NeuroPsych Evalutation Report

We received the evaluation report from Dr. Seibert regarding John's evaluation from Feb-April.
At the time of this test, John is considered 3 years, 2 months old.
Listed below are some of the highlights from the 12 page report:

Areas of concern defined by parents:
1.He needs to be taught certain things that other kids seem to pick up naturally
2. Demonstrates some echolalia (repeats the ends of some questions when asked)
3. Preoccupations with narrow areas of interest and focus (in phases)
examples: clocks, lining up cars, left-turn arrows, train tracks,& reading clothing tags
4. Frustration tantrums -- problems managing anger
5. Craves sensory stimuli (specifically with hands/touch, chew non-food items)
6. Trouble with eating (messy eater, prefers to use hands, overstuffs mouth)

Areas of concern Socially:
1. Limited eye contact
2. Unable to show comfort to others in distress
3. Some pretend play
4. mostly parallel play

Areas of Concern defined by Current Teachers:
1. Little Attention Span
2. Easily Destracted
3. Limited Spontaneous Speech
4. Limited to no interaction with other children
5. Loves sensory activities (finger painting, eating with hands, feet in sand)
6. Limited interest in classroom when given free time (lines up cars or 'reads' a book)
7. Delayed academically
8. No eye contact

Things the teachers did not notice:
1. No strange or odd preoccupations
2. No behavior problems
3. No transition tantrums

Observation In the Clinic over 2 observation days:
1. No tantrums or upsets
2. mild mannered
3. Reduced eye contact
4.quiet most of the time, with only one-word utterances
5. Poor intelligibility of speech
6. Fairly distractible, but was able to maintain focus if sitting on lap, bounced, or squeezed

Observation at School:
1. John did not remain on carpet square during storytime and had to sit on teacher's lap to maintain focus
2. Wandered room
3. Responded to yes/no questions
4. Kids lined up to wash hands, John consistently wandered out of line; needed re-direction
5. Food placed in front of him, told to wait, kept putting hands in spaghetti; needed to be reminded to wait multiple times
6. Facial expression blunted most of the time
7. Complied with verbal instruction but never made eye contact; appeared not to be paying attention, but would respond appropriately
8. Messiest eater in the class
9. After lunch, wandered over to line up cars
10. Wandered to book area, opened book, sat down, and "read" it
11. On playground, rode tricycle alone most of the time
12. Smiled at girl who climbed on "caboose" of tricycle
13. Stopped bike purposely to have 2 other girls crash into him; all giggled; John repeated again
14. Gravitated to outskirts of playground most of time
15. Seemed to be "in his own world"

ADOS test (Austim Diagnostic observation Schedule):
1. John responded to name by turning toward examiner
2. Poor eye contact; used eye contact to get the examiner to do something again
3. Showed some shared enjoyment with examiner, but not consistent; interested mostly in having sole control over a toy; needed to be re-engaged to play with examiner
4. Did not spontaneously give objects to examiner; but would comply after repeated requests
5. Could show functional use of toys when prompted but did not demonstrate any symbolic play on own
6. Did not initiate any social interactions, but did not mind the examiner playing alongside him
7. Produced single word utterances, most not intelligible
8. Showed only occasional, unusaual sensory behavior -- objects in mouth
9. According to ADOS, fell within the spectrum, but not autism, per se

GARS test completed by parents scored an 81 -- meaning "possibly" has autism

Other Tests Administered:

• DAS-II - Differential Ability Scales - Verbal & Non-Verbal Cognitive Development; John scored in the 66th percentile for Verbal Comprehension (average) and 58th percentile for Naming Vocabulary (also average); For the Non_verbal section, he scored in the average for Picture Similarities, but scored mildly impaired on Pattern Contruction; His total scores for this test was a 96, and fell within the average range (39th percentile)
• Although the examiner felt that the scores need to take in account that John had a very low attention span, needed frequent re-direction to the tasks at hand, cues to remind him to persist in his effort, prompting to consider the full range of answer chocies before responding, etc.
• PLS-4 - PreSchool Language Scale - measures comprehension and expressive language skills; John's auditory comprehension scored of that of a 2-year 11 month old child (average range for his age) Most advanced skills he showed was the ability to distinguish activities that were day from activities at night. He could understand picture analogies, identified objects, identified colors and common activities, understood quantitive concepts (one vs. all), and descriptive concepts (big vs. small) Could follow 2 step commands, but COULD NOT show spatial concepts (on, off, in, out of), pronouns (I, me, you) or negatives (show me the baby that is not crying) His scores resulted in that of a 2-year 8 month old, which is on the low average for his age range.
• VABS-II - Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale - questionnaire filled out by parents; day-to-day functioning;
  
