We are pleased to share this week's blog article with you all from an RDI parent, Gabrielle Kaplan Mayer. Gabrielle shares her discoveries as she learns how to help her child through her own passion and love of cooking.  Bon appétit! 

My son George, seven, was formally diagnosed with ASD when he was three years old and after researching cognitive and behavior therapies, my husband and I quickly decided to give RDI a try. What appealed to us most about RDI was the hope that we, as parents, could learn how to communicate and engage with our son. When we first began our RDI program, shortly after George's fourth birthday, our days were filled with the chaos of George's frequent meltdowns and outbursts. At that same time, I had also decided to give the gluten-free/casein-free (GFCF) diet a try since George's digestion was very sensitive and he was self-limiting to very few foods.

Though the diet was in no way a "cure" for George's autism, we were delighted to find that only weeks after making the switch, his digestion had improved and he began to eat more foods including fruits and vegetables, which he had previously rejected. I was somewhat overwhelmed with learning how to cook without gluten, but working professionally as a cooking instructor, I felt open to the challenge.

What never ever occurred to me was the idea that I might venture into my GFCF cooking exploration with George. However, one of the first activities that our RDI consultant, Jennifer Paget, engaged George in was cooking. During George's first RDA, they made edible gluten-free playdough together. I was amazed to see how much George enjoyed cooking with Jennifer and how his attention-which usually lasted less than 5 minutes per activity-stayed with her while they dumped, poured and stirred.

After witnessing what felt like a small victory, I started cooking with George at home, and I realized that cooking provided a great opportunity for George and me to connect and work on our RDI objectives. I began experimenting with cooking techniques, recipes and how to frame the kitchen process into one in which George and I both felt competent working together. This November, I am delighted to share my book The Kitchen Classroom (Woodbine House), which is full of step-by-step recipes with photos for children and cooking strategies that I have developed from an RDI perspective. You can check out The Kitchen Classroom at www.woodbinehouse.com or at my sight, www.kitchenclassroom4kids.com.

To give you a sense of what I mean by cooking from an RDI perspective, I want to share some of the topics that I explore in The Kitchen Classroom. They include:

Cooking as a Shared Experience: Making time in our busy lives to slow down and prepare food together can strengthen our relationships with our children. All RDI parents know how essential it is to create the opportunities for shared experiences. Cooking doesn't have to be something that takes hours of your time. At the end of my children's school day and my work day, we might do something simple together like make a fruit salad. But the time spent collaborating together helps us to bond and connect.

Framing Your Cooking Activities: Part of what worked so well when Jennifer first started cooking with George was that she had created a neat, orderly environment for them to work in. In my home, where the kitchen counters get cluttered, I need to stop and create that orderly space for us to work before we begin. Framing includes thinking through the entire process of cooking from prep to clean-up to create a successful experience for both you and your child.

Creating a Role for You and Your Child (ren): What I have enjoyed most about cooking with George has been witnessing the way his roles have grown and expanded since we first started cooking together. At first his job may have simply been to stir a batter. Now there are many steps that he can do on his own and in a co-regulated way with me. Cooking is an opportunity to share roles: one of you might hold the bowl while another person stirs and then both partners can switch.

I hope that I have wetted your appetite for cooking with your child!

Check out The Kitchen Classroom and visit me at www.kitchenclassroom4kids.com.