Educating our students’ families about proper nutrition is essential for their children’s health.

Neurodivergent children’s nutrition has become a significant focus at Taarana School, mainly as we’ve observed an increasing number of students bringing unhealthy snacks, such as chips, sugary treats, and foods high in salt and MSG.

To address this, we initiated a discussion with parents and caregivers to emphasise the importance of proper nutrition for our neurodivergent students.

Last month, Taarana School was honoured to host Ms Lau Wai Hong, senior manager of the Dietetics Department at Sunway Medical Centre.

During the session, Lau emphasised the critical role of a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins in supporting the development and well-being of children.

Challenges for Neurodivergent Children

She also shared practical strategies for dealing with picky eaters at home, including how to differentiate between sensory or behavioural eating issues and more severe conditions like Pseudodysphagia, an irrational fear of swallowing or choking.

“Educating our students’ families about proper nutrition is essential for their children’s health. We are deeply grateful to Ms Lau for sharing her invaluable expertise and empowering our community to make healthier choices,” said Taarana Principal Dr Sunitha Sivakumaran.

The session was highly interactive, with many parents and caregivers seeking advice on their children’s eating habits and methods to overcome feeding challenges.

The positive feedback from participants has encouraged us to organise more sessions like this in the future, continuing our commitment to enhancing our students’ health and well-being.