Author: autismplusmoreblog

Interesting. I can look back and see a couple autistic signs from birth BUT he kept getting sick at his pediatrician’s office and by 18months I moved him to a regular PCP. He had had several ear infections and respiratory infections and the ear infection at around 9 months seemed to really change him – he couldn’t get “well” and around 2 years old had 2 severe bouts of RSV – I try to stay away from antibotics since I’ve worked on a more holistic management with my son.  I do think that vaccines were also a contributing factor being that his immune system was not up to par and POSSIBLY had autoimmune issues which are never tested for prior to vaccines.

This video really hit home.  So much truth to this, as a parent of a severely autistic child, I quit living in the “what could be” the “one in a million” and started living in “reality” our “reality” and life is what it is. Yes he’s made massive improvements and progress, but it doesn’t stop time, it doesn’t stop his “needs” which are a lot. Most parents think about the “last time” My “last time” in reality with my son is when I die. I pray for independence but I live in reality. I am truly preparing my son for a life under my roof, until I can no longer care for him or until I die. Most parents prepare their kids for a life without them. This is some harsh realities. This is not looking for empathy or sympathy but it’s real. The spectrum is broad. Hollywood only reveals high functioning spectrum disorders – it doesn’t share the real life severe autism and lower functioning autism. I am grateful for each day. Tyler has made me a better person, a more compassionate and understanding person but it doesn’t change who he is. I don’t give up hope for independence, but I live and prepare for reality. You see me constantly sharing Tyler’s improvements because he’s already achieve milestones that I was told would probably never happen, but we have so far to go. Tyler’s time is different than society time. Autism is different for so many families.

When I quit smoking 5 years ago and went through the change of life, my body fell apart. I am putting it back together even though all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
YLEO NINGXIA RED (Powerful Antioxidant Drink, YLEO Supplements, Chemical free cleaning in my home (Thieves Household Cleaner). YLEO Oral Care. We use Aluminum Free deodorant. I make our body soap and laundry soap. We us chemical free shampoo and I began eating a ketogenic diet. The toxin removal from my life have helped me on the path to wellness restoration.

I need to be as healthy as possible for Tyler as long as possible. Tyler and I each of a wellness journey 🙂

Young Living has so many options for health and wellness you are able to create your individual needs for your own personal journey – it’s definitely not a 1 size fits all! Until I started on my YL journey, I honestly never realized the amount of toxins were in my home and that I put in my body. I also can’t get over the money I save by making our own products and using natural products (you definitely don’t need as much when they are natural) and the THHC is so concentration it lasts a long time.  I just didn’t realize how the toxins affected both of us.
Begin your journey today. http://www.myyl.com/cathycrate1

I am wiped out and SOOOOOO PROUD of Tyler!!!!! First it was the dentist. Then it was the attempt to get his State I.D. – so we went to the Webster location and they were PACKED and the staff was very inconsiderate – I am going to chock that up to them having a bad day, but God was in control….. we go to the Pasadena office, they person was so sweet and kind and when I told her that Tyler was Autistic, she said, her, let me give you a different ticket and you go stand in line, we did, 3 people later we were at the counter. Well I FORGOT my utility bills for proof of residency sitting on my desk so we had no choice but to leave an come back – She told me to use the same #, just walk in and come get back in line. We come home, eat lunch and go back. I reviewed all my paperwork to make sure I had everything! We go back, get back in line go through the whole process, finger prints, scan, Tyler writing his name on the lines, etc and they notice and then I notice that Tyler’s doctor didn’t complete his medial ID # on the form WHAAAATTT – how could I missed that! So YES I could call, but guess what it was 5 minutes until 12:00 – yep you guessed it answering service on until 130 – geez – so we head back to the truck to wait, yes wait, at this point I am getting frustrated but only at myself, and I pulled out the Bottle of Stress Away I keep in my purse and Tyler said “Do you need to calm down?” I said “yes, Mom made a mistake and I am little frustrated at myself” he said o.k. I asked if I could rub some on his neck and he said “sure” and went back to playing with the games on the kindle and alternating with his spinner. God is still in control, this I know and I am seeing it in action. At 130 the doctor’s office answers, I get what I need and we go back in for a 3rd time (Tyler never complaining or misbehaving) we complete the process and we are outta there and back home by about 230. (We still have tutoring to go to today LOL) He was UNBELIEVABLE cooperative today, all the back and forth, in a strange and busy facility and cooperating with instructions, including standing appropriately for pictures, taking finger prints and signing his name! Not 1 meltdown through all this (and we know what the moon is like right now!) We go through today without one mention of a “reward” (I would’ve used, I will get you ice cream, etc if I needed) but I DID NOT need to reinforce today with reward I AM THRILLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEDDDDDD about this. God’s hand in this was 1) we needed to be at the Pasadena office not the Webster off for all the bumps we were getting ready to encounter 2) helping us both stay calm 3) each time we entered the facility, the crowd was a little less and 4) The staff (we had 2 different ladies) were amazing with him and the “greeter” was just precious and spoke in such a kind gentle way. God knew where I needed to be to get this done!
I am sooooooooo grateful for the progress Tyler has made with the YL regimen. His regimen helps support so many areas for Tyler. Chemical free living inside our home has truly helped with developing brain. The supplements target various areas of Tyler’s neurological, digestive and immune support systems. The oils in addition to many other things have been a life saver in the calming and focus ends of things. I’ve been YL for about 4 years and he’s been using the product for a little over 2 years. It’s not just 1 thing, it’s definitely a combination of the items I am using. I have incorporated slowly and I am not done yet, I am moving forward in my plan!!!!

