>When Amigo was young, he had a three-sectioned plate that helped him learn to eat independently, despite his blindness.
As he got older and received his other diagnosis, Asperger’s Syndrome (a high functioning disorder on the autism spectrum), he continued to insist on exactly, precisely three foods. No more, no less. Three.
He outgrew the need for a sectioned plate long ago, but we have learned a new vocabulary to go with his obsession with three foods. “Honey, let’s make jello. It’s a good Third Food.” “So, if we serve this with that, what’s the Third Food?” “Can I finish up the zucchini bread for a Third Food?”
Pork chops with mashed potatoes and applesauce equals three foods.
Minestrone soup equals one.
Chicken with a side of rice, and beans = three foods.
Chicken rice casserole = one.
Spaghetti with meatballs = two foods.
Spaghetti with meatsauce = one.
You may be getting the picture. If two foods merge, such as a casserole or soup, they are One Food. If they are served separately, count each one on its own.
Amigo has matured emotionally as well as physically, and now that he’s fifteen, he’s not as picky. He can let go of the Three Foods Rule on special occasions or when we go to restaurants. He’s starting to accept modifications that bend the rule, such as a pickle as Third Food or a slice of bread (Mom’s homemade, of course) for a side dish with Mom’s Fantastic Chicken Soup or Good Wisconsin Crock-Pot Chili.
Thanksgiving should be fun. He’s willing to go beyond his usual Three. He’ll even help me cook the 1-2-3 Cranberry Sauce!

This blog blast is sponsored by Harper Collins, publisher of Deceptively Delicious, and the Parent Bloggers Network.