Dilemma re Aspie son's fixation on fizzy drinks

[hobbit]

My aspergers son has a passion for the fizzy drink Fanta, but he'd drink anything that is fizzy and full of sugar, so he's bound to find an equivalent if fanta doesn't exist in the US. The last time we went away, he wanted fanta all day long, so we allowed him to have one only at the end of the day, and only if he ate a full 3 meals. But he would obssess about this drink all day, at times at the expense of not enjoying the great things we were doing. His thoughts were only on fanta and nothing else.

Would you:

a) Keep the 1 drink after 3 meals rule, but risk him obsessing about it all day, ie you might be going along in a boat at Splash Mountain and you can only see "fizzy drink" in his eyes coz that's all he's thinking about. He'll just be playing the game until he gets that drink.

b) Let him have it at breakfast, but then he might not eat lunch as his appetite is like a bird

c) Ban all fizzy drinks? Then I need an explanation for this. If I say; because you'll obsess about it, he'll say; "no I wont'!"

d) Buy a carton of fizzy drinks before we go and allow him to drink so much that he gets sick of it?

e) other?

Thanks!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Are you considering getting a grocery delivery, or will you be renting a car? I would strongly suggest club soda. It comes plain (really, fizzy water) and in a variety of flavors. Common are lemon, lime, orange, and one or two varieties of berry. I've also seen peach, and my personal favorite is vanilla when I can find it. There are probably others as well - I mostly just drink plain water now.

Anyway, though - Fanta is lemon flavored, or lemony, isn't it? If you can get him to drink this, everything should be fine. It'll have the citrus flavor he likes, but no sugar - so you'll like it, too In fact, the plain version is often used as a mixer in drinks - so you can order it at any bar. Maybe see if they can mix in a little lemonade for flavor? Unless you think the fizziness will satisfy him?

 

[hobbit]

I should have added that we will be eating in restaurants 3 times a day! As for the sugar free drinks, the chemicals concern me a bit. Plus he may not eat as much solid food, which will make him more meltdown-prone. Fanta is orange flavoured.

 

[bookwormde]

Is it just that he likes to drink them or is he intellectually and/or visually facinated by them?

There are a few "finely" carbonated drinks that are not overly laden with chemicals or sugar, Fresca is one that I can think of off hand.

If part of it is intellectual (special area of interest) get him everything you can find on carbonation. If it is visual, try to find other items with the same type of "microscopic" visuals. If it is the sugar then a full dietary visual review is probably in order (assuming he is taking a high quality vitiamn already).

Denial for our kids is usually conterproductive, and leads to unwanted manefestations.

bookwormde

 

[kaytieeldr]

Restaurants = good! Except in the Magic Kingdom, any sit-down restaurant will have, or have access to, a bar.

Club soda isn't sugar free the way you're thinking - it's simply carbonated (fizzy) water, and any restaurant with a bar will have it. ZERO chemicals. Just order a club soda mixed with some orange juice. That's HEALTHY.

 

[peemagg]

Is this maybe something where he can have say one bottle of it a day and he gets to choose how to use it, but when it is gone he can't have any more until tomorrow?

What about giving him just a small cup (dixie cup size) at various times through out the day or only at meal times? How do you handle this issue now at home? If he is used to you handling the way he gets the soda a certain way there, it might work the same at WDW.

 

[hobbit]

Thanks everyone; lots of suggestions to think about. I'm leaning towards banning all drinks except water. Aspies tend to fixate too much.

 

[jmartinez1895]

Just FYI, Fanta is here in the US, in many different flavors. The last time we where at Disney, they had it in the parks and at the snack stands, so if you are banning him, be sure to try and keep him away from the carts because it is on the signs and if he fixates, then he will spot the logo and know it's there I'm sure.

 

[dizcrazee]

My dd loves orange, grape, and strawberry Fanta. Like the pp said, we have many flavors of Fanta in the U.S. What I do is get her to drink some water or milk first so she's not thirsty, then let her have a small amount of Fanta. Making sure she's not thirsty at all tends to cut down on the amount of Fanta that she drinks.

 

[peemagg]

I would also stay away from Club Cool at Epcot. It is a place where you can sample Coke products for free. Lots of fizzy drinks in there.