• Communication scored low at 1 year 11 months;
  
• Expressive Language scored at 2 years, 10 months;
  
• Written Language was HIGH at 4 years, 3 months - able to recognize upper and lowercase alphabet, own written name in printed form;
  
• Daily Living Skills ---
  
• Personal Care-2 years 9 months,
  
• Domestic Care - 2 years, 2 months;
  
• Community Functioining HIGH at 4 years 5 months
  
• SOCIAL skills - low at 1 year, 7 months;
  
• Play behaviors -1 year, 10 months
• Coping - 2 years, 7 months
• Fine Motor - 3 years, 5 months

DIAGNOSTIC IMPRESSIONS:

• Basic Language skills have caught up to low average-average range, he still shows delays in speech intelligibility, as well as in pragmatic use of language in social/communicative ways
• Delays in age-appropriate social and play behaviors
• Shows some atypical restricted and repetitive behaviors
• Falls short of Autism Diagnosis at this time
• However, meets criteria for PDD-NOS, Pervasive Developmental Delay, Not Otherwise Specified, otherwise known as "atypical autism"
• He has shown signs that intervention boosts his progress

RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Parents should request an IEP (Individulaized Educational Plan) from Bonita Unified School District based on this second opinion requesting:

• Placement in a classroom with a better teacher-to-student ratio than a typical educational classroom; Should have curriculum appropriate for average-range overall intellectual level, but with resources that meets his needs for supervision, assistance, difficulties for sustained attention, and facilitation for social activities OR in a regular classroom with a one-on-one aide
• John clearly needs speech therapy to address intelligibility and language pragmatics
• John should receive an OT evaluation to address sensory issues and motor skills concerns

2. Parents should re-apply through regional center for services that may benefit them in the community based programs
3. Parents should seek additional play and social opportunities and instruction for John with peers close in age; John needs facilitation to initiate and sustain engagement with other children and verbal cues to help him play
4. Seek parent education and support services

Articles on Autism & A Poem

I have some current news articles on autism.

Here is a USA Today article that talk about how some kids with autism can recover and become undiagnosed.

Here is an article from Time on a genetic clue that may eventually explain why autism affects boys rather than girls.

I also found a poem that touched me. Read below.

Walk With Me

Walk in my shoes
for one single day.
Then you'll see why
I need to pray.
Come live in my home
for a week or two
and then remember
I am just like you.
I didnt ask for the things I was given
I didnt choose this road I have taken
Walk a mile with me hand in hand
Then perhaps you will understand.

I'm not really complaining
about the stress in my life,
I know that we all have
some toil and some strife.
But walk with me, when you think
I am wrong, walk with me
and you'll start to belong.
Embrace my sorrows,
like they are your own,
And then you will know me
And see I have grown.

The journey I take
is different from yours
My life took one of those
unexpected detours,
But this road that I travel
is not really so long,
If the people who watch me
will join in my song.
Listen to my footsteps
and watch how I dance
And then you will know me
and give me a chance.

Take heart and remember
It can happen to you,
who knows where my pathway
will cross over to you?
So speak to me softly
if you can't understand
Remember I once stood
right there where you stand.
And walk with me gently
when the day is at end.
And then I will know
I can call you my friend.

copyright 1999
Sally Meyer

Official Diagnosis: PDD-NOS

I haven't received the official report from Dr. Siebert yet, but after testing, John has received an official diagnosis of PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental delay, not otherwise specified). She suggests that he attend a communications delayed preschool. Once I get the full report, I will update the blog with her findings.

2 articles on CNN

CNN had 2 stories on Autism today.

Find them here and here.

The first one is a case of PDD-NOS, which is what I believe is going to be John's diagnosis.

PRETEND PLAY

There was a time months ago that it didn't exist, so when I see my son growing with 'pretend play', it makes me burst with pride.

