I'd be looking at lower-carb eating, to the extent you can do that while nursing - I guess by increasing protein a lot to make up for it. My PCOS has gone ballistic since I weaned dd a few months ago. I have the Mirena IUD and it seems as though it's making the PCOS worse (though I won't know for sure until I have it removed, which I won't until I get around to making the appt for the coils - ick). If I could, I'd take Demulen in a heartbeat (worked well for me years ago), but alas I have a clotting issue so it's contraindicated for me. To be clear, I'd be looking at the insulin angle, and thinking of ways to keep blood sugar on an even keel. I'm so bad at trying to eat low carb. What's silly is that it's much easier for me to eat low carb when I'm on metformin. However, my endocrinologist, who once said he wanted me on it for life, doesn't think I need it now because I'm not overweight (I wasn't before either; but my dad was a thin type 2 diabetic). I'm so bummed about that. I think I'd do fine if I'd stick to the gestational diabetes diet I was on while I was pregnant, but it's hard to get motivated (essentially, counting carbs and eating them only in combination with protein, and never closer than 2 hours apart). I started P90X last week.

http://www.starcenter.us/aboutspd.html (we did OT here) http://www.spdfoundation.net/ The Out of Sync Child by Kucinka http://www.amazon.com/Out-Sync-Child-Recognizing-Processing/dp/0399531653/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270522466&sr=1-1 Sensational Kids by Miller http://www.amazon.com/Sensational-Kids-Children-Processing-Disorder/dp/0399533079/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270522497&sr=1-1 My advice: beware that not all OTs are equally knowledgable about SPD even though they may say that they are. This tends to be particularly true of school OTs though again that's a generalization - some may know a lot, some do not. I would avoid the school district if possible since most treat discrete things (e.g. fine motor) rather than the entire SPD, and look for a place with an OT gym - however, that this can get expensive pretty quickly.

:iagree: I think these are great ideas, (1) seeing if someone else would bake for you (or let you use their kitchen), (2) freeze the muffins (something I'd do regardless, just out of convenience; I'd feel relatively safe with them in your freezer if the 4 y.o. understands not to touch them), and (3) try to eat the muffin outside of the house if possible (we live in the land of crumbs over here). And no, I wouldn't tell anyone about this who didn't need to know.

Maybe it depends on how long the list is and how difficult it may be for her to know whether what she is eating contains the items. But the more obvious ones, yes I think she can be expected to know them and to deal with the consequences of eating them, if she eats them knowing that they're on her list. I have a ds with a peanut allergy. Granted, it's only one food, but he is definitely aware of it and in fact will freak out about even being near peanut-containing foods - he understands the first part of the issue, that the food will make him sick and could even kill him. He doesn't always remember to read labels, however (he just turned 7). It's hit or miss as to whether he'll ask if a food contains nuts before eating it (say, a cupcake or donut. Cookies and candy he's a lot more careful about). I think he just forgets sometimes because the issue doesn't come up that often (we don't have any such products in the house, and his classroom is nut-free, and he's an extremely picky eater to begin with). At 10 y.o., I think your dd is old enough to take a more active role in preventing herself from feeling sick. Indeed, it's a life skill that she'll need to acquire, the sooner the better, and I think she's old enough to shoulder a good burden of the responsibility. Give her the list, on a small card perhaps, along with common ingredient names, if she is sensitive to even small amounts. I think the FAAN website even sells small cards (credit card size) for various allergies, that she could keep in her backpack or purse. I think this issue is more one of practice. The more she does it (questions whether a food item would be problematic for her) the easier it will become. It's annoying at first to learn how to censor what one eats. As for consequences, I think the sick stomach is enough. that's my two cents!

In the past week, there have been two or three dairy-free/allergy threads - check those. For spreads, I used Earth's Balance spread that is both dairy- and soy-free. This is the only butter-like spread that I know of that is free of both. (note that they make several versions, and only one is free of both.) I think someone recommended coconut oil (solid at room temp) but not sure if they meant as a spread. For shortening, I use Spectrum.

