FROM DECLANS MOMMY GILL:
Hi All
My dear, nutty friend, Lisa Baird, is climbing Kilimanjaro for AHODF. Pls visit http://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/trektothetop2010 to support her and AHODF. Read more below if you wish to know the story and please forward this mail to all your millions of contacts.
LoveGillian
LISA'S MAIL
"Hello friends
Firstly, apologies for the mass email but believe me when I say, I am speaking to each and every one of you!
You may (or may not) know I'm climbing Kilimanjaro in, oh about …. three weeks time. It's been one of my dreams (for as long as I can remember). I will be approaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro by the challenging Shira Route which is an "exhilarating option for walkers keen to explore less trodden trails". Knowing my propensity for getting lost, I'm quite relieved to know that I will be accompanied by not 1 but 3 experienced guides. I will be hiking through magnificent mountain scenery that extends from the volcanic summit at Uhuru Peak (5896m) on the crater rim to the vast African plains. After 8 days of this, I will be exhausted but I will have been to the Roof of Africa!
I've decided to do something I've always dreamed of doing - and what better way to enjoy the privilege, than by assisting a worthy cause. There are so many worthy causes out there, that picking one is not easy.
All-Hands-on-Dec-Friends http://www.allhandsondecfriends.org (AHODF) came into being just as Declan Du Toit’s life came to an end at the tender age of 8 months, the result of being born with cancer. AHODF helps innocent children, who through no fault of their own, are suffering as a result of cancer, either directly or indirectly and has as its aim to provide financial support in the form of either contributions to medical bills for young children fighting cancer or the provision of financial support to the other children in the family, where their needs are not being adequately met due to the financial strain of medical bills eg payment of school fees, provision of food vouchers, etc.
So, whether you have a healthy and happy child, godchild, niece or nephew, or you know a family where a young child is fighting a battle against cancer, or even if you just feel like making a few pounds, euros, dollars or Rands go somewhere other than the taxman, the grocery store or the pub, then please please please dip into your pockets and make a small donation to http://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/trektothetop2010
Every penny goes straight to the charity, AHODF based in South Africa and will be used to make the life of a young child struggling with the fight against cancer, that little bit easier. And remember, no matter how small the donation, it all adds up - especially once its been converted to Rands!"
Lisa BairdSenior AssociatePinsent Masons LLPDDI +44 (0) 20 7490 6291Internal Ext - 816291www.pinsentmasons.com
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Special child, special diet
Wanted to share this article with you all to give some insight on what the gluten /casein free diet (GFCF) can do to help kids on the autism spectrum - have ordered this book cant wait to get it!!:
Special Child, Special Diet
Autism and the miracle of a life free of gluten and casein by Barrie Silberberg
www.livingwithout.com/2008/jj08autism.html
When my son Noah was two years old, he taught himself the alphabet. At four, he could read. He was very verbal and exceptionally bright. I thought perhaps he was gifted. But although Noah excelled intellectually, I noticed his social skills seemed lacking. In preschool, he never played with the other children.
In kindergarten, Noah’s behavior disintegrated. He had uncontrollable meltdowns where he’d scream, throw things and become violent toward his classmates. He had severe sensory issues, limited social skills and poor eye contact. He suffered digestive problems and would eat only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, chips, pretzels, French fries, milk, yogurt and cheese.
Things didn’t improve in first grade. Noah continued to get into constant trouble for inappropriate behavior. Puzzled and distraught, I kept searching on line to discover why my son was different. I’d share articles with his teacher about the odd behavioral traits of gifted children. Some of it fit but most of it just didn’t make sense.
In the middle of the school year, a friend showed me a magazine article about a boy with Asperger syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. ”Read it,” she insisted. “This is Noah.” I read it … and cried. Suddenly, everything was falling into place.
Armed with the information from the magazine, I called a meeting at Noah’s school. When I brought up autism, everyone in attendance nodded their heads. It turns out they’d been discussing Noah’s behavior and were in agreement. It wasn’t long before testing at the California Regional Center officially nailed my son’s diagnosis: Noah was autistic.
Autism Spectrum Disorder According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a developmental behavioral disorder characterized by impairment in socialization and communication and by restricted, stereotypical patterns in behaviors, interests and activities. Children with ASD suffer from sensory hypersensitivity and have intense reactions to sound, sight, touch, taste and smell. They have difficulties with social integration and adjusting to new things and changes in their routines. They engage repeatedly in the same behaviors or thoughts, fixating on objects. For example, like most youngsters his age, Noah was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and Disney movies. Yet, unlike most kids, he would talk about these topics non-stop and every conversation would revert back to them.
There are five levels of autistic disorders, according to the DSM-IV. On the higher functioning end of the spectrum is Asperger syndrome. On the lower end is classic autism, often called Kanner’s autism. Other types are Rett’s disorder, pervasive developmental disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder.
