Hi guys, have a look here, I am a designer and want to know more about autism!!!

[ShawnChan]

Hello guys, I have to say sorry first that I am lacking some communication skills with you. I am an English learner, a neurotypical person (I guess the two reasons that organized my expression problems the most) , and I am a designer who currently doing a project for helping improve the eating problems of autism. If you find offensive or uncomfortable with what I am saying, just point it out to me, and I'll change it!!

I notice that many of you are talking about the "stereotypes" of autism. Let me tell you some facts about autism in China. Because from my side, I am doing a project and I want it to be discursive. And most of my audiences are neurotypicals, so I have to consider the stereotypes in their minds and the public acknowledgment level. When you read them, PLEASE don't be angry. They are the facts, and not people intentionally doing that. And there is always a need for people to help alter the wrong impressions. (I hope my project could at least trigger some thinking in the Chinese society context)

The facts are:

1. Autism or autistic, in Chinese, has been a joke. This originated from translation problems. In Chinese, being autistic is totally the same as being isolated. So, people use it for fun, before knowing it was a serious existed condition.

2. In China, people with autism HARDLY say to the public that they are autistic. Because once they tell, they will be thought as "retarded". And the surrounding people are afraid to interact with them.

3. Based on 2., people difficult to accept they are autistic. Even the test or the situations tell them they are, some of them still choose to evade.

4. The medical condition (or intervention institutes) in China is quite bad. I noticed you guys are very precise with what types of autism you are having. But in China, I could say it is impossible to know. There are only a few best best best best hospital owns departments for ASD. But China has 1.4 billion people.

5. Based on 4. I am now giving a reason for what forms the stereotypes in 1. & 2. In China, once the parents find their child or children are autistic, it means they have to run out of all savings to find possible solutions. The majority of reliable approaches come from overseas institutions, and they normally cost a lot. This is from the economic aspect. From the mental aspect, the children don't understand why he/her has to adapt to others' way of life. But their parents know that if they want to survive in China, as least current China, they have to adapt.

6. China is the biggest developing country in this world, but still with so many problems.... I don't think the rest of the developing countries will be better than China.

Then, I will talk about my project.
I found that people with autism have much higher risks to have eating problems, and that forms gastrointestinal problems in their lives. So my project is aiming to help improve eating conditions. And my context is in China. So, I might need a more universal solution, rather than being precise to each specific type. I am still a student, so I cannot do a very very big project

Now, I come up with an idea. It could be described in two parts. Firstly, there will be a virtual dog friend to assist in the acceptance of food. This is inspired by AAT (animal-assisted therapy). I hope dogs could reduce anxieties and could guide people to accept the refused foods. The Second part is, to participate in the cooking process. I found in so many cases, parents do all the things for their children. However, some people talked about when participating in a cooking process, the food is more likely to be accepted (I think I viewed this opinion from some places but I forgot where it comes from... Could you give feedback here?)

Basically, this project is partially fictional, or speculative. The reason to have a virtual dog is, normally the treatment or service dogs cost a lot of money and time in training. But virtual dogs could avoid this problem. And the reason I want to let my users merge into the cooking process is that I am expecting this could improve the acceptance, and in the meantime, it helps improve the controls of their bodies. I mean, motor skills training.

So, this is a description. Could you guys give me some feedback? Appreciate any comment!

 

[HenleyMae]

This is a very interesting idea. I do struggle with eating. For me, having a virtual pet that in some way was customizable would make it more personal. Then having that "pet" help remind me when it is time to eat. I forget to eat a lot, or put it off.

Associating autism with intellectual disability is also common in the United States. When I first got my diagnosis of "High Functioning Autism," I had a lot of difficulty with it. I've always been very successful in school academically and extracurriculars wise, and went to a really tiny school, so didn't have that much social difficulty, because everyone came to understand and accept my quirks really quickly. All that didn't fit with my idea of autism. What helped me to come around was how much the diagnosis helped my father and sister to understand me. It helps them to understand when and why I meltdown. It helps them understand the way I think and why I love the things I love.

 

[ShawnChan]

This is a very interesting idea. I do struggle with eating. For me, having a virtual pet that in some way was customizable would make it more personal. Then having that "pet" help remind me when it is time to eat. I forget to eat a lot, or put it off.