***There is a very important point that I need to make here. Modern technology. If indeed he goes to public junior high/middle school, he will be keyboarding by then. Even if it isn't allowed as a matter of course for all kids five years from now, certainly even now your son would be eligible for a 504 plan to allow such accommodation. I cannot emphasize this point enough.*** We recently did some educational testing with my three older kids. They're all very bright but with slow processing issues (one of them, for example, at the 9th percentile), motor issues, two of them have SPD, they all have some sort of handwriting issue though each is different, one has already been through vision therapy, etc. The psychologist's recommendations included learning keyboarding ASAP (ok, these kids are 7 and 9 y.o., at the end of first and third grades). And advanced classes for content! As you acknowledge, learning disability issues require therapy and/or accommodations. The special needs experts (both within the public school system and without) whom I have met would NOT recommend holding back for LDs like dysgraphia/dyslexia/etc. A paraphrase of one of my favorite quotes: when [content] work is too easy, self-confidence to attempt difficult work is steadily eroded - the slow road to underachievement. If time alone won't cure the problem, I don't see how holding him back will help - and we're talking about deciding now to hold him back at some unknown point in the future when he returns to school. For the meantime, since he's at home, you can continue to work on what is appropriate content for him, while accommodating his learning disability of output and of course getting him OT or whatever therapy he needs - it's an ideal situation for today. When he returns to school, you can re-evaluate the appropriate grade at that time, and don't forget to call the special ed department about getting appropriate accommodations if he needs them, etc. (that's what the special ed dept is there for!!!) As some of the other posters mentioned above, if you hold him back on paper now, getting a future grade skip can be next to impossible. Good luck with your decision!

No I would not hold him back. If he does end up back in school down the road (particularly public school), it is a whole heck of a lot harder to get a grade skip at that time than it would be to later decide to hold him back at that time, in terms of dealing with the school. As far as your ds's opinion goes, he already attaches a significance to grade level. I would be concerned that if he is held back now, even in name only, it could affect his self-confidence, not later but right now. FWIW, keep in mind that bright kids are often asynchronous in their development (e.g. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/asynchrony_squared.htm), and they are also more likely to have sensory issues (see Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities). Perhaps your DH might want to do some reading at Hoagies about the other side of the coin, grade acceleration (maybe start with this excert from A Nation Deceived http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10314.aspx ). Just my two cents.

Could it be he's a bit yeast-y? I once read that boys with yeast problems (systemic) tend to be doing that. And yeast can cause itchiness. I have one who tends to do that and one who doesn't at all (twins). The one who does also tends to have yeast problems, so when I see him doing that I start giving him probiotics and also baking soda baths.

Perhaps his exercise would be more effective if he added in some strength training of some kind. Muscle burns more energy, even sitting still. I'm on day 4 of P90X :tongue_smilie: and it's good for that, but it is a bit on the time-consuming side (though what I like about it is that I can do it without leaving home). I agree with the others that this is probably a metabolic issue of some sort, and it's not just how much one eats, but what and when. I think that South Beach is probably an excellent place to start.

As the other posters recommended, I'd look at a sugar issue. Insulin/glucose problems are often linked to cholesterol and high blood pressure problems. I'd try a lower-carb diet, and I'd aim to eat protein and a little fat anytime I was eating a carb (to help even out blood sugar levels). Plus exercise :)

I use Carlson's in the capsule. At night of course. With MILK. Milk reduces fishiness (ever hear of the old trick of soaking fish in milk to get rid of the fishy smell?)

Good question. That may be what it is, but it's still slightly unclear to me. This is what I read: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/news/20090427/bleach-baths-may-help-kids-with-ezcema On the one hand, yes, they say "Frequent scratching, which breaks the skin, often leads to skin infections, including difficult to treat ones like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)." On the other hand, they say "The study design called for the patients to soak in the bleach or placebo baths twice a week, but Paller says more frequent baths may be useful during eczema flare-ups. Children in the study who took the bleach baths had a reduction in eczema severity that was five times greater than the children who took the placebo baths after three months." Makes me wonder whether the infection that resulted from the scratching somehow exacerbates the eczema itself? Just thinking out loud here... My poor nephew has open sores all over his arms and refuses to wear short sleeve shirts in the summer (he's 13), but SIL and I couldn't convince him to try a bleach bath (not sure why she can't just make him, but then I don't have teenagers yet)

I don't know if this is the case with your dd but I just thought I'd mention it. I have a nephew with very severe eczema and something caught my eye recently. I read that 90% of severe eczema is caused by staph (which makes sense since in spite of his allergies, my nephew has seen improvement in his eczema with antibiotics). Anyway, the good news is that some people have had luck with regular (a few times per week) baths that contain a small amount of bleach (like 1/4 to 1/2 c), which kills the staph (google for more details). What I don't know is what the relationship is between the allergies and the staph.

