Ages and Stages

Someone I read once said that essentially there are stages of growth and everyone goes through them.  Well for a long time, I wasn't sure that was really so.  My only bench mark for years was Chet and his emotional and social growth progression was so uneven that I couldn't be sure. 

But lately, he has been a big overgrown pre-schooler.  With food.  The interesting thing to me is that little kids typically like to try new foods.  They are adventurers at that stage in life.  And they are cute, so when they say "I don't like it" after they have licked it or bit it or whatever, it is no big deal.

But Chet was never like that.  As is true with many autistic people he had food issues, and sensory issues.  And sitting and eating issues.  He had about 6 foods he liked and we spent most of his childhood getting him used to a wider array of nutritious things.  For a period of time he was so limiting in his diet that I supplemented with Boost and Ensure shakes to make sure he got a sufficient amount of calories and nutrients.

Here's the thing.  All of a sudden at 25 years old, Chet is all about trying foods.  You set something out for cooking and he is there, "hey can I try that?"  Much the way that Rob found ways to re-capture childhood experiences he should have had as a baby and didn't, Chet is now being an adventurous little pre-schooler.  Personally, it is fine with me.  One of my favorite books is Leo the Late Bloomer!