As a young, energetic mother, I felt unstoppable, that I could do anything and deal with any challenge that I faced, but no one prepared me for the effect of harsh words about my child and my choices in raising him. Or the lack of resources.
While I used to work with families challenged with Autism, being on the receiving end of the diagnosis gave me a completely different perspective and a tremendous insight. I remember the day that the therapist said, “he is too fast for any information to sink in; there is nothing that I can do with him.” I was puzzled and wondering what I would do now. I tried a behavior approach to get to my child, but he was not that interested at that young age. I searched for other things like changing his diet and did not notice any change.
Then I remembered that one of my best conversations with my mom was when we were cooking, so that is what I did.
Cooking was one of the most valuable things that worked with my son that slowed down his ADHD and cooled down his Autism. Cooking was the only time we could have some verbal communication, the only time he was listening. Incorporating the behavior aspect and speech was great and had a great outcome. He still has things that he can’t touch and food that he can’t smell. But even with these challenges, it is still so rewarding. From my experience, I had to keep track of what smell to avoid and how the light should be, what he can tolerate, and whatnot. While I was searching, I found two excellent websites that explain what to do with each of the challenges.
https://thewebaddicted.com/lifestyle/improve-life-and-social-skills-in-the-kitchen/
https://orkidideas.com/cooking-skills-children-with-autism-sensory-issues/
I started to bake with him to make our cookies and pasta, our pastry, and treats. Even asking friends to come and we can describe what we are doing, how it feels and what we can smell. I even found out now that some support groups do the same thing.
In this video, they are talking about this experience. What did I cook?
Autism and Cooking: A Sensory Experience
I researched more about it and found some research on this subject and the positive effect of cooking on children, especially children with Autism. There are many benefits of cooking with children with Autism, such as facilitating social-emotional development, practicing fine motor and executive functioning skills, and improve a variety of food choices. I also found two websites that talk about the benefits of cooking for people with Autism. It helps strengthen their social and emotional development by allowing them to socialize and build a connection with others over food. Cooking also enhances their fine motor skills while they are slicing, stirring, and kneading the dough. Also, it exposes them to a different variety of food choices, and it improves their ability to follow directions, whether it is verbal or writing. And last cooking teaches the importance of cleanliness.
In this journey, I found joy in spending time cooking with my children, and I hope that you do too.
Resources about cooking:
https://www.cookingautism.org/about
https://www.sdautismhelp.com/blog-autism-special-needs/4-benefits-of-cooking-with-your-child-with-autism[AK4]
GHADA ABDALLA