Associating autism with intellectual disability is also common in the United States. When I first got my diagnosis of "High Functioning Autism," I had a lot of difficulty with it. I've always been very successful in school academically and extracurriculars wise, and went to a really tiny school, so didn't have that much social difficulty, because everyone came to understand and accept my quirks really quickly. All that didn't fit with my idea of autism. What helped me to come around was how much the diagnosis helped my father and sister to understand me. It helps them to understand when and why I meltdown. It helps them understand the way I think and why I love the things I love.

Thanks for your feedback first. Then, I am curious, according to your experience, whether people with autism are more likely to have good relationships with animals (just common pet animals, like parrots, dogs, cats, etc..)?

 

[HenleyMae]

Thanks for your feedback first. Then, I am curious, according to your experience, whether people with autism are more likely to have good relationships with animals (just common pet animals, like parrots, dogs, cats, etc..)?

I don't want to speak for everyone, but in my experience, communicating with animals is much more straightforward. They don't have hidden agendas and their thoughts are easily visible based on their body language, so they are easier to have relationships with than people.

I've had cats my entire life and adore them. They have personality, but give you your own space and expect the same. We play together and cuddle, and then they go off and do their own things for a while.

For a friend of mine, it's been lizards. He carries a lizard with him inside him shirt to get things done around the house.

Animals love very simply. You feed them and care for them, and that's good enough for them. No hidden politics that you have to deal with in human relationships.

When my coworker tells me she doesn't need my help with something, I have so many thoughts that start to creep in. Does she just say that because she doesn't think I would be helpful? Does she actually want help but is trying to be polite? Will it look bad to others who see her working and don't see me helping?

But my cats, I walk in the door after work, they get their scoops of food, and then we have their massage routines. Much easier to predict than people.

 

[ShawnChan]

I don't want to speak for everyone, but in my experience, communicating with animals is much more straightforward. They don't have hidden agendas and their thoughts are easily visible based on their body language, so they are easier to have relationships with than people.

I've had cats my entire life and adore them. They have personality, but give you your own space and expect the same. We play together and cuddle, and then they go off and do their own things for a while.

For a friend of mine, it's been lizards. He carries a lizard with him inside him shirt to get things done around the house.

Animals love very simply. You feed them and care for them, and that's good enough for them. No hidden politics that you have to deal with in human relationships.

When my coworker tells me she doesn't need my help with something, I have so many thoughts that start to creep in. Does she just say that because she doesn't think I would be helpful? Does she actually want help but is trying to be polite? Will it look bad to others who see her working and don't see me helping?

But my cats, I walk in the door after work, they get their scoops of food, and then we have their massage routines. Much easier to predict than people.

So in my perspective, you like animals and you think people with autism might like animals, beacause the interactions with animals are straight, easier to predict and they are reliable. Do I catch your point?

 

[Escitala]

I think these are great ideas! I'm from China, and when reading your description of the problems faced about autism in China, I find many points so accurately described. I'm diagnosed with Asperger's this year and I'm 18. Without my self evaluation I couldn't have found out this underlying reasons for all the sufferings in my life, and it's super hard to get the support because of the lack of understanding. One of the proudest things I've done is to write an article about my diagnosis and is published on a public account, which is run by people with ASD and many of them get to know this concept from that source. And the diagnosis was extremely challenging procedure.
As to the ideas about food, I am very picky with food and refuse to accept most. I do have a dog who literally eat anything. It's fun to share food with him! However I never enjoy cooking, I struggle with problems that I find it hard to control the force I applied to the objects and it makes things like chemistry experiment or drinking a cup of milk tea full of challenges, and cooking would be for sure a bigger challenge. But there's something I'd definitely like to try, those activities that are not so dangerous. About the virtual dogs, it sounds so creative and does solve the problems you mentioned about real dogs. Really interested in your ideas! I'm also a student and would be excited if I can do some researches about autism (especially Asperger's) like that, though my direction is probably more about biology.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Then, I will talk about my project.
I found that people with autism have much higher risks to have eating problems, and that forms gastrointestinal problems in their lives. So my project is aiming to help improve eating conditions. And my context is in China. So, I might need a more universal solution, rather than being precise to each specific type. I am still a student, so I cannot do a very very big project

Now, I come up with an idea. It could be described in two parts. Firstly, there will be a virtual dog friend to assist in the acceptance of food. This is inspired by AAT (animal-assisted therapy). I hope dogs could reduce anxieties and could guide people to accept the refused foods. The Second part is, to participate in the cooking process. I found in so many cases, parents do all the things for their children. However, some people talked about when participating in a cooking process, the food is more likely to be accepted (I think I viewed this opinion from some places but I forgot where it comes from... Could you give feedback here?)

