In last week’s blog entry, I wrote about the need for
sameness in autism and the problems that can arise when certain comfort items
are no longer available. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of an autism dad, The
Little Blue Cup Project emerged, allowing parents to connect with others and
track down rare items their children need. The online article I cited from Vox
[To read this article, please click here.] also described problems that occur
when certain foods are taken off the market. Since many people with autism can
be picky eaters due to sensory issues and/or have food allergies and
sensitivities, being able to obtain specific favorite foods is a priority for
many parents whose children may reject substitutions.
Specifically, the article cites the example of a mother who
orders food items in bulk quantities for her adult son who will only eat a few
items, such as Laughing Cow cheese spread, two flavors of Capri Sun drinks, and
Nesquik chocolate drink mix. When her local grocery stores stopped carrying
Laughing Cow cheese, she wrote to the company, and they sent her a refrigerated
package containing four dozen boxes of her son’s favorite cheese. In addition,
she states, “I stockpile everything as if I can’t source them in the shops, and
he will not have alternatives.” Although shopping for groceries should not have
to require research and detective work, for many parents of children with
autism, it does.
Because of sensitivities to cow’s milk, Alex has been on a
dairy-free diet for more than twenty years. Recently, I had noticed that the
specific type of coconut milk beverage I use to make pudding and smoothies for
Alex has become more and more difficult to find in grocery stores. Fortunately,
the company’s website lists places where their products may be purchased;
however, the specific flavor Alex prefers was no longer available in the shelf
stable package we had bought for several years.
With some more online searching, I discovered that our local
Target store carries the same brand and flavor of coconut milk beverage in milk
cartons in the refrigerated case. What is especially helpful is that Target’s
website not only tells in what aisle their products may be found but also how
many of that particular item are currently in stock.
Thankfully, Target carries the elusive coconut milk beverage
as well as the same brand’s coconut milk vanilla yogurt alternative that Alex
eats every day. While other local stores had either stopped carrying this
product or were often sold out, probably due to greater demand and limited
supply, Target has come through for us once again by providing Alex’s favorite
dairy-free yogurt. Even better is that they offer this yogurt at a lower price
than what we had been paying at grocery stores.
After solving the issues with coconut milk beverage and
yogurt, I thought I could rest a bit from tracking down foods for Alex.
However, a couple of weeks ago, our local grocery store that offers a wealth of
special diet foods suddenly stopped carrying Rice Dream nondairy frozen
dessert, the ice cream equivalent Alex has eaten for more than twenty years. After
checking their website and discovering that no local stores carry this specific
product, I wrote an email to the local grocery store’s manager requesting that
they order this product. Within a day, the manager sent me a very cordial
response explaining that their supplier no longer carries the Rice Dream frozen
dessert. He even went to the trouble of checking to see if he could get the
item from other suppliers but had no luck. Moreover, he assured me that if
their supplier began carrying this product again, he would be happy to order it
for me. While I certainly appreciated his kind efforts, I knew that I would
have to find an alternative to yet another unavailable food item that Alex eats
every day.
Once again, I was grateful for the ease of Internet
searching, which led me to two alternatives for Rice Dream’s frozen dessert. So
Delicious, whose coconut milk beverage and yogurt have been elusive but finally
found at Target, make a coconut milk “ice cream” and so does a company called
Nada Moo. After scanning their websites, I found that So Delicious non-dairy
frozen dessert is available at two of our local stores as well as Target, while
the Nada Moo is only found at Target. Again, the ever-helpful Target website
allowed me to find the aisle number for these dairy-free treats as well as the
number they currently had in stock before I ever arrived at the store.
Of course, my search for dairy-free ice cream would have
been in vain if Alex rejected the coconut milk substitutes. Thankfully, he seems
to like the flavor and texture of the coconut milk ice cream as much if not
more than the rice milk ice cream he’s eaten all these years. Now I can buy his
coconut milk beverage, yogurt, and ice cream all at the same place as well as have the
opportunity to make a Target run, which I always enjoy!
Thinking that my current quest to find things for Alex was over, I
was disappointed to discover last week that the shampoo he has used for many
years has also been discontinued. Once again, I turned to my laptop for a
search of stores that might have his shampoo and was able to get some good
leads. Knowing that he is sensitive to textures and smells, I knew I had to buy
up as many bottles of his shampoo as I could find to store for future use.
Feeling like a hoarder, I stopped at three different stores and bought a total
of nine bottles of his shampoo, which should last us for a while. Hopefully,
before we run out, I’ll be able to locate an acceptable substitute or he’ll be
less picky about his toiletries of choice.
Among the various challenges autism presents is the need for
sameness, which tests parents who are trying to find specific foods and items our
children need and prefer. Fortunately, the Internet makes our searches for
these favorite things easier as we try to help our children cope in a world
that changes faster than they would like. Consequently, we pray for their
healing so that they can learn to be more flexible and willing to accept
alternatives when the originals are no longer options. In the meantime, we
autism parents hope that every time we seek, we shall find what our children
need.
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the
right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians
6:9
