tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73422727139563790612024-03-14T03:54:07.034-04:00Treatment 4 AutismBlog to go with my website and also to be a personal place to jot down ideas about autism, my son, and coping with this puzzling disease.Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-76801693540837915722012-12-15T10:36:00.002-05:002012-12-15T10:36:32.885-05:00Dec 2012 Update!Since I haven't posted or updated in a year, I thought I should give everyone a heads-up on where we are. Life is extremely busy now that my oldest twins are in Junior High (6th grade), Caleb is in 5th grade, and my youngest twins are in 2nd grade. Every night is something!<br />
<br />
Caleb is doing very well! He is in a regular school, but mostly in a special education room. However, he is doing 5th grade level work in the core subjects. Next year will be the transition to Junior High, where he will likely have Daddy as a science or math teacher. He will still need a resource room and his own aide (which is what he has now). We are always trying to get him more general education, but with class sizes so high, it's not always that feasible. We are also looking at getting Caleb started with on-line courses in Social Studies and/or Science to help catch him up in those areas. <br />
<br />
Caleb is now extremely verbal. He's now usually able to answer most questions, but still can struggle with questions that have a deeper meaning. He still struggles with behavior at times of frustration, and because he's getting to be a big kid, it can be difficult for teachers to know what to do with the behavior (such as lashing out when he's frustrated). Caleb has some amazing skills in math, and with building or puzzles. He can make super amazing creations with just about anything, but his favorite is legos of course! Somehow we will foster this creativity and spacial thinking with a course of study someday...but we'll see where it leads.<br />
<br />
Caleb is involved in soccer, having won the state's soccer kick competition for 10 year old boys this year! He also is beginning to play the piano, and is involved in Church activities (Junior Youth Group, Bible Memory Camp, Christmas Plays, and others). I try to be a part of most of these things just in case he has frustration...thus negative behaviors. <br />
<br />
Right now, I am giving Caleb very few supplements or meds. I give him just a sprinkle of Lithium Orotate in the mornings to help w/ behavior, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and an Omega 3 gummy. This has been working pretty well lately, but I always know that things only "work" for a time, and once that "hole is filled" , another hole usually pops up in it's place that I have to find the "plug" for. We still do homeopathy through Rudi Verspoor in Canada, as I always see amazing things through homeopathy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4EEyvKVF0hE/UMyYsVrmuAI/AAAAAAAAAI8/Z-NzfXt7-6I/s1600/Fall+2012+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4EEyvKVF0hE/UMyYsVrmuAI/AAAAAAAAAI8/Z-NzfXt7-6I/s320/Fall+2012+070.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gHKsbqQllR4/UMyY4vr2f-I/AAAAAAAAAJE/mpsRUsbeDY0/s1600/Fall+2012+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gHKsbqQllR4/UMyY4vr2f-I/AAAAAAAAAJE/mpsRUsbeDY0/s320/Fall+2012+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Overall, Caleb's improved a million percent. Is he completely "normal".....NO.... but who is? There are always big challenges, but he meets them every time. The rewards are so much bigger though! It's amazing to watch how when he overcomes obstacles, that people were watching and noticing even when you had no idea. It's wonderful to see that people silently and sometimes openly root for him, even when there's negative behavior. I've been amazed that sometimes the grumpiest person will be touched by Caleb, and they'll try extra hard with him. God has allowed this thing called autism to enter our life, not as a punishment, but as a reward; strengthening all who come in contact with it!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-53172223363932378652011-03-04T12:14:00.003-05:002012-03-29T07:53:27.146-04:00Sigh...... What a rough few months!It has truly been a rough few months. Caleb has been in a "funk" that he just hasn't been able to snap out of. It started around Christmas and is continuing. He will appear to be in a good mood, but then <snap> out of the blue he's crying or angry. At school he's hitting the teacher's, but for me at home he rarely gets so out of line. I'm a bit at a loss of what to do. Homeopathy hasn't helped as of yet, and now I'm pulling out the supps, revisiting old stuff. Anyone have any ideas? Today was the second day in a row that I've brought him home due to hitting a teacher.