This morning, he was gathering objects in his little shopping cart from around the house. He placed them all on the counter of the play kitchen we have. He grabbed his pretend cash register, equipped with scanner, and proceeded to scan each item and then throw them in the shopping cart. I asked him what he was doing and he said "shopping at Vons". About a minute later he said he was "paying" and then pushed the cart really fast down the hallway, saying "bye mommy, I'm going home"!

He was so excited, but I think I was more.

Occupational Therapy

I am often asked what Occupational Therapy is, so I thought I'd go into detail in today's blog post.

Occupational Therapy, also known as OT, (according to Wikipedia) incorporates meaningful and purposeful occupation to enable people with limitations or impairments to participate in everyday life.

According to About.com, Occupational Therapy actually deals with strengthening fine motor skills, like writing, cutting, shoe-tying and using utensils. For adults recovering from an accident or stroke, that may include work-related skills; for children, whose "occupation" is school and play, it will focus more sharply on developmental milestones and skills required for playground and academic activities. Occupational therapists working with children typically use techniques and routines that may seem like play, but are designed to target areas of delay and difficulty. Some occupational therapists are also trained in therapy with a sensory integration approach (SI), which uses play-like activities to help children better process and tolerate the information they get through their senses.

John would spend his hour of OT swinging on different types of swings, climbing, working through obstacle courses, hanging on a trapeze bar, jumping in ball pit, jumping on trampoline, walking on different textures, riding a tricycle, throwing balls, working on fine motor skills, and sometimes, working on eating issues.

Neuro-Psych Evaluation

To bring everybody up-to-date:
John was diagnosed as "at risk" for autism at 30 months old by Regional Center
When he turned 3, he was evaluated by the school district, who said they do not see a developmental delay or signs of autism that impact education and denied any special educational services.
Regional Center then told us that since he had "provisional" or "at risk" autism to begin with, there never was a diagnosis in the first place.

SO --- we are going through a medical doctor, a neuro-psych to find out if John needs a diagnosis or not. Both Regional Center and the school district determine funding, so we thought we needed another opinion by someone who had nothing to do with funding.

The assessment will consist of parent and teacher questionnaires and interviews, as well as a few days of evaluation of John in different settings and at school, with other kids. We've had 2 sessions already and am looking forward to her assessment.

2 new websites

It's been awhile since I've written, but I've come across 2 new websites that I thought were worth mentioning.


http://www.adaptivechild.com/index.html
and
http://www.weightedvestsforchildren.com/weighted-vests-for-children.html

Show & Tell: John's Last Day at Casa Colina

My boy has graduated!

Signs to look For

I received an email with a question regarding someone who believed a family member might have a child with autism. She was interested in learning more about autism and things you could look for to see if the issues that were being observed could be related to autism. So, I thought I'd take a portion of the email I wrote to her and discuss some of the signs or red flags one might notice in a child as he/she are developing.

Some signs to look for (every autistic kid does not have every one of these -- the severity of the autism has to do with how much, how often and how many of them):

