My plan: Brain Gym + Supplements

[Misty]

This is for my kids with the following diagnoses:

 

Asperger's (14, 10, & 8)

Anxiety/OCD (14, 10, & 8)

ADHD (14 & 8)

Dyslexia (8)

Dysgraphia (14 & 8)

Slow processing speed (10)

Auditory processing disorder (10)

Dyscalculia (14 -mild/borderline)

Working memory deficits (14 & 8)

Visual processing issues (14 & 8)

Convergence insufficiency (8)

 

Okay, I've been researching for a couple of years now. We have been gluten free for two years as well as no processed food, no dyes, no preservatives, and all organic (organic is EXTREMELY important for our kids.. this includes meats and dairy).. We are also mostly dairy free and mostly soy free and low sugar/starch. My kids have made HUGE improvements with diet change alone.. More than I ever dreamed possible. However, we still have some lingering issues that need some work, mostly in the area of learning disabilities. I came up with this plan that we will be implementing over the next 6 months and then WE ARE DONE (with the exception of my 8yr old who has significant issues with visual processing and retained primitive reflexes). I am sharing this here for anyone who is interested.. If this is not your thing, then please ignore. But thought it might help someone, maybe as a springboard for their own research if nothing else. If you have any suggestions for improvement, would love to hear.

 

My living room is our "Brain Gym". We do Brain Gym in the mornings after breakfast. This consists of:

 

1. Wii Fit Plus "Training Plus" exercises. I have them do four of my choice, then they do two of their choice. 4X per week. The main exercises they need to do are:

 

a) Perfect 10 (for processing speed and math facts)

b) Rhythm Kung Fu (for processing speed, coordination, working memory, and rhythmic movement training (google this for more info).

c) Rhythm Parade (for processing speed, auditory processing, coordination, and rhythmic movement training)

d) Big Top Juggling (for coordination and processing speed)

 

2. Brain Age II for the Nintendo Wii or DS. 2X per week. This improves working memory and processing speed

 

3. Dianne Craft's Brain Integration Therapy Manual. 4X per week.

 

a) Cross Crawl exercise (for ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia)

b) Eye Eight exercise (for ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia)

c) Writing Eight exercise (for dyslexia, dysgraphia)

d) The Jogger's Lunge (Integrates back receptive brain with front)

e) The Fencer (for convergence insufficiency)

 

4. Brain Gym book- I am waiting for this to arrive.. Haven't looked at it yet.

 

5. Juggling book - We will also soon be doing juggling a couple of times a week. Juggling is good for integrating the two sides of the brain.

 

6. Twice a week, we will work on handicrafts (crocheting, beading, woodworking, etc.). Handicrafts stimulate the frontal lobe, which is where executive functioning is located.

 

That concludes our Brain Gym. We do not do everything every day. We do Brain Gym until lunch time (because it takes a while to get 4 kids through it all). After lunch, we play outside, then we start school.

 

Now on to supplements:

 

In the a.m., my kids take:

 

5HTP (precursor for neurotransmitter serotonin production)

Tyrosine (precursor for neurotransmitter dopamine production)

Probiotic (for gut health/candida elimination)

Cod Liver Oil (needed for the above Brain Gym exercises to be effective)

Drink Orange Juice (vit C, D, folic acid)

Digestive enzymes

P-5-P (b6) (this is just as effective as Ritalin in some kids.. Also a co-factor for 5HTP & Tyrosine)

 

At noon, my kids take:

 

B12 (brain vitamin. Given at noon because it can contribute to sleep issues)

Multi-vitamin

Grapefruit Seed Extract (to help with candida elimination)

Vitamin D3 (especially important during the winter months!)

 

At bedtime, my kids take:

 

5HTP

Tyrosine

Probiotic

Biotin (co-factor for 5HTP & Tyrosine.. Also good for treating candida)

Calcium/Magnesium (because we are dairy free. Given at bedtime because the magnesium has a relaxing effect)

Melatonin for the ones who have trouble with sleep

 

My kids are used to taking supplements so this is nothing new to them. They swallow pills easily. I promise you they are not being tortured.. :D

 

*DISCLAIMER* I am not a professional in any field except HOMESCHOOLING MOM.:D I was a nurse in the military years ago, but that doesn't count. Please do your own research on EACH AND EVERY ONE of the above supplements before giving to your child. Consult your doctor for more info.