</snap><br /><br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><script id="raflin-4f64640" type="text/javascript">/*{literal}<![CDATA[*/<br /> window.RAFLIN = window.RAFLIN || {};<br /> window.RAFLIN['4f64640'] = {id: 'OTRkZjU2ZjQwMmJkMjdlYjIxOTZiNDQwYjg4ZTY3OjA='};<br /> var url='//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/static/js/raflcptr/build/raflcptr.min.js', head=(document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]);<br /> (function(d,n,h){if(!!d.getElementById(n))return;var j=d.createElement('script');j.id=n;j.type='text/javascript';j.async=true;j.src=url;h.appendChild(j);}(document,'rsoijs',head));<br />/*]]>{/literal}*/</script><br /><a class="rafl-powered" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com" target="_blank" style="font:10px sans-serif;color:#999;width:100%;text-align:center;display:block;" id="rpow-4f64640">a <i>Rafflecopter</i> giveaway</a><br /><noscript><a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js">You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.</noscript>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-76234631271457954412010-12-01T15:19:00.003-05:002010-12-01T15:27:23.273-05:00Hooray....He's back into the General Ed School!As of yesterday's IEP, Caleb is back to our home school full time! He has come so far in such a short time! Per his ASD room teacher, "The gap between Caleb and the other autistic students is so wide now that it's no longer appropriate to have him here." Music to my ears........... :)<br /><br />Also, during the IEP we found that he is right on grade level with reading, is passing all of his AR tests on reading, and actually is ahead of the game in a few concepts for math. He still has gaps in his learning that have to be filled in as he understands more concepts, but truly it's been an amazing day! <br /><br />Caleb is having more general ed this year, with Gym class (which his Daddy teaches :) and Spanish class. We are also looking at gradually increasing his interaction with the Gen Ed students, and we'll see what happens with that. <br /><br />For all who read....stick with Biomedical, homeopathy, and of course PRAYER! It works!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-984751917012210882010-10-28T09:21:00.005-04:002010-10-28T09:36:23.989-04:00Revisiting LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TMl8EoWQhGI/AAAAAAAAAIs/bGi2ykl0V1I/s1600/oct+2010+001.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TMl8EoWQhGI/AAAAAAAAAIs/bGi2ykl0V1I/s320/oct+2010+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533090036193461346" border="0" /></a><br />We've been dealing with a never-ending cough since about the end of August. Poor Caleb started with a croupy cough in August, then it morphed to a cough with lots of phlegm (which got passed to the rest of us). As the weather stays warm with lots of moisture, the cough just wouldn't go away. Now, after a few months of this I've decided it's time to revisit LDN.<br /><br />For those that don't know, LDN comes in a cream that we rub on Caleb at night. It is an immune system booster, and Caleb surely is needing that right now. I've noticed that he's begun again to get a bit giddy after eating wheat of any kind. Thus...LDN will become part of our routine through the winter months, or until Caleb shows signs that it is bothering more than helping. When we first tried LDN a few years ago, Caleb benefitted greatly from it. It first cleared up all food reactions, which are a part of a weak immune system. And then, it just kept him from getting every new illness that came along. I thought it also helped him maintain his mood and speech. The only reason I had stopped it before was because it began to cause mood issues after a time. (Which mood is always Caleb's first reaction when something no longer helps). We took it away, and things improved once again for many months. Now, here we are back on this end and adding it back in. I'm just so glad that we know and have access to a program of success for my son!<br /><br />**The picture is of Caleb (in the blue coat) this week at the pumpkin farm. The bunnies were everyone's favorite! Especially since it was raining out, and the bunnies were in a shed!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-68509893549895937472010-09-10T08:21:00.003-04:002010-09-10T08:41:30.534-04:00First week of School!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TIolrntAMMI/AAAAAAAAAIk/Rl2fC5igb7k/s1600/September+2010+001.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TIolrntAMMI/AAAAAAAAAIk/Rl2fC5igb7k/s200/September+2010+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515262124990935234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TIolrDujq-I/AAAAAAAAAIc/W_1kZhdDaOk/s1600/September+2010+003.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TIolrDujq-I/AAAAAAAAAIc/W_1kZhdDaOk/s200/September+2010+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515262115333778402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TIolqh5JINI/AAAAAAAAAIU/eUnxeL4XgHI/s1600/September+2010+002.