Age Appropriate Toys -- does the child play with age appropriate toys or still hold on to baby toys or cause and effect toys (by 3, children should move on to more imaginary play toys like cars, dolls, action figures, drawing, etc)
Tip toe walking --- some do, some don't, but it is a sign of autism
Hand flapping --- some do, some don't, but another sign of autism (often referred to as "self stimulating behavior" -- if over stimulated, the child may wave his hands up by his face to show excitement or nervousness)
Eye Contact --- many children with autism have no eye contact issues with family and close friends/relatives, but can't look strangers or acquaintances in the eyes -- they may glance, but nothing sustained
Joint attention -- does the child point to objects when asked (whether in a book or out on a walk, like point to the tree, or fire hydrant or stop sign) they look for finger pointing -- actual single finger pointing to an object - autistic children often do not point out things and have "poor joint attention", only picking and choosing what to draw their attention to
Interest in things that spin --- many children will spin themselves (another form of self stimulating behavior, but do not get dizzy); others like objects that spin and will stare at it for unusually long periods of time
Appropriate use of everyday objects -- does the child know how to use a hair brush on a doll or self, or know that a spoon is used to stir, -- autistic kids often need to be taught about what an object is used for and these kids do not learn by imitation; how do they play with cars -- line them up & stare at the pattern or spinning the tires are 2 signs that they look for
Interest in shiny objects --- many kids will stare for unusually long periods to shiny objects
Attention span- many autistic kids have a very short attention span; many can't sit through the reading of a book or show no interest in books as infants/toddlers
Chewing/Mouthing objects -- many autistic kids chew or mouth objects as tiny babies without teeth would do; these kids have shirt collars constantly in their mouths, seatbelt straps, toys, etc.
Interest in new toys - does the child have a hard time wanting or knowing what to do with a new toy; does the child show interest in the new toy or pick it up and then move on
Attention to task - this one has to do with two extremes --- either the child bounces from one task to another without long attention or the child is sooo attentive to the task that they can't move away from it or won't do anything else -- both extremes are signs of autism like behavior
Response to own name - a majority of the time will ignore their own name when called
Speech/Language - Most autistic kids have some sort of language or speech delay; extreme cases never gain speech; some have cognitive/receptive issues; others have pronunciation; many/most have both; almost all are late talkers
Dietary Concerns - many kids are "sickly"; have food allergies, bowel issues, stomach problems; weight loss/weight gain; picky eaters; many hate textured foods; many need food purified -- each need is different but there is usually some sort of "feeding" issue one way or another; some are messy eaters and don't know how to use utensils correctly, others can, but prefer to use hands,
**Sensory Issues - Most kids have some sort of Sensory Integration issues which is the source of the manifestation of some of the above listed behaviors -- the brain processing the sensory information received through the senses incorrectly -- some are "sensory seekers", constantly looking for sensory input -- these kids are "crashing into" things like furniture and people's legs; they might spin and not get dizzy; they love "messy" play like paint and glue and might put it all over their hands and arms -- others "avoid" all the sensory input -- they might hate touching certain textures, glue, sand, etc. --- then on the auditory side, they may fear loud noises, including hair dryers or toilets flushing, while the other extreme is that they don't even notice sound and seem like they might have 'hearing' issues, but test within range for hearing (hence not reacting to own name);
on the sensory issues -- there are a ton -- other issues may be poor gross motor skills -- may walk unstably, may have a hard time avoiding obstacles, may avoid or seek swinging for long periods of time, may feel more "grounded" with feet always touching the floor, so can't sit still at a chair with feet up or on a toilet without feet touching a stool

I have a good book that talks about sensory issues that is a good introduction into children that just seem to be a bit different -- not necessarily autistic, but have Sensory Processing Disorder. It's called The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz. She also wrote a companion book called The Out of Sync Child has fun, which is a workbook that teaches parents tips to practice in the home to help your child overcome the sensory issues. The good news is that if it's Sensory Processing Disorder by itself, then there are things that you can do that helps the child and makes it go away. Many kids with autism have Sensory Processing Disorder, but not every child with it has Autism. It is a good resource for a parent to read who has just begun to understood their child is a bit "different".

John's Services Updated

I have lots of news today and it may take more than one topic to cover all the news on John. I'll start with the IEP.

Today, we had John's IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) with the school district. It was a bittersweet moment as we learned that John no longer will qualify for services. This is a very good thing because it means that the progress John has made since May has been so overwhelming that he does not need Special Education. The school district determined through their assessments that, although John has showed developmental delays in the past, his scores in all areas of development fall within the average range. He doesn't show a need for continued service, whether it be special ed pre-school, speech, or occupational therapy.

Hopefully, the early intervention will serve as a deep enough foundation for John to integrate into regular pre-school and naturally develop alongside other children/peers. I am disappointed that occupational therapy and speech could not be continued. I learned today that to qualify for occupational therapy, he would have had to meet the requirement for special education. Then, it would be determined if it was necessary for OT. However, speech is a little bit different. It is a standalone service, meaning that if he meets certain criteria, he could qualify for speech, even if he did not for special education preschool.

Hopefully, John will continue to develop his attention so he can engage in a classroom setting without too much re-direction. As far as skill levels, he has caught up in every catergory, which I will get into in the next blog topic with regards to his latest Casa Colina evaluation. His largest problem area that his current educators see is his willingness to participate, along with his attention and engagement with little re-direction.

Bad Days

Wow! I can't believe how long since I've written on here. Therapy appointments, a new Facebook addiction, and the holiday season have kept me from updating this page.

