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cooking with kids
Diya Patel

Cooking with your Child on the Spectrum

cooking with kids
Diya Patel

Cooking with your Child on the Spectrum

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Mother and Child
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A great way to connect with your child and work on their skills is to cook together. Although there are different challenges when your child is autistic, this activity is still a great way to work with your kid on communication and sensory skills. We also love this technique to incorporate different foods into their diet.  

This is a great way to spend your day inside while also developing skills that could help you connect with your child! We have compiled some tips and some recipes that would help you plan a cooking day with your kid! 
Tips: 

  • Don’t plan to cook with a time limit. This also means don’t start when you’re trying to get food on the table for dinner. Taking your time and working your way through the recipe with your child helps create a fun atmosphere and encourages mistakes! Preventing the hangry episodes with both of you will make the entire experience more enjoyable! 
  • Create an atmosphere that encourages mistakes. Teaching them problem solving skills is very important, and not making a big deal of their mistakes in the process is important. When they make a mistake, which is bound to happen, moving forward without anger, and solving the problem is incredibly helpful in teaching your child good techniques when dealing with obstacles in the future.  
  • Prepare for your child’s personal obstacles. Whether it is sensory issues, food aversions, or technical skills, it is crucial to make fun activities with those in mind. You know your kid best! 

Activities your kid can participate in: 

  • Arranging and organizing food to prep. This can be setting the table, arranging veggies on a roasting tray, or just collecting and organizing the ingredients.  
  • Tearing any leafy vegetables. Preparing a tossed salad is great because tearing lettuce is a super easy task! Also picking herbs is a simple way to prep for a pesto or garnish. 
  • Mixing and measuring. Mixing ingredients is super simple and great with baking! Measuring helps develop motor skills as well as developing math skills in real-life situations.  
  • Cutting veggies and fruits. If you think your child is ready to work with knives, this is a great way to start with the prep. We recommend starting with soft foods, like strawberries, bananas, and cooked root veggies (potatoes, yams, squash). 

Here are some recipes we recommend: 

Resources: 

  • https://www.jennyfriedmannutrition.com/blog/cooking-with-an-autistic-child 
  • https://autismawarenesscentre.com/whats-cooking-life-skills/ 
  • https://www.autismspeaks.org/expert-opinion/autism-and-mealtime-therapists-top-ten-tips-success 

About the Author

Diya Patel is a third-year undergraduate at Loyola University Chicago studying statistics and marketing. She has a passion for justice and bringing community to those who need it most. She spends most of her time reading and playing with her dog, Chewy.

Want to be the best parent you can be to your amazing child?

Sign up for our Beta – You get free access to our platform for 90 days (a $59.97 value)* – no credit card required.

What you get:

  1. Weekly personalized parent and play activities to do with your baby
  2. Your own parenting concierge to make sure you and your family are doing well
  3. Specialists to help answer questions on specific child development topics 

 

Sign up now and we’ll send you details about the program and how to participate.

*After 90 days, a credit card will be required and you will be charged $19.99 per month.  There is no commitment and you can cancel anytime.

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