is being hungry a big problem?

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Does anyone know about food issues associated with Asperger's...I mean being hungry. My son was hungry the other day, and told us he was hungry, but lunch wasn't for another hour and he let it slide. But then about 10 minutes before lunch was going to be served, there was a conflict about something unrelated, he got stressed, and he suddenly started screaming that he was really hungry and why wouldn't anyone give him something to eat? He was getting hysterical, so even though the food was only 10 minutes away, I gave him a small bowl of cereal to tide him over. It calmed him down very quickly.

My mother in law was doing the cooking, and being an old-school parent doesn't believe in Asperger's. She's pissed off as it is that we think our son has it. Later on, she yelled at my wife later in private, saying I was being too soft on the boy. That I just caved in, and that we'll ruin him this way.

I realize she's from a different era and all, so it's annoying as hell, but I don't totally blame her attitude.

I'm just wondering if being hungry can be a bigger problem for aspies than others. For chemical, or psychological reasons. Or basically, do any of you out there experience something like that? My son looked really scared, or confused by the feeling.

that old school attitude can be a pain.

as for food issues, that is a good question,
i remember when i was younger having snacks out of boredom rather then hunger ( a common practice).

edit: all previous text removed (frustrated at this slow connection, messed up the broswer tabs ended up posting something here that was meant to be somewhere else)

Now, to me it's like this, i've always felt hungry, can't think of a moment in my life when i was not hungry, most of the times i eat just cause it's the "meal" and try not to take more than required -_- other times i only stop eating when i feel like i'm bout to explode inside, but i don't think that any of that has anything to do with asperger's (at least i don't think that in my case it is associated)

Another thing is, depending on age, coping with one's self, and lots other variants, people react differently when their "will" or "needs" are thwarted, talking about myself, i do get frustated / angy / sad / deceptioned when things don't work out as i planned / foresaw / wished. With younger kids it may become a lil bit harder.

(All above is just my view of things, just trying to help)

yeah, if i'm hungry it's like a blood sugar crash or something and i just need to get something into my stomach, that will keep me going until 'meal times'. I don't eat breakfast unless i've got something fairly major to deal with mid morning, so...yeah, i prefer to eat in response to hunger rather than eat at fixed meal times.

hunger is an interesting thing.

I would have given the kid a little snack. Hunger and tiredness are the worst triggers for behavior problems in kids, esp. aspie kids. It's hard to be patient and plan ahead that a meal is coming when you have poor executive function (the ability to plan and organize.)

Today not.

As a child there was a clear time to eat, so I was used to have dinner every day a 19h00. This was a fixed time and except in unusually circumstances I always could rely on this. Perhaps it is an idea to introduce fixed time for the meals so he could adjust himself.

Not for me, usually. I actually forget to eat sometimes, and so I wind up drinking coffee and water throughout the day, until I have dinner around 7:30pm. The only time I really start fiending for food is when my stomach is audibly rumbling and telling me to fill it, but I don't get agitated over it or anything.

Yes, of course it's a problem.

For myself, I always prefer home cooked (I'm doing it myself) which I always enjoy more than fast foods (boycott!) or other similiar food substants which often makes the body hungrier a lot faster between meals.

I don't remember having problems when I was a kid because mom always made sure we ate three times a day with lots of stuff to snack on. And boy, did we snack.

But it happens to me as an adult, when I haven't had a solid meal yet. I can get panicky, and may need to buy something I can eat on the way home from the grocery store (e.g. deli sandwich with meat), instead of waiting until I'm home. For me it's protein that seems to matter the most, so more protein in the previous meal might help your son get through to the next meal more easily. It does seem to keep me more stable for longer.

low blood sugar and tiredness always make me awnry. probably all it is... stress.

Being hungry is a bigger problem for me than most. Even as a child, I had to have accomodations at school to prevent me going hungry too long.

As an adult, I get hunger crashes every day. Symptoms include confusion, drowsiness, muscle weakness, and trembling. I've just stirred from a larger than average crash, which had me incapacitated (i.e. asleep) for the last 2 1/2 hours, and now have to catch up on what I was supposed to be doing.