Acting Balanced is BLUE!! Light it Up Blue on April 2nd! #LIUB #AUTISM

It's World Autism Day and you can participate by being part of the LIGHT IT UP BLUE initiative!

Acting Balanced has gone Blue for the day and so have a number of famous buildings and monuments around the world:

As many of you know, our son Liam has Autism, but Autism doesn't have him!  Whether you light up a building, wear Blue clothing, paint your nails blue or even spray your hair blue... just by thinking about Autism Awareness, you've helped Shine a Blue Light on Autism Awareness!  For more ideas, visit http://liub.autismspeaks.org/how-to-light-it-up-blue

I'll post pictures throughout the day of our #LIUB day on the Acting Balanced Facebook Page!

Interview: Social Stories and children with #Autism and Online Webinar Announcement!

I am so pleased that I had a chance to interview Dr. Lisa Wright on Acting Balanced today!  Dr. Lisa Wright is a faculty member at Kaplan University and is regarded as a content expert on assessment and autism in the Department of Educational Studies.  She has published research on interventions for preschoolers with autism. Today, she has graciously offered some insights into Social Stories and children with Autism Spectrum Disorders:

1. What are social stories and how are they important as part of helping people with Autism Spectrum Disorders?

Social Stories are individualized short stories written to help explain confusing situations for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). They may be effective in assisting children with ASD in understanding social situations, describing and explaining appropriate behavior and providing appropriate responses to a variety of situations.

2. What are key components to a social story that works?

It is important that the stories are individualized and written at the child's developmental level. In addition, the Social Stories should use visual strategies which are often a strength in children with ASD. Prior to writing a Social Story, a problem behavior or situation should be identified and data should be collected from multiple sources such as the child, teachers, parents and anyone else with information that can be helpful. There is a specific format for the story that should be followed, and it is also important that understanding be assessed to be sure the child comprehends the story. As with all interventions, progress should be monitored and modifications implemented accordingly.

3. How can parents create social stories that meet their child's individual needs?

Carol Gray developed Social Stories and has many books and a website with instructions on how to write Social Stories including example stories. In addition, there are a plethora of Apps and web based internet sites that offer methods of creating and sharing Social Stories and other social narratives.

4. Your study had a limited sample size - how were you able to draw broader conclusions and do you have plans to expand your research?

With low incidence disabilities such as autism, it is common practice to research using single subject design. The results of these small scale studies make up a substantial research base that can generalize to other children with autism. Ideally, large scale random control trials will occur in the future.

5. What advice can you give to parents, teachers and caregivers about using social stories to enhance the lives of people with autism?

Social Stories are a fairly easy and inexpensive intervention to use with children with ASD that are generally well received by children, parents and teachers. They are easily modified as needed and are unobtrusive. They can be read to non-readers, and children who read can read them by themselves in traditional book format. Most children can use the tablet, computer and smart phone versions of Social Stories making this intervention easily accessible for a wide range of families and children.

If you want to learn more, you should check out this fabulous and FREE webinar that Dr. Wright is going to be a part of:

In recognition of National Autism Awareness Month, Kaplan University’s College of Public Service would like to invite you to a webinar on autism: “Autism in the Real World: Recognition, Resources, and the Future.”  Learn from a panel of experts as they address the importance of early intervention in autism and resources that can benefit children and their families throughout the lifespan.  

Join Kaplan University’s College of Public Service at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, April 17  for a multidisciplinary webinar that will benefit parents of individuals with autism, professionals currently working in the field, and those interested in entering the field.  Attendees will learn about:

·         Early intervention and resources in autism that can benefit children and their families in accessing research-based strategies to promote function in all children.

·         The need for community resources and access throughout the lifespan for individuals with autism and their families.

Share your thoughts and ideas and hear what our panelists have to say.

Meet the Panelists:

Moderator

Dr. Patti Pelletier

Dr. Patti Pelletier is the Educational Studies Academic Chair for Kaplan University.  She has been an advocate for early austism identification for all children for the past 20 years and has published research on school readiness. As a parent of an autistic child herself, she has presented on the topic of a parent’s perspective in raising a child with disabilities.