Edited September 19, 2011 by Misty

[LaughingCat]

I have said I would not consider a Wii until DD(8) started requesting one..... then I read of some balance/vision/memory games on these forums, and now it's on my research list for Christmas :tongue_smilie:

 

DD would really like to learn to crochet - she can make big long chains but she hasn't had much luck with moving to the next step - which I believe is due to her visual memory/left-right issues. Actually, I suppose at this point in her VT that it might be time to make another attempt at this.

 

How did you teach your kids to swallow pills? No luck with that so far here - chewables/liquid only, which limits us due to taste. I do think fish oil makes a difference for her- but it's hard to tease apart all the variables.

 

LL

[tenoraddict]

P-5-P (b6) (this is just as effective as Ritalin in some kids.. Also a co-factor for 5HTP & Tyrosine)

 

 

Will you please tell me more about this? We've done many of the same things as you have (we follow Dianne Craft's Bio of Behavior), but DS8.75 still needs help focusing. I'm against meds except as a last resort, so if there's a supplement "like ritalin," I'd love to hear about it. My boys already take pycnogenol, but it's not helping him focus enough.

 

Thanks,

 

Becky

[momsquared]

I am definitely not being argumentative, because I think what you are doing for your children is awesome. However, do understand that Brain Gym is a complete scam. There is a ton of scientific research that completely refutes everything the originators of the program claim. It is well known across many special needs forums ( as well as through scientific journals) that the program has no real merit.

 

I think the other activities are great...just don't rest a lot of hope on Brain Gym. :grouphug:

 

http://www.skepdic.com/braingym.html

Edited September 19, 2011 by momsquared

[Misty]

How did you teach your kids to swallow pills? No luck with that so far here - chewables/liquid only, which limits us due to taste.

 

I don't really remember.. I know they didn't want to taste some of the stuff I was giving them a couple of years ago.. so they learned to swallow for that reason alone.. My youngest does not swallow yet, but he has no issues and doesn't need to. He just takes gummy vitamins and fish oil (sometimes).

[Misty]

Will you please tell me more about this? We've done many of the same things as you have (we follow Dianne Craft's Bio of Behavior), but DS8.75 still needs help focusing. I'm against meds except as a last resort, so if there's a supplement "like ritalin," I'd love to hear about it. My boys already take pycnogenol, but it's not helping him focus enough.

 

I think this is going to depend on the kid.. But after I first read about this, I decided to do some "experimenting".. My daughter with severe ADHD-combined type was going to school at the time. She would float around the classroom doing her own thing all day, couldn't do seatwork at all, etc. She would even get up and walk around during spelling tests and such. So we put her on Concerta and she started doing great. After I read about P-5-P, I decided to try it out without telling the teacher. So I skipped the Concerta and gave her P-5-P instead.. (she was also taking other supplements AND on a GFCF diet at the same time). I wouldn't say it worked AS WELL AS Concerta, but she was able to do most of her work and got through the day with minimal disruptions. I got BAD reports on the days when she took NOTHING. I got some good and some "iffy" reports on the P-5-P days, and I got ALL GOOD reports on the Concerta days. I think it's definitely something to consider especially if you are implementing other things like diet and other supplements (fish oil, etc.) and especially if you are not wanting to use meds.

 

ETA: I just remembered that our P-5-P has magnesium in it as well. It's a combo of B6 & magnesium. So I guess the magnesium helps to calm.

 

FYI to anyone who doesn't know.. Concerta is Ritalin in time release.

Edited September 19, 2011 by Misty

[Misty]

I am definitely not being argumentative, because I think what you are doing for your children is awesome. However, do understand that Brain Gym is a complete scam. There is a ton of scientific research that completely refutes everything the originators of the program claim. It is well known across many special needs forums ( as well as through scientific journals) that the program has no real merit.

