10-11-10

Today was a great day. I was at therapy with my son today and we were sitting in the waiting room when a little 4 year old boy was trying to make his exit. I was taken back in time...it was so surreal. I was looking at my life 2 years ago. He was bouncing all over, hard to control, not listening, ramming into things, running away from the therapist and his mother, all with a glazed over look in his eyes. WOW. It made me so happy for how far we have come. Yes, we still have some of these challenges, but most days he could blend into a crowd of kids.

Over the past 3 weeks my son has taken public swimming lessons, with no accommodations. His teacher doesn't even know of his disabilities. This is what I have been waiting for. He loves swimming and is quite energetic but he is following the rules, listening to his teacher and loving every minute of it. What a difference from a year ago.

NAET

We have taken my son to this NAET doctor for about 2 months now. We have eliminated successfully; gluten, dairy, b vitamin, and other things. I have noticed an increase in his verbal communication, better sentence structure, less tantrums, and he is able to communicate with his peers better. Yesterday at the park he went up to a boy about his age, asked him his name and began playing with him. They played without fighting, or any parental interference for over a half an hour. He then came over to me and said, "Mom, I have a new friend. His name is Jack!"and went back to play with him.

On a down note...he buried his shoes in the sand and they are gone, gone. I guess it is nice that it's time to buy winter shoes. I am very much enjoying all the growth and change I see in my little guy!!

b-12 update

We ended up stopping the b-12 shots for now. He was having a little skin irritation and diarrhea. I wasn't noticing any improvement. We consulted with his doctor and we may try again later but we decided to get the gut back on track and then see.

Ups and Downs

One thing that I wish I would remember, is that as I work with my 4 year old Asperger's son, is that every one has ups and downs. We have had a couple of long months. We have been off gluten for almost a year now, but every now and then he will get away from me and help himself to something. Most of the time it is when I am baking for others and I just walk away for a minute. I need to learn. But I tend to forget and then end up being mad at myself for a couple of days. I notice the effects of gluten in his system for 4-5 days. It can be miserable.

We have been working with an Allergy Elimination Doctor (NAET) to see if we can help our son. I have been a little skeptical but I think I am noticing a difference. The other day my son asked me " Mom, what does danger mean?" and " What is fire?" This is such a big deal. I just had to smile. It is so fun to hear him talk as we drive and point out the things he sees. It is usually silent with these kids. I love all the progress we are making and the new and exciting things that await us.

I get really scared for school to start. We had a little party at our house with friends. The kids were all playing outside and they let my 4 year old out front and then shut the gate. Who knows how long he had been out there by himself. I am so glad nothing happened. A little while later all the kids were inside except for my son. So, I went out to find him. He was in the window well and the cover had been replaced. He was yelling, "help me out of here!" I was sick. I am not sure what I am to do. I know that these kids love my son and were just playing. He is even a willing participant most of the time. He just doesn't know better. I just wish I knew what I could do to ensure he is safe when he is out in the world. I guess that is every parents wish for every child. I know I can't protect him forever, I will just have to keep trying to teach him all I can. I am glad they grow a little at a time, even though it seems really fast.

Smoothies!!

I love smoothies and therefore give them to my kids. Today's was:
Carrots
Spinach
Pears
Strawberries
Blueberries
V8 Splash juice
Delicious. I love them mostly because I can sneak in all the things the won't eat, ie veggies. I also add a super EFA oil and all their other supplements. I love to experiment. My husband even said it tasted good. I rarely get his approval on my experiments, so it must be a good one!

B-12 Shots

We started giving my son B-12 shots three times a week. It has been easier than I thought giving them up to this point, but he has started to understand that I am giving him a shot and does not like it. It could be interesting from here on out. I haven't notice a huge difference as of yet.

NAET

I have heard of Allergy Elimination for a while now, from many different sources. I am very interested in this. My son is allergic or sensitive to so many things. To list a few: gluten, casein, soy, corn, nuts, and oh so many more. It seems there are more foods he can't have than he can. I am learning a variety of ways to substitute and mostly enjoying the process. We I have the time it is fun to make a new recipe and have it taste good. But I am potty training 2 and I have a infant, life is so busy it would be nice to not have to do so much in the food department. I decided to give this NAET a try with my son. First treatment went so well. He cooperated well with the doctor and he was able to test for 30 or so things. It never ceases to amaze me when he acts so normal...it used to be a guaranteed challenge for everything but it has become less and less with all the stuff we are doing. (mostly diet, therapy, and supplements) It has been a week since the evaluation and 1st treatment and there was no notable change in his behavior this week. (stay tuned for weekly updates on his treatment , I have seen huge improvements in my 6 month old sons reflux using NAET)