 

[lovetoscrap]

What about a compromise and use the fizzy drink as "dessert". If he eats his meal then he can have a small drink (just a few ounces) afterwards-- breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just enough to be a reward, not so much to keep him from eating his next meal. That way you are spacing it out during the day so he will be able to have it at regular intervals and hopefully that will ease his anxiety and encourage him to eat his meals.

You should have not problem finding Fanta (or similar) here. The idea of the club soda with a little 100% fruit juice in it is also a great healthy alternative-- eliminate the sugar, dye and chemicals. Can you get club soda where you are and try it out? It is a bar staple here so maybe it would be there also? Also if you try him on just plain club soda to see if it is the fizz that he really wants or the sugar. If it is just the fizz then I think that plain club soda would be a great option for letting him have his drink without the junk food aspect. As long as he is still eating and not filling up on it.

 

[lovetoscrap]

I would also stay away from Club Cool at Epcot. It is a place where you can sample Coke products for free. Lots of fizzy drinks in there.

Let him try the Beverly and that may cure him of his fizzy obsession!


(FYI: Beverly is an extremely bitter drink from Italy found in Club Cool that is considered my most to be absolutely disgusting! People love to trick friends and family into trying to see their reaction when they taste it)

 

[peemagg]

Let him try the Beverly and that may cure him of his fizzy obsession!


(FYI: Beverly is an extremely bitter drink from Italy found in Club Cool that is considered my most to be absolutely disgusting! People love to trick friends and family into trying to see their reaction when they taste it)

So true!!! I never thought of that one. But he may just be one of those few who actually like it, which would then totally backfire, because then they will be hunting high and low for it and it can't be found (I know I've searched for it. I wanted to give it to a few people here at home.

 

[jmartinez1895]

OT, but i was one of the people tricked by Beverly. On one of our trips my husband and I where tasting and I was not looking at him so if he made a face I missed it. Well he handed me a cup and said " WOW, this has got to be the best one they have" SO trusting my beloved I took a dig sip. He was almost on the floor laughing and I was trying my best not to spit it all over the place. I thought it was funny latter, but it is a mean trick.

 

[hobbit]

be sure to try and keep him away from the carts

Thanks for that tip. And also the tip about keeping him topped up with water

What about a compromise and use the fizzy drink as "dessert".

I would love to do that, but this is what we did when we went to Bali last year, and his whole vacation was spent thinking and talking about Fanta, and you could see that this was distracting him from experiencing the things we were doing. I tihnk the only solution is to ban it so that it's erased from his mind. I can't come up with a better solution than that right now.

 

[bookwormde]

It is important to remember that hyper focus, (fixation) is one of our kids greatest gifts and will serve them and society well if the skill is nurtured and developed. To arbitrarily remove these special areas of interest can be damaging to the child, not to mention the quality of your vacation. Equally if it is a sensory need, removing it without a substitute is equally damaging. If it is both it can lead down the OCD spiral which is very difficult to recover from.
It is really important to do a full analysis of why he is drawn to fizzy drinks. Unless this is something that is immediately damaging or dangerous then a do not overly focus on it. IT is also important to look deeply into the reasons it "bothers" you. If it is just your own social expectations then, forcing them on your child can be exceptionally damaging. Have you ever thought of making finding fizzy drinks a fun treasure hunt during your vacations, and using this "fixation" as a way to entice your child to try other social skill activities as an integral pert of the "quest" that may be a challenge for him.
If it is a special area of interest it is much better to "overload" (by NT standards) him with every bit of information and every experience you can find about carbonation, and if it is a sensory need then if it is "damaging" then finding an appropriate substitute is essential.
The denial route almost always at some level leads to maladaptive manifestations and often a move to even less NT desirable way of meeting his needs.
I do not know how well studied you are on Aspergers but if you have not read or reread Tony Attwood's "The Complete Guide to Aspergers" I think you would find it invaluable. IT is available on Amazon for about $17. If in you analysis you find that it is primarily a sensory need there are some over good specific test on that area.
Our kids "passions" along with their nature are the most magical things about them, and as parents it is important to let go of NT expectations and nurture their gifts, since the alternative in the long run is not a pretty picture.
bookwormde

 

[retired and happy]

I agree it needs to be determined what the root of the fixation is, but not to try to stop it "cold turkey". We have three CP children, each with his/her own personality and desires. Some passions fade from time to time, some seem to last forever. Remember while they live in our world, there is a part of them living in a world apart from us in which they have a comfort zone secured by things they have and desire. Things they can identify with. For whatever reason, these thing are very important to them and should be to us because they are important to them. I'm certainly not an expert, but have had several years of experience. Sometimes diversion works. Sometimes substitution works. Sometimes delay works. Sometimes you just give in. Pick your battles. Fight the big ones, flow with the small ones.