 

http://www.skepdic.com/braingym.html

 

Oh my! Thanks for the heads up! I just heard of it the other day and just ordered it blindly without looking into it. I have not looked at it yet as I have not received it yet. I did look at some YouTube vidoes just now and saw that they do a lot of "button" pushing, etc. that seems sort of strange. But I also saw some crossing-the-midline exercises, which are VERY worthwhile according to my research. And Diane Craft's Brain Integration Therapy Manual has some crossing-the-midline exercises and our psychologist used to have my girls do some along with Interactive Metronome. So, at first glance, it looks to be somewhat of a mixture of some good and some bad.. I'll look through the book when I get it.. I might end up sending it back! Thanks again for the info.

[momsquared]

So glad I didn't offend! I do think some of the theory is important. The developer (Dennison) markets the program as a cure for everything. Their research is all done in very small adult groups, and most of their published results are self published. I am an educator who has had to attend 2 trainings for Brain Gym in my career. The first time I did it because I was working with special needs kids and was willing to give it a try - it was new at the time. I can't say I saw any real results. I do think getting the blood flowing will help, but I don't know if that requires these specific exercises. The second time I was with my entire faculty, and my science teachers went nuts. They questioned a lot of the validity, and it became clear quickly that a lot of their findings are, um, unfounded. :lol:

 

Again - I think exercise is great, and activities that challenge the mind and body together are excellent. I just don't think this is the "answer" it has been sold to be.

[tenoraddict]

How did you teach your kids to swallow pills?

LL

This is how my kids swallow pills (the older ones have worked up to swallowing multiple pills this way, and I can swallow over 1/2 dozen at a time if needed): Take a drink but don't swallow. Tip your head way back and look up at the ceiling. Open your mouth and drop the pill(s) in. While still looking up, swallow.

[tenoraddict]

1. Wii Fit Plus "Training Plus" exercises. I have them do four of my choice, then they do two of their choice. 4X per week. The main exercises they need to do are:

 

a) Perfect 10 (for processing speed and math facts)

b) Rhythm Kung Fu (for processing speed, coordination, working memory, and rhythmic movement training (google this for more info).

c) Rhythm Parade (for processing speed, auditory processing, coordination, and rhythmic movement training)

d) Big Top Juggling (for coordination and processing speed)

 

How did you know to pick these particular games? We have Wii Fit and Wii Sports, and maybe Wii Olympics, but I would have no idea which ones to pick to get all of those benefits.

[Misty]

How did you know to pick these particular games? We have Wii Fit and Wii Sports, and maybe Wii Olympics, but I would have no idea which ones to pick to get all of those benefits.

 

This is Wii Fit Plus so Wii Fit isn't going to have these games. When you play the games, it tells you what it helps with (coordination, balance, etc.).. However, as far as auditory processing, working memory, processing speed, etc.. These things are obvious (to me anyway) when you play the games.. You really get a work-out in these areas. You'll know what I mean when you play the games.

 

Additionally, my kids have been doing different therapies on and off for the past 3 years and I've sat in on so many of them.. These games really mimic a lot of these therapies that were targeting these issues. But even if I'm wrong about one or two of them, no harm done, right? :) I don't recommend going out and buying Wii Fit Plus just for this reason. But if you have it, definitely put it to work!

[rafiki]

.

[Shelly in VA]

Thank you for this schedule! These are exactly the sort of sensory diet activities I have been trying to work up a schedule for, but I haven't been able to consistently implement any of this in our day. This format helps me solidify some things I would like to incorporate.

 

The only suggestions I have are to be sure to incorporate small movement breaks throughout the day, in addition to starting the day with exercise. Another post mentioned adding activity after lunch; that's a good idea. This fall, every hour or so, I have ds (nearly 6) roll a large die several times, and we alternate picking an activity to perform the rolled # of reps (i.e. he rolls a 6 and picks 6 jumping jacks, then he rolls a 4 and I choose 4 push-ups, etc. through 3 or 4 activities). Even my older kids [grudgingly] participate in the movement breaks, and it actually helps all of us to refocus.