Basically, this project is partially fictional, or speculative. The reason to have a virtual dog is, normally the treatment or service dogs cost a lot of money and time in training. But virtual dogs could avoid this problem. And the reason I want to let my users merge into the cooking process is that I am expecting this could improve the acceptance, and in the meantime, it helps improve the controls of their bodies. I mean, motor skills training.

So, this is a description. Could you guys give me some feedback? Appreciate any comment!

@ShawnChan, welcome.

It is my understanding that the Chinese culture is built upon thousands of years of rich tradition,...and this includes diet and medicine. That said, you may be up against some resistance, not only from the aspect of acknowledgement of autism, which you already addressed, but also acknowledgement that autism is a prenatal, genetic, medical condition, which also you somewhat addressed, but then understanding of the physiological and psychological reasons for the resultant gastrointestinal issues that are associated with autism. As one may say, "You are fighting an uphill battle."

The gastrointestinal issues that autistics face vary from very mild to severe. Some of which may go unrecognized by the autistic person for years, such as a generalized abdominal bloating, accumulation of fat, metabolic syndromes, diabetes, headaches, problems with concentration, high blood pressure, prolonged healing, autoimmune diseases, arthritis, heart and vascular diseases, cancers, and other physiologic effects associated with chronic inflammation. In other words, sometimes the gastrointestinal effects may not be recognized as such, and the person may be directing their attention and medical treatment of symptoms,...and not the underlying problem.

Some of us have "our favorite foods", that is to say, we may love to eat a similar meal each day or several times a week. This creates a microbiome in our gastrointestinal tract that is best suited for breaking down the nutrients in those specific foods. The problem is that this also leads to overgrowth of certain bacteria, and with that, fewer bacteria that break down different foods that we only eat occasionally. So when we eat something that is new to us, it may cause an inflammatory response and resultant discomfort,...and then we are less likely to eat that food again. The first step towards changing the microbiome is a quality probiotic with as many different types of bacteria as one can find,...as this will allow the individual to eat a more varied diet with significantly less discomfort.
Fermented foods are also a good source of bacteria and can be introduced to help with the bacterial biodiversity.

In your research, you may have come across the topic of "autism diets". Basically, a diet consisting of whole foods and healthy fats. The "autism diet" has similarities to the "Mediterranean diet", "Paleo diet", and even "Ketogenic diet". The main theory surrounding the diet plan is to consume foods that minimize the insulin and inflammatory processes. Carbohydrates are a prime source of inflammation in the body,...so, for example, if rice is a staple food in China, this must be minimized and more attention given towards whole vegetable matter, proteins, and good fats. Animal fat,...and other fats that are solid at room temperature are "saturated fats",...and are also pro inflammatory. Fruits,...although full of beneficial phytonutrients,...are also full of simple sugars, stimulate insulin,...and are often pro inflammatory.

It is often not enough to be knowledgeable about what to eat,...but also when. This has a physiological component and a psychological component. The psychological component is that many people have specific times they like to eat,...and will even watch the clock. This may be out of habit or culture, but ultimately leads to unhealthy eating practices, and all of the resultant effects of being in a pro inflammatory state with chronically elevated insulin levels,...a state due to eating not when the body needs to be fed,...but rather when the mind suggests a feeding schedule.

From a personal perspective, I had no idea of the health benefits until I began doing intermittent and prolonged fasting that I had any sense of just how horrible I was feeling as a result of my prior eating habits. I lost 15lbs of water weight and 5lbs of fat weight over 3 weeks by simply eating 1 healthy, very low carbohydrate meal a day instead of 3,...I had a significant amount of inflammation in my body causing me to retain water,...and I had no idea. I feel like a new person. Sensory issues have faded into the background, my blood pressure dropped, my arthritis has diminished, I can bend and move easier, less pressure in my brain, I can concentrate better, I am more calm at work, etc. I used to take ibuprofen and acetaminophen for pain 2-3 times per day,...and now,...I haven't taken any drugs in weeks. Today, in fact, I am going for a 48hr fast in order to get into ketosis and burn the excess fat around my abdomen. The plan is to do a 48hr fast once a week or every other week until I loose the excess fat,...meanwhile, continue the one meal a day plan in between. I have not lost any muscle weight with fasting because the body knows to raise human growth hormone while fasting. If I had simply decreased my calories and continued 3 meals a day,...there would have been muscle wasting because of no rise in growth hormone. It's not what you do, but rather how you do it. There is plenty of good, large population data studying the physiological effects of fasting on Muslims during Ramadan. It is also common amongst some religions to do prolonged fasting as a means of "cleansing" and "renewing" oneself,...and they are correct, it literally does through a process called "autophagy" and stimulating the growth of new stem cells. Many African tribes frequently go for days without eating. In fact, many of the rural poor in developing countries eat once a day, once every other day. It has only been a relatively recent historical development that food has been readily available, and that many cultures began eating more than one meal a day.

