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Worried for my son, eating and coronavirus, any advice or help...

jbautismaware11
jbautismaware11 Community member Posts: 15 Connected
edited March 2020 in Autism and neurodiversity
I have a 8 year old son with autism.
As of Friday schools will close.
He is one of the vulnerable who has asthma and needs to take 2 different inhalers everyday, a third one to be taken when needed, and steroid crystals. He has several medical issues that comes along with autism, like bowel movements and takes medication everyday, sleep issues which is on going, and the most important issue is diet issues. He has a very strict diet and has had this for the past 5 years, as you are aware, people/children with autism have limited diets, reluctant to change foods and struggle with change, and this results in poor health. With the coronavirus panic and people stock buying, I'm starting to panic. I'm a single mum of 2 children, both fall in vulnerable category, just like a lot of people in the region. I don't drive, and with the children been off school, I would have no choice to take them out. I have been to 6 different supermarkets today and 4 yesterday, and I left with absolutely nothing. I couldn't go to the supermarkets before 9 o'clock. Delivery is fully booked until next Thursday in most supermarkets and a lot of items are out of stock. My main concern, and why I'm asking for advice on here is....... my disabled child will only eat McDonald's chicken nuggets. They have to be McDonald. Over the years ive tried tricking him with different types of nuggets and trust me for 5 years nothing has worked. Dietician and paediatrians have tried but unfortunately the doctors have said it will happen in time. My worry is McDonald's closing Down due to the coronavirus epidemic, or food not getting shipped from where ever they get it from. It's costs me 8.98 per day for 2x 20 chicken nuggets sharebox. I'm so low on money and now with schools shutting it's worse. I no they are giving vouchers or meals to help but in my situation, this will be no use..... I can't use vouchers at McDonald's and the school meal will be no use..... there's only 2 things he eats..... krave cereal by Kelloggs and McDonald's chicken nuggets..... The dietician he attends are shut and the shakes they provide he will not touch.... I've tried and will not work. Evan doctors and paediatricians are aware..... my questions are, does anybody know of a McDonald's that would let you buy a bag of frozen chicken nuggets?....... is this allowed?....... what will I do if they tempore shut...... how can I afford nuggets at 9 pound for 7 days? It would be cheaper buying frozen but unsure if your allowed..... please note I've never done this next question as it can be dangerous but could I buy and freeze them? I'm lost and so worried..... what can I do..... Thank you
Any advice will be great. I'm so lost
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Comments

  • newborn
    newborn Community member Posts: 832 Pioneering
    First, are you certain your children won't be among the ones still going to school,? Vulnerable  children,  and children  of essential workers,  were supposed to be kept at school .

    Next,  please take yourself off to the nearest McD, where you and your son must be well  known.  Explain exactly the  problem.  Of course, it is not their usual  procedure,  but  the manager  could either use his own  initiative,  or he could get approval from higher up.     If and when the shop closes,  for an indefinite period, they will  not want to  leave old stock on the premises.   They will quite probably  be instructed  to throw out anything in the freezer.   They will only have a problem if they sell it, not so much if they put it all ready to throw out, in a bag near the door, at just the moment you happen to be passing.

    Ideally,  get a note from your doctor.  You need  something  official,  backing up the fact your son cannot  eat alternative  foods. Ideally also, get advice from the autistic  charity. Is there a social worker who  knows  your son's problems? Can you contact  the dietician? And the paediatrician?
  • laura222
    laura222 Community member Posts: 84 Pioneering
    Hi @jbautismaware11. That's such a difficult situation, I understand you feeling so worried. Have you contacted McDonald's directly, perhaps via Facebook or Twitter messaging, to ask them whether you can purchase in bulk or freeze the nuggets?
  • jbautismaware11
    jbautismaware11 Community member Posts: 15 Connected
    I will try contact the manager at the nearest McDonald's again. I've already contacted the manager of my local restaurant but I've had no reply. Thank you 
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    edited March 2020
    Hello @jbautismaware11   Sorry to hear this about your situation.