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TIolqh5JINI/AAAAAAAAAIU/eUnxeL4XgHI/s200/September+2010+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515262106251370706" border="0" /></a><br />We had a great first week of school! Caleb is back into the swing of things. He quite amazed his teachers at how much he'd grown intellectually over the summer. He even began some more general ed. by wanting to take part in the Spanish Class and of course gym (which Daddy is now his teacher for). As for the school fight, it truly has helped to know my rights! They can NOT change his IEP or any type of schooling plan if I don't agree. I have made my presence known this whole week; popping in at different times to make sure he has his normal teacher and is in his normal classroom (the resource--special ed--room). I just want to encourage all who read this to google the special ed. laws in your state. Go over them with a fine tooth comb :) Here in Michigan, the schools CANNOT deny services due to funding, nor can they change a child's individualized education plan without the parent's okay. Basically, they can do nothing without the parent's consent. If they try to, contact the state, an advocate, and the schoolboard. Your child has the right to a free and appropriate education (FERPA) in the school district you live in. For my son, since he is doing so well right where he's at, his least restrictive environment (LRE) is the resource room at the general ed. school. They cannot even begin to say it should be the autism classroom all of the time. Best wishes to a happy, fun school year!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-24586976180442244652010-08-16T22:18:00.003-04:002010-08-16T22:25:03.005-04:00Back to the School Fight...ugh...Unfortunately, we're back in the fight for my son's schooling. Our new Superintendent doesn't want to have the elementary Special Ed. teacher tied to her room due to having Caleb most of the day (3 days a week), and is thus trying to muscle us out of what Caleb's IEP says. After already having a conversation with her, I can see that she has no intention of giving in. Thus...without some divine intervention....we will be doing a lot of fighting! Thankfully, I now know my way around an IEP. I now know that Caleb's current IEP MUST be in place when school starts (by MI law). I also know that services cannot be cut due to funding/lack thereof reasons. In addition, if the IEP states that a child is to be in a special ed. classroom, as opposed to a gen. ed or other setting, then it must be in place. I plan on talking to this superintendent again tomorrow, and if nothing changes I'll be on the phone with board members, possibly an advocate, etc. If all else fails, all 5 of my children will go somewhere else within county. Let's see how that affects their precious budget!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-51130775063487416332010-07-09T10:57:00.005-04:002010-07-09T11:04:56.652-04:00Our New Puppy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TDc6VPe2yFI/AAAAAAAAAIE/o3eH45_CY8s/s1600/June+2010+018.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TDc6VPe2yFI/AAAAAAAAAIE/o3eH45_CY8s/s200/June+2010+018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491922407209224274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TDc6UgmagbI/AAAAAAAAAH8/e3kKY3B5n3g/s1600/June+2010+015.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TDc6UgmagbI/AAAAAAAAAH8/e3kKY3B5n3g/s200/June+2010+015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491922394624459186" border="0" /></a><br />We've found our puppy! Caleb is thrilled! He finds everything the puppy does hilarious. The great thing about getting the puppy is that he now is totally interested in other animals. He now notices the cats we've had for years, and tries to get them to do similar things as the dog. I woke up this morning to, "Come back kitty!" as he chased them around the yard. Then later he ran in yelling, "band-aid, band-aid..." as I assume his playing didn't go so well :) Caleb even spent a few hours watching the chickens at Great-Grandma's house as he plopped himself right down next to the fence talking to the chickens. He is TOTALLY into animals right now! Here are a few pics of our new puppy!<br /><br />** On the biomedical note, we've also discovered we need to be treating Caleb with homeopathy for parasites (as I'm assuming he picked up from the dog). Once we started the remedy for worms, his mood again improved amazingly. **Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-1549112744490281612010-06-14T13:13:00.002-04:002010-06-14T13:22:54.952-04:00Looking for a Dog for Caleb<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TBZlYPt8WYI/AAAAAAAAAH0/xzmNIrTR36c/s1600/June+2010+012.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TBZlYPt8WYI/AAAAAAAAAH0/xzmNIrTR36c/s200/June+2010+012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482681063580653954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TBZlX9WOIhI/AAAAAAAAAHs/u6IlNiZd1BQ/s1600/June+2010+030.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TBZlX9WOIhI/AAAAAAAAAHs/u6IlNiZd1BQ/s200/June+2010+030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482681058649317906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TBZlXZWo9lI/AAAAAAAAAHk/C5u_dXGeTlw/s1600/June+2010+032.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/TBZlXZWo9lI/AAAAAAAAAHk/C5u_dXGeTlw/s200/June+2010+032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482681048987399762" border="0" /></a><br />Caleb's convinced us that we need to revisit the idea of getting a dog soon. Everywhere we go he gravitates towards the dogs (and them to him) and he finds everything they do so fun and amusing! Yesterday at a graduation party he was feeding the big dog cookies and fruit. He's even taken to trying to elicit the same dog responses out of our cats, only to rush in saying "I need a band-aid". Cats just don't like to play rough :) So, here we go on our search for the "perfect dog"....