In summary, I think the biggest challenge is the cultural aspect. How you go about this may vary from family to family, but if you approach it from more of a holistic perspective,...in some cases, a religious perspective,...a way to promote health. You may get some acceptance,...and help some autistic individuals.

Best of luck. Seems to be a worthwhile challenge.

 

[PastelPetals]

Hello! Welcome to the forum. I am always glad to help out those who come to the forum to learn more about the community and if your project helps change stereotypes or helps autistic people in China that would be wonderful!

One reason for restrictive food intake I have not seen brought up yet in this thread is sensory sensitivities. For some autistic people some textures, tastes, colors of food, smells and temperatures can be overwhelming and trigger a disgust response. Stereotypically things like fast food or bland carbohydrate based foods eating plain are often seen and while that is not always true it has some truth in it. Fast food and carbs tend to taste the same bread will always taste like bread, pizza will always taste like pizza, and plain noodles will always taste like noodles. While things like vegetable and fruit and dishes with many spices won't taste the exact same or have the exact same texture every time. Because many autistic people are extra sensitive to things like taste and texture we can often tell if even small changes have happened.

A way to desensitize and help expand the amount of foods eaten is to take foods the autistic child already eats and add something else a small amount at a time. for instance lets say the only things a child will eat are rice, bread, and broth you could do things like add some sort of spread to one part of the bread, add some light seasoning to the broth, and add small amounts of meat or vegetables or soups or whatever else along with the rice. Don't force the child to eat but instead explore the sensory component of it. How does it smell, how does it feel to put it to your lips but not eat it, maybe let's take a small bite and on and on. At first it will be a victory to just have the child tolerate sitting near it but over time it will expand what the child will eat and those foods can be used to expand further so you may go from bread to bread will butter to pasta with butter, to pasta with a sauce to pasta with vegetables. Not every autistic person will ever have a super varied diet but with help it can be expanded at least enough to meet their nutritional needs.

How does this tie into your project? I think if the virtual dog could have some sensory cues built in (not sure how life like you are trying to be with the dog) either with text or voice prompting the person to think about how the food looks and smells and tastes and feels and sounds like it could help expand both the tolerance to food but also further enrich the cooking process once the person knows what sensory experiences they like when eating.

 

[ShawnChan]

I think these are great ideas! I'm from China, and when reading your description of the problems faced about autism in China, I find many points so accurately described. I'm diagnosed with Asperger's this year and I'm 18. Without my self evaluation I couldn't have found out this underlying reasons for all the sufferings in my life, and it's super hard to get the support because of the lack of understanding. One of the proudest things I've done is to write an article about my diagnosis and is published on a public account, which is run by people with ASD and many of them get to know this concept from that source. And the diagnosis was extremely challenging procedure.
As to the ideas about food, I am very picky with food and refuse to accept most. I do have a dog who literally eat anything. It's fun to share food with him! However I never enjoy cooking, I struggle with problems that I find it hard to control the force I applied to the objects and it makes things like chemistry experiment or drinking a cup of milk tea full of challenges, and cooking would be for sure a bigger challenge. But there's something I'd definitely like to try, those activities that are not so dangerous. About the virtual dogs, it sounds so creative and does solve the problems you mentioned about real dogs. Really interested in your ideas! I'm also a student and would be excited if I can do some researches about autism (especially Asperger's) like that, though my direction is probably more about biology.

Hi, thanks for your reply. I am glad to see there is feedback from the Chinese. I know how difficult you are but you overcome that!!! Your case is quite interesting, you are even taking study courses during your life. I mean, not every autistic person in China could have a normal study experience like you. Anyway, you r brave! Merry Christmas.

 

[ShawnChan]

@ShawnChan, welcome.