Panel

Dr. Lisa Wright

Dr. Lisa Wright is a faculty member at Kaplan University and is regarded as a content expert on assessment and autism in the Department of Educational Studies.  She has published research on interventions for preschoolers with autism and collaborates with colleagues at the University of Missouri where she is also a faculty member in the Early Childhood Teacher Certification Program.

Malika Pritchett, MS, BCBA

Malika is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and an adjunct faculty member in undergraduate Psychology for Kaplan University. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, where she owns her own private practice that provides behavioral and consulting services with a specialization in community-based services for adults with moderate to severe challenging behaviors.

Do not miss this opportunity to learn more about autism and the importance of early intervention and resources for children and their families.

To attend this free interactive webinar on April 17 from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET*:

1.       Click here to register:  You must register to attend. Registration will ensure that you receive an email reminder and the webinar recording after the event. If you have difficulty accessing the registration page, please do not use Internet Explorer as your browser. For best results, use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

2.       On April 17, a few minutes prior to 7:00 pm ET†, click here:  Enter your email address and the password you created when registering. You must be logged in to view the live event.

Coleman helped us Light it Up Blue tonight for #Autism Awareness Review&Giveaway

I love it when function and form come together to create something special that can add to the collective conscious in a fun and memorable way - and this year, The Coleman Company has stepped up in a big way and introduced a limited edition blue lantern in support of Autism Speaks and the Light It Up Blue campaign that !

“Coleman is pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Autism Speaks and support such a worthy cause,” said David Allen, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Americas for Coleman. “In honor of National Autism Day, Coleman will launch a special-edition lantern. Five dollars of the proceeds from each lantern sold will go directly to Autism Speaks to help fund research into causes, prevention, treatments and a cure.”

“We are excited to partner with Coleman and appreciate its efforts to help raise funds and awareness of autism,” said Alec Elbert, chief strategy and development officer, Autism Speaks. “Thanks to Coleman’s support, we can encourage everyone, whether they are touched by autism or not, to help make a difference in the lives of our neighbors by purchasing a blue special-edition Coleman lantern. This lantern will illuminate the issue of autism well beyond April and Autism Awareness Month.”

My Review:

As an Autism parent, I love to be able to wear my heart on my sleeve and proudly proclaim my Autism Mom status - I wear a lanyard around my neck with my keys on it that says Autism Awareness, carry bags with autism related logos, so why not add a fun lantern to our camping collection!  I love that the lantern offers the special blue light option, but also throws out great white light for reading or walking through the woods!  I know that this lantern is going to be a conversation starter when Wayne takes the kids camping later this spring - how can it not be, right?  

Like all of the Coleman products that I've used over the years, this lantern is sturdy and well crafted, meaning that we'll be able to use it to Light It Up Blue for years to come, for camping, for power outages and it will be living with our emergency preparedness kit when we aren't packing it for the long haul!  And I know that it's sturdy - my two year old destructive genius has already had his hands on it - and it's still working!

Here's a picture of us lighting up our window tonight:

Isn't the blue light fun?  It really got our neighbours talking tonight - along with our blue porch light, the impact was a great way to spread the message that "Autism Speaks ~ It's Time to Listen" - coincidentally, that's what the lantern's message reads below the puzzle piece, for those who are interested...

But seriously... you can only get this special-edition lantern, powered by a Cree LED that 200 lumens of light on its high setting in two ways: It retails for $24.99 and is sold exclusively through Coleman.com and only while supplies lasts (through the end of April) OR you can win one here on Acting Balanced!

For every Blue Lantern sold, Coleman will be donating $5 to Autism Speaks!  It's a win-win-win situation here - you win by having this fabulous lantern, Autism Speaks wins by generating funds to continue their mission and all those around you who inquire about your fabulous blue lantern 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received this product at no cost for review purposes. All opinions are my own!

Wordless Wednesday: Light it Up Blue... #Autism Awareness

Even the sky was co-operating!  Please link up your WW posts here:

Autism Awareness Month 2013 on Acting Balanced #Autism

For the past several years I have tried really hard to spend some quality time sharing glimpses of Autism by devoting a large part of my blog posts in April to Autism Awareness Month... and I am doing it again this year.  I know that many of my readers have been touched by Autism in some way, and others have not, so you may come at this from a very different perspective - I hope that at some point this month you will learn something new, be touched by something I post (whether it's written by me or a guest), dispel a myth, share something you've read or just comment and tell me about how Autism (or learning about it) has impacted your life!

