Gluten Free Banana Pancakes

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes

:: Gluten Free Banana Pancakes ::

It’s Sunday morning and I am not fully awake, but my kids are! A foggy slow morning calls for Banana Pancakes.  A weekend favorite, but today I have decided to make a small change to this breakfast recipe.  Anything for my special boy, pancakes it is, but I am switching it up a bit and giving this picky eater a chance to try Gluten Free Banana Pancakes. 

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes

Explaining less and helping out with the meal can sway any picky eater from noticing a small adjustment.  Believe me sometimes I think this kid has eyes in the back of his head and a memory of an elephant {well okay that part is my fault}.  I did have to trick him a little bit as my flour sits in a canister on the counter top.  I measured out the Bob’s Red Mill Biscuit and Baking Mix prior to having Mason assist me with the pancake making.  You gotta do what you gotta do.  [Read more…]

Sensory Bags

Sensory Bags

:: Sensory Bags ::

School has been back in session for approximately a month now.   We are still working out the kinks and are preparing ourselves for the upcoming homework load that will start next week.  These sensory bags are a project that I sought out for Mason to help him prepare for doing homework and transitioning time in the classroom.   As some of you readers may know, my son is on the Autism Spectrum.  I have written about my experience with Autism {here and here} and have had hopes to help others whom are in the midst of the chaos of their diagnosis.  We keep Mason on a sensory diet, in which we use methods of physical activity before and during school to keep him focused in the classroom. 

In school he has a quiet corner and a box of small items in which he can use to play with that allow him to get back on task.  I thought these sensory bags would be a great fidget toy for his box at school, as well as at home.  These sensory bags are terrific for any child that may need a break in-between tasks or long periods of home work.  These squeezable bags, that are filled with a jelly material, allow a child to regroup and organize their thoughts when they’re distracted by their environment.  Mason’s sensory issues cause him to be overloaded by the activities on the playground, making it hard for him to transition from the play yard to the classroom after lunch.  [Read more…]

Pilates and Autism

 

 

:: Pilates and Autism ::

“Do Good” is the motto of our sorority. We lived by these words during my collegiate years, but I don’t believe its capacity was revealed to me until recently.  Today, as I share this post with you, I have to pinch myself knowing that a Delta Gamma has come in my life to show me the true meaning of “hope”.  Dawn-Marie Ickes is a licensed Physical Therapist and fellow sorority sister that has opened the door to a new way of treating Mason’s Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing issues.

[Read more…]

The Case of the Picky Eater and the Holidays…..

This past week we celebrated Thanksgiving with both sides of the family.

It was great to be able to do this, as my husband has been on shift the past three years.

I love being able to visit with everyone.

It is a nice time to catch up with what is new in their lives, as well as getting to know

the newer, and soon to be, new additions of the family.

All wonderful things to be thankful for.

It is all grand until it is time to sit down for the meal…..

The part in which I dread the most.

My palms sweat and it is time to answer the question,

“What is Mason eating for dinner, where is his plate?”

Uh oh….

The dreaded picky eater…..

My son is a picky eater and has been for the majority of his life.

He is like most kids on the Autism Spectrum, that crave routine and predictability.

This trait goes hand-in-hand with some children that also have a sensory processing disorder.

The sensory component means that he will eat the same few

meals over and over again without a huge fuss.

I know what you think… the kid won’t starve,

but he will, as it is part of this disorder.

Textures and smells create sensory stop signs for these kids.

Loud full houses and having to sit for extended periods of time

is extremely hard for a child who has a hard time sitting in school, let alone

a crowded dinner table

{I myself get overwhelmed after being around too much noise for an extended period}.

More often than not, it is a battle in which their behavior goes from

zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds.

Believe me I have tried it all… heard it all,

but I know as a Mom that we worked very hard with our son

 and that this is the smaller piece to a very large puzzle.

As per Lindsey Biel, M.A., OTR/L and Nancy Peske’s book

Raising a Sensory Smart Child, if a child has food related

issues try to avoid food related battles at the family meal

and focus instead on pleasure of the company

{this book is amazing for any child}.

We see an Occupational Therapist for help with Mason’s Sensory Processing Disorder

and with his eating behaviors {thank goodness for Wayne Centra at Karate for All}.

Yes I would love to be that mother whose child eats

all of my homemade food and I wish I could say my son

loves all of his basic food groups, but that is something that

I know is in the far off distance… a work in progress.

I know that a special gluten free and casein free diet works for

some children on the Autism Spectrum, but Mother knows best

{well with the support of an educated therapist… wink wink}

I am just happy that my child is eating food.

It may be considered processed and babysitter like, but it is what is.

Luckily I am able to sneak in nutrients in places where I can.

For now I will be happy for the progress he has made and the

obstacles we have overcome, for they have been great… if not amazing!

So when we pull up a seat at a table please don’t ask,

“Is that what he is eating?”

For I am thankful for the boy he is, and not for how I would like the situation to be.