    I am concerned as a member . When saying no food.  I would consider looking at AMAZON do have a delivery service next day most items except certain things.

    I know mentioned low income you would have to pay a sub monthly.

    Grocery and Pantry service.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk.

    I am on benefit use them for some the things too expensive in supermarkets.

    I aware of the problems your son has. I had a friend would insist eating eggs and chips at 3pm where ever we were.

    He had autism very difficult and not easy daily he never ate much, as a recipe king community chef on here .

    Been on AMAZON website do have butchers and retailers.

    Found a company called TONGMASTER.  who do a range of Southern Fried Chicken and seasonings.

    They based in Scotland.

    https://www.tongmaster.co.uk.

    Telephone 01236 884 815

    Talk  to them see how they can help you.  Might be useful make a batch to MacDonald's recipes.

    Just an idea send them to you.

    Also this might be worth talking to the organisation for Autism.

    https://www.autism.org.uk.

    Helpline 020 783 32 299

    Please have one more money advice service useful to see how they can help, advise and support you.

    https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk.

    Offer a lot of information for those on low incomes.

    Please if I can help with anything else.

    Do have a lot of experience dealing with those who have diet, nutrition problems anything I can suggest .

    Please get in touch

    @thespiceman



    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • Firefly123
    Firefly123 Community member Posts: 530 Pioneering
    One of mine is the same and like you by God I've tried McDonald's are only closing seated areas here you can still buy from the drive through.

  • jbautismaware11
    jbautismaware11 Community member Posts: 15 Connected
    My worry is if it stops serving, due to orders not getting transported. Self isolation with staff etc. He would have nothing to eat.... Thank you for replying and I'll just keep pestering McDonald's 
  • jbautismaware11
    jbautismaware11 Community member Posts: 15 Connected
    Thank you @thespiceman
    I will look into this. Thank you
  • jbautismaware11
    jbautismaware11 Community member Posts: 15 Connected
    @Firefly123
    I've tried for 5 years and it's not worked. So have health professionals but still no look. I was told, if he stops eating nuggets then he would after drink shakes but we tried this once and as u know already, it didn't work..... I don't know what I would do.... let's hope they don't close, and hopefully I can get somewhere with them. It's £63 every week and at this moment in time with people stock piling and leaving nothing, I'm using more money travelling on buses to go to several shops, to be left with no option to buy the most expensive things which results in me struggling to provide my son's McDonald's everyday.... this can't go on surely. I've been searching for 3 days now for krave cereal and luckily today I got 1 single box. 
  • jbautismaware11
    jbautismaware11 Community member Posts: 15 Connected
    @newborn
    Thanks for all advice given. I'm on with contacting McDonald's again. I didn't get anywhere the first time.
    And 
    In my town, schools are only taking children of keyworkers into school. Nobody else. I have documents stating he only eats McDonald's chicken nuggets everyday, from paediatrician and from his specialist dentist he attends. 
    I'm so worried but I will keep trying McDonald's. Thankyou
  • Firefly123
    Firefly123 Community member Posts: 530 Pioneering
    I have 3 young adults with autism and other complex needs and all only eat cerrtian food which is going to be a nightmare when we run out. So I totally understand the stress that your feeling.
    Im not sure if they would let you buy them frozen it's worth a try x

  • Firefly123
    Firefly123 Community member Posts: 530 Pioneering
    Also the government has announced all schools should provide either meals or vouchers for all schools kids who get free shool meals no idea if this apply to you but it's worth knowing. 
  • anisty
    anisty Community member Posts: 354 Pioneering
    I think mcdonalds takeaways are staying open. I have a similar situation with my son who practically lives on batchelors bacon flavour supernoodles. Luckily though he will eat a few other food like bread and cheese and plain pasta.