 

Something that seems to have a huge impact on my son (diagnosed with Aspergers/autism spectrum) is deep pressure, heavy muscle work. Things like having a "push war" with me where we stand facing each other, palm-to-palm, and push to see who can push the other person backwards past whatever point we choose. Hope that makes sense! Another thing he likes is the sandbell (http://www.amazon.com/SandBell-6lb-Empty-Number-1292282/dp/B004LC1L10/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1316488254&sr=8-9), which is basically a weighted disc we throw as high as we can in the air and try to catch, or play back-and-forth catch with it. I am a huge fan of quick, easily implemented activities that we can do regardless of the weather or the time we have, b/c sometimes we just don't have 20 or 30 minutes available, but we need to do something physical.

 

Thanks again; I think your list is fantastic!

 

Shelly

[Shelly in VA]

Additionally, my kids have been doing different therapies on and off for the past 3 years and I've sat in on so many of them.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

One of the biggest benefits to me was sitting in on as many sessions of OT as I could over the course of 18 months or so. It really gave me a new appreciation for the skills being practiced with different activities, and I was impressed with the amount of impact simple activities could have. It seems like OT is random games/coloring/playing, until you talk to an OT about what they are targeting and looking for. In hindsight, I wish I had kept some sort of journal or log after each session to refresh my memory now as to what activities were used for various purposes!

 

Shelly

[calledtobehome]

Great schedule and information! Trying to work something similar out with my boys who are 7 and 8.5. Right now that both take vitsim d3, Berleans fish oil, multi-vitamin, and magnesium at night. We eat most of our fruit and veggies organic along with not hving any hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, dyes like red 40 etc, in our food.

 

Do they sell games like Brain Age or flash focus for the Wii? Or even something similiar?

[Shelly in VA]

There is a Wii game called Big Brain Academy which is similar in concept to Brain Age.We just got it a few months ago, and we love it! It can be very challenging.

[calledtobehome]

Thanks just put it in my Amazon cart!

[rafiki]

.

[tenoraddict]

Now on to supplements:

 

In the a.m., my kids take:

 

P-5-P (b6) (this is just as effective as Ritalin in some kids.. Also a co-factor for 5HTP & Tyrosine)

 

Calcium/Magnesium (because we are dairy free. Given at bedtime because the magnesium has a relaxing effect)

 

Oh. My. Gosh. P5P, where have you been all my son's life?! Misty, I am so thankful that you posted what you do for your kiddos. As I've told you, after I read your post, I contacted Dianne Craft, who recommended L-Theanine along with the P5P. The L-T is like the calming part of Ritalin, and the P5P is like the focusing element. So I started the boys and myself (I'm not a hyper person, but I can always use help staying calm!) on 100mg twice/day of L-T last week, and the "hyper" ones were markedly calmer. I think it's been giving me sleep trouble (awaking every morning at 5, which is almost 2 hours earlier than usual for me), so I'm only going to take it in the a.m. & see what happens.

 

I started them on P5P a few days ago. My DS8 is the one I'm most concerned about; we have an appt with the Dr. to talk about ADHD meds on Friday, which is very upsetting to me. We've done all we can to attack the root of his problems without chemicals. The 1st day on P5P, I didn't notice much of a change. But the past two days have been amazing. He has flown through his schoolwork with almost laser-like focus. He's like a different child. My DS12 and DS13 have not had the same results, though. I'm tempted to blame some of it on hormones, because I know boys this age are often off in la-la land.

 

I've given them the P5P at night along with their Magnesium/Calcium/Zinc supplement. The Mg does help with calming and sleep, and the 3 elements work best when taken together. I'd like to try the P5P in the morning, but Dianne Craft says that B6 (of which P5P is the activated form) is only effectively absorbed when taken with Mg/Ca.

 

Regardless of when he takes it, it's working. I'm so happy!! Thanks again, Misty!:)

[Misty]

Oh. My. Gosh. P5P, where have you been all my son's life?!

 

I've given them the P5P at night along with their Magnesium/Calcium/Zinc supplement. The Mg does help with calming and sleep, and the 3 elements work best when taken together. I'd like to try the P5P in the morning, but Dianne Craft says that B6 (of which P5P is the activated form) is only effectively absorbed when taken with Mg/Ca.

 

Regardless of when he takes it, it's working. I'm so happy!! Thanks again, Misty!:)

 

:party:

So happy it's working out for you! Thanks for sharing Ms. Craft's suggestions.. I think I'll try the P5P along with the cal/mag and see if I notice any improvements.

