Autism Soccer: Sweet Treats for Children with Autism

Birthday parties and Halloween can be tough for your child when it comes to candy; here are some helpful alternatives.

It is a known fact that most individuals with autism present an over or under response tendensie to sensory input. This quirk is called hypo/hyper-responsiveness (depending on the case), and it includes a child’s response to the flavor, smell and texture he perceives from food.

In this order of ideas, these particular cases either avoid or crave for very specific flavors, food textures and even colors. In some cases, a child might want to eat from only certain food groups, such as grains or dairy.

Some are fixed to certain food types, such as pasta or bread or sweets, which are the center of this particular article.

These doses of sweetness provide a powerful sensory input that many children would crave for. This craving can be even more powerful for an individual affected by autism.

The inclusion of sweets in an ASD child’s diet

It is important for your child to venture out of the sweet comfort zone, Autism Soccer suggests exploring healthier alternatives to provide the sensory input and properly nurturing the body. The key for this lies on creativity and patience.

Here are some of the alternatives we have lined up for you and your child:

1. The crunchy texture of cereals is appealing to some, but they contain way too much sugar. Make it healthier by crushing it to make a crumb powder. Sprinkle it on a more nutritive alternative such as an unsweetened cereal or homemade porridge or oatmeals. This will provide the specific input while introducing a healthier option.

2. There are some children fixated on carbonated drinks like soda. For this, try flavoring plain carbonated water (that doesn’t contain sugar) with natural fruit juice for a healthier, less sugary option.

Another practical option is to freeze some fruit juice in ice cube trays and put a few of the resulting fruity cubes in a cup of fresh sparkling water. The final product’s temperature of ice cubes helps soothe your child’s oral sensory cravings.

3. Who doesn’t love milkshakes? Homemade milkshakes are another tactic for providing nutrition with a healthy and so necessary touch of sweetness. Try blending some fruit or a sweet vegetable (go for carrots one day) with low-sugar yogurt or even ice cream.

4. Here’s a useful one: Use straws, they make it look all more appealing and offer an extra sensory input. Get your child a crazy-shaped straw with his/her next milkshake or juice-sweetened seltzer.

5. As odd as it sounds, freshly cooked vegetables provide a kick of unexpected sweetness. Slice sweet potatoes into strips and bake them for a sweet snack that’s also crunchy in texture. When in season, you might try sweet peas in the shell or some sliced zucchini, sweet and texturized..

6. For some children, cake is a must. Trick him and bake him a low-sugar version of zucchini, banana or carrot bread. If you add applesauce to the batter for extra sweetness and softer texture, al the better.

Here at Autism Soccer, we take into consideration all aspects of a healthy child’s life and make into useful, practical and educating articles for you; so don’t hesitate into writing your comments and questions in the section below, as well as following us on our social networking.