I have been concentrating on John's progress and the success's we have had since beginning early intervention. ( see 2 posts below for John's progress under "Neurofeedback Testimonial" ) Today, I want to take the time to talk about the struggles we have in raising a child with Autism. Since beginning early intervention, we have had extreme highs and dramatic lows.

A few days ago John had 3 meltdowns in the afternoon. These are not temper tantrums, but emotional meltdowns. Many times with autistic children, if anything is slightly 'off', if they feel sick, or they are having trouble figuring out their emotional state, they have these meltdowns.

For John, it began at naptime the other day. It's the kind of meltdown where the tears won't stop, you can't console the child, he can get hysterical, the cries turn to screams, and there is no apparent reason why he is upset. He appears uncomfortable, constantly moving and wriggling. Holding him is almost impossible because he doesn't want to be comforted. Talking to him makes the screams get louder. Rocking him makes him irritable. Time only makes the rage worse. As a parent, you go through a wide range of emotions during the meltdown. It starts with compassion and a sense of wanting to calm him down. Frustration creeps in as the meltdown continues. As his anger builds and you try everything to calm him down, your anger builds, as you try to remind yourself that getting upset is not going to help this situation. At some point, I begin to wonder what kind of impact episodes like this has on Katie, who is laying in her bed, one bedroom away, trying to take her nap. The next emotion you feel is failure and somtimes you begin crying with him, wondering why he has to be this way.

A few days ago, the first meltdown ended 40 minutes later when he became so tired and just fell asleep. He slept for an hour, while I re-charged for round two. The second he woke up, he picked up from where he left off. This time I couldn't stick with it. I called my mom, frustrated and felt like I just didn't know what to do. I had him on the lounge chair with a blanket, with his shirt off. He ripped it off at some point and wouldn't let me put another one on. I think restraining him would have been the only way to get the shirt on, but I had no energy for that battle and decided that if he wanted his shirt off, he knew better than me on this one. He wanted to bury his head in my shoulder and cry. He kept sobbing and wanted to pinch me under the armpits. His hand kept making its way into my shirt and I kept taking it out, which infuriated him, but I wasn't going to let him hurt me. I kept thinking to myself that this kid is only 3 years old and I'm the adult. My mom stopped by and when the door opened, he stopped crying and just looked at her. She walked in and said one word and the crying continued. She offered to hold him and he screamed "mama" and wouldn't let go of me. After another 15 minutes, he fell asleep on lap while my mom and I were talking. She left and I let him sleep on me for a half an hour and then I rolled him onto the couch. He stayed there for 2 hours. He never sleeps that long in the daytime, but he wore himself out.

When he woke up, he wasn't very happy and cried a little bit more. This time I had reinforcement --- Bill had come home from work. He responds better to Bill at times --- I think John gives me the worst of it. He wouldn't eat dinner, but we had to go out. Putting him in the car and eventually stopping at McDonalds changed his mood and he slept well that night.

Episodes like this are becoming a lot less frequent. In fact, we haven't had one of these in a very long time. But, it reminds me of where we came from. As a baby and up until last year, John had these episodes almost every day at 3 or 4 o'clock. I never knew what was wrong. I blamed milk, gas, his stomach, maybe he was sick, etc., but sometimes I don't even think these kids know what is wrong. It reminds me of where we've been and although we've made tons of progress, it also reminds me of what we are dealing with. Prayer, tears, friends, family, Bill's support, and my mother are getting me through this. Now, my prayer is strength to deal with the third child that is on it's way....

Websties on Autism

I thought I'd spend today's topic on places you can visit online for more information on Autism. This are provided for research purposes only and are not an endorsement for the information provided within the pages or the organizations themselves.

Clicking on the name will take you to the website.

Autism Speaks
Autism Society of America
Generation Rescue (Jenny McCarthy)
National Autism Association
TACA - Talk About Curing Autism
Unlocking Autism
Autism Research Institute

Redbook Articles

Redbook published two artices on Autism. Click on title to read.

Autism: "There's No Such Thing as Too Much Hope"
Autism Activist Moms

Neurofeedback Testimonial

I recently submitted this testimonial to Neurofeedback Centers for Success.