I pray that he and I don’t have days like this frequently because I would not want to push that envelope that intensely all the time, but when it’s a “necessity” and not an “option” sometimes we just have to buckle down and take the ride – this time the ride was a successful one! Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I am counting my blessing for today!

#Godisincontrol #yleo #progressnotperfection #autismdifferentnotless #ningxiared #mindwise #mineralessence #superB #sulfurzyme #multigreens #calmingblends #stressaway #stateid #todaywasablessing #patience #soproud

I often speak of Tyler’s improvements in relation to his speech, anxiety, and sensory issues. But I also realized something this weekend after making a list for Tyler’s doctor of the “foods he eats”
When learning of his diagnosis back in 2008, I really jumped on the bandwagon of the GF/CF diet and after doing further research removed things like yeast, HFCS and soy.
Now, when you have a child with sensory issues and autism, restricting what little foods they already like to eat can be difficult. But I did. Several years ago, this was Tyler’s basic diet: Fritos, Tostitos, Yogurt, French Fries. That was his staple.

When the taste improvements of gluten free foods, I was able to incorporate pizza and spaghetti but not without some struggle.

I was making that list and was very surprised how over time and the way I approached the serving of the food how much his diet has improved. When I say the way I approach things, I will put stuff in the spaghetti sauce or throw it in a taco shell. I still use GF bread and wraps. HE does go off dietary restrictions and because his diet is more restrictive in the home environment, I don’t fret so much when he’s off the restriction outside the home. I also incorporate using JuvaFlex Vitality Essential Oil when he does eat off restriction to help cleanse the liver and digestive system.

He will now eat without resistance:
Meats/proteins: Eggs (prefers on a sandwich or in a wrap), Bacon (I use sugar free & nitrate free bacon), breakfast sausage, bratwurst sausage, chicken meat & turkey meat (I normally bake or cook up to use in tacos or spaghetti), the little beanie weenies (not often), smoked sausage (not often) steak (at times) hamburger meat. GF, nitrate free hotdogs and lunchmeat (nitrate free), ham (and will eat it the way I make it w/o the brown sugar glaze), he will nibble on pork roast and chuck roast. Chicken strips and chicken nuggets.

Vegetables: He will eat Romaine, Green Leaf, Red Leaf & Iceberg lettuce (I seldom buy ice burg lettuce) he will eat tomatoes in small amounts, but loves cucumbers and carrots. He will eat a salad with no dressing on it! He eats fresh spinach leaves almost daily. I can put frozen kale or spinach in spaghetti sauce (I do watch my brands buying ones with very little sugar) He will eat zucchini when I make it as a lasagna and he now eats homemade French fries instead of frozen. He will eat tater tots if I am cooking with them.

Fruits: Bananas, green grapes, apples, oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries.

I am not a fan of dairy products, but he will now eat cheese, including goat cheese (which I prefer to use for him – when making lasagna) – he doesn’t really care for yogurts anymore and I am ok with that.

He will eat gf bread and wraps and crunchy taco shells, still eats Tostitos and Fritos. I use GF hot dog buns.

He likes mustard and ketchup on his burger and most of the time will eat his fries without ketchup. (I really limit ketchup intake) he will eat mayo but it’s not his first choice (thank goodness).

He will drink unsweetened vanilla coconut milk. He drinks water (plain and flavored with YL vitality brand of essential oils ) and Powerade zero (one of my next things to phase out) and he now drinks herbal teas (chamomile tea at night). He also drinks Bone Broth and Ningxia Red.
Of course he likes junk food, cakes, cookies, donuts, sodas, candy, gum, popcorn, and things like this. I normally won’t have these in the home, so when he’s outside the home, a party a school, buying his lunch in the cafeteria on Fridays, at someone’s house, I don’t fight him on these things. If they are in the home, I just limit the amount he gets. He will eat pigs in a blanket and these amazing chicken cups. As much as I don’t like too either, I will use these “junky” foods as rewards (with Autism, sometimes you just do what you have to do)

I occasionally buy him donuts, especially if he is helping me at the grocery store. He get Taco Bell (yuk lol) on Thursdays and he gets another choice on Sunday after church (and that will include a vanilla shake). In doing these things I don’t Supersize or get the largest of the meals. (Mondays there is always JuvaFlex vitality in the daily capsule blend)
I make a couple of casseroles, both using tater tots and one using cream of mushroom soup and the other a garlic alfredo sauce (he loves both of these casserolles)

One other thing, as things improve in the communication and sensory area – he’s more apt to “try” something and will verbally express if he likes or does not like the way it tastes. I reassure him that he does not have to like everything he tastes. This is a big big big improvements.
#yleo #progressnotperfection #onestepatatime #nutritionisimportant #takeyourtime