The rate of ASD has increased alarmingly in recent years. In 1995, one in 500 children was diagnosed with autism. In 2000, the rate was one in 250. Today, in 2008, it’s one in 150, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A Wild Boy Before Noah began second grade, his father and I were called to the school for an IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting. Because of Noah’s out-of-control behavior, school officials didn’t want him there. Yet they were willing to have professionals observe him and try to fit him into a regular class. The plan was to meet again in November and decide what to do.
From the start, Noah was disruptive in the classroom and on the playground. At the November IEP meeting, the director of elementary special education informed us that not only did Noah not belong in a fully-included class, he didn’t belong in the school’s SDC (Special Day Class) either. The only place for him, the director said, was a school for moderately to severely autistic children.
Shocked and heartbroken, Noah’s father and I agreed to visit this classroom. There we observed several non-verbal, heavily stimming (hands flapping) children. Knowing Noah’s exceptional verbal skills, we kindly told the director that this wasn’t the place for our son. He then suggested a SDC for emotionally disturbed children. This classroom was better but still not a fit for Noah.
You Are What You Eat After Noah was diagnosed, I spent hours on my computer, searching for information about autism. I kept stumbling across a strange diet that some parents were using which excluded all gluten (the protein in wheat, rye and barley) and casein (dairy protein). It sounded ridiculous, insane—especially for Noah who was an extremely picky eater. Every single food he ate contained either gluten or casein. He would starve! What were these crazy people thinking?
But given the dire school situation, we had no choice but to try it. For four days, we removed dairy products from his diet. No more milk, yogurt, cheese. To our amazement and delight, we saw a huge change in his behavior. Suddenly, he was a much calmer child. If stopping dairy could do this in just four days, what would gluten removal do?
We started limiting the gluten, slowly, and then permanently. The improvements were vast. The school staff was shocked at the changes. The difference was so striking that Noah was able to remain in a regular classroom and didn’t need a teacher’s aide.
I later learned about the Feingold diet, which excludes artificial food dyes and preservatives. I discovered that ingesting dyes and preservatives could lead to inappropriate behaviors in some sensitive children. So we stopped giving Noah any foods with artificial ingredients.
Suddenly, every item in Noah’s life had to be examined—his vitamins, toothpaste, shampoo, even his play dough and school supplies. I made certain that everything he touched or ingested was free of gluten and casein and contained no dyes or preservatives. (For a while, I also removed soy, as many children on the autistic spectrum don’t tolerate soy. But it turned out that Noah can eat soy, so we reintroduced it without negative effects.)
Noah’s behavior continued to improve. His hyper-sensitivity to sensory stimulation diminished. Before long, he was able to listen to loud music, go outside without sunglasses and sit at the kitchen table while I cooked onions, activities he couldn’t tolerate before. He began to have normal conversations about many different topics. His eye contact improved. His meltdowns disappeared. It was a miracle.
A Mother Knows There are plenty of skeptics who contend that dietary intervention has no impact on autistic symptoms. But I say you can’t argue with success. And I’m not alone. Thousands of other parents, as well as a group of physicians associated with Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!), testify that this diet works. In fact, Karima Hirani, M.D., a DAN! physician in Los Angeles, claims that the gluten/casein-free (GFCF) diet could help alleviate symptoms in as many as 60 to 70 percent of children with ASD.
What is it about gluten and casein? The scientific answer isn’t absolute but one popular explanation is the leaky gut syndrome. According to Karl Reichelt, M.D., director of clinical chemistry at the Department of Pediatric Research at Rikshospitalet (National Hospital) in Oslo, Norway, many children with ASD suffer from a leaky gut, a condition where incompletely digested proteins (peptides) seep from the intestines into the blood stream. He observed that these peptides have progressions that match those of opioid peptides, casomorphin and gliadomorphin. Dietary sources of these opiate peptides are casein and gliadin (gluten). When a child with a leaky gut ingests foods that contain casein and gluten, the peptides enter the blood stream, head to the brain and attach to opiate receptors there, prompting the child to have sensory issues and to react with unmanageable behavior.
Living the GFCF Life As for my concerns about Noah starving on his new diet, I needn’t have worried. When I began to remove the gluten and casein, he started to try new foods. At first, there were infractions. He would eat something with casein or gluten and the autistic traits would return with a vengeance. Now, because he never wants to be “that boy” again, he happily sticks to the diet.
The whole family has adjusted to the new lifestyle. I serve GFCF meals for family dinner. We still have gluten and casein in the house but Noah has his own freezer, his own refrigerator shelf and his own pantry shelves to avoid cross contamination. We’re all careful to wash our hands and not contaminate anything that Noah will eat or touch.
Is Noah cured of autism? Not entirely. He still has difficulty when his routine is changed. And he can get easily frustrated, especially when he’s overwhelmed with too much homework or when abstract or social concepts are involved. Although he has friends now, his social proficiency is not up to par with other children his age. He’s involved in a social skills group to help with this. Aside from these challenges, the other autistic symptoms are gone.
