I work with a young boy called Robbie on a regular one to one basis. Robbie’s main target has been to eat solid food because he is normally fed through a peg tube and had never eaten anything before. I think this was down to fear as opposed to inability.
When I first started working with Robbie, he wasn’t particularly comfortable with putting anything in his mouth whether it was food or just water to keep his mouth from getting dry. Over time he has put tremendous effort into reaching his target, including participating in structured tasting sessions at school. These sessions increased his confidence at home and over time he’d occasionally dip his fingers into dips and cheese spread but just to taste it.
Recently he met his target and had a whole tub of yoghurt for the first time! I can’t quite express how incredibly proud of him I am, but it was the fact that he realised that he’d achieved something and could be proud of himself that was really special. I told him about the MacIntyre blog and suggested we write about his achievements together. I wanted to include him in the process of writing this blog so he knew that his achievement was something to be celebrated and to hopefully inspire confidence in him to keep eating. Below is an extract of what we wrote together....
“Today I ate a whole tub of vanilla yogurt with Tango. It was the first time I’d ever eaten a whole tub. I tasted chocolate dip from Dominoes yesterday and I liked it but I liked the vanilla flavoured yogurt the best. Tango was really proud of me and she said she’ll get me a well done card.”
Since writing the above Robbie has tasted other flavours of yoghurt and has taken a liking to peach flavoured yoghurt as well as vanilla. It is nice to see him progressing and getting more comfortable with tasting different flavours because we can build on this.
As he was eating his first yoghurt I said I’d get him a card signed from as many members of staff as possible if he finished it. That positive reaffirmation gave him something to look forward to and a real sense of purpose and achievement.
We can all make a difference in even the smallest ways and by getting everyone involved Robbie can feel like his achievement matters and that he has not just my support but the support of the entire No Limits team. He can also feel good about himself because he’s making a lot of people proud and that card will show him that we’re all supporting him.
I’m also getting him a ‘Play Doh’ barbeque set so we can have ‘barbeques’ in the summer, because I think it’s important not to rush him but make the food experience fun.
Eating a yoghurt...
Moments like this are the reason I love my job.
Robbie and Lutangu ‘Tango Sando, Assistant Community Learning Facilitator,
No Limits, Nottingham