I am still accepting guest posts from experts, parents, individuals with Autism and anyone who wants to share their unique perspective or voice... if you're interested, please email me at heather at actingbalanced dot com 

To start with I thought I'd share a little bit about where we are today...

As a mom who has been living with Autism in her family for six years (4 with a diagnosis) I am still in awe of how fluid and erratic Autism can be.  Sometimes it's a matter of one step forward and two steps back, sometimes it's watching my little guy grow by leaps and bounds overnight, after what seems like forever - when something just clicks, sometimes I get complacent and think that we've reached a milestone and we're always moving forward and then I am shaken from that complacency by those darn setbacks...

At this time last year we were still following a gluten-free diet for Liam, but over the summer last year I charted his behavior after he accidentally ate something rich in gluten and saw no change, so we gradually reintroduced gluten to his diet and haven't seen a significant change in his behaviors since... which has helped a lot with school - he can now participate more fully in classroom activities, parties and community learning opportunities now that he's not on the restrictive diet... 

At this time last year, we were struggling a little with Liam's schooling... he was in a class with 12 students - 8 typically developing and 4 with special needs and we were all struggling with that placement - Liam would get overwhelmed sometimes and forgotten at others... it was tough to teach him the skills he needed in that setting because he needed more one on one help than the teacher could provide... in some ways those difficulties were a blessing - by the very end of the school year, Liam was granted an extra 90 minutes a day of targeted 1 on 1 instruction to reinforce concepts... and that has carried over to his current placement!

I have to say that I am totally in love with his current classroom and the team of teachers, specialists and educational assistants who work with them - he is in a self-contained Autism class with nine other kids and four full time adults - his teacher, two EA's and the ABA Therapist.  They also have several other great adults who spend quality (and quantity) time in the classroom - and because all of the kids have minutes towards things like speech therapy, OT, Autism specialist etc, those specialists can spend MORE time in the classroom and they get to know all of the kids that much better!  Liam has also been spending time in a regular kindergarten class and has progressed there with few incidents ... although we did have one 'big' issue a few weeks ago - a huge TMI moment, but the good news is that it was handled well and the only addition is that Liam is now going to Kindergarten with an aide again instead of alone...

Last year at this time, Liam was still getting after school therapy, but this year we made a conscious decision not to bring in additional therapies outside of school right now - he comes home from school so tired and I think that having time to be a kid is outweighing the need to add more therapy... 

Last year at this time, Liam was recognizing letters and starting to spell simple words, he could write the alphabet and count to nearly 100... now he is reading simple stories using a variety of tools and focusing on comprehension!  He's counting beyond 100 and adding and subtracting single digits!  He's still struggling with the social side of school, but comes home and tells me about his friends - focusing more on spelling their names out, but it's a start right!

As we continue our Autism Month posts I am sure that I will share more about where Liam and our family are on this journey and I hope that you will share this little trip with us!  If you have space and an interest, please consider grabbing the Autism Awareness Month button off my right sidebar and sharing it with your readers!

Aware...

I think I was always aware... he didn't react like other children to stimuli... he didn't laugh and smile as much as other babies, nor was he as intent on making eye contact, that's not to say that he never did, just not as much...

I hovered between aware and accepting during his second year of life - thing like when he showed little interest in his first birthday party and his second Christmas... he was happy to play by himself - lining up his cars, his crayons, even the soup cans from the bottom of the pantry.  I kept waiting for him to speak rather than babble- for his efforts and gestures to have meaning - as his mom, I usually knew what he wanted intuitively, but he couldn't communicate with others - he rarely pointed or acknowledged people and things...

Except his obsessions - he'd cry if we turned left to come home instead of turning right to go to our local Publix grocery store - and if we went to the grocery store, we had to follow the same pattern every time - get a cart and make a bee line straight for his free cookie from the bakery - then a trip around the outside of the store - produce, seafood, meat, dairy and finally up and down the aisles until we checked out...  He knew what the golden arches meant - his favorite food - french fries... and again, if we went to our local Walmart, he'd have a knock down fit if we didn't go to the Micky D's inside the entrance before shopping...