[PeterPan]

Just as an observation, it looks like that L-Theanine is found in green tea. You could implement Michele's idea of warm tea using green tea and see what that does. Green tea has a slight amount of natural caffeine, less than regular tea, right? So then you'd get that stimulant (to chill them) as well.

 

The largest natural source of the b6 seems to be meats like chicken and turkey. I don't know if y'all ever measure out your kids' servings, but the amounts our nutritionist had dd eating were surprisingly large (6-8 oz. daily).

 

But that's just me. I'm always looking for food sources, because the supplements seem to push us over the edge and cause headaches, etc. Ds did great with eggs, but introduce isolated choline and he dropped sounds and started talking really fast and high-pitched like a dolphin (regressing). It's easy to overload our kids' systems. But yes, I'm totally with Misty and in favor of calcium supplements. Dd has been on them since she was a toddler. She never drinks milk, so they were essential. We recently started with enzymes from Houston. We're taking the protein one to cover when we have dairy, and I got the tri-enza product for ds.

 

You know what's curious about handicrafts and hobbies and things? Some time ago, KarenAnne (who no longer posts on the boards, sniff) told me that these kids are creating their own self-therapy when they pursue their hobbies. I didn't understand it, but I've always just kind of let her do the ones she wanted and ignore the ones she didn't. And now I'm finding out, years later, that her bizarre choices WERE in fact an internal therapy selector.

 

So I don't know where that's going, except to say that you might look for that as you facilitate handicrafts for them. They're great to do, but they don't necessarily have to be the ones we think. It might be they're drawn to something eccentric, something not on our list, because it's meeting a need we don't even realize.

[Misty]

We recently started with enzymes from Houston. We're taking the protein one to cover when we have dairy, and I got the tri-enza product for ds.

 

Funny, I just recommended TriEnza to tenoraddict in a PM. My 8yr old takes TriEnza before eating any dairy. If she doesn't take the TriEnza, she gets aggressive, hyperactive, and wets the bed at night. I LOVE TriEnza. We did strict 100% dairy free (along with gluten & soy free) for 18 months before I started allowing small amounts of dairy (salad dressing, cheese, etc.) with the TriEnza.

 

 

 

You know what's curious about handicrafts and hobbies and things? Some time ago, KarenAnne (who no longer posts on the boards, sniff) told me that these kids are creating their own self-therapy when they pursue their hobbies. I didn't understand it, but I've always just kind of let her do the ones she wanted and ignore the ones she didn't. And now I'm finding out, years later, that her bizarre choices WERE in fact an internal therapy selector.

 

So I don't know where that's going, except to say that you might look for that as you facilitate handicrafts for them. They're great to do, but they don't necessarily have to be the ones we think. It might be they're drawn to something eccentric, something not on our list, because it's meeting a need we don't even realize.

 

Great reminder for us! My oldest daughter would sit and read all day or be on the computer all day (writing or doodling or whatever) if I didn't have her do something. It's like she is addicted to words. We did get into beading for a while (and also basket-weaving), but her fine motor control is so bad.. she gives up easy. She just wants to read read read. :tongue_smilie:

Edited September 28, 2011 by Misty

[PeterPan]

Have you tried Sculpey or Pop-Arty beads? Both are worthwhile (building handstrength, visualization, artistic sense), but they aren't going to be quite so frustrating on the fine motor. Sculpey has LOTS of art potential for kids inclined to it. Not only can you do basic figure sculpting (with or without wire armature), but it's also what people use to make beads. Some people really get into that. You mix colors, roll them, put them through a pasta machine, cut, bake. It's just really nifty for people to whom it's appealing. But definitely look at the Pop Arty beads. They wouldn't be quite so frustrating.

[SonshineMama]

I am definitely not being argumentative, because I think what you are doing for your children is awesome. However, do understand that Brain Gym is a complete scam. There is a ton of scientific research that completely refutes everything the originators of the program claim. It is well known across many special needs forums ( as well as through scientific journals) that the program has no real merit.

 

I think the other activities are great...just don't rest a lot of hope on Brain Gym. :grouphug:

 

http://www.skepdic.com/braingym.html

 

I disagree completely.

