Associating EATING with a POSITIVE AFFECT: I WANT TO EAT!!

I wrote about Anirudh last week also. I see this 3 year old bright child with Cerebral Palsy. He is the only child of his parents. He is on liquid diet. We engage in eating as a part of lunch time, thrice a week in Early Intervention Group. It is becoming clear that the number of issues that the child is facing today is because of lack of exposure. The mother has been pouring liquid in his mouth holding his mouth up with her hands.

In last 9 sessions, i have been taking his eating, where in I was putting liquid oats in his mouth with a spoon, when I figured the food needs to be dropped in the mouth and he cant clean the spoon using his lips and tongue. He shows resistance when it comes to food. He turns his head away and blocks anything coming to him with both his hands.

Seeing his body language and facial expressions, and the way he is fed one can very clearly make out that eating or food is not associated with positive affect. Parent training is so important. Only if the mother knew she can try to make her child eat in a different way and try different things with him, the situation could have been very different. 

Another way to understand this child's situation is the diagnosis of neurological condition of Cerebral Palsy. The mothers looks dull and sad. The life is tough with a child with special needs. Accepting such things is a challenge. They are dealing with the social stigma of having a child with special needs. It seems the mother had lost hope that the child can do things like other children which lead to lack of exposure for many things.

I have had 9 sessions of eating with him. Today had ate well. With reminders he was able to keep his hands down. We took one line from the 'Johy johny Rhyme'- "Open your mouth" and then we used it to see what happens when Johny opens his mouth and what happens when Anirudh opens his mouth, reminders , play, voice modulation, narrations and observing his peer eating, Anirudh was able to eat like his peers today. We poured his rice in the plate and I made him eat with spoon.

I have told the mother to get his food in a tiffin and not a glass just like other children. My first focus with him is to bring Willingness in him to eat. Intent works wonders. If Anirudh will want to eat food, then we can introduce him with a range of textures and foods.

Excited to see how things go!!

Keep watching for more



Anirudh's Plate and spoon after we finished eating.