Charlie has lost most of his aggressive behaviors. He has become a sweet, sensitive, social, gentle kid. We are thrilled. He rarely becomes aggressive with other kids. I can finally sit down when we are at playgrounds and relax. The next challenge is helping him navigate the complex rules of friendships. Lately he has been getting upset with other kids exclude him, or won't play with him. He'll also get upset if he can't run fast enough or keep up with older ones. He also comes on too strong, he'll hug other kids when they aren't really into it.
He's making friends though. He's initiating and sustaining play. This week he played an entire afternoon with another boy, doing things like pretending to go on airplane rides, pretending to be cats and playing hide and seek. The other mom was just as thrilled as I was at the duration and quality of play the boys were having.
I'm amazed by how far he's come in one year. The combo of biomedical treatments, excellent preschool and occupational and behavioral therapy have turned this kid around. I can't wait to see how much he's improved in another year. Feb 2013!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Social Skills
This fall Surrey Place received millions of dollars in funding to expand services to kids who have moderate to mild autism. Charlie now qualifies to attend this excellent facility!! He's in a social skills group with 6 other boys his age (4-6) who are higher functioning. He loves this class. They have a marble run and trains, and other boys who share the same interest. He asks to go everyday! We are thrilled that this service came along at the right time. They also offer classes on advanced social skills (how to deal with bullying) and also daily life skills (handling money).
Dan, Clara and I enjoyed a dinner out while Charlie was in class. This will be the closest we get to a 'date' for now.
Dan, Clara and I enjoyed a dinner out while Charlie was in class. This will be the closest we get to a 'date' for now.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Specific Carbohydrate Diet
Before Christmas I had hit a plateau in Charlie's treatments. Despite being organic, Feingold and gfcf since Feb and giving him all the recommended enzymes, probiotics and supplements, his gut issues were not goof away.
The only treatment left was to try the specific carbohydrate diet. This diet was designed by a dr. Haas and popularized by a university of western on researcher named Elaine gottschal. The diet was originally designed for people with crohns, colitis, IBS etc. However since around 2005 it has been used in the autism community with amazing success. The theory behind the diet is that an inflamed illeum, or lower intestine cannot digest disaccharides, or molecules with two sugar groups. So undigested lactose from milk, sucrose from refined sugar and maltose from grains gets fermented by yeast and yeast overgrowth is responsible for g.I. Disorders.
In order to transition to the diet I had to cook 3 meals a day. Also had to say goodbye to white and brown sugar, and say hello to honey. Goodbye to all the gluten free flours, baking mixes and crackers, cookies and pretzels that were costing us a fortune and hello to baking with almond flour from scratch. I made almond flour muffins and cookies and used it to bread fish and put in meatballs.
After a month on this diet full of organic fruits, veg, meat , eggs and fish, nuts and seeds and healthy oils. My son has lost all of his intestinal symptoms. No more gloating, gas. His.
bowel movements are perfect, healthy. He has finally toilet trained!
I wish I had of done it sooner, but very glad that it worked.
The only treatment left was to try the specific carbohydrate diet. This diet was designed by a dr. Haas and popularized by a university of western on researcher named Elaine gottschal. The diet was originally designed for people with crohns, colitis, IBS etc. However since around 2005 it has been used in the autism community with amazing success. The theory behind the diet is that an inflamed illeum, or lower intestine cannot digest disaccharides, or molecules with two sugar groups. So undigested lactose from milk, sucrose from refined sugar and maltose from grains gets fermented by yeast and yeast overgrowth is responsible for g.I. Disorders.
In order to transition to the diet I had to cook 3 meals a day. Also had to say goodbye to white and brown sugar, and say hello to honey. Goodbye to all the gluten free flours, baking mixes and crackers, cookies and pretzels that were costing us a fortune and hello to baking with almond flour from scratch. I made almond flour muffins and cookies and used it to bread fish and put in meatballs.
After a month on this diet full of organic fruits, veg, meat , eggs and fish, nuts and seeds and healthy oils. My son has lost all of his intestinal symptoms. No more gloating, gas. His.
bowel movements are perfect, healthy. He has finally toilet trained!
I wish I had of done it sooner, but very glad that it worked.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)