<br /><br />On a side note, I couldn't believe the changes I saw in comparing last years' grad parties to this year's parties. Caleb now rarely gets a second glance from being "different". He now blends in more and more with the other kids. Now, I think he may just pass for "quirky". It's kind of nice to be able to just let him play, and not have to worry that he's into something, bothering someone, or throwing a big fit. Thank you God for the little blessings!<br /><br />*<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Pics are from fishing and the carousel ride a week ago.** We're already into full summer mode!</span></span>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-63535541058754292372010-05-06T09:40:00.004-04:002010-05-06T09:47:35.386-04:00Parents Ratings of Most Beneficial Treatments in AutismI found this link to <span style="font-style: italic;">Parents Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions </span>very helpful and highly useful, especially for skeptics who wonder whether biomedical treatment works. Here's the link: <a href="http://www.autism.com/treatable/form34qr.htm">http://www.autism.com/treatable/form34qr.htm</a> . Many of the things that we've found helpful, others also found helpful. Parents know best! Take a look at how many drugs (the most pushed by many mainstream doctors) parents found actually WORSENED behavior. Yet, see how dietary changes, simple supplements, and other biomedical treatments were rated as helping children "get better".Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-63823746319009639942010-04-17T18:48:00.008-04:002010-04-17T18:57:17.969-04:00Back in the Swing of Spring<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S8o75NRsiZI/AAAAAAAAAHc/JJEAYGuBeKE/s1600/APRIL+2010+004.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S8o75NRsiZI/AAAAAAAAAHc/JJEAYGuBeKE/s200/APRIL+2010+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461243352142612882" border="0" /></a><br />It's been so beautiful lately that I've forgotten to update on my blog! Caleb's been very even-keeled, and thus has made life infinitely easier. He still has his moments of mood issues, but they are no where near as severe as a year ago. We occasionally do Melatonin at night if mood slips, and it picks it up considerably. Otherwise, I just do a general gummy vitamin every day, and give a well-balanced diet (not even necessarily gluten free anymore). We are looking forward to summertime as a family which is Caleb's favorite time of year.<br /><br />I included a pic of Caleb coloring Easter Eggs this year. He thoroughly enjoyed coloring all of his eggs blue (his latest favorite color)! He understands the calendar so well now, and anticipates upcoming events, like Easter. After every event, he'll tell me what's next, like: "Easter's over, next is Bumpa and Joel's birthday." Thank you Lord for the little improvements!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-89672411764039912322010-03-02T08:31:00.004-05:002010-03-02T08:58:27.458-05:00The Development of Empathy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S40ZBKWV_2I/AAAAAAAAAHU/KvgnlJNqk-o/s1600-h/feb+2010+014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S40ZBKWV_2I/AAAAAAAAAHU/KvgnlJNqk-o/s200/feb+2010+014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444035032309432162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S40ZAMLyoJI/AAAAAAAAAHM/d8uTnW7eTCs/s1600-h/feb+2010+012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S40ZAMLyoJI/AAAAAAAAAHM/d8uTnW7eTCs/s200/feb+2010+012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444035015622172818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S40Y_9fLcgI/AAAAAAAAAHE/WCazVacb00g/s1600-h/feb+2010+003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S40Y_9fLcgI/AAAAAAAAAHE/WCazVacb00g/s200/feb+2010+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444035011676959234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I visited Caleb's new class yesterday. I am very impressed with the teacher, as I get to know her better and watch her in action. She has infinite patience! However, I'm a bit disappointed that the classroom is so much set up like his pre-primary impaired classroom. I was hoping for a similar set-up to his last class...that is more like a school classroom, but with a few centers too. Because of this, we've decided to up his days at regular education (the special ed. classroom) to 3. Thus he'll go to this new ASD classroom only 2 days out of the week.