    Will he drink milk at all?  If he has milk on that cereal, that will be providing a lot of goodness.

    I dont know if your son will respond to a 'planting a seed in his mind'

    My son always says no first time but a few days later, sometimes he will say 'i will give it a try'

    So, if you are just upfront and say 'i cant get mcdonalds nuggets. Mcdonalds is closed. Take him and show him it is closed.

    Say you are cross and angry too. Get another brand. Or 2 other brands. See if he will try a taste test to see if they are any good.

    Play it cool. He will likely not agree to try but just keep calm, stick them in the freezer and he might well come round himself in time.  For my lad, short, simple and blunt spoken works best. He grumps, but then his brain processes the info and sometimes he does change his mind. After a few days. Takes a while.

    Set out the facts and let them sink in. He might surprise you



  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @jbautismaware11   Please if I can suggest and advise further.

    I know had past experience of this sorry to say the older autistic gentleman with no support in my community.

    Community isolated lonely no family since then met me at a support group.

    In any area I lived met gentlemen suffering from any illness or conditions or disability. Completely ignored by the community.

    Council support non caring or either taking advantage of the home they supposed to be cleaning or offering some care.

    Turn to me for help, support and anything else.

    I am as you see around the forum do lots of recipes easy ones.

    I used this to entice those with difficulties. I bought a slow cooker as I did then and still do to show friends who I met.

    With that used  the time to show slowly and patiently make simple foods and simple recipes.

    Scrambled Eggs in the microwave one such example .

    Use a toaster, use simple snacks make magic.

    Must add those with sensory and communication problems fascinating with the food processor.

    Add an Onion in the processor slicer attachment does all for you. My friend insisted would help me if he could switch on the button for the Onion slicer or switch the on button slow cooker.

    Called my Slow cooker recall now a memory to treasure the Magic Pot.

    As you put everything raw in to add stock switch it on, also mention do not touch be careful.

    Hours later a meal.

    One thing do know aversions to knives and heat and scared of some things but you can buy chopped up diced fresh or frozen veggies no chopping.

    I have a lot of these.

    Do simple things together.

    Cheese on toast, simple Pasta do that in the microwave.

    Pyrex dish casserole one handful Pasta .  Boiling water kettle to cover salt. Microwave three minutes.

    Add a homemade sauce here the trick .  Understand you can buy Southern Spice Chicken Seasoning.

    Add that to Chicken with Pasta, mention made this we did together.

    Use fun shapes many available cheaper on line, example being Fusilli, corkscrew Pasta .

    Rotelle, shaped like cart wheels, Farfalle. Butterfly Pasta.

    Different vegetables Pepper buy frozen, Squashes colourful, make fruit salad bags with a zip bag.

    Ask him to create, I done this with a young lad who aversion of fruit never ate any.

    Cut up Fruit not certain ones, know Apples may be problems or Oranges.

    Some children with autism sets off certain reactions.

    If he can eat those so be it good to know.

    Use others like Grapes, Nuts, Pears diced up make it with stimulating.

    Kiwi fruit anything like Peaches Nectarines 

    Buy frozen berries makes a smoothie with yoghurt he can put the frozen fruit in the blender put in yoghurt some honey and seal it up.

    Blitz it up.

    Add Milk and Porridge microwave simple one with frozen berries defrosted.  Add yoghurt honey tastes like  a fruit pudding.

    Blitz it up.  A pancake mix lots on line simple ones to that add berries fruit anything see what happens.

    All of these suggestions ideas have done with those like your son and other people with disabilities.

    There are course Family ones might not be available now current situations.

    Where the Community well being unit have family cooking sessions for disabled, ill or mentally ill or any condition.

    Done lots as they often used to ring me up to volunteer.

    Understand helped them a lot because have disability of hands, feet, mental illness and it does help seeing some like myself.

    Just good ordinary sausages he can make them as he squeezes the meat out shape them with clean hands things have done with many children.