 

I'm Brain Gym does not work for everyone but after only 6 weeks of brain gym, my son was able to skip for the first time in his life (at the age of 9yrs 2 mths). I had tried teaching him several times (I am also a dance instructor) but I couldn't teach him to save my life until brain gym :tongue_smilie:

 

That said, he has neurological damage due to medications so this could be the exception to the rule. I learned about Brain INtegration thearpy from A homeschool mom who had a huge amount of success with her son. I took the manual with to my son's OT eval only to find out she had already dug out a lot of info on brain gym to give me. it was an answer to prayer and has helped our son make a lot of progress the past 9 months.

 

He isn't "healed" or "cured" but it's REALLY helped him a lot!!!!

[dkpalaska]

For Misty or tenoraddict (or anyone else who can chime in): I really appreciate all the discussions about supplements!

 

If possible, can you pass on what brands of zinc, magnesium and B6/P5P you are using, and where you purchase them? I've just spent an entire morning culling through different options on vitacost and luckyvitamin, and it was a royal pain. I'm still not sure I have the best choices ordered. For the next refill, or if these don't work out like I hope, I'd love some recommendations. I do plan on staggering the start: say, Omega-3 first, then mag/zinc/P5P (I gathered that these are most effective when combined) 2-3 weeks later, so I can better see any positive/negative results, interactions, etc.

 

My kids find swallowing pills whole to be daunting, but we're going to have to figure out a way around that anyway. Where it can be liquid/chewable, that would be great. But all the "kid formulas" seemed to be way low in dosage amounts (so you'd have to take a ridiculous amount of it each day), or are in formulations that I've read are not readily absorbed, or something else goofy.

 

We are shooting for 1200 mg/day of Omega 3, 30 mg/day of zinc citrate or zinc picolinate, 250 mg twice daily of magnesium citrate or magnesium malate, and 50 mg/day of B6/P5P. This is for a high-functioning autistic 10 yo son and (partly) a suspected ADHD 6 yo son.

 

Does a B-complex vitamin help Aspie/hfa kids? Or only specific B vitamins? I've read that stress depletes B vitamins in general, and my 10 yo certainly goes through more stress than his brother/sister.

 

Ugh - sorry about the long message. Thank you for any helpful pointers you can give!

[Misty]

For anyone new reading this thread, this is resurrected from about 2 months ago. So first, I want to say, that I have scratched most of my original plan in favor of vision therapy. My 8yr old is now doing vision therapy instead of my "Brain Gym" and we are seeing wonderful changes already (6 weeks in).

 

As for the supplements.. Those we still do.. If I stop the supplements, I see a drastic change in behavior and attention. I have researched each and every supplement and they are all very safe when given in the lowest effective dose. Our doctor approves and oversees all of this. I highly suggest working with a good doctor to formulate a supplement plan for your child.

 

 

If possible, can you pass on what brands of zinc, magnesium and B6/P5P you are using, and where you purchase them?

 

Does a B-complex vitamin help Aspie/hfa kids? Or only specific B vitamins? I've read that stress depletes B vitamins in general, and my 10 yo certainly goes through more stress than his brother/sister.

 

I use P-5-P from Kirkman Labs.. We use a formula with magnesium in it.. Here is a search result for P-5-P at their site.. http://kirkmanlabs.com/SiteSearchResult.aspx?strSiteSearch=P-5-P

 

If that link didn't work, just go to http://www.kirkmanlabs.com and search for P-5-P. You'll get a lot of products.

 

Many prefer P-5-P to a B-complex. I also give Methyl B-12. I used to give M B-12 shots in my daughters bum cheek years ago (prescribed by our doctor back when she was first diagnosed and very unmanageable/lower functioning). After she improved, we went to a lozenge.

 

I don't give Zinc by itself, though I probably should. I let them get it through their multi-vitamin and food sources as much as possible. Though my kids don't absorb very much from food due to compromised gut health. Hence the supplementation.

[Misty]

I wanted to also mention that my 14yr old was recently evaluated again.. She has lost her ADHD diagnosis and her OCD diagnosis, though she does still have some anxiety. Her working memory is just fine now (it used to be almost non-existent). Her attention and impulsivity have improved as well. I was thrilled that she had improved so much! She still has Asperger's, but many of the co-morbids are gone or greatly improved now. She is very high-functioning as Aspies go and does quite well socially (for the most part).

