My son goes for his favorites too.Hes getting bigger, but luckily he can still fit in a cart.If I didnt have a dog already I would get a service dog.I cant help you much on the candy thing its my sons biggest motivator, so I usually give in and put some up.

Well, this is tough. Me personally I first thing get Sean something whatever if we are at Target its popcorn and a soda. He will be good for me the entire time. I look at it as a reward for him for being good at the store. At the supermarket I get him one of those big pickels at the deli, he loves them and they take a long time to eat. Good luck. Denise

make it is reward, if he lets you get all the groceries on the counter and lets the cashier get them all bagged and ready to go without a scene, he gets ONE piece of candy, but only if he is a good boy :) if he doesnt then do not give in, tell him next time if he is good while waiting for you to finish he will get his reward.

You should try taking him on short trips to the market, then slowly escalate the time you spend there. Our kids just get overly stimulated in grocery stores. This is advice straight from my ABA therapist.

my daughter usally behaves ok for the grocery store but she still has her moments....heres what I do.....I always make sure she has had a snack and been to the bathroom beforehand.
I let her hold the coupons/list which gives her a job to do....we may buy one treat to share ...which can be put back if she starts acting ugly...she's 8 1/2 , has aspergers...usaully have no big problems from her....if we go to the big box stores daddy comes too, he helps keep her entertained...they go look at the fish(pets)
another suggestion would be to go early in the day...stores aren't as crowded, clerks are more helpful too......anyways my two cents !!

Automatically say, he's Autistic and his understanding of why he can't have his craving is because of the comprehension deficit...

Kris

I had this problem when Jordan was little. As far as he was concerned (or cared!) the grocery store was where you went to get pepsi.
I used to make him pictorial lists. He loves lists, always has, its one of his obsessive things. I'd have a shoe box of common things cut from catalogues and whenever we went to the shop I'd stickytape a list of things to a sheet of card for him. As we went around the shop he'd tick things off his list as we put them in the trolley - kept him calm and focussed and reminded himw hat we were really there for.

involve him in the process. Selecting fruit, finding specific items etc. Keep it short at first and slowly build up the time and Patience and Persistance. Was hard at first for us and now he's a gem - with the odd exception.

ive tackled this one.
Okay... melt down in the store because he can not have what he wants, because you said no,
well... ya know what i did.
I let steven have his meltdown and waited it out right there in the middle of the store at the check out stand where ever.
I stood my ground.
He is great now in the store.
So maybe thats what you have to do.
Distance yourself enough that he can not drag you down. Go early morning, no one is hardly there. You can just go to get 2 items and it can be a teaching thing you choose to do. rather than shopping. make sense?
that way your ready for the battle you already know is going to happen. and you will win it and he will learn that his behavior wont get him much. and a reward when he is doing the right thing.
sounds harsh? I hope not. but these kids get bigger and we have have have to teach them when they are young that No means No,
trust me you'll be glad you did!

i know you want a good experiance with it and no stares, but he has a few things to learn first.
so remind yourself its a teaching time and it will work,
if people stare who cares ya know? They still stare at steven im too busy with him, to care anymore.
when he did have the meltdowns in the store, people stared of course, but i was also then too concerned with his safety then thier stares.
people will stare anyways.
i hope this helps you really i do because i was there too!

I always have snacks and drinks with me and usually at the baslery they will give a cookie to the kids. Nathan asks for a cookie from the moment he gets in the store and we usually hit the bakery area last so he can eat his cookie during the last of the trip.