Many parents who state that their child is cured by the diet will still report some form of PDD (pervasive developmental disorder) or some degree of disability. However, it’s likely if these children were medically re-assessed, many would not be diagnosed with ASD, based on DSM IV criteria.
Hope for the Future Last year, Noah completed 6th grade in fully-included classrooms, earning all A’s and E’s (excellence in work habits and citizenship). Now in 7th grade, he’s enrolled in academic honors classes and doing well. He still has an IEP with some small modifications, such as using a typing device (his writing is illegible due to fine motor difficulties), less homework and fewer problems on math tests.
The GFCF diet changed his life. Since this incredible transformation, I’ve dedicated my time to informing parents and health-care professionals that improvement is possible. There is hope for healing most autistic symptoms. A few years ago, when Noah was in 5th grade, the students were asked to compose essays as part of a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) contest. One essay would be chosen from three classrooms (three of 96 students) to be read by the student. Imagine our surprise and joy when Noah’s essay was picked. He received a ribbon, a medal and an award. Then he read his essay at a special ceremony to a room full of students, parents and school professionals. Not bad for an autistic kid!
Special Child, Special Diet
Autism and the miracle of a life free of gluten and casein by Barrie Silberberg
www.livingwithout.com/2008/jj08autism.html
When my son Noah was two years old, he taught himself the alphabet. At four, he could read. He was very verbal and exceptionally bright. I thought perhaps he was gifted. But although Noah excelled intellectually, I noticed his social skills seemed lacking. In preschool, he never played with the other children.
In kindergarten, Noah’s behavior disintegrated. He had uncontrollable meltdowns where he’d scream, throw things and become violent toward his classmates. He had severe sensory issues, limited social skills and poor eye contact. He suffered digestive problems and would eat only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, chips, pretzels, French fries, milk, yogurt and cheese.
Things didn’t improve in first grade. Noah continued to get into constant trouble for inappropriate behavior. Puzzled and distraught, I kept searching on line to discover why my son was different. I’d share articles with his teacher about the odd behavioral traits of gifted children. Some of it fit but most of it just didn’t make sense.
In the middle of the school year, a friend showed me a magazine article about a boy with Asperger syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. ”Read it,” she insisted. “This is Noah.” I read it … and cried. Suddenly, everything was falling into place.
Armed with the information from the magazine, I called a meeting at Noah’s school. When I brought up autism, everyone in attendance nodded their heads. It turns out they’d been discussing Noah’s behavior and were in agreement. It wasn’t long before testing at the California Regional Center officially nailed my son’s diagnosis: Noah was autistic.
Autism Spectrum Disorder According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a developmental behavioral disorder characterized by impairment in socialization and communication and by restricted, stereotypical patterns in behaviors, interests and activities. Children with ASD suffer from sensory hypersensitivity and have intense reactions to sound, sight, touch, taste and smell. They have difficulties with social integration and adjusting to new things and changes in their routines. They engage repeatedly in the same behaviors or thoughts, fixating on objects. For example, like most youngsters his age, Noah was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and Disney movies. Yet, unlike most kids, he would talk about these topics non-stop and every conversation would revert back to them.
There are five levels of autistic disorders, according to the DSM-IV. On the higher functioning end of the spectrum is Asperger syndrome. On the lower end is classic autism, often called Kanner’s autism. Other types are Rett’s disorder, pervasive developmental disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder.
The rate of ASD has increased alarmingly in recent years. In 1995, one in 500 children was diagnosed with autism. In 2000, the rate was one in 250. Today, in 2008, it’s one in 150, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A Wild Boy Before Noah began second grade, his father and I were called to the school for an IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting. Because of Noah’s out-of-control behavior, school officials didn’t want him there. Yet they were willing to have professionals observe him and try to fit him into a regular class. The plan was to meet again in November and decide what to do.
From the start, Noah was disruptive in the classroom and on the playground. At the November IEP meeting, the director of elementary special education informed us that not only did Noah not belong in a fully-included class, he didn’t belong in the school’s SDC (Special Day Class) either. The only place for him, the director said, was a school for moderately to severely autistic children.
Shocked and heartbroken, Noah’s father and I agreed to visit this classroom. There we observed several non-verbal, heavily stimming (hands flapping) children. Knowing Noah’s exceptional verbal skills, we kindly told the director that this wasn’t the place for our son. He then suggested a SDC for emotionally disturbed children. This classroom was better but still not a fit for Noah.
You Are What You Eat After Noah was diagnosed, I spent hours on my computer, searching for information about autism. I kept stumbling across a strange diet that some parents were using which excluded all gluten (the protein in wheat, rye and barley) and casein (dairy protein). It sounded ridiculous, insane—especially for Noah who was an extremely picky eater. Every single food he ate contained either gluten or casein. He would starve! What were these crazy people thinking?
But given the dire school situation, we had no choice but to try it. For four days, we removed dairy products from his diet. No more milk, yogurt, cheese. To our amazement and delight, we saw a huge change in his behavior. Suddenly, he was a much calmer child. If stopping dairy could do this in just four days, what would gluten removal do?