It is my understanding that the Chinese culture is built upon thousands of years of rich tradition,...and this includes diet and medicine. That said, you may be up against some resistance, not only from the aspect of acknowledgement of autism, which you already addressed, but also acknowledgement that autism is a prenatal, genetic, medical condition, which also you somewhat addressed, but then understanding of the physiological and psychological reasons for the resultant gastrointestinal issues that are associated with autism. As one may say, "You are fighting an uphill battle."

The gastrointestinal issues that autistics face vary from very mild to severe. Some of which may go unrecognized by the autistic person for years, such as a generalized abdominal bloating, accumulation of fat, metabolic syndromes, diabetes, headaches, problems with concentration, high blood pressure, prolonged healing, autoimmune diseases, arthritis, heart and vascular diseases, cancers, and other physiologic effects associated with chronic inflammation. In other words, sometimes the gastrointestinal effects may not be recognized as such, and the person may be directing their attention and medical treatment of symptoms,...and not the underlying problem.

Some of us have "our favorite foods", that is to say, we may love to eat a similar meal each day or several times a week. This creates a microbiome in our gastrointestinal tract that is best suited for breaking down the nutrients in those specific foods. The problem is that this also leads to overgrowth of certain bacteria, and with that, fewer bacteria that break down different foods that we only eat occasionally. So when we eat something that is new to us, it may cause an inflammatory response and resultant discomfort,...and then we are less likely to eat that food again. The first step towards changing the microbiome is a quality probiotic with as many different types of bacteria as one can find,...as this will allow the individual to eat a more varied diet with significantly less discomfort.
Fermented foods are also a good source of bacteria and can be introduced to help with the bacterial biodiversity.

In your research, you may have come across the topic of "autism diets". Basically, a diet consisting of whole foods and healthy fats. The "autism diet" has similarities to the "Mediterranean diet", "Paleo diet", and even "Ketogenic diet". The main theory surrounding the diet plan is to consume foods that minimize the insulin and inflammatory processes. Carbohydrates are a prime source of inflammation in the body,...so, for example, if rice is a staple food in China, this must be minimized and more attention given towards whole vegetable matter, proteins, and good fats. Animal fat,...and other fats that are solid at room temperature are "saturated fats",...and are also pro inflammatory. Fruits,...although full of beneficial phytonutrients,...are also full of simple sugars, stimulate insulin,...and are often pro inflammatory.

It is often not enough to be knowledgeable about what to eat,...but also when. This has a physiological component and a psychological component. The psychological component is that many people have specific times they like to eat,...and will even watch the clock. This may be out of habit or culture, but ultimately leads to unhealthy eating practices, and all of the resultant effects of being in a pro inflammatory state with chronically elevated insulin levels,...a state due to eating not when the body needs to be fed,...but rather when the mind suggests a feeding schedule.

From a personal perspective, I had no idea of the health benefits until I began doing intermittent and prolonged fasting that I had any sense of just how horrible I was feeling as a result of my prior eating habits. I lost 15lbs of water weight and 5lbs of fat weight over 3 weeks by simply eating 1 healthy, very low carbohydrate meal a day instead of 3,...I had a significant amount of inflammation in my body causing me to retain water,...and I had no idea. I feel like a new person. Sensory issues have faded into the background, my blood pressure dropped, my arthritis has diminished, I can bend and move easier, less pressure in my brain, I can concentrate better, I am more calm at work, etc. I used to take ibuprofen and acetaminophen for pain 2-3 times per day,...and now,...I haven't taken any drugs in weeks. Today, in fact, I am going for a 48hr fast in order to get into ketosis and burn the excess fat around my abdomen. The plan is to do a 48hr fast once a week or every other week until I loose the excess fat,...meanwhile, continue the one meal a day plan in between. I have not lost any muscle weight with fasting because the body knows to raise human growth hormone while fasting. If I had simply decreased my calories and continued 3 meals a day,...there would have been muscle wasting because of no rise in growth hormone. It's not what you do, but rather how you do it. There is plenty of good, large population data studying the physiological effects of fasting on Muslims during Ramadan. It is also common amongst some religions to do prolonged fasting as a means of "cleansing" and "renewing" oneself,...and they are correct, it literally does through a process called "autophagy" and stimulating the growth of new stem cells. Many African tribes frequently go for days without eating. In fact, many of the rural poor in developing countries eat once a day, once every other day. It has only been a relatively recent historical development that food has been readily available, and that many cultures began eating more than one meal a day.