<br /><br />The class itself has only 4 students. The boy similar in ability to Caleb was absent that day, but the 2 other children were very clearly lower ability and high needs were there. That day, I got to witness something that truly brought tears to my eyes and a sweet smile to my heart :) One of the high needs students, I'll label "B." was having a day full of meltdowns. He spent most of the morning in his tent with earmuffs to keep out the noise, and a vibrating pillow to help calm him. After lunch, Caleb, the teacher, and I came back to the classroom and found B. sitting at the beanbag area. As I talked to the teacher, Caleb went over and laid next to B. on the beanbags. He gently took B.'s hand, and rubbed it as he smiled at B (and B. smiled back). They stayed in that position for several minutes. It was as if Caleb was saying, "I've been there..I feel for you!" We all marveled at the empathy and care shown between the 2 boys. No one "gets it" like they do! No matter what others may diagnose as lacking in social ability, they both proved otherwise in one small moment! After a bit, a staff member tried to get B's attention for something else, and he once again broke into a large tantrum. Caleb calmly got up and went to the lego table to free play. He wasn't phased by the tantrums one bit! It helped me really internalize that education is more than academics. No one could have reproduced this social experience of empathy by mere teaching techniques. It came from feeling a connection to another child who deals with what you deal with. It made me very glad that I have tried to do both worlds for Caleb...the autistic world, and the neurotypical world. Hopefully, he gets the best of both! Everyone needs to be able to relate to another person when it comes to struggles that we go through. Caleb and B. are no different!<br /><br />**<span style="font-size:85%;">The pics are from Caleb's 8th birthday that he just celebrated last week. He loved his new Lego Toy Story & Lego Star Wars sets! **</span><br /></span>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-77220961020901997162010-02-20T09:36:00.003-05:002010-02-20T09:42:19.953-05:00Melatonin helping MoodI just wanted to update on what is currently helping Caleb. We've struggled a bit again with mood...a bit of "screaminess" and the "no" answer for everything. One evening I went upstairs to give Caleb a mb12 shot, hoping it would again bring about a period of good moods. However, I wasn't able to give it because Caleb wasn't asleep...even at 10:30 pm. I decided to give some Melatonin the next evening because I know that he is a kid who NEEDS sleep! Low and behold, I noticed a much better mood the next morning. Whether it was the melatonin, or the increased sleep, I don't know. But...it brought about the desired mood increase :)Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-35740187751946674872010-02-16T09:44:00.003-05:002010-02-16T10:11:29.088-05:00"the least shall be the greatest..."I have decided to copy my journal entry from a few years ago. It is about the verse in the Bible saying how the "least of these shall be the greatest in the kingdom of God". Here is my entry:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I remember as a kid and young adult, that I never liked the verse, "the least shall one day be the greatest." After all, I've always had high abilities and never wanted to one day be at the bottom, especially in heaven. However, after having a son with autism, I have a new perspective on this verse. I would gladly give my spot of greatness up for my son, and others with disabilities. They have to endure so much in life, often with few choices in the matter...yet they make the most of it. I want to one day see my son shine! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I thought about the purpose God has for disabled or special needs individuals. Why put them hear to suffer and be the "least". I was especially reminded of this question when I was told about a young girl without a face. How hard it must be for her! Anyhow, I realized that in these special people, is where we discover God's meaning to life. We see the value, fragility, and beauty he intended us to see....on the inside of the person. While the rest of us are taught valuable lessons in compassion and unconditional love, they are developing their beauty from the inside out. I caught a glimpse at how God must see us and how he must view our purpose. For each of us, disabled or not, our life is a tool to spread God's love. Sometimes we learn the most from those who have no voice, no skills, or even no face. Truly, I look forward to the tables being turned one day. I'd like to give up my spot to my child who has already been scorned and pitied by so many. Thank you Lord for your blessed redemption, that you see and feel every hurt he goes through, and you are counting it as victory for him (and so many others who go through such trials in this life)!</span>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-52078498859100200072010-01-26T12:00:00.003-05:002010-01-26T12:11:51.488-05:00IEP and Ice Skating<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S18hDrqZ1EI/AAAAAAAAAGk/gKGa_z7NeNk/s1600-h/January+2010+001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/S18hDrqZ1EI/AAAAAAAAAGk/gKGa_z7NeNk/s400/January+2010+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431096022776009794" border="0" /></a><br />We had Caleb's IEP yesterday, and to be honest...it was the BEST one we've ever had! They are definitely on -the-ball with the transition to his new classroom. The new teacher is observing him several times, meeting with his therapists/teachers/aides, and having the old staff set up the new classroom with all of the visuals and supports he's used to. They are providing him with a social story about the new class and going over it daily. Also, they planned a "going away" bowling party for him! I'm feeling much assured that this could work, so now it's time to see it in action! The new teacher seems very kind and knowledgeable.