We started limiting the gluten, slowly, and then permanently. The improvements were vast. The school staff was shocked at the changes. The difference was so striking that Noah was able to remain in a regular classroom and didn’t need a teacher’s aide.
I later learned about the Feingold diet, which excludes artificial food dyes and preservatives. I discovered that ingesting dyes and preservatives could lead to inappropriate behaviors in some sensitive children. So we stopped giving Noah any foods with artificial ingredients.
Suddenly, every item in Noah’s life had to be examined—his vitamins, toothpaste, shampoo, even his play dough and school supplies. I made certain that everything he touched or ingested was free of gluten and casein and contained no dyes or preservatives. (For a while, I also removed soy, as many children on the autistic spectrum don’t tolerate soy. But it turned out that Noah can eat soy, so we reintroduced it without negative effects.)
Noah’s behavior continued to improve. His hyper-sensitivity to sensory stimulation diminished. Before long, he was able to listen to loud music, go outside without sunglasses and sit at the kitchen table while I cooked onions, activities he couldn’t tolerate before. He began to have normal conversations about many different topics. His eye contact improved. His meltdowns disappeared. It was a miracle.
A Mother Knows There are plenty of skeptics who contend that dietary intervention has no impact on autistic symptoms. But I say you can’t argue with success. And I’m not alone. Thousands of other parents, as well as a group of physicians associated with Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!), testify that this diet works. In fact, Karima Hirani, M.D., a DAN! physician in Los Angeles, claims that the gluten/casein-free (GFCF) diet could help alleviate symptoms in as many as 60 to 70 percent of children with ASD.
What is it about gluten and casein? The scientific answer isn’t absolute but one popular explanation is the leaky gut syndrome. According to Karl Reichelt, M.D., director of clinical chemistry at the Department of Pediatric Research at Rikshospitalet (National Hospital) in Oslo, Norway, many children with ASD suffer from a leaky gut, a condition where incompletely digested proteins (peptides) seep from the intestines into the blood stream. He observed that these peptides have progressions that match those of opioid peptides, casomorphin and gliadomorphin. Dietary sources of these opiate peptides are casein and gliadin (gluten). When a child with a leaky gut ingests foods that contain casein and gluten, the peptides enter the blood stream, head to the brain and attach to opiate receptors there, prompting the child to have sensory issues and to react with unmanageable behavior.
Living the GFCF Life As for my concerns about Noah starving on his new diet, I needn’t have worried. When I began to remove the gluten and casein, he started to try new foods. At first, there were infractions. He would eat something with casein or gluten and the autistic traits would return with a vengeance. Now, because he never wants to be “that boy” again, he happily sticks to the diet.
The whole family has adjusted to the new lifestyle. I serve GFCF meals for family dinner. We still have gluten and casein in the house but Noah has his own freezer, his own refrigerator shelf and his own pantry shelves to avoid cross contamination. We’re all careful to wash our hands and not contaminate anything that Noah will eat or touch.
Is Noah cured of autism? Not entirely. He still has difficulty when his routine is changed. And he can get easily frustrated, especially when he’s overwhelmed with too much homework or when abstract or social concepts are involved. Although he has friends now, his social proficiency is not up to par with other children his age. He’s involved in a social skills group to help with this. Aside from these challenges, the other autistic symptoms are gone.
Many parents who state that their child is cured by the diet will still report some form of PDD (pervasive developmental disorder) or some degree of disability. However, it’s likely if these children were medically re-assessed, many would not be diagnosed with ASD, based on DSM IV criteria.
Hope for the Future Last year, Noah completed 6th grade in fully-included classrooms, earning all A’s and E’s (excellence in work habits and citizenship). Now in 7th grade, he’s enrolled in academic honors classes and doing well. He still has an IEP with some small modifications, such as using a typing device (his writing is illegible due to fine motor difficulties), less homework and fewer problems on math tests.
The GFCF diet changed his life. Since this incredible transformation, I’ve dedicated my time to informing parents and health-care professionals that improvement is possible. There is hope for healing most autistic symptoms. A few years ago, when Noah was in 5th grade, the students were asked to compose essays as part of a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) contest. One essay would be chosen from three classrooms (three of 96 students) to be read by the student. Imagine our surprise and joy when Noah’s essay was picked. He received a ribbon, a medal and an award. Then he read his essay at a special ceremony to a room full of students, parents and school professionals. Not bad for an autistic kid!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY CHENE
Dear Little Chene
Wishing you a very very Happy 1st Birthday for today and many many more!
We hope you have a lovely day with all your family and friends
We hope its full of lots of love and cake and balloons and presents and wrapping and ribbons!
Stay the gorgeous girl you are and ask your mommy to send us photos of your party!