:iagree: Just something to keep in mind. It is not a regular vision checkup, and an opthamologist may not find it (which was the case with our dd - she had a perfect checkup with a pediatric opthamologist right before we found out about her problem). To really rule it out, you'd need to see a specific type of optometrist (I think I posted the link above, but in case I didn't, it's www.covd.org )

here is a cookbook I have been using http://www.sophiesafecooking.com/ I still make the pumpkin muffins, and freeze them. I'm sure the 5 y.o.'s mom will be providing suggestions also. Tea 4 Three, I'd be looking at things like sliced turkey, black beans, coconut milk (doesn't have protein really but IMO tastes a lot better than rice milk. hard to find and expensive though; try a store like Whole Foods). I have a peanut allergic child and we do NOT do tree nuts at all, i.e. no almond milk/butter, etc. How could I forget - sunbutter and jelly - I don't know if there are any wheat-free breads besides gluten-free ones (again, expensive; I like Udi's). But there are other things you can do with sunbutter - on carrots, on rice crackers (I wonder what it would taste like on an oatmeal cookie). Sunbutter is made from sunflower seeds and is available at most supermarkets and Supertarget. Soy is everywhere; that makes it harder, especially re: oil and shortening. I use Spectrum shortening, which is expensive and not easy to find either. For oil I use olive, sunflower or canola (there are certain jobs where I prefer Crisco, but, soy!) Anyway that cookbook can help get you started - it's pretty simple, and the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen. For butter I use a product by Earth's Balance, I think it's called; they have several variations and one of them is both dairy- and soy-free (I had to buy it at Whole Foods. My local grocery carries that brand but not that particular item).

This reminds me a bit of one of my kids. My first three kids had speech delays. One is still in speech therapy at 7 y.o. He is definitely a visual learner and loves piano. Back when he was 3 y.o., the testing with the school district showed that he was severely developmentally delayed, according to the school psychologist. This was not a huge surprise on the one hand (he was a small for gestational age premie) but on the other hand I had to laugh inside, because I knew my son. Sure enough, here he is in first grade, calculating exponents in his head. That's not to say that he doesn't have issues (in particular he has a language processing problem and kinda slow processing speed, according to our most recent private testing), but he is a very bright boy. It's unclear from your post what the issue is at the moment. Does he need more speech therapy? Are you concerned that he has learning disability issues? Why not just have the school district evaluate him? At 5, they might even do a more global assessment (IQ and achievement testing). Personally, having done both, I prefer the private testing as providing a whole lot more info, but cost is a problem (it can be expensive - not so much the test as the interpretation of the results, which can be rather tricky in some cases), then I'd consider calling the school district, the special ed department. I wouldn't take him to a developmental pediatrician unless there were issues you were dealing with that needed sorting out (i.e. labeling). Are there sensory issues? But if there aren't any problems at the moment, and you don't feel as though something is lurking beneath the surface that needs to be addressed, I'd let sleeping dogs lie, and consider educational testing in a year or two to make sure any learning issues are covered. If there are issues, the test results look different at different ages (BTDT). I haven't looked at this, but will the school district provide IEP services if you are homeschooling? Food for thought.

Let me put it this way. Four of my kids are currently in a Montessori school. One of the teachers is pregnant with her first child. She is a fantastic teacher - truly (one of my boys had her for three years and now another one has her, so I know her pretty well). She told me she's planning to run her home in a similar way. She has that glow. I looked at her and thought "hahahahahahahahaha!!!!" I have yet to explain to her that no, children do not always behave the same in school as they do at home. Are you sure you weren't in my house today? Oh I guess not, because if you were you would have added a bit about the baby eating crackers off the rug and the toddler giggling as the toilet overflowed from the vast amount of toilet paper shoved into it that then had to be manually removed. You are doing a tremendous job homeschooling in the midst of chaos. I'm jealous :D (we're just doing a touch of afterschooling at the moment). What's that saying, do your best and forget the rest!!! ;)

Ditto to the above - just leave out the cheese. I gave up the top 8 allergens when I was nursing, and fajitas wtih corn tortillas was one of the few foods I could eat at a restaurant, minus the cheese :) p.s. my ped said something like half of the babies who are allergic to dairy also have a problem with soy Dessert recipes - I used this cookbook http://www.sophiesafecooking.com/

I prefer thinner asparagus to thicker. If it's thin, I microwave two portions for about two and a half minutes (just covered with a paper towel) and then saute in olive oil for a couple minutes, with salt and pepper. Grilled is also yummy, but DH does that so I'm not sure how it's done. First cut off the bottoms.

