Welcome back to Part 2 in Guest blogger Amy Stout’s series about a unique autism therapy she created for her daughter. Today’s post explains how she created a very pink, very creative, and very successful feeding therapy session.

The Pinkalicious (Feeding) Party, Part 2

On the day of the party, Kylie wore her best pink dress. She also brought her Pinkalicious book and her washable Pinkalicious doll. We even invited Daddy to take time off work to come with us to the party. When he arrived, he brought pink roses for “Kylie-licious.”

We took a quick picture of Kylie with Pinkalicious, her Pinkalicious book and Miss Jenny. Then the party began!

Autism Therapy the Pinkalicious Way

There is a mirror on the wall, and they looked at themselves eating green peppers. Yes, I just said green peppers! They followed along in the Pinkalicious book…

And she liked it!!

Next, they tried watermelon. Watermelon was super cool because it had both pink and green on it. She was a little unsure about the texture, but she did it!

They tried strawberries and strawberry ice cream, but the next food was the one Kylie had been waiting for. We are getting ready to try pink cupcakes! Keep in mind, that Kylie wouldn’t even go near cake or frosting before.

Even though they looked yummy, she still was afraid to actually touch them. So, she used her tongue instead. This is a coping technique.

Then, Jenny showed her that you can TOUCH the cupcake. (I love the look of awe on her face) Kylie decided to try it too. Touching was too much, so she used her green pepper to dip it into the frosting!

Kylie then looked into the mirror and discovered that her tongue had a pink hue. So she declared that she was turning pink and needed to eat some green food. It was her idea!

Can we say progress?

Pinkalicious Autism Therapy a Success

They ended the party with drinking pink lemonade from a silly straw.  Kylie loves silly straws.

It was such a successful therapy day. And, yes, I know that mommy isn’t featured in any of these photos, but you did experience our world through my eyes!

More Autism Therapy and Feeding Issue Books

There are many other books that you could use for an event such as this to assist with feeding issues.  Here are a few that we enjoy!

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• One Watermelon Seed
• The Seven Silly Eaters
• Pancakes! Pancakes!
• How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
• Thomas Jefferson’s Feast
• Pinkalicious

These books are very helpful for understanding feeding issues:

• Food Chaining
• Just Take a Bite

Other Autism Therapy Resources

My daughter chews on these all the time when she becomes overwhelmed, anxious or just needs deep joint pressure. They are amazing and keep her from chewing on non-edible objects and clothing. There are many scents and styles available…

• Ark Therapeutic Chewy Tube Grabbers
• Ark Therapeutic Textured Chewy Tube Grabber
• Y Chew
• Z-Vibe Oral Motor Tool–vibrates
• Elephant Jiggler–We use this all the time. His ear can double as a spoon!

And finally, an encouraging book for parents, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum

Your Suggestions about Autism Therapy

Now that you’ve read about Amy’s creative autism therapy idea, it’s time to share yours…anything you’ve come up with that made a different for your child with special needs. 

Autism Therapy the Pinkalicious Way, Part 1

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