YOU CAN WIN SO MANY WAYS

http://www.theeatinggame.ca

You may be the winner in our January 31/14 Draw but only if you enter of course!

The winner will get a Success Box for the storage of your visual support images. To learn more about this awesome storage box go to http://www.firstandthen.com . You will also win 100 Boardmakerimages ( 1 or 1.5 inches) of your choice and an assortment of boards with velcro strips for communication and/or schedules.

The winning will continue as you receive our regular Eating Game Newsletter. The plan is to provide you with current information that may help you with the eating challenges you and your child face:

• recent research findings
• information about special dietary considerations
• ideas for motivating food presentations
• recipes and more

We will always welcome any suggestions or needs you might have that we can address.

So sign up today for our newsletter to have your email address entered into our draw on Jan 31/14. Oh and we will have a draw for something different the last gay of each month throughout 2014! the newsletters will have future draw information. Clicking on the link with the image at the top will take you to the sign up. Good luck!

TODDLERS ARE USING THE EATING GAME

Yes toddlers are using The Eating Game! The first of 5 age based meal planning charts is for 2 - 3 year olds. Of course the major advantage is going to be that a young child is learning healthy eating habits early enough to hopefully avoid becoming a picky eater! That in itself would be a huge plus.

I believe that a certain number, perhaps a good percentage, of picky eaters are kids who learn that they can be in control using food. Gaining control in your environment is something all kids seek and it is part of normal growth. The key is to allow them to have control while guiding for good choices - often not an easy task!

So The Eating Game was developed with "control" in mind. The way it works is that parents present ample choices and the child is in control of making the choices - they love this! They will be making good choices because the meal planning chart they use requires that they do as they match 4 colors!

The only 2 skills needed to use The Eating Game independently(with the parent present) are: 1) being able to make a choice 2) matching the 4 colors: blue, red, yellow and green. If your child has fine motor delays some assistance may be required.

Using The Eating Game every day to plan healthy meals provides opportunities for growth in other areas of development:

• ·         language development: learning the names of colors and foods, food groups, meals and snacks, listening and following directions,

• ·         speech: practicing saying the names of foods, asking and responding to questions

• ·         practicing skills of sorting and matching as well as following a schedule

• ·         fine motor skills: picking up food pictures and sticking them on the meal planning charts (velcro buttons)

• ·         developing a daily routine of planning healthy meals which can be done 1 meal/snack at a time and eventually planning the whole day for tomorrow.

• ·         helps to develop an understanding of serving sizes and portion control that will perhaps avoid overeating and unnecessary weight gain while ensuring a good nutrition.

The Eating Game was named "a game" by the child it was invented for, as he said "because it is fun!" Learning for young children should always be fun. With this game they win ever time they play too! they will hopefully gain skills that will last them a lifetime.

The inventor, Jean Nicol, is always available to answer questions and provide support. Contact her at www.theeatinggame.ca

The Eating Game - US Patent #8,333,593 B2

Will The Eating Game would work for you??

Are you wondering if The Eating Game would help your child improve their eating habits? Here are a few questions to consider…………………….

Does your child self restrict their diet?

Do they like being in control whenever possible?

Have you dealt with the possibility of medical, food allergy, sensory issues related to food?

Have they eaten more foods in their lifetime than they are now?

My theory is that for a lot of kids with autism and not, self restricting their diet to a small number of foods is managable so they always know what they will be eating - no surprises, no changes, a very predictable eating environment.

Does your child communicate well verbally?

Do they like structure and routine?

Do they respond positively to visual support systems?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions I would suggest you ask more questions, find out more about what is involved, how it works.

Become a fan of The Eating Game Page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Eating-Game/117743845389 and post your question on the wall.

Look at the photo album http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=117743845389&aid=307264 and read the captions under each picture.

Become Jean Nicol's friend (she is the inventor) at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1489691121 and send her a message.

Why Is This All He Will Eat?

If a child restricts their preferred food choices to a limited number of foods then they always know what they will be eating, mom/dad never run out of this food and maybe even give it on demand since they are very concerned about the child's limited diet ~ now there is a plan, meals are more predictable.

In time the list of preferred foods may change but still remain limited so the child remains in control of a more predictable environment. Take a look at this list of foods  http://www.theeatinggame.ca/suggested_foods.pdf  and write down all the foods your child has eaten in their lifetime. Add any others you think of that are not on this list. Wouldn't it be nice if they would be eating all these foods now, extending their preferred list? This might be hard to control though. You need a plan......................


Have you heard of The Eating Game - it is making a difference in the lives of many kids and their families. It allows kids to be in control of daily meal planning but provides them with a plan that has them eating a wider variety of foods, a healthier diet and they say it is fun!


The Eating Game is very visual, structured and easily becomes part of a daily routine. It is a ready made visual schedule for mealtimes, a unique patented idea that is revolutionalizing the way some kids eat.

