autismplusmoreblog

December 17, 2012 – finally decided to try medication

I’ve been struggling with the fact of putting Manimal on medication after his incidents this past March. I’ve sought the guidance from his behavorial psychologist along with his psychiatrist and after attempting 1 medication and it was such a disaster and caused so much regression, I was more hesitant than ever. I attempted some alternative produc…ts, which I absolutely loved, but they are very costly and due to location and costs I can’t seek the guidance from the doctor that works with the products. Other natural products, have worked, but not for long. So after the disaster of regression, I spent two months working on getting him back to a starting point, because Manimal’s behavior and extreme pattern setting just got out of control. The cost of ABA therapy is so expensive and even though the psychiatrist recommended it, he’s “aged out” for the services I could receive under insurance (ages 3-8). So I began learning about ABA (a lot of which I already apply with him) checked out materials from the school’s autism library and began training myself. There is still a couple of things I will be doing bio-medically in the future but I have to get this in place first (one step at a time)

After a third psychiatry visit, lots of notes from his teacher and lots of notes from myself and lots of research on the medication suggestions, lots of prayer, additional discussions with the psychiatrist, I agreed to try Resperidone (Respirdal). She did however encourage me to maintain the dietary restrictions that I have in place for him and his vitamin regimen since those have brought him this far to the best that I can Tyler has been and will remain (GF/CF (improved eye contact and starting speaking), yeast free (yeast causes aggression), HFCS free (contains mercury), aspartame free (affects neurological development), refined sugar free (sugar weakens the immune system among other things), caffiene free (does not need additional energy). His vitamin regiment is multi-vitamins, immune system vitamins, omega 3’s and probiotics. We will continue with OT and Speech at school and OT and speech out of school. I go Wednesday for training on the 5 point emotion scale which will be incorporated into the classroom and OT and Speech therapies as well. This to help teach Tyler is levels of emotions and frustration and to recognize when he’s hitting overload so he can take a break and handle the situation(s) that he feels are causing him grief.

Tyler began his medication on Wednesday and the results have been great (this is a medication that if it works will last from about age 9-15 (they don’t know why but it seldom works after that) as always starting out on the most minimal dose. I’ve seen a sense of calmness in Tyler (the boys STILL has more energy than the energizer bunny – lol) but the anxiety and tension seem to show signs of relief. I expect no perfection in this as he like us all is human and he’s going to have many bumps in the road.

I received the most precious and blessed gift yesterday. We went to church and did our normal routine at church. When the service began Tyler came into the sanctuary with me and SAT, yes SAT beside me. He sat (and stood when the service called for it) for 40 CONSECUTIVE MINUTES. He attempted to sing hymns and smiled at me and followed with his finger EVERY part of the bulletin. I kept to our routine leaving after the sermon (this puts us in church for 45 minutes when we leave after the sermon). I had church members whispering to me how proud of him they were. I told him I was so proud of him and he said “thank you Mommy”. Thank goodness it was raining while we were walking out, because tears of joy were streaming down my face. When we were driving to JIB – we drove past a tree lot with an inflatible Santa and he said “Santa Claus and Baby Jesus’ b-day” I said, Christmas Day, December 25 is the day that Santa visits and celebrates Baby Jesus’ b-day (he has been listening!!!!!!) His words seem much clearer and he’s been more polite than usual (something even the teacher notice).

So this is our new beginning, I am fully aware that there will be tweaking along the way and I may be limited on time (a few years) to get behavorial management into a better place and there maybe changes in medications, dosages, or addition of other meds along the way. I as always am a firm believer in bio-medical treatments and I praise the Lord for those that can because the more that can, the more awareness will be brought to those treatments and possibly, someday in the future, be more affordable to those that choose that route.

The best gifts always come without price tags. The day Tori & I were baptized was a joyous day. When I watched Tori take her first communion, I was so warm inside, when Tyler was baptized I felt covered in peace and yesterday’s church attendance brought more HOPE into my life than anything I could imagine. For my baby to sit and participate in church and sing songs of worship was priceless. To know Tyler 5 years ago this wasn’t possible, I quit taking Tyler to church when he was about 2-3 years old. About 2 years ago I started taking Tyler back and we sat in the lobby of the church and we’ve just progressed from there.

God is amazing and when we learn to live in God’s time, not ours, to not question His purpose, to praise Him in all storms, and to seek working for Him amazing things will 316635_507677639253337_1224847794_n happen. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH CHRIST!