In summary, I think the biggest challenge is the cultural aspect. How you go about this may vary from family to family, but if you approach it from more of a holistic perspective,...in some cases, a religious perspective,...a way to promote health. You may get some acceptance,...and help some autistic individuals.

Best of luck. Seems to be a worthwhile challenge.

This is a fantastic reply, spent me a bit long time to read and think. Thank you first. Let me try to make my reply precise...

Your perspectives on the bacteria are very very good. I never thought about this. It gives a reason why people with autism feel disgusted with some typical foods and will never/hardly try them again. I wonder if the thing you talked about, is from your personal experience or some scientific articles/studies? I mean, is that universal to others?

Then, I knew a bit about the keto diet. I think it could widely solve eating problems with some typical conditions. I am considering whether should I add it to my concept. I have to control the concept not to be too complex...

 

[ShawnChan]

Hello! Welcome to the forum. I am always glad to help out those who come to the forum to learn more about the community and if your project helps change stereotypes or helps autistic people in China that would be wonderful!

One reason for restrictive food intake I have not seen brought up yet in this thread is sensory sensitivities. For some autistic people some textures, tastes, colors of food, smells and temperatures can be overwhelming and trigger a disgust response. Stereotypically things like fast food or bland carbohydrate based foods eating plain are often seen and while that is not always true it has some truth in it. Fast food and carbs tend to taste the same bread will always taste like bread, pizza will always taste like pizza, and plain noodles will always taste like noodles. While things like vegetable and fruit and dishes with many spices won't taste the exact same or have the exact same texture every time. Because many autistic people are extra sensitive to things like taste and texture we can often tell if even small changes have happened.

A way to desensitize and help expand the amount of foods eaten is to take foods the autistic child already eats and add something else a small amount at a time. for instance lets say the only things a child will eat are rice, bread, and broth you could do things like add some sort of spread to one part of the bread, add some light seasoning to the broth, and add small amounts of meat or vegetables or soups or whatever else along with the rice. Don't force the child to eat but instead explore the sensory component of it. How does it smell, how does it feel to put it to your lips but not eat it, maybe let's take a small bite and on and on. At first it will be a victory to just have the child tolerate sitting near it but over time it will expand what the child will eat and those foods can be used to expand further so you may go from bread to bread will butter to pasta with butter, to pasta with a sauce to pasta with vegetables. Not every autistic person will ever have a super varied diet but with help it can be expanded at least enough to meet their nutritional needs.

How does this tie into your project? I think if the virtual dog could have some sensory cues built in (not sure how life like you are trying to be with the dog) either with text or voice prompting the person to think about how the food looks and smells and tastes and feels and sounds like it could help expand both the tolerance to food but also further enrich the cooking process once the person knows what sensory experiences they like when eating.

Hi! Yes, for sure I am doing this project for changing the stereotypes and try to help people with autism in China! I actually realized that ASDers are sensitive to food texture, color, smell, temperature, and even brands, shapes, and so on. So, In my concept, I try to describe the food with some keywords. Let them pick their favorite food textures so that they can alter the refused food into that textures. When I am thinking about this thing, I realized the conditions are too varied and hard to control, so I use textures as a starting point. Expecting it will be vital to those who extremely pursue the typical textures, and it might be helpful to those who care a bit about the texture to reduce a bit anxieties... Now, the virtual dogs in my concept are going to guide people or encourage people to go closer to the food, play with it, touch it, and feel it. And I hope this could help desensitize. I post my descriptions of the concept here, you can have a look. I am not sure about if they are precise (I really feel difficult to describe the food in English, since its not my mother tongue...) If theres anything wrong, or could with a better word, tell me!

So, the thing is like you pick by chosing "hard/soft, wet/dry" first, based on what you are going to eat today. Then, the product is going to help you cook the food in the corresponded way. For example, if you pick hard n dry, and for potato, you are going to make a crunchy food like chips later on. You start with using the product to cut into pieces. And you pick up and put every piece in a plate to baking... This kind of feeling.

 

[Rodafina]

Hello guys, I have to say sorry first that I am lacking some communication skills with you. I am an English learner, a neurotypical person (I guess the two reasons that organized my expression problems the most)

First off, I just have to say it’s very interesting and respectful of you to attribute your miscommunication, in part, to being neurotypical. It seems like very often, we are blamed for miscommunication errors because we are neurodivergent. Really, miscommunication should be neutral because it is just that… missed communication.