As to the drink problem... There are some products in individual packets of dry powder that can be added to the Club Soda or even plain water to give whatever flavor you want...for a particular desire or for variety. "On The Go" is one brand, but I know there are others.

 

[kirstenb1]

I agree it needs to be determined what the root of the fixation is, but not to try to stop it "cold turkey". We have three CP children, each with his/her own personality and desires. Some passions fade from time to time, some seem to last forever. Remember while they live in our world, there is a part of them living in a world apart from us in which they have a comfort zone secured by things they have and desire. Things they can identify with. For whatever reason, these thing are very important to them and should be to us because they are important to them. I'm certainly not an expert, but have had several years of experience. Sometimes diversion works. Sometimes substitution works. Sometimes delay works. Sometimes you just give in. Pick your battles. Fight the big ones, flow with the small ones.

As to the drink problem... There are some products in individual packets of dry powder that can be added to the Club Soda or even plain water to give whatever flavor you want...for a particular desire or for variety. "On The Go" is one brand, but I know there are others.

I love this answer. Sometimes I've removed the item altogether (but you really have to be able to control this---in our case it was a series of spooky videos that she was just perseverating about 24/7, and really getting way too caught up). I hid them in a cupboard, and may reintroduce them when she's older.

But here in America, fizzys/soda is everywhere. I take our kids grocery shopping, to the mall, to lunch somewhere....it would just become an exhausting battle. Your child would see the soda everywhere, and it would be beyond aggravating. I love the idea of adding the flavor packets to the club soda, to make an orange soda.

 

[kirstenb1]

Forgot to add...I'm very biased about withholding sodas----anyone tries to take my Diet Coke, they'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands!!!

 

[curemyreed]

It is important to remember that hyper focus, (fixation) is one of our kids greatest gifts and will serve them and society well if the skill is nurtured and developed. To arbitrarily remove these special areas of interest can be damaging to the child, not to mention the quality of your vacation. Equally if it is a sensory need, removing it without a substitute is equally damaging. If it is both it can lead down the OCD spiral which is very difficult to recover from.
It is really important to do a full analysis of why he is drawn to fizzy drinks. Unless this is something that is immediately damaging or dangerous then a do not overly focus on it. IT is also important to look deeply into the reasons it "bothers" you. If it is just your own social expectations then, forcing them on your child can be exceptionally damaging. Have you ever thought of making finding fizzy drinks a fun treasure hunt during your vacations, and using this "fixation" as a way to entice your child to try other social skill activities as an integral pert of the "quest" that may be a challenge for him.
If it is a special area of interest it is much better to "overload" (by NT standards) him with every bit of information and every experience you can find about carbonation, and if it is a sensory need then if it is "damaging" then finding an appropriate substitute is essential.
The denial route almost always at some level leads to maladaptive manifestations and often a move to even less NT desirable way of meeting his needs.
I do not know how well studied you are on Aspergers but if you have not read or reread Tony Attwood's "The Complete Guide to Aspergers" I think you would find it invaluable. IT is available on Amazon for about $17. If in you analysis you find that it is primarily a sensory need there are some over good specific test on that area.
Our kids "passions" along with their nature are the most magical things about them, and as parents it is important to let go of NT expectations and nurture their gifts, since the alternative in the long run is not a pretty picture.
bookwormde

bookwormde & retired and happy,

Your last posts were just PHENOMENAL. Thank you. You each have such clear understanding and insight along with sound reasoning and sincere respect. Sometimes it is hard to "see the forest for the trees" when you parent a differently-abled child and I, for one, very much appreciate being reminded of innovative & loving ways to negotiate life with our kids. Please know that your wisdom has touched someone today---me!