendix%206_4%20Booklet.pdf

Parents of Picky Eaters, It’s Not Your Fault

In spite of what the country’s leading food scientists and pediatricians know or don’t know, parents of the picky are targeted for blame by parents of the non-picky. In our food-obsessed, competitive culture, what our children eat has become yet another yardstick used by parents to make them feel superior to other parents.
It’s time to just stop it. Stop all of it. Now.

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/parents-of-picky-eaters-its-not-your-fault/?smid=fb-share

autism links

apologies for not many posts lately : over the past month we have nad a holiday in fiji, got stuck there due to floods, then all got sick over there (and i got much worse when we got home) and now i have sciatica and can't sit for very long so am not finding or posting many links. add to that the fact that my kids have taken over my computer while i'm not on it so much and lost all the links i was saving and i'm lucky to have managed to re-find this many! (apologies there aren't any non-ASD ones, i tend to find them more at work and have had to have time off due to my health :()

anyway, enough of my whining, on with the links!

Autism science is moving 'stunningly fast'
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-04-08/Autism-science-research-moving-faster/54134028/1

NOT JUST ASD!!!
Breaking the rules: feeding aversions
http://handyhandouts.com/pdf/143_Breaking%20the%20Rules%20Feeding%20Aversion.pdf

Autistic child defended in cafe : what would you do?
http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/video/autistic-child-defended-cafe-family-at-dinner-man-criticizes-wwyd-16136829
i found this one interesting viewing - it was good to see how many people spoke up / acted. however in our situation my son does not have any obvious signs of his asperger syndrome, unless you were an expert who could pick up every nuance. i bet we wouldn't get the same support these people did...

BEAUTIFUL STORY - please read :)
Autism is Remarkable When You Take the Time to Understand It
http://greenbelt.patch.com/articles/autism-is-remarkable-when-you-take-the-time-to-understand-it-9ee3a5cb

more information about the West Belconnen Children's Behaviour and Emotional Wellbeing Clinic

West Belconnen Children's Behaviour and Emotional Wellbeing Clinic
The Child and Family Centre program is a free ACT Government program and was
established to provide early intervention and prevention services to
children and their families. The West Belconnen Child and Family Centre
provides brief clinical interventions through the Children's Behaviour and
Emotional Wellbeing Clinic, focusing on managing children's behaviour and
emerging mental health issues.
The purpose of the clinic is to promote early help-seeking behaviours, and
provide a service that focuses on specific issues of concern for clients and
their families. The clientele are children aged 0 - 8 years (and their
parents/carers), who reside in the Belconnen area*.
For service providers, the clinic provides a referral option for clients and
families seeking short-term, focused support on presenting issues. The scope
of work provided within the clinic includes informal assessment,
information, strategies, referral and follow-up. Children and families
requiring services in addition to that offered by the clinic are assisted
through appropriate supports and referral.
The clinic operates within an early intervention and prevention framework
and seeks to address issues early in the life of the problem or early in the
life of the child. Issues that are addressed within the clinic setting
include milestones, discipline and behaviour management, temperament /
shyness, separation anxiety, self esteem, social skills, sleep and eating
issues, mood and behaviour changes, adjusting to change, grief and loss, and
family conflict/relationships.
The clinic does not seek to replicate the range of behavioural and mental
health services already available in the community. For example, issues
outside the scope of the clinic include psychometric assessments,
psychiatric crisis situations or emergency services, and infant feeding and
settling issues.
The clinic is held every Thursday morning at the West Belconnen Child and
Family Centre. Appointments are required.
Referrals and appointment bookings are accepted from both service providers,
and parents/carers. All referrals will go through an intake process at the
West Belconnen Child and Family Centre.
For enquiries or to make a referral into the clinic, please contact an
intake worker at the West Belconnen Child and Family Centre on (02) 6205
2904 Monday-Friday 9-5pm.