Interesting. Almost our entire family is gluten intolerant/celiac. Wonder if we should remove dairy too? Our acupuncturist said most kids can tolerate dairy, but it could make her particular pattern worse.

The psychiatrist was the earliest appointment we could get. I was told psychiatrists are qualified to treat Tourette's. We were looking at September for a neurology appointment. We plan on seeing a neurologist of our choice as soon as we change insurance plans. We followed up with a pediatric development specialist this morning. He was not in favor of medicating her at all (unless she is bothered by them and amazingly she is not). He offered us several medication options and did not have a problem with homeschooling. Thank God there are some doctors who don't think they actually ARE God!

Sorry, I am looking for an opportunity to vent anonymously. We took my 9 year old daughter to a pscyhiatrist yesterday to treat her Tourette's Syndrome. The doctor at first ignored her Tourette's and focused in on her anxiety issues (which we were not there for . . .she recieves therapy for this from a social worker). He insisted we put her in school because that was the "only" thing to do with anxiety "according to the literature." This is a totally insane idea due to the severity of her Tourette's. Nevertheless, he succeeded in undermining my confidence. She has very mild autism and he attacked us for not having her in a special autism program. (Again, we were not there to address her autism which is mainly sensory issues at this point). We had talked to several professionals about an autism program for her and they felt it was overkill. Why is it not OK for a child to be silent and nervous around strangers? When I was a child it was called shyness. Today it is considered a deviation that requires medication and drastic intervention. Is there no appreciation for individual temperment and personality anymore? Yes, we are going to search for a new doctor as soon as we get on a new insurance plan. Thank you so much for letting me unload. I am also open to any suggestions you may have for dealing with doctors and Tourette's. Andrea

I was shocked at the cost of the weighted blanket. I actually made my own using ziploc freezer bags filled with sand. And I am a terrible sewer. Everyone has made great suggestions. Thanks! Andrea

The OT mentioned at first that she did have a very underdeveloped vestibular system. She could spin in the IKEA swing forever and not get dizzy. The clutter issue is interesting though. She tears everything out of her drawers and then can't seem to find anything to wear. I am considering only leaving a few outfits at a time in the dresser.

To "Specialmama". Sorry, I did not mean to use the thumbs down symbol. It was inadvertant. I very much appreciated your info. Andrea

I have tried most of these things, but have not done the colored glasses or the hammock. We do use melatonin (which works after we determined she was spitting it out behind her bookshelf) We run into problems with sleep now when the doctor raises her medication. I also will try to find some tight shirts or leotards. She is scheduled to see the therapist today.

Hi, I am at my wits end with my almost 9 year old daughter's sensory issues. She was discharged from Easter Seals a year ago so I can get no help there. Since I started homeschooling for the first time a few weeks ago, we have had a huge resurgence of under-responsivity behaviors. Basically, her clothes all feel way to loose. It is so bad that she cries every morning and has to be forcibly dressed so that we can leave the house. Tonight, she could not find pajamas that fit and went to bed in a robe sobbing the whole time. I put a weighted blanket on her to see if it would stop the tears. On top of that, she can't find sneakers that feel OK and is still wearing ragged flip-flops. We are brushing using the Willaberger technique. We have also tried giving her consequences to no avail (this tactic has never worked but we still try it). She is very thin and it is nearly impossible to find clothes that are tight enough. The doctor that treats her PDD-NOS recommended upping her anti-anxiety med which usually results in no sleeping or eating for her. He felt this was a chemical issue and not the result of the change to homeschooling (I gather he is pro-homeschooling or that would have been the first thing he blamed). Nevertheless, I have changed out some of our curriculum and my approaches based on her stress response. Can anyone share some tactics they have used for this issue with their own kids? :confused::confused::confused: I also wanted to add that she is complaining she feels as if someone is following her. (Someone she can't see) She is afraid to be alone outside or downstairs because of this. Has anybody else heard of this happening outside the realm of true psychosis? Thanks

I think I meant to say the Yellow book, not the Orange. I'm getting so confused by all these colors. Thanks for your help! Andrea

Hi, I am considering starting my 8 and 10 year old girls on LLATL. My 5th grader will do fine with the purple book and the readers fit in with our focus this year. I think my 3rd grader needs more foundation in grammar before attempting the 5th grade book. I do not what to read the books in the orange level because they are well below her reading and comprehension level. Is it possible to do the grammar portion of the program without using the recommended readers? Or should I consider another grammar program for her and use the purple book's readers along with the 5th grader? Thanks in advance for your advice. Andrea

I never made the connection until I saw this posting. My 9 year old had stopped chewing on her shirt and hair and picking at her skin after we started magnesium for her migraines. We used "Kid Calm" which is a powder you must mix with water.

I ordered this book at the advice of someone from Rainbow Resources. My ten year old is not on the spectrum, but she does have visual spatial issues. The book is a "connect-the-dots" version of technical drawing. My daughter seems to enjoy it. https://host.rainbowresource.com/product/Complete-A-Sketch+Vision-Dexterity-Focus/021282/1277867728-774608 Also, I think horseback riding has helped her, since she has to memorize patterns and ride to different lettered points in the barn. My other daughter, who was diagnosed PDD-NOS/Selective Mutism, has derived huge benefits from horseback riding ranging from social to increased bladder control. Andrea

I just go the Singapore Math set and it is great. I let her do the first lesson, and before I knew it she had completed four lessons on her own. She was adamant that she didn't want or need manipulatives so I avoided MUS. I may look into it for my math phobic older daughter if Saxon doesn't work out. Thanks for your input!

Hi, I am new to the group and starting HS this August with two girls, inlcuding an 8 year old with high functioning autism. I am looking for a math program for the 8 year old. I believe she is a visual learner, but I don't think she learns well with videos. Her second grade teachers tells me she completes her math assignments in minutes with a high degree of accuracy and is then bored. Word problems are harder for her. My older daughter will need more direct help with math, so I would like to find a program that allows the 8 yo more independent work and keeps her moving at a fast pace. Also, my highly verbal ten year old scored very low in visual spatial abilities. Anybody have suggestions there? Glad to be a part of this forum. Thanks! Andrea