 

We also did an abbreviated re-evaluation of my 10yr old Aspie. She was found (by the same psychologist who originally diagnosed her) to be "unlikely" to have Asperger's. She does still have some social issues, auditory processing issues, hyper-focus issues, and slow processing speed, but they are mild. She hasn't officially lost her Asperger's diagnosis as this was an informal eval using the Asperger's Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS) only. But we did find that she has improved by leaps and bounds over the past 2 years in several areas. Our psych was highly impressed with this and even called me a few days later to ask for some dietary ideas that she could pass on to one of her patients who had similar symptoms (and had also tested as gluten intolerant).

 

We also did an abbreviated re-evaluation of my 8yr old (by the same psych who diagnosed her) and her result was that she still has Asperger's, ADHD, & mild OCD. She was previously diagnosed with severe OCD and she also had severe behavior issues and high aggression tendencies.. We don't see any of the behavior issues now and her OCD is very mild (and comes and goes). Before, it was all severe and unbearable. She was a raging, aggressive, inconsolable mess who constantly did her OCD compulsions and stimming behaviors. Today, she is easygoing and eager to please with a very occassional "spat" that we have to work through. So she has improved a lot too, but she still has the original issues that she was first diagnosed with.

 

So as we continue to see these improvements, I continue to do what I'm doing. I'm not convinced that my girls will recover from Asperger's completely.. but I do think they will improve enough to function in our world. Some of you may know that my youngest child (5yr old son) was on the spectrum at one time and is now considered recovered.. We started him on DAN protocol interventions when he was still very young (just before age 3) and he responded quickly. We had him re-evaluated again after interventions had been in place for over a year and the results were night and day. Completely neurotypical today at age 5 (though admittedly quirky). My girls did not respond as well as he did, but they did improve.

 

I don't believe that all cases of autism and Asperger's are a result of dietary or biomedical dysfunction. Some kids are truly born with autistic brains. But in our case, there is definitely a correlation and I am thankful to have found this path. And believe it or not, my kids are glad too... They no longer have the bowel issues, the skin issues, the headaches, the "high speed brain" feeling, the brain fog issues, the forgetfulness, and the crippling anxiety. A couple of them have expressed to me that they are glad I found that they are gluten intolerant, etc. So I don't regret a bit of this!

 

I hope this is helpful to someone out there!

[tenoraddict]

Misty, I am THRILLED for you that your kiddos have had such great responses. Well done, Mama Bear, in following through with what they needed. I'm SO happy about the VT. It did wonders for my middle son, and I'm glad you're seeing results as well.

 

dkpalaska... For most supplements/vitamins, I find vitacost.com to be significantly less expensive than anywhere else, unless somewhere else is having a big sale. I switched from a B complex to P5P. I've been trying different brands, so can't recommend a good one. I'd go with Misty's rec there if I were you, and am going to consider switching to it myself. I'm pretty passionate about our mg/zn combination. We use Maximum Living's Mineral Rich, because it's the perfect ratio of mg to zn, which apparently is very important. It's a liquid (cherry tasting). It's the cheapest from Valley Naturals. http://www.valleynaturals.com/valley_naturals_index.html The benefits for your kiddos are that it's a liquid as well as being a two-in-one.

[GingerPoppy]

Wow, that is really awesome!

 

I have some idea about the amount of research, work, and dedication to pull everything together; I did a supplement and dietary program for my daughter for a few years for for a much milder issue. It was not easy, but it worked, and now that issue is gone. :)

[dkpalaska]

Thank you so much for the information, Misty and tenoraddict! I've got those supplements bookmarked. We'll try the ones on order (they are similar, though not as much as I'd like), but gosh, there's only about 1 or (barely) 2 months supply for some of them anyway. I really appreciate you taking the time to outline your choices and why.

 

Misty, I'm so glad to hear of the incredible improvements in your family! :party:

Your girls and your son are so lucky to have your dedication and determination. It is such a sacrifice, to be the parent of special needs kids.

 

Blessings to you both!