In that situation, I'd consider getting a second opinion from another optometrist if possible. Apparently different ones do things differently, and if the doc said that to me I'd really want to hear what someone else had to say. I don't know if there are actual standards with regard to this subject, though I admit I haven't poked around on the covd site much recently. Have the prism glasses helped? With your family's history, I think it makes sense to at least rule out a vision problem in your 6.5 y.o. I have a dd who had both a vision problem and a vision processing problem. Her vision problem, eye tracking, was corrected with vision therapy. We haven't quite figured out what her vision processing problem is yet, but, for example, it showed itself on her recent IQ testing, according to the psychologist. We have a checkup with the optometrist this weekend, but I think her vision is still fine - ever since therapy, she can do things with her eyes that I can't. The doc says it's because I'm old. :) Academically, her main problem at the moment is language processing, so we're doing language therapy that is similar to the Visualizing and Verbalizing program (she's 9 y.o.). Her biggest gains in reading came during first grade when we did the VT and also, coincidentally, did a stint of listening therapy in conjunction with OT for sensory processing issues - which had a clear effect on the vision therapy - controversial and interesting. :lurk5:

There is a cookbook that might help you get started. I used it for myself when I eliminated the top 8 allergens while I was BF dd. It's not specifically gluten free, but has simple recipes without the top 8 allergens. I bought a fancier allergen-free cookbook but never got around to using it. From this simple cookbook, there are a couple recipes I still use, even though I don't need to at the moment (I'm hanging on to it for when dd is eating more table food - she's 9 mo and still apparently allergic to dairy). http://www.sophiesafecooking.com/ The recipes seem relatively kid-friendly to me. As I said, it's an easy way to get started. When you're more comfortable with this new way of running your kitchen, you can expand the menu :) ETA: I played around with a couple of the recipes, and the one good idea that my other, fancier allergen-free cookbook gave me was fake eggs for baking (I think it's called EnerG or something like that; I bought it at our local supermarket, which admittedly has a really nice selection). I think the primary ingredient in the fake eggs is cornstarch, and I've probably even seen a "recipe" for egg substitution with only cornstarch and water. Anyway, I had trouble with the fudge cookie recipe from sophie safe and it was much better with the fake eggs added.

IMO, this warrants a trip to the ped. Hopefully it's nothing. I have a child who both had kidney surgery as an infant and an unrelated problem with voiding that showed up shortly after he became potty trained. His issue was very rare - a tethered spinal cord that has now been fixed. But voiding problems, particularly that show up after a child is potty trained, can be caused by a variety of things, and some of those things can be more problematic the longer they go on. And other causes are not a big deal. In particular, if he had previously not been dry at night, I'd be less concerned. Some kids aren't dry at night until much later than 4 1/2. But that's not the case for your son. Oh yes, definitely check the constipation - that's a common contributor to such a problem (which leads to the next question, what is causing the constipation, but that at least has alternatives for treating it).

www.covd.org

I second the suggestion to rule out vision issues. www.covd.org

My 3rd grader went through the entire Song School Latin in a couple weeks (I guess we're afterschooling, but it's not a regular thing - probably took her 4 or 5 sessions. We didn't listen to the cd for every single lesson). Now we're doing Getting Started With Latin, along with my two first graders. Well actually I'm teaching each one individually. The first graders are moving slower than the third grader, who is flying through it. We don't do it every day, maybe three times per week if we're lucky, and she's on lesson 40-something - she loves it. The first graders are around lesson 15, and we're only doing it once or twice per week, just a couple lessons at a time. I haven't made them start writing the responses yet since all three of them have fine motor issues; they tell me orally. That's part of the reason I'm teaching them individually. I love Getting Started With Latin. I took Latin in high school but don't remember much. For me, I feel like Song School Latin, while a nice tiny taste, was a waste of money. Can't hurt though. Getting Started With Latin feels a lot more "real". I think the right answer will depend on your student. Good luck!