An Aussie mum has slammed her son's teacher after she sent a note complaining about his lunch box.
The mother-of-two said she was left "absolutely fuming" by the teacher's request that her six-year-old son eat more fruit and less dry foods.
In a lengthy online post, she explained that her boy has sensory issues and is on the autistic spectrum so is a "picky eater" like many other children with similar conditions.
However, she said despite the teacher knowing about her son's condition, she still had the "audacity" to tell her his lunch "isn't healthy enough".
"Today his teacher told him that he needs to eat more fruit and vegetables and that his lunches contain too many dry biscuit options," the mum told the more than 168,000 members of the Facebook group Lunch box Ideas Australia.
"I am absolutely fuming at her unprofessional behaviour and lack of compassion and understanding toward my son's disability."
To accompany her post, she shared a bunch of images that show exactly the foods she packed inside his lunch box which include a banana, strawberries, vanilla yoghurt, fruit juice, ham roll, dry noodles and pretzels.
She went on to ask members of the group to share some vegetable alternatives after having tried "everything imaginable", as well as hours of occupational therapy, to encourage her son to eat a wider variety of foods.
"Unfortunately we have been unsuccessful," she said.
"I accept that this is a part of autism but would love to hear from some parents out there who are currently experiencing the same difficulty with this issue."
She shared a variety of images that showed what she packs him including yoghurt, ham and various dry biscuits. Photo / Lunchbox Ideas Australia
Fellow parents immediately jumped to her defence with on mum who also has a son with ASD and autism, saying when she tried to follow teachers' instructions her son "stopped eating at school altogether".
"Now they understand food is better than no food," she added.
Another mum was baffled by the teacher's "unhealthy" comment.
"What does she even mean that it's not healthy enough? There's fruit, yoghurt, various meat components, bread and wraps. I don't understand," she wrote.
Others became furious that some teachers "dictate" what a student should eat.
"I'm sorry, but when did it become normal for teachers to be able to dictate to parents what their children can and can't eat? (I understand when it comes to food allergies at the school though.)"
One teacher also commented agreeing that boy's teacher had no right to criticise his lunch.
"I'm a teacher and my son is a fussy eater. I'm so sorry your son's teacher has behaved this way," they commented.
"If she is aware of your son's needs, she has behaved in an extremely unprofessional manner. "To make a comment like that to any student is wrong."
In a lengthy Facebook post she explained her son has sensory issues and is on the autistic spectrum so is a 'picky eater' like many other children with similar conditions. Photo / Lunchbox Ideas Australia
A special needs assistant said she would be happy as long as the boy eats some of what the mum had packed.
"In regards to the child's disability if I was aware on what type of food they eat I wouldn't force other kind if food they won't eat and encourage the plain food that they prefer."
However, others came to the teacher's defence noting there were seven or eight "sometimes" foods in each lunch box.
"Deli meat is high in salt, fruit juice is high in sugar, fruit cups have added fruit juice and sugars, crackers and crisps and all of those dry biscuits are still snacks, lollies are lollies whether they're fat free marshmallows or fruit juice strings," one mum argued.
"These lunch boxes are a testament to the fact that the average parent these days has no idea what the word healthy means and it's vital for teachers to improve our education in regards to diet," she continued.
"Can you point out to me where the 'health food triangle for autistic persons' is? There isn't one? Oh that's because what is healthy for one child is the same as what is healthy for another, the only exception to that is age, gender and allergies," another said.
Another mum with a six-year-old "with the same diagnosis" shared her tips.
"I make slices and cakes with vegetables in them. He has no idea. His favourite is ginger cake which consists of about 80 per cent white sweet potato," she wrote.
"I also make a chocolate cake which he loves which uses carrots, beetroot and zucchini- again, absolutely no idea. I pulse it in the food processor so it's absolutely smooth."