He'd swing on the swing for hours if we let him, take the same path up the stairs and down the slide almost step for step...

I finally had the courage to say something at his 18 month well baby check up... we talked about his obsessions, his needs and some of his external behaviors, along with the fact that he wasn't using any language - it was time to start intervention...

I was moving beyond aware into acceptance - I truly knew by 18 months that my son was special - and had special needs - I was on the brink of being able to say it - but the social services intake worker who screened him for barely half an hour saw that he was a smart kid and missed something - but did give us access to Speech Therapy...

So, for several months we had twice weekly play/speech therapy... but it wasn't clicking - speech therapy alone wasn't going to help him reach his potential or even his basic goals... we were seeing more - more needs, more stimming, less acceptance of new and different things - especially food...

As he turned two, I had read so much about developmental delays, sensory issues, language and more that the word that I had been thinking about in the back of my mind since he was 15 months old was solidified.  Just a scant few weeks later, we had seen a psychologist who confirmed what I was already aware of... it was Autism.

The next challenge was making others aware - his speech therapist was shocked by the diagnosis... it took several weeks to convince Social Services he needed more therapies... I also became aware of what I should have been offered six months before that might have helped me bring the awareness out more quickly...

Once everyone was aware, things changed rapidly - his stimming decreased, his language increased, his ability to share and communicate increased... he now talks about having friends, makes eye contact and even says hello, asks for his cookie and thanks the baker at Publix for it... he's reading and counting at grade level and he's learning to turn his special skills into assets, for which I am grateful...

I've written many times about Autism and how it affects our world - you can check out the Autism Awareness tab above for more stories - mine, blog friends, experts and more - so that you can be Aware too!

I wrote this post because of the promot at and am linking it up to:

From An Autism Dad - Part Four #AUTISM #ASD

Last year I published three separate parts of Wayne's journey as an Autism Dad, and this year I'm continuing the journey by asking him to guest post again.

To get caught up, check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of the story before you check out this latest guest post:

From An Autism Dad...

Wow, looking back and reading what I had written previously is tougher than one would think.  Liam has progressed in a great many areas but with his progression has come a whole new world of challenges.

Our Path to Diagnosis - trust your instincts... #AUTISM #ASD

I remember the first time I 'voiced' my concerns about Liam being different enough in his development to ask questions.... I was online with a friend whose son was about 4 years older than Liam and had Autism... and I asked her what the signs and symptoms were because I suspected that Liam had delays... he was 15 months old and we'd just come from his doctor's appointment where the pedi had listened to my concerns about Liam but suggested that some kids just needed a bit more time to talk, since he was meeting his other milestones...

I knew in my gut that something about Liam was special - maybe it was Autism and maybe it wasn't but when she shared these signs and symptoms to look for, I was convinced that I needed to watch him more closely and learn more so that when I went into his 18 months appointment I could be more prepared.

The signs and symptoms she shared with me were:

Guest Post: Understanding Aspies #AUTISM #ASPERGERS #ASD

I am pleased to invite Jeffery Deutsch back to guest post again during Autism Awareness Month.  You may remember his post from last year - Aspie and NT: A Love Story.  This year it's all about understanding:

We Aspies have been misunderstood. People have stereotyped us, jumped to conclusions about us and just plain gone off half-cocked.

Guest Post: Early Signs of Autism #AUTISM #ASD

I am pleased to have Dr. Lynette Fraga guest posting on Acting Balanced today as part of Autism Awareness Month.  Dr Fraga, Ph.D., is the VP of Early Care & Education and Special Populations at Care.com

Early Signs 

My nephew was born into a large extended family filled with great love and hope for his promising future.  He was an easy baby, rarely fussed, and was effortlessly cared for by family and friends.  My sister was grateful for his easy temperament as she attended school and worked hard for both of them.   Yet as he grew older, there were marked differences in his development.  Typical developmental milestones were missed and worry about his healthy growth increased.  Could he have Autism?  It is a question many more parents are asking these days.