<br /><br />On a lighter note, we took the whole family (Caleb included) ice skating the other day at my sister's house. It was fun to see Caleb get the hang of it a bit, and to enjoy a new event. He did wonderful! See the picture!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-48790580588896773052010-01-21T11:20:00.004-05:002010-01-21T11:29:41.644-05:00Switching Classrooms again...booo!!!<span style="font-family: arial;">Well, it's official...Caleb will be required to switch to the new autism classroom forming nearer to our home town. The state is requiring Caleb's AI classroom (which is 1 hour away) to break into another class due to overload of kids. Since Caleb is the most northern & farthest away, he will be going to the new classroom (which is 20 minutes away). I'm glad about the location, but not about another switch for him. To top it all off, the director of the AI classes resigned after Christmas, so there will be no one consistent through the process. Caleb really loves the other boys in his current classroom, coming home talking about them everyday like a little "tape recorder". He gets great therapy and has a great teaching staff there, and I can only pray that things will be similar in the new classroom.<br /><br />I plan on giving the new classroom 2 weeks to transition, and then I'll observe it's set-up and running. If need be, I can increase Caleb's number of regular special-education from 2 days to 3 days. Right now, Caleb goes Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday to the AI classroom, along with Wednesday, and Friday to regular school special education. Oh the decisions and headaches we parents must go through for our autistic children! I can see already that this coming IEP on Monday is going to be a long one!<br /></span>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-50298070480517032009-12-19T13:02:00.002-05:002009-12-19T13:22:18.130-05:00Christmas Program 2009<span style="font-family: arial;">This year's Christmas Program at our school was themed, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". I really thought Caleb would be skipping it this year because when asked to practice he refused to go :( However...when he saw the theme, he LOVED it! When the time came to sing, he did wonderfully! He loved every minute of it and pleasantly surprised all involved! I attached the video clip, so take a look! (Caleb is the 2nd from the end...with black hair).</span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxZKlf_OYn4Y6K3nK-7m_t99Ex7ZC1wrvtbbkqL5rZpJLlFpJln8ADEMa9UjDUSF2gUqhuInqCrnHfSDtml' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-35982759266570249612009-11-14T08:45:00.005-05:002009-11-14T09:04:44.354-05:00Sundays...the WORST day!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/Sv64AFY7MtI/AAAAAAAAAF8/kA7nVqX-COA/s1600-h/october+2009+024.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403958914477404882" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/Sv64AFY7MtI/AAAAAAAAAF8/kA7nVqX-COA/s320/october+2009+024.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/Sv63_0jPJ4I/AAAAAAAAAF0/hkRGpaM36hM/s1600-h/october+2009+003.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403958909957252994" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/Sv63_0jPJ4I/AAAAAAAAAF0/hkRGpaM36hM/s320/october+2009+003.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>Sundays seem to always be Caleb's worst behavior and mood day. I'm glad it's not during school, but it gets old having to have him sit by me during Sunday School because he's too moody to do well in his own class. For a LONG time, Sundays have been his worst day. I often wonder if there's some sort of cycle to moods/behavior for him. Does anyone else notice a day (especially Sunday) as being the worst? </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Halloween is our annual Family Day where instead of celebrating Halloween (which we don't believe in) we go bowling and swimming. The kids LOVE it and look forward to their day off from school. Caleb especially loves it, and did wonderful this year! He took turns, knew to look at the screen and announce who's turn it is, and even called "Taco Bell" for lunch :) He does need a bit of help on his bowling technique though! We all appropriately named it "thunder ball"! </div></div>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-51698000025434898822009-10-23T14:03:00.004-04:002009-10-23T14:13:08.517-04:00Methy B-12 (mb12) Shots are still Necessary for Us!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/SuHx1ZD4iAI/AAAAAAAAAFs/v-zNriYvtgQ/s1600-h/september+2009+022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/SuHx1ZD4iAI/AAAAAAAAAFs/v-zNriYvtgQ/s320/september+2009+022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395859728129099778" border="0" /></a><br />I wanted to post about the trend I'm seeing in Caleb, to see if others are experiencing this as well. It seems that about every 3 or 4 days, Caleb's mood starts to head south...meaning he starts getting obstinate and "tantrumy". This seems to be my cue for another mb12 injection. Then, after the injection at night, the next day is WONDERFUL! He is happy as a lark! I definitely think that both yeast, and mb12 are critical for us in handling obstinacy and bad mood. Also...probably a positive of the mb12....many people have been commenting on Caleb's increased vocabulary and speech. He still struggles with answering questions, but otherwise, he can generally say most of what he wants...in sentence form! I know mb12 is touted to help speech, but I wanted to show that I truly think it's a critical part of mood control as well.Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-79387546780455216742009-10-11T09:31:00.002-04:002009-10-11T09:37:30.631-04:00Impetigo...our First and Hopefully ONLY Illness this Season!<span style="font-family: arial;">Caleb is finally on the mend from his bout of impetigo! He was home from school all last week. However, it looks markedly improved from yesterday, so I think he'll definitely be attending school this week. Actually, all but 1 of the 5 children were sick this past week. Isaac, Elizabeth, and Andy all had Hand-Foot-Mouth disease which they picked up at school from another child who had it. Thankfully, Caleb didn't get this! Instead he had the impetigo. Andy also had impetigo too :( He was truly miserable this past week! We made TONS of shakes, puddings, icecream because that's all anyone could eat. <br /><br />I wanted to also share what helped impetigo for Caleb. It was the homeopathic remedy Calc. Sulph. It helped immensely, and in fact is what I think finally took the big sores away. I gave it only when the sores appeared to be worsening. This last time of giving it (I gave it a total of 3 times) he got better over night! Just a thought for anyone that gets it this season :)<br /></span>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-44992959622753828752009-09-22T13:26:00.005-04:002009-09-22T13:35:14.890-04:00School Update--SeptemberHooray for more great days! Just talked to Caleb's teacher yesterday (of his autism class), and she talked how they see him as the "highest in the class". They see what I see...that he's smart! She said, "I see some behaviors, but I don't think they're a big deal". Whereas, our local school district views little behaviors as major problems. Just so happy with this new setup thus far!<br /><br />Caleb's mood is doing great! We've stumbled upon something that's been working for him. Last time we went to the DAN doctor, he suggested that yeast was most likely still the culprit and that it was something called "biofilm" (where the yeast secretes it's own mucus to protect itself & thus is hard to kill). I researched a bit on biofilm, and the protocol for it. It sounds like first higher doses of Magnesium (such as oxypowder) or Vitamin C to get the kid to have a BM. Then a protease enzyme (such as mucostop) to get rid of the mucous, then a bunch of herbs known to kill yeast. Well...I didn't have all of these things, but I started with vitamin C and magnesium, then added in several proteases (later in the day) , then gave a 2 to 3 cap dose of a yeast herb blend (at bedtime). I did this for about a week. Now, we just maintain with 2 chewable vitamin C, and 2 caps of yeast herbs both in the morning before school. Voila! It works at maintaining his mood. It obviously WAS the yeast after all. It just needed a bit of a different tactic! No more screaming/screeching, and no more bad mood! Hooray!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-59236385254832191812009-09-09T10:35:00.004-04:002009-09-09T10:43:09.564-04:00Back to School! Hooray!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/Sqe-3oNYDuI/AAAAAAAAAFk/aerpjNCB-fA/s1600-h/august+2009+006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/Sqe-3oNYDuI/AAAAAAAAAFk/aerpjNCB-fA/s320/august+2009+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379478142812950242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">School has started again! Caleb is doing dual enrollment between an autistic classroom (for 3-5th grades; but he's in 2nd grade) and then aspecial ed. classroom at our local school. He's doing 3 days in the autism class, and 2 days here in special ed. The hope is that he will develop more "ready to learn" behaviors, and also that our local school will be able to work one-on-one with autism experts to best be able to meet Caleb's needs in later years. They were VERY clueless last year. Anyhow, the first day went well! I'm excited to see what each day brings.<br /><br />We've managed to tame Caleb's moods again (for about the last month or so). It seems that a natural yeast fighter, as well as an enzyme twice a day, and a multivit/min are doing the trick. So glad his mood is improved for the start of school! That way all can get to know him and like him before mood issues arise. He seems to be VERY ready for the challenge of school again, and looks forward each morning to going. I hope this continues. Keep praying! God has been so good thus far!<br /><br />**the picture is of him getting off his bus the first day**<br /></span>Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-63762435266586156932009-08-07T23:43:00.004-04:002009-08-07T23:54:22.878-04:00Summertime..when the living is easy?