Texture - and predictability

Chewing for comfort

Chewing is a stim that can be really comforting for people with autism.  My child is an aggressive chewer and this mostly happens during times of stress (these can be cumulative) or when listening to an audio book during an exciting or worrying part.  I have had trouble sourcing chewable things that hang from the neck that can cope with the level of chewing!  There are some great foods that provide a good chew, for example: apples are crunchy, dried apricots are chewy.

Consistency

On making a list of the meals consumed in our house, I realise there is a constant: not-quite-mush.  That lovely soft texture but comprising distinct elements (although maybe porridge is mush).

There are no surprises in texture e.g. hard bits aren't mixed with soft bits.

Meat

Meat can be really quite chewy but in a bad fibrous kind of way that is completely unappealing when someone has been chewing it like a cow chews cud.  I like to think I cook reasonably well but it is hard to get meat in that perfect state of softness.  A rotisserie chicken from the shops, mince cooked for ages, ...?