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Don’t you just love it when well meaning people say “Kids will eat when they’re hungry”? Well, for children with severe feeding aversions and underlying medical issues, that simply isn’t true. I’m learning that pushing food on Stanton doesn’t work. Bribing him doesn’t work. Distracting him works for the moment, but leads to all out vomiting wars later in the day. Giving Stanton a food that is completely outside of his tolerance zone absolutely doesn’t work.

Think about it…do you eat food you hate? Have you ever stepped back inside a restaurant that made you sick? What would you do if a waitress sat down with you and counted your bites? Do you swallow food when someone instructs you to "swallow"? Do you want to try a new food the same day you get over the stomach bug? So, why some people think this will work and really “cure” Stanton is beyond my understanding. How can you do these things to a child and expect them to eat?

Thankfully I now have a team of therapists who understand this and are wonderful with Stanton! It’s taken a LONG time…but I can say with joy….I love our therapists! Stanton really has made such progress in so many areas. He is really turning into a fun little boy.

Tomorrow we are going to see the Children’s Center. This is a school for 0-5 year olds with developmental delays in Hattiesburg, MS (about an hour north of us). They are on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. Each classroom is lead by a speech therapist. Our behavior psychologist consults with this school and has pulled some strings to get us a tour. Next Friday, January 21, Stanton will be evaluated by our local public school district. He’s been receiving services through early intervention, but those services end with his 3rd birthday. So, we’re spending the next few weeks looking at school choices for Stanton. It’s nice to know we have a couple of resources and a possible choice.

On Friday, Stanton goes back to see the ophthalmologist. He had eye surgery when he was just 10 months old. His right eye is just not working….I notice Stanton rubbing it and poking at it a lot. He says it’s “fuzzy.” Sometimes this right eye just glazes over and I can tell he’s not using it. I’m not sure what the doctor will say or do – but I’ll post when I know something.

Ginger