Now, I come up with an idea. It could be described in two parts. Firstly, there will be a virtual dog friend to assist in the acceptance of food. This is inspired by AAT (animal-assisted therapy). I hope dogs could reduce anxieties and could guide people to accept the refused foods.

Interesting idea. I definitely get a lot of comfort when there is an animal around, particularly my own dog. I don’t understand how a virtual dog would work though. If it is something like an animation on a screen, this would be aversive to me. Would this dog speak?

The warmth and life of a dog is very important… I have definitely become attached to things that are not alive and get comfort out of them, but I have my suspicions about a virtual dog lacking the comfort provided by a real animal.

Is this project intended for children or adults as well?

The Second part is, to participate in the cooking process. I found in so many cases, parents do all the things for their children. However, some people talked about when participating in a cooking process, the food is more likely to be accepted (I think I viewed this opinion from some places but I forgot where it comes from... Could you give feedback here?)

I understand the concept here, and this is a theory often used with children. So again, I wonder what the intended audience is.

For my part, cooking food proves to be a challenge. Mainly the smells that are created while cooking are a complete turn off to me to eat the food. Usually I cook something, put it away in the freezer, and eat it later. Typically I make a big batch of one thing and then defrost frozen portions of it throughout the week.

So, this is a description. Could you guys give me some feedback? Appreciate any comment!

Sounds like an interesting project, and clearly you are open to honest feedback.

If you can, I would highly recommend reading what’s already been written on the forum by searching through threads and posts. There are so many different perspectives here and people on the spectrum need different types of interventions. I bet you could learn a lot from reading our threads.

 

[Shevek]

Around age 20, I had a really excellent relationship with a dog, but I certainly would not have followed his diet. I took my advice from nutritionists and economists. The excellent relationship was due to following a simple set of rules that suited us both, not to any real understanding on my part. I don't think I'd relate to a simulated dog at all.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Your perspectives on the bacteria are very very good. I never thought about this. It gives a reason why people with autism feel disgusted with some typical foods and will never/hardly try them again. I wonder if the thing you talked about, is from your personal experience or some scientific articles/studies? I mean, is that universal to others?

Then, I knew a bit about the keto diet. I think it could widely solve eating problems with some typical conditions. I am considering whether should I add it to my concept. I have to control the concept not to be too complex...

There are several studies on the role of the gastrointestinal microbiome and autism. Another term for this is the "gut-brain axis". Many of the building blocks of neurotransmitters,...and neurotransmitters, themselves, are created by the bacteria in the intestinal tract. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of those neurotransmitters. GABA, in part, acts as an anti-anxiety, anti-siezure, neurotransmitter. One of the hallmarks of the autistic brain is an imbalance of glutamine (excitatory) and GABA (inhibitory),...with the autistic brain being in a chronically excitatory state. L-theanine (found in green tea) inhibits glutamine and can be used to help the imbalance, as it crosses the blood-brain barrier easily. GABA is rather limited in its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier,...but plays a more important role in relaxing the intestinal tract.

The autistic brain is often in a pro-inflammatory state, not only from the neurotransmitter imbalances, but also from an oxidant-to-antioxidant imbalance and immune dysfunction. Post mortem studies have shown a disproportionate concentration of astrocytes and glial cells as compared to a neurotypical brain. Like someone with health issues in other organs, such as the heart, the lungs, the kidneys, the liver, etc,...someone with autism needs to take special care of their brain. Most people do not fully understand this. What one eats, when one eats, can make a significant difference in the neurotransmitter imbalances, the inflammation, and overall health and well-being of the autistic individual.

There are many, many studies on these topics,...and yes,...I have found it to be true within my own personal experience.

 

[Crossbreed]

Here is my experience with autism...
https://autlanders.blogspot.com/2019/07/autism-subtypes.html

 

[ShawnChan]

First off, I just have to say it’s very interesting and respectful of you to attribute your miscommunication, in part, to being neurotypical. It seems like very often, we are blamed for miscommunication errors because we are neurodivergent. Really, miscommunication should be neutral because it is just that… missed communication.


Interesting idea. I definitely get a lot of comfort when there is an animal around, particularly my own dog. I don’t understand how a virtual dog would work though. If it is something like an animation on a screen, this would be aversive to me. Would this dog speak?