Q & A with Author Bobbi Sheahan #AUTISM #ASD

I am pleased to have, author of What I Wish I'd Known about Raising a Child with Autism: A Mom and a Psychologist Offer Heartfelt Guidance for the First Five Years and proud Autism Mom, Bobbi Sheahan visiting Acting Balanced today.  She has such a busy schedule, managing four kids, a radio show, writing and more, that we could only squeeze five questions in... but I'm hoping that you'll enjoy reading about her as much as I enjoyed the interview:


1. What inspired you to write What I Wish I'd Known About Raising a Child With Autism?

Wordless Wednesday - We Lit it Up Blue for #Autism

Guest Post: Autism Awareness is a Two Way Street #AUTISM #ASD

I am pleased to invite Lisa from Autism Wonderland to share her insights into her family's journey with Autism.  Please visit her blog to learn more...

Autism Awareness is a Two Way Street


April is Autism Awareness month, but my six year old son has autism – I am always aware. 

Statistics state that 1 out of 125 children are diagnosed with autism.  And I read somewhere that the average person has 227 Facebook friends.  I’m no math genius, but I’m going to assume that based on those numbers – everyone should know someone with autism. 

And if everyone should know someone with autism - why am I still meeting people who don’t understand what autism is?  Why do some adults or children stare at my son while in the playground?  Why are people perplexed that my son has language, even though he has autism?

Well, consider this is a crash course in what I’d like you to know about autism. 

What’s autism?

1 in 88 - The reality of the numbers #AUTISM #ASD

I guess that one of the best starting places for learning about anything is with the raw data ... but with Autism and ASD that might be harder than it looks... because ASD is an almost constantly shifting paradigm but here are a few numbers that I can throw at you:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its estimate of autism prevalence in the United States to 1 in 88 children (1 in 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls). By comparison, this is more children than are affected by diabetes, AIDS, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy or Down syndrome – combined.

Source: http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/prevalence/media-coverage

By comparison, here are some numbers over time:

April is Autism Awareness Month!

Like most families who have been touched by Autism Spectrum Disorders, we live Autism Awareness 24/7 and 365 (or 366 this year) but we get an opportunity to shine an international spotlight on all things Autism for  those who may not be directly in it's line of sight, so for the month of April I will be posting a variety of things - book reviews, product reviews, giveaways, guest posts and more - all Autism related!  I'm working up to having one a day, I'm not quite there yet, so if you have an ASD related story to share, I'd love to hear from you about putting together a guest post!

Upcoming Event - Guest Posts and Sponsors wanted for# Autism Awareness Month

I can't believe it's almost that time of year again!


I am gearing up for another fun and exciting Autism Awareness Month event and want to make sure that you, my readers, know that I'm accepting guest posts about ASD, Sensory Integration and any other related topics!  I know that last year, some of the best responses were to posts that were personal and gave my readers a glimpse into the real world of Autism, Aspergers and PDD NOS.


Whether you are a blogger or not, a parent, friend or teacher, or you have ASD yourself, I would love to hear from you if you are interested in guest posting during April!

Friday Fragments

Wow it's Friday for like the third time this week... or is it still Wednesday?  That's what I get for going away with the family leaving on Saturday and coming home Monday... it just makes everything feel strange...

Holiday Gift Guide - Book Review - Seeing Ezra

If you are looking for a book for someone in your life who as been touched by Autism Spectrum Disorders, or you enjoy reading parenting stories about dealing with extraordinary circumstances, then I recommend that you check out Seeing Ezra: A Mother's Story of Autism, Unconditional Love, and the Meaning of Normal

Guest Post: How To Diversify a Diet When A Child Has a Significantly Limited Food Repertoire

Do not withhold the few foods that are acceptable. If you take away that one brand of mac n’ cheese, you’re taking away one of the few sources of nutrition for your child, even if it is a poor one. Pizza can be healthy if you buy or make it with high-quality ingredients.

I start by identifying one food the parent would like to add to a child’s diet, typically a fruit or vegetable. If possible, the child selects the particular fruit or vegetable.

Here’s how we approached a similar situation with a client your daughter’s age. She and her mom identified bananas as a food she would consider eating “when she is older.” For about 10-20 minutes each session, we worked on bananas. Session 1: We made a collage of banana pictures. Real bananas were within sight. Sessions 2-4: she learned to slice bananas and fed them to her mother, in a playful, unpressured interaction. She smelled and felt the banana and observed her mother enjoying it. Sessions 5-8: She touched one banana slice to her lips before either feeding it to her mom or throwing it away.  Sessions 9-12: She touched the banana slice with her tongue and threw it away. Sessions 13-14: She nibbled on the banana slice and then spit it onto a napkin. On the 15th session, she swallowed the nibble. Sessions 16-17: She ate one slice of banana. Session 18: She ate half a banana. Now she loves bananas and has selected sweet peas as a vegetable she will eat when she is older.