God Bless and lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Naughty Noo Noo
For those of you not familiar with the Teletubbies, this is the Naughty Noo Noo, a much loved vacuum cleaner who cleans up after the tubbies after the eat their tubby toast or drink their tubby custard!We were so surprised when Deqlan started saying the "Naughty Noo Noo" after Dada had only told him once. Its so beautiful to hear!
Deqlan now has his own naughty noo noo in the form of our vacuum cleaner, which he has always loved, but can now relate to ! So he carries our naughty noo noo around, proudly telling us his new best friends name when we ask!
Deqlan continues to LOVE school! He even woke up on Sunday morning saying 'LEAPS' and dragged Dada and I to the car, yes, still in our pjs, to go to his beloved Little Leaps. It was a challenge to explain that today was actually Sunday and school would only open on Monday again, shame...but wow, we couldnt have asked for this new phase in his path to go any better. I still have to at times bribe him to come home, by telling him we going to swim, he will say 'SWIM' and then take my hand to the gate and say 'GO'
Ash continues to be very pleased with all the activities Deqlan gets through, today he breezed through colour sorting! Go Deqlan!!
The other boys at the school have already crept into my heart - some so lovingly wave hello and goodbye , some take me by the hand, each and every single time to go and jump on the trampoline with them. Some boys look at me now as though i am a familiar face and i do fit into the scene somehow.
Deqlan also loves the other ladies there, Candice , who is the older kids teacher ( 5-7 year old boys) and Florie and Caroline who help the boys clean up, wash faces, even go with them for swimming lessons - Deqlan voluntarily gives them a kiss goodbye without me asking him to!
Tommorow, we are hoping for Deqlans first swimming lesson, weather playing along, fingers crossed! I hope Deqlan loves it as much as he does here and not get upset like he does with the water play at school - perhaps its to busy and overstimulating for him at school?
We have started with a whole lot more supplements to help our precious boy - they now look something like this
MORNING RICE MILK - CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM
BREAKFAST - BE IT EGGS OR CEREAL, DHA (OMEGA 3)
MORNING JUICE - VITAMIN C, MULTIVITAMIN, ZINPLEX
DINNER TIME RICE MILK/JUICE - PROBIOTIC AND DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
AND A LITTLE DOSE OF DIFLUCAN FOR CANDIDA TO FINISH IT OFF WITH - JUST FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS
Candida seems to have peeked its head out again - not as badly as before - but Deqlan seems a little more frustrated at times and very 'giddy' at bedtime! Another flag is that he is hitting himself in the face, although since starting diflucan, that has stopped - i hear the candida can make your head feel fuzzy so that could maybe be the feeling Deqlan cant tell us about so tries to hit it away?
Deqlans pronunciation on certain words have changed - some for the better, much clearer - others, even the accent has changed! 'LG - LIFES GOOD' has never been clearer, but 'HUGS' have changed to 'GUGS' - Deqlan loves his GUGS and the harder we squeeze him the better and we will then say 'AGAIN. AGAIN' TO CUTE FOR WORDS
Tims memorial service was very very sad and moving, it was inspiring to see how many lives he touched, please continue the prayers for his mom and brothers and chrisma, and all his family and friends who miss him deeply
Another prayer request for my Grandpa who went for a normal check up , but not normal results back - his PSA level is 34 and should be 5 - this is a marker for prostate cancer. Please please pray that the biopsy he is to have done on 23 Feb reveals no cancer cells .
Please continue the prayers for the amazing Erik www.caringbridge.org/visit/erikludwinski
Have a great week everyone, God Bless and love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan and Naughty Noo Noo
10 things every child with autism wishes you knew
Here are 10 things every child with autism wishes you knew.
1. I am a child with autism. I am not "autistic." My autism is one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)?
2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. This means the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you, but I am really just trying to defend myself. A "simple" trip to the grocery store may be hell for me. My hearing may be hyperacute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today's special. Muzak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough. A coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can't filter all the input, and I'm in overload! My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn't quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn't showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they're mopping up pickles on Aisle 3 with ammonia. ... I can't sort it all out, I'm too nauseous.
Because I am visually oriented, this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is too bright. It makes the room pulsate and hurts my eyes. Sometimes the pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing. The space seems to be constantly changing. There's glare from windows, moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion, too many items for me to be able to focus - and I may compensate with tunnel vision. All this affects my vestibular sense, and now I can't even tell where my body is in space. I may stumble, bump into things, or simply lay down to try and regroup.
3. Please remember to distinguish between won't (I choose not to) and can't (I'm not able to). Receptive and expressive language are both difficult for me. It isn't that I don't listen to instructions. It's that I can't understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: "*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*" Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It's time to go to lunch." This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it's much easier for me to comply.
4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. It's very confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you really mean is "Please stop running." Don't tell me something is a "piece of cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, "This will be easy for you to do." When you say, "It's pouring cats and dogs," I see pets coming out of a pitcher. Please just tell me, "It's raining very hard." Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres and sarcasm are lost on me.
5. Be patient with my limited vocabulary. It's hard for me to tell you what I need when I don't know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused, but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation, or other signs that something is wrong.