    Instant meatballs first time done this lots of laughter and smiles.

    Beef burgers and Patties, Pizzas  all supervision with parents in conjunction with.

    Home made sauce not jars can be useful.

    Sauce is simple blender and Passata, Spice mixes herb mixes many have Onions seasonings added. Can add hidden veggies.

    One family I did help there son hated Broccoli, Carrots but blended up in sauces, asked him to press the button.

    With me in attendance and family found it wonderful he had no idea.

    Hope if you need any thing please ask me happy to be supportive.


    @thespiceman


    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • newborn
    newborn Community member Posts: 832 Pioneering
    Those in power, making plans for everyone,  always forget one size doesn't  fit all.  Today the announcement  is that within weeks,  those unable to get any food , but having  one of the ticknox list of conditions,  will be given food parcels, arranged through social services and the army.

    Call  me cynical.  How do people  survive until the system  gets going?
    How do people survive  if they can't get food, but don't tick rhe box?
    Is there the slightest chance the one size fits all parcel will fit all?

    (Most hospital food is thrownaway uneaten,  because people simply cannot eat it. Either it's stuff which turns their stomach, or it triggers traunatic gut response, or it's effectively pigswill, because management insists on producing  a fixed number of plabtefuls, for the lowest budget, knowing most is not feeding  patients, only dustbins.  The dogma of everything 'free', like it or not, leads to thenm refusing alternative methods to get food, apart from people with relatives bringing in suitable nourishment.  For isolated people,  who are a large proportion of the population,  then starvation is the state enforced punishment for not having a staff of nearby  family members)

  • newborn
    newborn Community member Posts: 832 Pioneering
    A new cruelty is shown  by someone whose wife is in hospital dying. Corona means he cannot visit,  cannot therefore bring what she can still find appetising,  and cannot patiently  feed her. He also  cannot go and do the kindness  of speaking  to  the large numbers of patients  with no visitors 
  • newborn
    newborn Community member Posts: 832 Pioneering
    Posted  too soon. Was going to add of course  it's  understandable the hospital is closed to relatives, but even  in ordinary times, it shows the need  for nhs to have more flexibility,  not assume one size fits all
  • anisty
    anisty Community member Posts: 354 Pioneering
    How are you getting on, @jbautismaware11? Will you be queuing for the last nugget takeaways tomorrow?
  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,586 Disability Gamechanger
    I've just heard McDonalds will be closing now. :( 

    This might be a daft question but do you leave the nuggets in the packaging or do you plate them up?  Does your son see you get them?  I'm just wondering if you could get a load of nugget boxes from your local branch today and then secretly put some other supermarket nuggets in those boxes each meal time?  

    I was (and still am!) a very fussy eater and wouldn't try anything new, and knew instantly if it was a brand changed or whatever, so I do feel for both of you with this!
  • laura222
    laura222 Community member Posts: 84 Pioneering
    Hi @jbautismaware11, how are things going for you and your son?
  • jbautismaware11
    jbautismaware11 Community member Posts: 15 Connected
    @anisty @laura222 @OverlyAnxious thanks for asking guys. Well I tried absolutely everything. I contacted head office of McDonald's, 3 of my local stores, wrote emails to customer services and I got nothing.... no help what so ever. So I'm going to ring my doctors if there working and get some shakes but I can guarantee you all now, this will not happen. He eats nuggets and krave cereal, nothing else but it's going to be so hard explaining and getting through to him that krave cereals now maybe breakfast dinner and tea. I appreciate all your support and kindness on trying to help me. Just wish I would of had more time to push things further. Oh well, I'll soldier on and continue to do my best. I was on Twitter and typed both #McDonald'suk and #autism.... together, and the amount of mum's begging for them to help them and none of us got anything. I cried reading the desperation on Twitter off mum's. We all suffered today but hopefully we can all get through it but tbh I don't see it. Your an amazing community and tried your best to help and give advice and I'm very grateful. X

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