Ms Kadayer's knowledge and skills in the area of Verbal Behaviour (VB) is extremely relevant in the field of autism and her continued presence within our community would be of great benefit to all families touched by this disability.

Mr Smith, Herts
Louise is very accurate in her analysis and catching every opportunity to motivate new learning - not only on the child's side but also for the "grown-ups" around. Our son's programming could not be in better hands.

Anonymous, Norfolk
Under Louise's guidance Omi has made significant and remarkable progress, his eye contact has improved dramatically, his periods of social isolation has decreased and he has begun to enjoy the company of others.

Dr Jones, Berkshire
I have known Shelley Brown for 6 months through the work she has undertaken with my autistic son. She has made a significant contribution towards my son's language acquisition and I have no hesitation in referring her to other families.

Mrs Christine Labios
Louise has provided us with hands on education and has visited our home many times to demonstrate with our son practical ways of interacting with him.

Dr ASM Ziaul Hoque
Louise first came to our home in December 2006 and within just four weeks we had seen remarkable progress in our 3 year old son.

Gareth & Sarah Squire
"It was a pleasure to have our consultant Shelley in our home for 2 days. She discussed strategies, demonstrated them, then coached us as we worked with our son. We were delighted to see an immediate improvement in our boy. We really look forward to our next consultation."

Wendy Kiefel, Australia

Eating issues

Eating disorders, particularly amongst young children, have been the cause of many sensationalist headlines in recent years. Worries about weight, physical shape and eating are common, especially amongst teenage girls. However, there are increasing instances of young boys also becoming much more worried about their weight or body image, leading to the conclusion that we are facing an entire generation of children obsessing about their food.

The truth is that some amount of self-criticism is fairly normal. When this does become an issue is if a child begins to develop an obsession with food and how they look, or patterns of destructive behaviour centred on food begin to emerge.

There are certain conditions such as Prader-Willi Syndrome where a chemical imbalance in the brain can cause an unhealthy obsession with food and a seemingly ‘insatiable’ appetite. These conditions are recognised by therapists and through a course of strict diet, exercise and cognitive behavioural techniques, a healthy weight can be maintained. However, when dealing with body image problems and eating issues such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the underlying root cause for the condition has to be established and tackled before progress can be made.

A variety of other conditions such as Autism, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and acquired brain injury can all lead to eating issues, where a child becomes obsessed with one particular food, for example, and eating that to the exclusion of all other foods. Alternatively, the child may become obsessed with an eating routine which, if broken, can lead to outbursts of inappropriate behaviour as a form of controlling their environment. Many learners with Autism and developmental disabilities engage in ‘fussy eating’ and abnormal eating problems. This can have detrimental effects on learning, cognition, language acquisition and other behaviours. Not to mention a detrimental effect on those around our learners.

What causes eating disorders?

The reasons behind eating disorders are complex, ranging from a desire to control one particular aspect of the sufferer’s life to anxiety, stress or a trigger event such as a family breakdown or bullying at school. It may be difficult for the parent to first spot the telltale signs of an eating disorder, but any dramatic loss or gain in weight or a preoccupation with food should be a warning sign that there is a problem.

The first thing to do in this situation is to find out exactly what the trigger is for the change in eating patterns. If you are genuinely concerned about your child’s physical health, it is essential that you consult your GP at the earliest opportunity. Physiological symptoms will need to be stabilised to ensure the safety of the child, but once that has been achieved, cognitive and verbal behaviour therapies can help bring the issues under control.

How can VB help?

Children who become preoccupied with food and/or body image often have unvoiced worries and anxieties that manifest in the form of eating disorders. By encouraging the child to uncover these root causes and to vocalise them openly, the pattern of behaviour can gradually be altered to incorporate a healthier attitude to food. If the child is being bullied, they may become more withdrawn and their social skills begin to be impaired. If allowed to continue for too long, this can result in isolation, depression and increased anxiety, self-perpetuating the probability of the child returning to a destructive pattern of eating and body image worries. By freeing up this ‘social skills blockage’, VB can prevent a child from becoming withdrawn and uncommunicative and prevent a lapse back into a destructive cycle of obsessive behaviour.

Often children are unable to express their concerns are they are non vocal or have limited language. We can equip family members with the skills to establish good eating routines for their children and to teach motivation to expand eating repertoires.

At VBC, we understand the impact eating issues can have on both the learner and their families and how destructive a pattern of behaviour it can be. Through experience of dealing with both neurologically induced eating disorders, cognitive and behavioural causes, we can pinpoint ‘triggers’ that can perpetuate issues and help the child and family tackle them in a safe environment. We also support the families and learners through a network of groups, full of people with similar experiences, reassuring you that you are not alone.

If you would like further information as to how VBC can help you and your child overcome eating issues, contact us in confidence for more details.

Expanding Eating Repertoire Expanding Eating Repertoire (42 KB)