An Exciting Autism Publication

This new publication, Autism Awareness in a Positive Light, is a collaborative effort to increase awareness, understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorders and those it affects. The book is a collection of prose, poetry and art contributed by an awesome autism community on facebook. This collection was edited and published by Jean Nicol of EYECAN CREATIONS Publications, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada. The writings of 20 contributors and for some their art work or that of their children is a tribute to many of the more positive aspects of ASD that need to be shared and appreciated. Even those children with very severe autism bring many moments of joy and pride to their families.

The book has been dedicated to "First Responders", those in our communities who work tirelessly, many as volunteers, to search for those who are lost. This can be an extraordinary task when searching for someone who is on the autism spectrum. THANK YOU TO ALL FIRST RESPONDERS. We want to help you learn about autism and we want to tell everyone what a wonderful service and comfort you provide to families at a time of great distress.

Proceeds from the sale of this publication will be donated to the Canadian National Autism Foundation for the purchase of Amber Alert GPS Systems. Families in Canada and The United States who need some support for the initial purchase of the GPS Unit, for children and adults with special needs, can make application to this Foundation for support. For every 30 books purchased funds will be raised to pay for another much needed and very beneficial GPS Unit. There have been 100 books printed; 2 filed with the Canadian National Library, copies given to all contributors and some sold. Can you help us sell the remaining copies which will help purchase 2 GPS Units. Then for every hundred books we sell after that we will raise enough to buy nearly 4 new GPS Units.

Order your copy of this book at http://www.theeatinggame.ca/shopping_cart.htm or before September 18 if you are near Pictou, Nova Scotia drop in to the EYECAN CREATIONS booth at the Pictou Weekend Market to pick up your copy. (click on the title above to order your copy)

After you have a chance to read the book, we would love to hear your thoughts here in a comment or you can contact Jean Nicol through this website http://www.theeatinggame.ca/index.html or at facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/jean.nicol1

Fuel Up Your Kids To Be Winners!

I remember an interesting discussion with kids about eating a good breakfast. They understood when we made the comparison of fuelling up your car when it is on empty. We all understand that energy needed for a car comes from gas, the better the grade the better the mileage, performance and car maintenance.

So it is with a healthy breakfast, refueling our bodies after a lengthy period of fasting – we need to break the fast! The healthier the food, the better the energy, performance and health. This analogy can be extended to relate to planning our diet in general – and of course in the planning of dietary provisions for our children. I believe all parents want what is best for their child:

•the best of healthly growth and development: physical, intellectual and emotional
•the best of energy to actively participate in the day’s activity
•performance that will allow them to become their personal best

As parents you want your child to be healthy and happy, able to enjoy all the opportunities and activities life has to offer them. A child will only be as healthy as their diet is. It is the variety and amount of all nutrients supplied by a healthy diet every day that enables and promotes healthy growth for all body cells, organs and tissues.

A healthy diet, a right for all children should do more than just satisfy hunger. A healthy, balanced diet will optimize their opportunities for:

•mental alertness, intellectual development and learning
•physical growth and strength
•prevention of nutritional deficiencies that can lead to serious health issues
•good weight management
•prevention of the emotional stress of being overweight
•strong teeth and better oral health
•strong, healthy bones, preventing disease in later life
•healthier immune system
•better general health, less illness and infection
•establishing healthy eating habits for life; to prevent illness and disease

What Can YOU Do To Promote Autism Awareness?

As a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, what can you do to become more aware this month?

Because I don’t have a child with autism, my passion for autism has been enriched by having the opportunity to meet and get to know many of your children; as a teacher, a consultant, an early interventionist, a friend or as we share experiences with The Eating Game.

Each person I have met with autism, child, youth or adult has increased my awareness. It continues to amaze me how wide this spectrum really is. Of course what is so significant when we really get to know the person is that we see that the "autism" is just a part of who they are as a unique person, and an important part of who they are.

But it is also about how different "their autism" is and:

how differently it is perceived by family members, friends and community
how differently the person with autism is treated by their family, friends and community
what strengths their family has to offer them i for needed support while encouraging maximum independence.
what support systems are available to their familiy
what opportunities they have to experience inclusive communities (home, school, neighbourhood, workplace, globally)
what opportunities they have had for early intervention and perhaps ongoing therapy
what there intellectual abilities really are and how they learn to be their personal best
I know as a parent with a child with autism you have precious little time for anything else. I would suggest to you that it has been my life experience, that by reaching out to help someone else we can be so uplifted and even seem to lighten our own load, so to speak.

Perhaps this month you could reach out to a family in your community who has a child (youth/adult) with autism that you don't know, maybe one on a very different part of the spectrum from your child or a family who has had very different opportunities than you have. Perhaps your community support group could reach out to families who are not yet involved in your group.

Get to know them and increase your awareness too.