September 15, 2012

Been trying for a while to get Tyler to eat spaghetti, which he won’t do, just an alternative to the Goat Lasagna he loves so much. I’ve tried different shape noodles & sauce and no success. (well i was having success until HEB stopped carrying Bob the Builder noodles – lol – their Thomas noodles are not gluten free but Bob the Builder were!)

Well TODAY I had success – well not spaghetti, but an alternate to Goat Lasagna –

I got the gluten free Penne noodles cooked them, added the Sauce and sprinkled the top with goat cheese and baked long enough for the cheese to get really soft – about 20 minutes (Goat cheese does not melt like other cheeses)

So then, of course, it has to cool down to room temperature or his preference – refrigerator temp lol

I introduced this to him as LASAGNA STICKS – lol – at first he was very stand-offish to it kept saying it was “messy” (really coming from the boy who covers himself in mud???) so I waited a while, kept it out on the table and we would discuss it now and then. I then put some on the fork and encouraged him to try it. It took him a while to chew and swallow it. He then said mmmmmm. So I left that out for him to test with. I put up the rest in small containers in the fridge. Before I knew it, he had eaten that plate and opened another container and I said “more?” he said Lasagna sticks mmmm.

So success in adding another item to his food intake and something that i enjoy as well.

There ya have it, simple, easy – LASAGNA STICKS – a play on words, same ingredients, different presentation!!!!!!! (It costs less than making the 9×13 pan of lasagna as the bag of noodles is cheaper than the box of lasagna noodles and it takes only 1 package of goat cheese instead of 2 for the lasagna!)

May 26, 2012

Our Wal-mart trip this morning was a success and oddly a pleasure. He got his Ice Cream reward (this freaking ice cream is sooooo expensive but it’s caesin free and gluten free and delicious) – AND AND AND his movie award – no grumbling or meltdown at the movie bin when i told him to pick out only 1 movie he kept digging thru them and saying 1 mov…ie and he did pick out 1 movie. Then we had to WAIT in line (at 700a – seriously – yes seriously) he says – Mommy and Tyler have to wait in line – he couldn’t stand still but he wasn’t a handful – THEN as always he helps me unload – and when we were leaving – an elderly lady in one of the drivable buggies dropped some make-up and she had been watching Tyler and had read his shirt – I TRY TO MAKE SURE HE WEARS AN AUTISM SHIRT WHEN WE DO THINGS LIKE THIS – and she asked me – can he pick that up for me – and i said – let’s see – so I squatted down where the make up was and I said Tyler come here, can you pick this up – and he bends down and says – “oh wait, I’ll get it” and he did and I said Tyler – hand it to her and he did and said “here ya go” and she said thank you young man you are a gentleman and I said Tyler turn around and tell her thank you – Tyler turned and said “thank you” (softly but he said it), we turned to walk off and I turned to the lady and I said to her “thank you for your kindness” and she said, “thank you for your kindness” and me, Tyler and of course Blue began our journey out the doors of wal-mart. I couldn’t help but smile and I could feel the tear of joy swelling in my eye. It was a great trip for Tyler, he complied, helped and was very very good today and the kindness of a stranger to Tyler warmed my heart. 🙂 544800_420871164600652_131303746_n

From April 15, 2012

Well many of you know, I’ve had a few very, well extremely rough weeks with Manimal and his behavior at school – lots and lots and lots of aggression, like he’s regressing back to the first grade in behaviors. Teacher & aides in tears, Momma in tears and Manimal in tears – makes for a heartbreaking world.

I’ve spent many hours researching the possibility of medications, all the types, what they do and their side effects. I’ve spent just as many hours researching the “potential” causes of this, the lack of something in Manimal’s body or brain and natural solutions for the same. In addition to Tyler’s OCD – which can cause major anxiety, it had been brought up about possible ODD – when I researched this. I was like WOW, even though there’s not been a formal diagnosis, YET, the handwriting is on the wall. With Manimal getting bigger and stronger by the day, Momma has to figure out a way to help him learn to control his anxiety frustrations and I will give and take and accommodate, but I won’t let him have 100% total control.(This is why my brain was exhausted come Friday evening)

I’ve secured an appointment with his behavioral psychologist, which it’s been over a year since we last saw him (MAJOR IMPROVEMENT AS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED SEE THIS DOCTOR 4 YEARS AGO AND IT WAS EVERY 4 WEEKS WE WERE SEEING HIM) and I’ve placed calls to take the steps to been seen by the neurologist again (even though since July of 2011, he’s on the waiting list for his “follow up” since beginning speech and ot therapy – THAT RIGHT THERE TELLS YOU HOW HIGH THE NUMBERS ARE IN THESE KIDDOS) so I know that’s going to be a lengthy wait.

