[blparent] texture issues?

[trising at sbcglobal.net]

Barbara, I do not know if this will help with your twins, but I had a lot of 
texture issues and difficulty with food as a child as well. This message 
will be long, and I hesitate to mention this as I think people can be hard 
on each other on this list, but here goes. I have a syndrome that goes by 
two names. It is either called septo optic dysplasia or optic nerve 
hypoplasia. Along with blindness from the lack or under development of the 
optic nerve, the syndrome includes a mixture of the following things. Most 
of us have hormone deficiencies because the optic nerve is so close to the 
pituitary. The pituitary does not develop, or if it does it does not 
function properly. Many people with the syndrome can also have parts of our 
brains that are missing or not developed all of the way. This leads to 
various levels of cognitive impairment, and/or various levels of autism. 
Many people with the syndrome also have strong food preferences, and texture 
aversions. In my case as a child I could not tolerate certain textures. When 
I would be surprised by a new texture, I literally had to fight not to have 
everything come back. Eating was not pleasant because I always felt like I 
was on the verge of gagging. I would willingly eat macaroni and cheese, 
waffles, and peanut butter toast. At age six, mom cut up two little pieces 
of chicken and put them on my plate. These bites were incredibly small, and 
it was the first time I cleared my plate without a battle and feeling like I 
was going to be sick. It was a break through for me. With kids with food and 
texture issues, I would recommend very small bites, very small amounts to 
finish on a plate, and not mixing textures. After my two bites of chicken, I 
realized I was hungry and felt good about my accomplishment of clearing my 
plate. I asked for more and cleared away six more little bites. It was not 
until I was nine or ten that I could tolerate mixed textures. Now I love 
casseroles, but I still cannot tolerate cold smooth things. It feels like I 
am trying to swallow slime and I cannot get it down. I would not recommend 
sneaking new textures in unless they are truly undetectable. When someone 
tried this with me, besides working as hard as I could to not be sick, I 
would have rejected all food for at least the rest of the day. I would have 
felt like I could not trust my care giver not to give me something nasty and 
it would have been a major battle to get me to eat again. Mom did not baby 
me, and I was not allowed anything for the rest of the day if I did not 
clear my plate. Since I hated eating, being told I could not eat for the 
rest of the day was something that made me glad. I tried not to show that 
the intended punishment was actually a reward.