There's a flip side to this: I may sound like a little professor or a movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits, because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, television or the speech of other people. It's called echolalia. I don't necessarily understand the context or the terminology I'm using, I just know it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.
6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of patient repetition helps me learn.
A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transitions between activities, and helps me manage my time and meet your expectations. Here's a great web site for learning more about visual schedules http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/newweb/content/rsn/autism.asp
7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do. Like any other human, I can't learn in an environment where I'm constantly made to feel that I'm not good enough or that I need fixing. Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however constructive, becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you'll find them. There's more than one right way to do most things.
8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don't want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it's just that I simply don't know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, I may be delighted to be included.
9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed "the antecedent." Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented.
10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts such as, "If he would just ..." and "Why can't she ... ?" You didn't fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you, and you wouldn't like being constantly reminded of it. I didn't choose to have autism. Remember that it's happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you I'm worth it.
It all comes down to three words: Patience. Patience. Patience.
Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. I may not be good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed I don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on other people?
You are my foundation. Think through some of those societal rules, and if they don't make sense for me, let them go. Be my advocate, be my friend, and we'll see just how far I can go.
I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan, but with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh.
They had autism too.
Freelance writer and consultant Ellen Notbohm is a columnist for Autism/Asperger's Digest and co-author of 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Future Horizons). She favors "common sense" approaches to raising her sons with autism and AD/HD. She lives in Oregon.
1. I am a child with autism. I am not "autistic." My autism is one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)?
2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. This means the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you, but I am really just trying to defend myself. A "simple" trip to the grocery store may be hell for me. My hearing may be hyperacute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today's special. Muzak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough. A coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can't filter all the input, and I'm in overload! My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn't quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn't showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they're mopping up pickles on Aisle 3 with ammonia. ... I can't sort it all out, I'm too nauseous.
Because I am visually oriented, this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is too bright. It makes the room pulsate and hurts my eyes. Sometimes the pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing. The space seems to be constantly changing. There's glare from windows, moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion, too many items for me to be able to focus - and I may compensate with tunnel vision. All this affects my vestibular sense, and now I can't even tell where my body is in space. I may stumble, bump into things, or simply lay down to try and regroup.
3. Please remember to distinguish between won't (I choose not to) and can't (I'm not able to). Receptive and expressive language are both difficult for me. It isn't that I don't listen to instructions. It's that I can't understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: "*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*" Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It's time to go to lunch." This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it's much easier for me to comply.
4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. It's very confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you really mean is "Please stop running." Don't tell me something is a "piece of cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, "This will be easy for you to do." When you say, "It's pouring cats and dogs," I see pets coming out of a pitcher. Please just tell me, "It's raining very hard." Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres and sarcasm are lost on me.
5. Be patient with my limited vocabulary. It's hard for me to tell you what I need when I don't know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused, but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation, or other signs that something is wrong.
There's a flip side to this: I may sound like a little professor or a movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits, because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, television or the speech of other people. It's called echolalia. I don't necessarily understand the context or the terminology I'm using, I just know it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.
6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of patient repetition helps me learn.
A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transitions between activities, and helps me manage my time and meet your expectations. Here's a great web site for learning more about visual schedules http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/newweb/content/rsn/autism.asp
7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do. Like any other human, I can't learn in an environment where I'm constantly made to feel that I'm not good enough or that I need fixing. Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however constructive, becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you'll find them. There's more than one right way to do most things.
8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don't want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it's just that I simply don't know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, I may be delighted to be included.
9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed "the antecedent." Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented.
10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts such as, "If he would just ..." and "Why can't she ... ?" You didn't fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you, and you wouldn't like being constantly reminded of it. I didn't choose to have autism. Remember that it's happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you I'm worth it.
It all comes down to three words: Patience. Patience. Patience.
Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. I may not be good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed I don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on other people?
You are my foundation. Think through some of those societal rules, and if they don't make sense for me, let them go. Be my advocate, be my friend, and we'll see just how far I can go.
I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan, but with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh.
They had autism too.
Freelance writer and consultant Ellen Notbohm is a columnist for Autism/Asperger's Digest and co-author of 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Future Horizons). She favors "common sense" approaches to raising her sons with autism and AD/HD. She lives in Oregon.
LIVING WITH A CHILD WITH AUTISM
LIVING WITH A CHILD WITH AUTISM
Raising a child with autism is one of the hardest things a parent will ever have to do. It places a tremendous physical and emotional strain on the person caring for the child, and often contributes to marital problems, problems with other children, and job instability. Unfortunately, there are no reliable treatments for autism, and the responsibility for managing the developmental and behavioral problems of the autistic child falls largely on the family. Although there is nothing that we can do to change the underlying problem, there are things which family members can do to reduce the level of abnormal behavior and increase the child's ability to cope.©
1. Look for triggering problems or warning signs that precede major behavioral outbursts. Once you can identify warning signs, you may be able to modify the situation to prevent an outburst. For many children, an outburst or tantrum is their only method of communicating a need or distress. Other children may be quite helpful in figuring out the message of a tantrum and the warning signs.
