I accept that my autistic son eats unusual things. I accept that I let him eat stuff that is not recommended for human consumption. And I am delighted that he never has tummy troubles. But I must say that he eats edible food items as well. In fact, he eats anything I put in front of him except broccoli and green beans ( he throws those particular veggies at the ceiling). As I am making dinner he will often scout out what is in the sink, like the butts of tomatoes or onions, soggy bread crusts, anything I have dumped into the garbage disposal in an attempt to dispose of it. He feasts on stuff I want to get rid of. The boy has no shame.
Finally when dinner is ready ,an acceptable dinner for typical people, Tanner eats as if he has been through the desert with a horse with no name. And since using a fork only slows him down he scoops his food with his utensil of choice, his hand. The boy finds it easier to dump his dinner onto the flat surface of the counter and then shovel it into his face like a front loader pushing a load into an endless pit. He can eat a whole meal in five minutes. So as the rest of the family is barely beginning our evening feast the boy hands me his empty plate, meaning "more food".
So really, supper is.....the clean-up is monumental...small talk is impossible...it is just not a time to relax and discuss how our day went. Instead I wait for that golden moment after dinner, when everything is washed and put away, the sleepy meds have been given and Tanner is drowsy. Then I sit on the couch with a blanky and scratch Tanner's back until he is unconscious. Only then does the "how was your day" conversation take place.
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