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/Snz0lEKdsUI/AAAAAAAAAFc/LJRSt3jFmQU/s1600-h/July+2009+006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/Snz0lEKdsUI/AAAAAAAAAFc/LJRSt3jFmQU/s320/July+2009+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367433773528756546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Not a lot new and exciting. Summer's winding down, and we're beginning to think about school. Caleb's summer school went very well at his new autism classroom. He'll be doing 3 days in this class and 2 days at our local school. The goal is that this asd teacher will help guide our school district on how to plan for him, as well as handle any behavior. The asd classroom is about an hour away (a 2 hour bus ride), otherwise we'd just do that every day. I love what I've seen so far though! He comes home saying, "If you get angry...take a time out." I smile when I hear that :) So many times I've said the same thing, but it takes a teacher to get it to stick! We also have adopted the asd teacher's tactic of taking his hat (which he MUST wear at all times...a bit of an ocd/sensory thing) when he screams. He avoids screaming now, so we won't take his hat. Now, why didn't I think of that before?! Anyhow...still sometimes a bit of a rollercoaster ride this autism, but we're getting somewhere.<br /><br />Hope all are having a fun summer! Oh...the pic is of Caleb catching a fish. Afterwards, he got bored and just kept casting his line into the weeds and trees :) But...he caught his first fish!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-58673302071936904802009-07-03T09:27:00.004-04:002009-07-03T09:33:24.120-04:00Suffering and Special NeedsRecently I was blessed by 2 different sermons by 2 different individuals. They were both on dealing with special needs and how God uses suffering for good in our lives. Truly, I can't even begin to repeat them. Please take some time to hear them for yourself, especially if you are enduring some type of hardship in your life.<br /><br />The links are:<br /><a href="http://stevenjcamp.blogspot.com/2009/03/theology-of-suffering-by-joni-eareckson.html">http://stevenjcamp.blogspot.com/2009/03/theology-of-suffering-by-joni-eareckson.html</a><br /><a href="http://www.insight.org/site/PageServer?pagename=topical_special_needs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1246627880_4">http://www.insight.org/site/PageServer?pagename=topical_special_needs</span></a><a href="http://www.insight.org/site/PageServer?pagename=topical_special_needs"> </a>(click on the link for special needs featured audio "specially wrapped")<br /><br />You will be blessed and refreshed as I was!Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-47516202576951963202009-06-26T20:44:00.003-04:002009-06-26T20:57:08.798-04:00SUMMER'S HERE! Off Camping with the Boys!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/SkVuRw2IcII/AAAAAAAAAFM/jfKYU0pAdlw/s1600-h/june+2009+006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4Bn1AP39ciY/SkVuRw2IcII/AAAAAAAAAFM/jfKYU0pAdlw/s320/june+2009+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351804983648481410" border="0" /></a><br />He just can't seem to let go of that hat and I've had to hide the sunglasses ***<br /><br />Caleb just left for a weekend filled with testosterone! He went camping with Daddy, brothers, and lots of male friends/neighbors. Their yearly male bonding :) I sent Caleb with a bag full of supplements and some instructions just in case too much wheat or too little sleep affects his mood or behavior. Hopefully Daddy will nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand! Vitamin B12 (methyl version of course) has been helping the moodies lately, so I was sure to send the chewable kind. I also sent lots of gf/cf foods like bread, donuts, fruit, and cookies so that he can have some safe, yummy foods and just be a kid free to delve into the fun. He'll have lots of playmates with all the neighbor boys there, so I pray that someone takes him under their wing.<br /><br />Praying that he has a fun time and that all there will take him for who he is, and not expect perfection out of him :) I know that I'm enjoying the time by myself with just the youngest twins as company. After all...they still take a nice nap :)Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342272713956379061.post-18669377908867219042009-05-31T22:25:00.001-04:002009-05-31T22:47:07.403-04:00The Beast of Obstinacy"The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one often comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't." - Henry Ward Beecher<br /><br />I read this quote today and had to LAUGH! Caleb is so like this lately! He's had his fill of school and no amount of coercing is going to get him to cooperate fully! In fact, tomorrow is going to be his last day instead of finishing off this week. He's reached his max for the year! As far as the obstinacy, I need to do some research on what can help with this. I know much of it at school is just because he wants to be home for the summer, but there is also always a bit of the obstinacy every day. I saw online that one person even calls it 'ODD--Obstinate Dude Disorder'! Again, this made me laugh and perhaps will help me get through it a bit better :)Jen Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16059530185924430397noreply@blogger.com3