2. Develop a consistent structure and routine. Autistic individuals thrive best in an environment where things are predictable, and typically have great difficulty with unexpected change and lack of structure. Have a schedule which your child follows every day, and do things in the same way. Some children can cope with a loose time schedule and a review of the events of the day each morning. Others will need to be scheduled right down to the order of putting on clothing.
3. Prepare your child for changes in routine. For some children this will require only a reminder of the next event: "First dinner, then bath". For others, the use of a photo, or communication board picture can help with the transition. For example, "We are going to McDonalds" and point to a picture of McDonalds or a hamburger.
4. Do not equate talking with communication. Children who do not speak can learn to communicate their needs. This may be accomplished by the use of objects, gestures, pointing to pictures, or using sign language. Using these techniques is a normal developmental step toward talking, and does not interfere with learning to speak. Remember that talking, for children with autism, is not necessarily communicating. For many it is meaningless verbal output. For others, it communicates accurately at times, but not at others. If your child does talk, make sure your understanding of what he is saying is what he really intended to convey. Sometimes it is helpful for the adult to help by giving the child an opportunity to indicate what he wants by offering choices. For example, "Do you want to watch TV or listen to your tape?"
5. Learn to live with some perseverative or stereotypic behavior. When your child is in public, you want to train him to behave as well as possible, but at home, he should have opportunity to just "be himself." Many self-stimulatory and perseverative behaviors, including verbal perseverations seem to serve a reassuring or anxiety binding function.
Consequently, while it may seem advisable to try to extinguish some of the more bizarre behaviors, it is extremely difficult to eliminate stereotypy entirely. Extinguished behaviors are typically quickly replaced by another self-stimulatory or perseverative behavior. The new behavior may or may not be more tolerable than the initial behavior, and programs to extinguish these behaviors must carefully consider the possible consequences. Diminishing the frequency or limiting the expression of autistic behavior to certain times and places are the most reasonable goals. These are best accomplished by some disregarding, redirecting, or providing another task to focus on.
Substitution or training a variation in some bizarre behaviors can be successful and help the child to appear less different in the school or community. This involves intense adult intervention and requires identification of equally reinforcing substitute behaviors. Any behavior to be changed will need to be replaced with a behavior that is at least as pleasurable to the child.
6. Get support for yourself. The burden of raising a child with autism can be lightened by family, friends, community agencies, and others who have shared similar experiences. The Autism Society of America provides an opportunity for families to get together and to receive up to date information on treatments and services for autistic individuals and their families. Regional Center may provide respite care, medical referrals, a behavior specialist to help with behavior management, or placement options. The Autism Research Institute publishes a quarterly newsletter, the Autism Research Review International which provides useful information on current research and treatment trends in autism.
7. Work together with your school. An autistic child's curriculum requires a major focus on self care and community skills. Deciding what each child needs to learn in school will depend on the unique features of each child, his level of intelligence, family setting, and his need to access the community. The family and school should decide together on the critical skills each child needs to develop, and then work together to train the child to use these skills in a real life setting. Remember, a child's ability to read and do math will only benefit him in the long run if he can use them in real life settings, and can also take care of his basic needs at home, and behave appropriately in the community.
8. Protect your child from aggressive role models as much as possible. Children with autism often copy behaviors without understanding why the person did them-called echopraxia. This is similar to the echolalia (echoing of words or phrases) many children engage in. Both forms of echoing may occur immediately, or in a delayed fashion. Children who are spanked or hit are more likely to hit others. Those who observe violent behavior at home, school or in the community, as well as in movies or cartoons, may also imitate it inappropriately. Deciding which TV shows it is appropriate for an autistic child to watch requires considerable adult insight and the cooperation of all family members, including siblings.
9. Do not expect your child to tolerate new people or group situations. If your child must be with a group, allow him a large personal space, and opportunity for escape.
10. Beware of irritating sensations. Many individuals with autism are hypersensitive to certain sounds, lighting conditions, skin sensation, taste, texture or temperature. Many children also have an aversion to certain colors. The exact form of these hypersensitivities tends to vary over time, but most children require some adult recognition of the problem, and accommodations to limit the child's exposure to them. A variety of programs to desensitize children to touch and sound sensitivities are being researched, and may offer hope for children in the future.
J:\handout\LIVING.AUT (61) August 13, 1998
Raising a child with autism is one of the hardest things a parent will ever have to do. It places a tremendous physical and emotional strain on the person caring for the child, and often contributes to marital problems, problems with other children, and job instability. Unfortunately, there are no reliable treatments for autism, and the responsibility for managing the developmental and behavioral problems of the autistic child falls largely on the family. Although there is nothing that we can do to change the underlying problem, there are things which family members can do to reduce the level of abnormal behavior and increase the child's ability to cope.©
1. Look for triggering problems or warning signs that precede major behavioral outbursts. Once you can identify warning signs, you may be able to modify the situation to prevent an outburst. For many children, an outburst or tantrum is their only method of communicating a need or distress. Other children may be quite helpful in figuring out the message of a tantrum and the warning signs.