Feeling I couldn’t wait for the all this hurry up and wait system, the teacher and I implemented a reward program, agreed to temporarily remove PE from his schedule (seems to be a trigger) and Thursday and Friday he had great days at school. I also spent about an hour at K’s Divine on Friday reading products related to anxiety in children and after remembering the research I read and reading the products at the store I decided to get an herbal mixture called Calm Child.

This is a product that I will give Tyler 3x a day. What I noticed was a lot more calmness, not sleepy, not zombie, but calm. He was laying and occasionally bouncing on the core ball, but not a constant bounce, the voice was not as high of a range in tone and the constant running turned into walking. Appetite didn’t seem to be affected. I don’t know how to describe it, but his speech seemed to be less jumbled and a little more clearer and more appropriate it. His defiance towards me was almost nil – almost – lol.

Today, Sunday, I felt would be a good test to see the effects of calmness, at church. WOW was I surprised. I forgot his headphones (yes, I know bad momma) BUT he seldom comes into the sanctuary. He got dressed with no defiance, he volunteered the tasks he had to complete (be quite, sit still, no running, no screaming) and followed up with then Jack in the Box. I was like yes, Tyler that’s right. So off to church we went, he went straight to the room and opened his backpack, sat down and began to play QUIETLY with his toys. I had not 1 interruption from him today during the service. He didn’t even run back and forth from the room he stays in to the cry room. – let me say my neck was not sore when we left from constantly turning and giving him the “eye” or hand signals – lol. He sat in there very quitely and played. I was sooooooooo proud of him – if this keeps up this way, I may actually be able to start working with him on staying longer in the sanctuary other than 5 minutes. So off to JIB we went and he came home, has eaten and continued with this very calm behavior. Now for the average family, Manimal’s calm is probably still chaotic in their world lol but I am in shock.

So for now the real test will begin this week when he returns to school, I will give him a dose before school, then I will go to the school and give him another and then when he gets home from school – I’ve timed it in a way they are about 5 hours apart – as I still want him to learn coping and calming skills, but HOPEFULLY this will help for now.

I am not saying that I’ve found a solution, but I think I have found something in the interim until I can get this figured out.

Thank you God for listening to my tears, helping me in researching, helping me keep an open mind into what some very good friends have to say, for helping my brain absorb so much information that is so foreign to me and most of all thank you for blessing me with this challenge. I know I can do this because you are the one who gifted this to me, therefore if you have confidence in me, then I have confidence in myself.

Thank you to everyone that have listened, provided suggestions and prayed for Tyler and myself, it is truly appreciated.

From March 26, 2012

God Blessed Me with You

I watch him wake, I watch him sleep, I watch him play and I watch him eat. His progress has been amazing and as great as it can be, he’s still a child with Autism and each day baffles me. I don’t know what the future holds for him, but as long as I breathe, I will make it my goal to create the best “him” that he can be. I’ve given up so much and …would do it again just so you have can have your dietary foods, minerals and vitamins. Research, research and research some more, prayers, meditations, trial, errors, and praying more. Sleepness nights and never ending days, repetition, repetition, repetition each day. Awesome days and meltdowns too, it’s all part of what makes you the unique you. Trips to the therapists working with special staff, all contributing to your new open path. With each improvement a victory to be had, knowing at any time around the corner, regression could be bad. I walk with God more and more each day and pray to be guided to help you along the way. The Word is the Word and there is no other truth, I must strive to be obedient so his blessings continue to shine through. I have nothing left to give except my heart’s desire, my love and devotion to lift you higher. God doesn’t make mistakes, this I know to be true and I pray for his mercy and grace so I will be allowed to continue to help, care and fight for you. I may be a single mom parenting you on my own, but that’s only what society sees because with God in our lives we are never alone. Some people see things, that I can’t see, some say them with meaning and some don’t understand a thing. You’re a wingless wonder this I know to be true, because I walk closer to God all because of you!. This is what life is, this is normal to me, and unless God moves for a change this is how it shall be. Society sucks, people are cruel, morals are gone, and entitlement rules. I chuckle at times and find it hard to believe I want to bring you from your world into this society.