The warmth and life of a dog is very important… I have definitely become attached to things that are not alive and get comfort out of them, but I have my suspicions about a virtual dog lacking the comfort provided by a real animal.

Is this project intended for children or adults as well?



I understand the concept here, and this is a theory often used with children. So again, I wonder what the intended audience is.

For my part, cooking food proves to be a challenge. Mainly the smells that are created while cooking are a complete turn off to me to eat the food. Usually I cook something, put it away in the freezer, and eat it later. Typically I make a big batch of one thing and then defrost frozen portions of it throughout the week.


Sounds like an interesting project, and clearly you are open to honest feedback.

If you can, I would highly recommend reading what’s already been written on the forum by searching through threads and posts. There are so many different perspectives here and people on the spectrum need different types of interventions. I bet you could learn a lot from reading our threads.

Hi, Rodafina! I am a bit busy these days, sorry for the late reply.

I am glad to hear that you feel comfortable with animals. When I'm considering the concept, I imagine the virtual dog could be very very realistic. I give you an example. The virtual idols. I don't know if you have ever seen them (I posted one here, AYAYI, a Chinese virtual idol), they are just like a real human. Even every photo and action is designed, but that does not influence a lot. I mean, it's not cheating. it is just like when we are playing a game, we are guided by the game company as well, but we don't feel bad.

so, the core of this project is still improving eating disorders, while participating in cooking and being encouraged by realistic animals are the approaches. The interactions will be like, the dog (for now, I am only considering the dog, bcoz they are widely accepted) gives you some hints for guiding you to do some actions (such as cutting or grinding) to alter the textures of the foods. Might use their nose to point to the key components, so that you are encouraged (and of course, you know how to use it before that, the dog is just encouraging).

But according to the existing technologies, there might still need to wear AR glasses, which might have a bad effect on the feelings. I am considering making it partially fictional so that I could avoid the technology limitation, based on the developing trend.

My project is aimed at people of all ages. However, it might work with children for more scenarios. Because I know that autistic child is the main people facing the problems.

Ayayi:
(Shes really attractive, but looks still a little bit "fake". Anyway, that's will be improved)

 

[ShawnChan]

Around age 20, I had a really excellent relationship with a dog, but I certainly would not have followed his diet. I took my advice from nutritionists and economists. The excellent relationship was due to following a simple set of rules that suited us both, not to any real understanding on my part. I don't think I'd relate to a simulated dog at all.

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I understand that each of you is varied a lot. That's quite challenging...

 

[ShawnChan]

There are several studies on the role of the gastrointestinal microbiome and autism. Another term for this is the "gut-brain axis". Many of the building blocks of neurotransmitters,...and neurotransmitters, themselves, are created by the bacteria in the intestinal tract. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of those neurotransmitters. GABA, in part, acts as an anti-anxiety, anti-siezure, neurotransmitter. One of the hallmarks of the autistic brain is an imbalance of glutamine (excitatory) and GABA (inhibitory),...with the autistic brain being in a chronically excitatory state. L-theanine (found in green tea) inhibits glutamine and can be used to help the imbalance, as it crosses the blood-brain barrier easily. GABA is rather limited in its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier,...but plays a more important role in relaxing the intestinal tract.

The autistic brain is often in a pro-inflammatory state, not only from the neurotransmitter imbalances, but also from an oxidant-to-antioxidant imbalance and immune dysfunction. Post mortem studies have shown a disproportionate concentration of astrocytes and glial cells as compared to a neurotypical brain. Like someone with health issues in other organs, such as the heart, the lungs, the kidneys, the liver, etc,...someone with autism needs to take special care of their brain. Most people do not fully understand this. What one eats, when one eats, can make a significant difference in the neurotransmitter imbalances, the inflammation, and overall health and well-being of the autistic individual.

There are many, many studies on these topics,...and yes,...I have found it to be true within my own personal experience.

Nice feedback, thank you!! I'll spend some time on searching and reading these studies. A bit complex, but an easy way to understand is, "it is proved to be true by 'Neonatal RRT' his(her) personal experience" XD

 

[Crossbreed]

Ayayi:
(Shes really attractive, but looks still a little bit "fake". Anyway, that's will be improved)

(That photo is reversed...)

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Nice feedback, thank you!! I'll spend some time on searching and reading these studies. A bit complex, but an easy way to understand is, "it is proved to be true by 'Neonatal RRT' his(her) personal experience" XD

Well, do not put any value on my personal experience. Use the scientific literature.