2. Develop a consistent structure and routine. Autistic individuals thrive best in an environment where things are predictable, and typically have great difficulty with unexpected change and lack of structure. Have a schedule which your child follows every day, and do things in the same way. Some children can cope with a loose time schedule and a review of the events of the day each morning. Others will need to be scheduled right down to the order of putting on clothing.
3. Prepare your child for changes in routine. For some children this will require only a reminder of the next event: "First dinner, then bath". For others, the use of a photo, or communication board picture can help with the transition. For example, "We are going to McDonalds" and point to a picture of McDonalds or a hamburger.
4. Do not equate talking with communication. Children who do not speak can learn to communicate their needs. This may be accomplished by the use of objects, gestures, pointing to pictures, or using sign language. Using these techniques is a normal developmental step toward talking, and does not interfere with learning to speak. Remember that talking, for children with autism, is not necessarily communicating. For many it is meaningless verbal output. For others, it communicates accurately at times, but not at others. If your child does talk, make sure your understanding of what he is saying is what he really intended to convey. Sometimes it is helpful for the adult to help by giving the child an opportunity to indicate what he wants by offering choices. For example, "Do you want to watch TV or listen to your tape?"
5. Learn to live with some perseverative or stereotypic behavior. When your child is in public, you want to train him to behave as well as possible, but at home, he should have opportunity to just "be himself." Many self-stimulatory and perseverative behaviors, including verbal perseverations seem to serve a reassuring or anxiety binding function.
Consequently, while it may seem advisable to try to extinguish some of the more bizarre behaviors, it is extremely difficult to eliminate stereotypy entirely. Extinguished behaviors are typically quickly replaced by another self-stimulatory or perseverative behavior. The new behavior may or may not be more tolerable than the initial behavior, and programs to extinguish these behaviors must carefully consider the possible consequences. Diminishing the frequency or limiting the expression of autistic behavior to certain times and places are the most reasonable goals. These are best accomplished by some disregarding, redirecting, or providing another task to focus on.
Substitution or training a variation in some bizarre behaviors can be successful and help the child to appear less different in the school or community. This involves intense adult intervention and requires identification of equally reinforcing substitute behaviors. Any behavior to be changed will need to be replaced with a behavior that is at least as pleasurable to the child.
6. Get support for yourself. The burden of raising a child with autism can be lightened by family, friends, community agencies, and others who have shared similar experiences. The Autism Society of America provides an opportunity for families to get together and to receive up to date information on treatments and services for autistic individuals and their families. Regional Center may provide respite care, medical referrals, a behavior specialist to help with behavior management, or placement options. The Autism Research Institute publishes a quarterly newsletter, the Autism Research Review International which provides useful information on current research and treatment trends in autism.
7. Work together with your school. An autistic child's curriculum requires a major focus on self care and community skills. Deciding what each child needs to learn in school will depend on the unique features of each child, his level of intelligence, family setting, and his need to access the community. The family and school should decide together on the critical skills each child needs to develop, and then work together to train the child to use these skills in a real life setting. Remember, a child's ability to read and do math will only benefit him in the long run if he can use them in real life settings, and can also take care of his basic needs at home, and behave appropriately in the community.
8. Protect your child from aggressive role models as much as possible. Children with autism often copy behaviors without understanding why the person did them-called echopraxia. This is similar to the echolalia (echoing of words or phrases) many children engage in. Both forms of echoing may occur immediately, or in a delayed fashion. Children who are spanked or hit are more likely to hit others. Those who observe violent behavior at home, school or in the community, as well as in movies or cartoons, may also imitate it inappropriately. Deciding which TV shows it is appropriate for an autistic child to watch requires considerable adult insight and the cooperation of all family members, including siblings.
9. Do not expect your child to tolerate new people or group situations. If your child must be with a group, allow him a large personal space, and opportunity for escape.
10. Beware of irritating sensations. Many individuals with autism are hypersensitive to certain sounds, lighting conditions, skin sensation, taste, texture or temperature. Many children also have an aversion to certain colors. The exact form of these hypersensitivities tends to vary over time, but most children require some adult recognition of the problem, and accommodations to limit the child's exposure to them. A variety of programs to desensitize children to touch and sound sensitivities are being researched, and may offer hope for children in the future.
J:\handout\LIVING.AUT (61) August 13, 1998
Monday, February 1, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY REECE
Dear gorgeous Reece!
Wishing you a very Happy 3rd Birthday for today!!!! May yoru year ahead be full of fun and laughter and adventures
Stay the beautiful, clever princess you are , you continue to have a very special place in our hearts!
Hope you enjoyed your party and your presents!
God Bless and lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
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