While you do want to “work on” just one food at a time, don’t give up introducing new foods. When it’s dinner time, go ahead and serve her favorite food but also make other food available on the table. One exception is if your child cannot bear the smell of a food such as brussel sprouts, which may be so nauseating that she will be unable to eat at all. Remember that it may take dozens of introductions before a food becomes familiar enough to try. Here are a few other ideas: 

• Combine acceptable foods with new foods. While your sensitive child will immediately detect when you’ve snuck some peas into her mac n’ cheese, you may be able to get her to dip a “tree” (broccoli) in the cheese sauce. Many kids are willing to try new foods if they can dip them into a favorite sauce such as ketchup, tahini, or salad dressing.
• Try introducing a food that is similar to another food the child already eats, such as a different and healthier brand of frozen pizza or chicken nuggets. Remember, you may have to introduce the new food dozens of times. Change accepted foods slightly to present new textures, shapes, and colors. Break crackers into four pieces instead of two, cut bread into a funny shape. Experiment with food temperatures. A child might try frozen blueberries or snow peas for the novelty of it.
• Avoid empty calories. Don’t let your child fill up on high-sugar fruit juice during the day or snack on high-calorie junk foods like chips. Keep treat portions small. Rather than give a full bag of Veggie Booty (which doesn’t count as a vegetable), serve a small bowlful.
• Provide “oral comforts” that help normalize mouth sensation. These nonfood items are safe to suck and chew on and come in a variety of shapes and textures. Some favorites include: Chewy Tubes, Chew-Eaze, Dr. Bloom’s Chewable Jewels, and Kid’s Companion Jewelry. You can find these in most therapy catalogs and on the sensorysmarts.com website under Toys & Equipment/Oral Comforts. 

Above all, avoid food battles. Mealtimes are social time, not therapy time. Serve food you know your child will eat when your family sits down for a meal and focus on having a pleasurable family experience.

You may need to work with a feeding specialist (usually an occupational therapist or speech language pathologist) especially if your child has significant oral sensory issues, oral motor weakness, muscle tone problems, or extreme reactions to food. The feeding therapist will evaluate your child’s issues and implement a therapeutic program with a home component. Also investigate supplements such as multivitamins and essential fatty acids to make sure your child is getting the nutrients he or she needs to stay healthy.

Find more on eating difficulties and other sensory challenges in Raising a Sensory Smart Child and at sensorysmarts.com. You may also want to check out these books: Just Take a Bite (by Lori Ernsperger, available in bookstores and online) and Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids (by Melanie Potock, available at MyMunchBug.com).

Got a question? I’d love to hear from you. Please email questions to Lindsey@sensorysmarts.com.

This article was reprinted from Autism Asperger’s Digest March-April 2011 issue with permission

Guest Post: Sensory Problems Usually Are the Problem with Difficult Eaters #AUTISM #SPD #OT

I am pleased to be able to offer this article to my readers - I often talk about Liam's picky eating habits and I know that this article helped to remind me that it's not my fault that Liam eats what he does and how he does, but that I can encourage him to do better. I am luckier than most moms in that I can ensure he has a balanced diet by hiding veggies in things he'll eat and that he loves V-8 Fusion drinks and Vegetable Cocktails too... Don't forget too - I have a great giveaway going on for Grabbers and Y-Chews that will help with Oral Motor Stimulation.

Dear Sensory Smarts,

My five-year-old is such a picky eater! There are only a few foods she’ll eat: pasta, pizza, and ice cream. She wants to eat macaroni n’ cheese almost every meal, but it has to be one particular brand. If the store is out, she will not eat another brand. My parents and in-laws think it’s because I spoil her. They all say I should serve her what everyone else is having and if she doesn’t eat, then tough. I did try it once and she simply did not eat. Help!

From,

Mac n’ Cheese Maven’s Mom