My husband and I brought our 2-year old autistic son to Centers for Success with both intrigue and skepticism. When we first began, John had been through only 2 months of traditional early intervention therapies, such as Speech, Occupational Sensory, some in-home play, and an Early Start Preschool. He had been significantly developmentally delayed in all areas. His speech (at 30 months old), was tested like that of a 6-9 month old. His cognitive skills tested at a 10-17 month level. 6 months ago (at two-and-a half years old), John had no attention span, could not sit still, jumped form one activity to another, was in constant motion, grinded his teeth, chewed on his shirt collars, did not sleep through the night, had eating issues, had little-to-none imaginary play skills, could not ride a tricycle, and did not socialize with other children. When he was tested, they couldn’t complete many sections because he wouldn’t focus for them, wouldn’t respond to his name, wouldn’t point to a single object when asked, and was constantly running around the room, flipping on and off the light.

To date, John has had 50 sessions of Neurofeedback over 4 months time, and we are still planning on more. He rapidly progressed in his developmental skills, including bringing his speech to a 31-month level and his cognitive to 33 months (he is currently 36 months old). Among his skills, include riding a tricycle, which has become a favorite outside activity now. His imaginary play has grown by incredible strides, moving from cause-and-effect toys to playing with cars and blocks, as well as playing kitchen, grocery store, and even ‘brain school’(neurofeedback). He uses Play Dough as the “sticky stuff”, grabs headphones, and tells me he needs a movie! His retention has increased, which he can show us through the speech skills he has gained. He can now sit still through the reading of a book, which was something that he had never done before. We used to try just looking at pictures and ignoring the words, but he still couldn’t do that. Now, he’s interested in listening to someone read and can sit in a ‘big’ chair, without having to strap him in a high chair or booster. He has enough attention to sit and complete tasks, such as puzzles or stringing beads in patterns.

Socially, John has grown in his interaction with his 4-year-old sister, engaging in play and laughing at jokes between the two of them. He initiates hugs for bedtime, holds her hand, and plays prince and princess with her. He can play on his own, entertaining himself with age appropriate toys. With other children, John will say hello and goodbye, but his play is still more parallel in nature and not too much of engagement.

Behaviorally, we have watched John grow through different developmental stages. Prior to any early intervention, John was often frustrated due to his lack of communication and ability to do things for himself. He would often act out by throwing things or cry inconsolably. He’d cry until he fell asleep, often 30-45 minutes. As he became calmer and his skill levels increased, we watched the behavior change. He had more control. We then entered a stage of transitional tantrums, which only lasted about 1-2 weeks, but he’d cry as activities would end. Centers for Success changed some protocols and the calmness then took over, and the tantrums ended. We went on a vacation that included a 5-hour plane flight. John had no problems sitting in his airplane seat, happy and calm, for the entire trip (both on the way there and on the way home). We are currently in a new behavioral phase, which includes tantrums because John doesn’t get his way. This is different from the transition tantrums. These are in direct result of not getting what he wants and are in complete protest. He’s learning that he can communicate his wants to us, and protesting when we don’t oblige.

John’s diagnosis has changed from an “autistic disorder” to “PDD-NOS”, (Pervasive Developmental Delay, “not otherwise specified”) meaning there are signs of autism, but not enough for a Classic Autism or Asperger’s diagnosis. John has made HUGE progress since his first examination 6 months ago and beginning Neurofeedback 4 months ago. John still has a way to go, but life today is so different than it was back then. It’s more manageable from a parental standpoint and less frustrating from John’s standpoint. We are continuing with all of the therapy because it’s all working together. Neurofeedack has made it possible for John to be calm and attentive to learn the skills to catch up to his peers. He’s also learning to efficiently use his brain, increasing his maximum potential, during this time of early intervention. The rate at which he’s developing is incredible. Socially, John has grown in his relationship with his sister and I am hoping to report that this carries over into his relationship with other children. SO, until next time, this is “to be continued”….

Understanding Development

I think one of the most important things parents of developmentally delayed kids need to remember is that the brain, along with the child, still needs to go through each stage of development. A child will not "skip" a stage through early childhood development as new skills emerge. The child, as well as the brain, needs to learn through the "normal" phases of development, so as your child grows in his development, you'll see new behaviors emerge that he/she may have never shown. This isn't a regression and yet, that may be how it feels. It is something you should rejoice in because he/she has hit a new developmental milestone. I will stress that it oftentimes doesn't feel that way, and does make life a bit harder, but there are certain behaviors that are normal in early childhood development.

