Physical punishment as conditioning.

[Neia]

Physically "punishing" me for struggling to eat something was one of my mother's go to "solutions". She wasn't really punishing me so much as using me as a punch bag for her frustrations.

Despite my mother's enthusiasm for this strategy, it never worked. The irony was that I was quite a good eater. Even if I didn't enjoy something I'd do my best to eat it.

But there were a fair few things I had done very definite texture issues with. One was potatoes, and they are still difficult for me to eat these days. It's like potatoes have to be 100% in a certain state, in other words 100% boiled but not on the verge of turning into mash. Or 100% mashed without the tiniest bit of unmashed potato.

If the potatoes deviate even slightly I feel like vomiting. When I was a kid l, I'd start heaving if I encountered a texture that was too unpleasant. I'd be accused of "putting it on", then my mother would get "triggered". She couldn't understand it was involuntary.

Tinned potatoes (potatoes from a can) will always provoke immediate vomiting.

Marrow Fat peas make me want to vomit too.

At least as an adult I can avoid the food that makes me feel awful.

I have issues with fruit. Tinned/canned fruit is an ordeal. I also can't eat bananas or apples unless they have been refrigerated. This is the polar opposite of everyone else in the house who like fruit at room temperature.

One food that was absolutely horrific for me as a kid was pasta. It doesn't appear to have been a texture or taste thing. I actually quite enjoyed it. The thing is that I'd get halfway through a pasta meal and then begin throwing up like a fountain and would feel like I'd been poisoned until the next day and often get a migraine.

Of course the first time this happened my mother got "triggered" as she did the next two or three times. Eventually I wasn't given pasta as I'd imagine sitting at a table across from someone projectile vomiting the very same meal you are attempting to enjoy could be rather off putting.

I don't think using violence towards kids or anyone is an acceptable way of trying to modify behaviour. It's just stupid.

The beating strategy sort of worked on me. I still have difficulty in refusing to eat things people put in front of me.

I'll force myself to eat, then feel sick, after I'm alone.

You might have felt like that when you ate pasta because of an allergic reaction.
My asthma doesn't like pasta or white bread much, and I feel very sleepy when I have those things. My energy gets drained.

 

[Kayla55]

After leaving school of ABA training, you may need time to try get into touch with Austic self again, because of what you stated in this thread.
That is a con of being diagnosed too early, and having early intervention shoved in your face from day 1

 

[Neia]

After leaving school of ABA training, you may need time to try get into touch with Austic self again, because of what you stated in this thread.
That is a con of being diagnosed too early, and having early intervention shoved in your face from day 1

I'm 53 and still waiting to be diagnosed.
No early intervention for me.

 

[Shamar]

Hi everyone.

One question I have is: Would being beaten and forced fed food, condition an autistic person to not refuse or dislike foods?

When I was a kid, 5 or thereabouts, I didn't want to eat some foods, but my mother would beat me up and force me to eat.
In time I started not refusing any food that was placed in front of me.

Today, the only things I have difficulty eating are meat (because I hate how meat tastes) and crispy things (because they make my teeth ticklish in a very unpleasant way).
I always like to leave cookie packs open for a while so they go soft

There are other things that I used to do when I was a kid, that I think were beaten out of me.

What a great idea. Use punishment and coercion to traumatize a person into normal behavior. Maybe we can call it something that sounds official and scientific, like how about ABA?

 

[Neia]

What a great idea. Use punishment and coercion to traumatize a person into normal behavior. Maybe we can call it something that sounds official and scientific, like how about ABA?

What is ABA? I assume nothing good?

 

[Outdated]

What is ABA? I assume nothing good?

In Australia it's called Conversion Therapy and it's illegal. Torture people until they learn to at least act normal.

 

[Neia]

In Australia it's called Conversion Therapy and it's illegal. Torture people until they learn to at least act normal.

Got it!
Thanks.

Bullying in disguise.

 

[Outdated]

Bullying in disguise.

There was a big story in the news here about 6 months ago. A "specialist learning centre" in Melbourne was raided, children taken in to protective custody, people working there arrested on child abuse charges, and now the courts are working out just how much the church that owned and operated it is going to have to pay victims in compensation.