I have recently discovered what a "terrible two" really is. John may have just turned 3, but the terrible two's are here in full force. I may have thought they were here earlier, but they were only a glimpse of what was to come! These new tantrums include protesting when Bill or I do not oblige in the wants and needs that John communicates to us. These are different than the days of transitional tantrums or the even older days of inconsolable crying. These are tantrums that are a direct result of John not getting his way. They include yelling, running, throwing, kicking, and pulling hair. Discipline ends the tantrums. Discipline makes him mad, but discipline works with these tantrums.

As I said before, we as parents should rejoice in the fact that this normal developmental phase is here. Instead of pulling our own hair out, we should jump up and down that are child is developing. My prayer is that the phase doesn't last long and that God gives me the strength to keep my cool because sometimes I would like to run around the house, scream, throw myself on the floor, pull someone's hair, or even "ring their neck". There are times when I feel like I can't take it anymore, but the day ends and the next day begins. God won't give us what we can't handle. Our reaction to what we are given is what will make us strong or weak in our handling. But, we can handle it. But, we may have to constantly remind ourselves that we CAN handle it.

60 Minutes: Brain Power

Book Report: Mother Warriors

Writing a blog in 2008 about Autism has to include Jenny McCarthy. Jenny McCarthy has brought the idea that bio-medical treatment and diet can lead to recovery in kids with Autism and started a foundation called Generation Rescue. I have her read her most recent book, Mother Warriors, which is about the mothers (and fathers) behind children diagnosed with Autism, and how they fight the disorder,mostly through nontraditional methods, helping kids with autism recover.

The book is worth the read if you are looking for inspirational testimonials from parents who have fought the Autism battle, using DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) doctors, bio-medical treatments, diet, etc. Each chapter discusses in detail, personal stories in how a family found healing for their child with Autism.

It discusses the two controversies surrounding Autism:
1. causes
2. whether a child can recover

One thing that seems to be a recurring theme throughout all of the personal testimonials is that "clearing up the gut clears the brain". The DAN! doctors do a series of tests on these children and what is revealed are high levels of yeast, bloated guts, and a variety of other factors that lead to the conclusion that the child's diet needs to be adjusted. What seems to result is better sleep and a clearer mind.

There were many inspirational quotes from the book and I will share a few here:

When Jenny McCarthy's son was able to talk and communicate to his mom, he shared with her how he used to not be able to remember his words, similar to that of Dory, from Disney's Finding Nemo movie. She then says this:

"All that time my son had been completely aware of his inability to get his words out. It was at that moment that I realized that even though our children look completely zoned out, there is actually a spirit inside them that is full of life and love that needs the same talking to as a typical, healthy child. If the child could speak, he or she would say, 'Just because I sopped talking Mom, doesn't mean you should stop. Keep talking to me. I like hearing your voice'".

One mother says: "There is nothing more hopeless than when doctors tell you they can't fix the brain because they can't get to it...science says that this is an autoimmune disease and manifests behaviorally as autism. If you treat it as an autoimmune disease or as a neuroimmune disease, then kids will get better."

Another says: "Tylenol lowers glutathione (the body's natural antioxident)" She discusses how giving Tylenol to your children for the pain right before they get their vaccinations is lowering their bodies natural defenses to fight the toxins entering their body. Some parents give their children supplements of glutathione to restore the levels in their body to help naturally detoxify the metals that are present in their systems.

And I'll end tonight's blog with this one: " Miracles can happen, faith can move mountains, and doctors need to learn about a medicine called hope".

Newsweek Autistic Traits in Adults Test

Awhile back Newsweek had this test/questionnaire to measure autistic traits in adults. It's online and you can take test here.

Newsweek article on Autism

Today, I came across yesterdays Newsweek. It's about recognizing early signs of Autism, especially with the way children play with toys as early as 12 months old.

Here is one paragraph:

"The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants be screened for autism twice before they are 2. Pediatricians look for language delays and lack of interest in people, such as not responding to their name and failing to make eye contact. But these can be present even when autism is not. The latest findings are not perfect either, but they are something parents can watch for every day rather than relying on—and waiting for—a short visit to the doctor. “There is an urgent need to develop measures that can pick up early signs of autism, signs present before 24 months,” Ozonoff says. “The finding that the unusual use of toys is also present early in life means that this behavior could easily be added to a parent check-list.”"

Here is the article: