Re: Sensory Motor Dysfunction, OT , behaviors and ABA

[Guest guest]

We are having behaviors related to sensory right now that are a result of a overgrowth of yeast caused by excess sugar that he discovered by looting his sisters Halloween candy. Also look for pain to cause behavior especially if child is non verbal and cannot tell you he has a sinus headache or migraine. No amount of ABA will fix behaviors caused by pain.

Additionally our sensory issues have been greatly helped by Dr. in Austin.

trina

We also did OT for many years and sensory integration this never helped his sensory system was disrupted by gut issues viral issues and yeast issues as well as gluten. He does like soft textures but dealing with his irritation with certain sounds was helped by treating the above issues. Also exposure to sensory issues consistantly and in small amounts then increased helped some.

 

A child with autism ; 11 years old has behaviors  and teachers think they are of a sensory nature. The child is also non verbal and uses PECS. There are 2 opinions; dealing with the behaviors using ABA strategies( to decrease the behavior) and giving sensory -type reinforcers like time to play with water,etc. Another opinion is to treat the " sensory motor dysfunction " by isolated ,private, occupatiional therapy(sensory integration) outside the school to get the " behaviors " under control " .  My questions are will sensory motor integration " treat " the behaviors? Anyone had experience with this type of therapy...iWill the OT be able to control the behaviors in the first place? I am wondering what the mom will choose? Any advice?

[Guest guest]

For us I found that many of the behaviors were food related.  When we removed the foods that aggravated the behaviors and we reinforced with a modified ABA approach to behavior, then the behaviors were kept under control most of the time.  ANY kid can have a bad day, but whereas I used  not to be able go anywhere, now we pretty much go everywhere; however, where we were able to go to any restaurant for a long time, now his sensory issues regarding a lot of voices talking all at once has returned, and so we either eat outside in the outside seating area or we get  it to go -- until I can figure out why this has returned.  I always consider food (including additives and dyes I may have missed) or I consider yeast.  My son even suggested that next time we want to go, we should bring ear plugs or his noise canceling headphones.

The wrong foods bring can bring out aggressive behavior in our son, and so I try to be really careful about it.  We did not rely on SIT for his behavior.  We are trying a listening program now, but frankly I don't see it helping.   Primarily for behavior, we were very consistent and looked at diet, yeast, and an ABA approach.

[Guest guest]

My son has also said many voices talking at once in enclosed areas is painful. He discribed it as a hive of bees buzzing in his ears. I often see him squinting and with his fingers in his ears when this happens. Sometimes folowed by humming to drown out the sound.

Trina

 

For us I found that many of the behaviors were food related.  When we removed the foods that aggravated the behaviors and we reinforced with a modified ABA approach to behavior, then the behaviors were kept under control most of the time.  ANY kid can have a bad day, but whereas I used  not to be able go anywhere, now we pretty much go everywhere; however, where we were able to go to any restaurant for a long time, now his sensory issues regarding a lot of voices talking all at once has returned, and so we either eat outside in the outside seating area or we get  it to go -- until I can figure out why this has returned.  I always consider food (including additives and dyes I may have missed) or I consider yeast.  My son even suggested that next time we want to go, we should bring ear plugs or his noise canceling headphones.

The wrong foods bring can bring out aggressive behavior in our son, and so I try to be really careful about it.  We did not rely on SIT for his behavior.  We are trying a listening program now, but frankly I don't see it helping.   Primarily for behavior, we were very consistent and looked at diet, yeast, and an ABA approach.

[Guest guest]

What foods aggravated his behavior? How did u find out which foods it was? Sent from my iPhon

My son has also said many voices talking at once in enclosed areas is painful. He discribed it as a hive of bees buzzing in his ears. I often see him squinting and with his fingers in his ears when this happens. Sometimes folowed by humming to drown out the sound.

Trina

For us I found that many of the behaviors were food related. When we removed the foods that aggravated the behaviors and we reinforced with a modified ABA approach to behavior, then the behaviors were kept under control most of the time. ANY kid can have a bad day, but whereas I used not to be able go anywhere, now we pretty much go everywhere; however, where we were able to go to any restaurant for a long time, now his sensory issues regarding a lot of voices talking all at once has returned, and so we either eat outside in the outside seating area or we get it to go -- until I can figure out why this has returned. I always consider food (including additives and dyes I may have missed) or I consider yeast. My son even suggested that next time we want to go, we should bring ear plugs or his noise canceling headphones.

The wrong foods bring can bring out aggressive behavior in our son, and so I try to be really careful about it. We did not rely on SIT for his behavior. We are trying a listening program now, but frankly I don't see it helping. Primarily for behavior, we were very consistent and looked at diet, yeast, and an ABA approach.

[Guest guest]

Trina,How do you all address this?  We got spoiled, as for a long time we could go to a noisy restaurant, and he was fine (not in the beginning but from about age six to about four months ago).  One day we had to eat outside and it was cold for me.  The other day we had to eat outside, but at least they had heaters outside. 

I am weeding out ALL snacks that are junk, even though they are allergen free.  I have let him have some of the Enjoy life stuff, but I think now we are going to stick to LARA Bars maybe and rice cakes?  Other than that fresh fruits and vegetables to snack on.  He still HATES vegetables and it is a chore to get him to eat good, good veggies, but due to his immune issues and asthma, I know he is not getting enough outside time and needs more activity. 

Ethan has two years where he really didn't gain any weight, so then we put him on the methylcobalimin injections, and these helped things for a while and then he gained too much weight and got very hyper, so we stopped the B12, but he is ALWAYS hungry, and he has put on too much weight.

He is really shooting up as far as height, and I'm sure he will be inches taller than me before his next birthday.  But I do not want him to wind up with diabetes on top of everything else he has had to deal with.

The noise issue was a major issue when he was in public.  It caused way too much anxiety.  Now he is home for school, and that anxiety has vanished, but I notice we can't stop and eat inside at a restaurant on the way home from seeing .  It's not really a big deal for me.  I'd rather save the $$$ and just eat at at home, but sometimes HE wants to and then gets upset and then he can't decide whether to eat there or get it to go, and then he gets very anxious about it.

Do you all just avoid the restaurants?  I am just wanting to figure it out from an independent living point of view.  I would like him to be able to do this and not grow up and avoid restaurants all together.Haven

[Guest guest]

Gluten, casein, soy protein, dyes, preservatives, nitrites, nitrates, sulfates, sulfites,  refined SUGAR, even gf/cf/sf chocolate (which we just realized --and he LOVES chocolate, but we are just now weeding this out).

I found these out through opiate peptide testing, food allergy testing, and doing a rotation diet and noting behavior following the suspected food culprits.Basically, we try to eat non-processed.  The only thing I buy in cans is pinto or navy beans. 

So you can know what I mean by how it effects him, in the summer of 2009, we went to a restaurant, and I forgot his enzymes, and I asked about their french fries but should have asked a lot more questions.  Ethan is extremely happy go lucky, happy, and very well behaved.  But I let him have their french fries.  My God daughter and niece were with us.  Within thirty minutes of eating the french fries, he turned into Mr. Hyde.  We had to get out of the restaurant ASAP.

Then he started obsessing over having to have a particular thing from the Dollar store, and I stopped, but the Dollar store didn't have what he wanted (I forget what it was).  He melted down over it, go really angry, and put his hands around my throat and tried to choke me! I stopped that, but I'm telling you it scared me.  I couldn't wait to get out of there and just get him home, and I have been SUPER careful what I let him eat ever since.

Whenever he has gotten defiant or aggressive, it has usually been food.  If not that, then there is yeast.

[Guest guest]

I take my son to restaurants and we eat inside. If it is a new place then I speak to the manager and tell them " Hey look my son is autistic. Do you know what that is? He can be loud at times. If this is a problem for you please let me know so we can go somewhere else." Every time I do that we never have had to eat outside or go some where else. I hate to say it but I have learned not to care what people think. I am doing something that will make my son happy. If someone else has a problem with it then they can leave. Or learn to ignore it. I also look at the menu for him and pick out three things. He will either pick what he wants or I will go ahead and order what he likes to eat. It makes it a little easier on everyone. Try and think of everything that will make it easier for him. Before we even

go to a restaurant I talk to him first tell him three things that he can chose from. I will even hint to him sometimes that I don't think he could eat a whole hamburger by himself. I know he can but it makes it more of a challenge for him. I will even say it he can prove me wrong I would get him a fruit bowl. If he eats that all gone then he will get Chocolate milk to drink. It is my sons favorite drink. My son as well has asthma. I take him to the park for 30 minutes a day. It does not matter how cold it is out side or how hot. I dress him the way the weather is. I take 4 bottles of water, 2 bottles of juice with me. I also take a snack for him. It is normally veggies and fruit. He has to eat the veggies and fruit and then he gets a sweet snack. ( junk food ). My son was born loving veggies and fruit. But we went for about a year there where he didn't want to eat them. So I make a deal with him. He had to eat them before he got anything else. There was

no dessert after dinner if he didn't eat them. It started to work. I also started buying different things for him. Now I mostly only cook with fresh veggies and fruit. It is a lot healthier and helps him a lot because I can change the taste of them to his liking. Another thing to help him lose the weight that you are worried about. If you have a dog make him take him on walks with you there. Or get him a dog. Pets help kids move around more. I have 3 dogs, 6 cats, 10 birds, 1 Russian draft hamster, and 2 fish tanks full of fish. They clam my son down a lot and he has to help me take care of them or he loses toys. I hope this helps. To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Sent: Sat, December 11, 2010 12:11:14 PMSubject: Re: Sensory Motor Dysfunction, OT , behaviors and ABA

Trina,How do you all address this? We got spoiled, as for a long time we could go to a noisy restaurant, and he was fine (not in the beginning but from about age six to about four months ago). One day we had to eat outside and it was cold for me. The other day we had to eat outside, but at least they had heaters outside.

I am weeding out ALL snacks that are junk, even though they are allergen free. I have let him have some of the Enjoy life stuff, but I think now we are going to stick to LARA Bars maybe and rice cakes? Other than that fresh fruits and vegetables to snack on. He still HATES vegetables and it is a chore to get him to eat good, good veggies, but due to his immune issues and asthma, I know he is not getting enough outside time and needs more activity.

Ethan has two years where he really didn't gain any weight, so then we put him on the methylcobalimin injections, and these helped things for a while and then he gained too much weight and got very hyper, so we stopped the B12, but he is ALWAYS hungry, and he has put on too much weight.

He is really shooting up as far as height, and I'm sure he will be inches taller than me before his next birthday. But I do not want him to wind up with diabetes on top of everything else he has had to deal with.

The noise issue was a major issue when he was in public. It caused way too much anxiety. Now he is home for school, and that anxiety has vanished, but I notice we can't stop and eat inside at a restaurant on the way home from seeing . It's not really a big deal for me. I'd rather save the $$$ and just eat at at home, but sometimes HE wants to and then gets upset and then he can't decide whether to eat there or get it to go, and then he gets very anxious about it.

Do you all just avoid the restaurants? I am just wanting to figure it out from an independent living point of view. I would like him to be able to do this and not grow up and avoid restaurants all together.Haven

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the advice.  We do have two dogs --rescue dogs --they were " dumped " here at our farm about eight years ago.  The fact that they got along with our son was why we let them stay.  They are great with him.  You are right and gave good advice.  I need to make walking the dogs a part of my son's day five times a week.

With home schooling, I sometimes feel like a hamster on a treadmill:  lesson plans, meal plans, grading, inputing data into the goal tracker, getting to therapies and tutoring. so it is my fault we haven't walked more, but as I make the lesson plans out from here on out, that will be a part of it.  I like the idea of him having to eat his vegetables and then he can have a little junk kind of snack --I only buy gf/cf/sf and they are sweetened with cane juice, I think, but I could make up some cookies using Xylotol.

My son has asthma, too, and he is prone to insect anaphylaxis, so our rescue kit goes wherever we go: rescue inhaler, Benadryl, Epipen.  I stopped thinking what others think years ago!  They have no idea!The problem we are having now with eating in restaurants is that once we get in the door, he gets anxious due to the noise level and immediately wants to leave, but then he gets upset because he wanted to eat at the restaurant.  Next time we are going to try ear plugs and see how it goes.

We did CBI on Friday at Hobby Lobby.  He was fine in there, and he got his allowance and bought himself a little book " Are You My Mother? " and some Model Magic.  He waited in line and we worked on " rounding " and how much change he should expect back.  He did great!

The book really made an impression on him.  Now he calls me " Mother Bird, " and he will come up and give me a hug and say, " I wrap my wings around you. "   :)My husband and I say if there is one positive thing autism has given us, it is the appreciation of all the " moments " of things other parents may take for granted.  We take nothing for granted here. 

Thank you all for the great advice.  I'll let you know how things progress.

[Guest guest]

Gluten, sugar, milk (milk also contains sugar), some food colorings. Basically I just track the behavior there is lots of info on the web on trying different diets for our kids. The casein free gluten free diet is a good one to start with but there are many more and some kids need to eliminate things one at a time to see which foods they are having trouble with. Yeast over growth can be tested in the blood I believe and you can also do stool sample testing to test for parasites or gut issues. Sugar feeds yeast. I know when yeast is high because aggression, chewing and anxiety goes up. Also when I am treating for yeast and killing it off my son CRAVES sugar he'll sniff it out like a blood hound. I have to be vigilant because lots of things contain sugar even milk. Gluten is another story it typically takes 24 hours after eating something with gluten like goldfish crackers or breaded chicken. Then the resulting anxiety and aggression are pretty obvious even to his teachers. Not a lot he's typically fairly good natured but he's off...not himself so this is the first thing I look for. Many kids do not digest gluten correctly the protein does not break down there is lots of great research on the web about this.

These days there are also lots of great gluten free foods at the grocery store too. I learned to modify all my recipes to be gluten free and when I cook I'll cook some with gluten and some without if the other two teenagers get really irritated. But mostly if you keep to gluten free pasta, frozen gluten free bread and basic meat, veggie, starch it's easy. My son eats fruit but sweets are for special occasions or for when he sneaks them...then we have to deal with how rotten he feels he's starting to get the idea.

Trina

 

What foods aggravated his behavior?  How did u find out which foods it was?  Sent from my iPhon

 

My son has also said many voices talking at once in enclosed areas is painful. He discribed it as a hive of bees buzzing in his ears. I often see him squinting and with his fingers in his ears when this happens. Sometimes folowed by humming to drown out the sound.

Trina

 

For us I found that many of the behaviors were food related.  When we removed the foods that aggravated the behaviors and we reinforced with a modified ABA approach to behavior, then the behaviors were kept under control most of the time.  ANY kid can have a bad day, but whereas I used  not to be able go anywhere, now we pretty much go everywhere; however, where we were able to go to any restaurant for a long time, now his sensory issues regarding a lot of voices talking all at once has returned, and so we either eat outside in the outside seating area or we get  it to go -- until I can figure out why this has returned.  I always consider food (including additives and dyes I may have missed) or I consider yeast.  My son even suggested that next time we want to go, we should bring ear plugs or his noise canceling headphones.

The wrong foods bring can bring out aggressive behavior in our son, and so I try to be really careful about it.  We did not rely on SIT for his behavior.  We are trying a listening program now, but frankly I don't see it helping.   Primarily for behavior, we were very consistent and looked at diet, yeast, and an ABA approach.

[Guest guest]

Hey not a problem. My son is eight years old. I have been through all of this already. See I found out my son was autistic when he was 4 almost 5 years old. That was the hardest time ever. I had no idea what to do or what was going to happen. Now I take it one day at a time and I deal with anything and everything that happens. My son runs around the house 90% of the time with nothing on. I don't mind because at least when we go out he is to where he wants to wear clothes now. It was hard to deal with because there were times where he tried to take them off in the store of just any where. There are times during the day that he goes and gets his clothes and puts them on and even though it can be some of the weirdest combination in the world at least he wants to put clothes on. He is enjoying

it because he does it all by him self. I have learned over the years that if I let him be with somethings he will turn around and show me that he wants to do it him self. He enjoys it.Now with your son showing anger towards you. My son does it with the house hold members. Anything can set him off. I thought it was food. After doing all the research and everything like that. I stop letting him have so many things. I stood in the stores and read every label to make sure it didn't have this or that in it. But the problems where still there. So finally I said enough was enough and I let him have it all back. My son loves milk he has to have it. If you tell him no its hard on him because it is something that he loves to drink. I only let him have whole milk. I have tried the 2%, the 1%, the slim, the skin, the soy, you name it I have tired it all of them will make him change. Whole milk is the only one that won't. But the only bad thing about him

having milk is that he gets full just from drinking it. He will not eat much at all if he drinks it. ( lol I can save on food by letting him drink it all day long. ) So I just have to make sure he gets only a half of a glass three times a day un-stead of a whole glass three times a day. I have as well learned that when I let him have fatty food I have to make sure he has something healthy to go with it. Say that he wants a burger and fries. With him he doesn't like veggies on his burger so I make him eat a salad. It helps with him. It is not all the fatty food going on his tummy with out anything healthy there. When he just eats fatty food he will get mean. Maybe you can try doing this. Now I know one thing people tell parents of special needs children not to do is bribe them. Guess what I do not listen to them. One thing I do with my son all the time is bribe him. If he wants something anything as long as it is with in reason and I want him to

do something. I make a deal with him. He gets what he wants if and only if he does what I want first. Yes there are times he wants a new toy and I really don't have the money to go get it I will compromise with him. I will trade him for time to play games or going to the playground or something like that. But the most important thing I do tell him is I do not have the money right now to get it for him. I tell him that as soon as I do if he still wants it we will get it then. I tell him that it can be a month before I have the money but when I do I will tell him. Yes he ask me ever day there after if I have the money but I just calmly tell him again and again nope not yet mommy will let you know when I do.Okay here are some things I have done to take my sons anger away from me. Now I am as strong as a grown man and I keep having to get stronger because my son is as strong as me and he keeps getting stronger. There are times I have had to pin him

down and hold him there until he has calmed down. It is hard to do at times. Once it is done and over with I feel so bad because of having to do it. But I then think if I hadn't of done it he would of hurt him self or someone else. I didn't hurt him he is fine running around laughing again. But I have a punching bag I have thought him to use. I got him a helmet and gloves the soft padded ones so he does not hurt him self. I have gotten them big body pillows and I have put them all in a corner and that is his time out area. Oh yes I know time outs are hard to do. Yes for a normal child time out is suppose to be sitting in a spot with nothing to do. But with autistic children they can not just sit and do nothing. So un-stead of hitting my head on a brick wall trying to get him to just sit there and do nothing I have put books over there about good and bad behavior. I have some small toys that make no noise and have no lights or anything on them at all

over there. Once he is done in time out I make him come to the dinning room table sit down and then we talk. Oh yes it is hard to do at times because there are times he knows what he did but doesn't want to tell me why he got in trouble in the first place. He wants to just talk about a million different things. Which will make me get upset and I have to catch my self. I really do because I don't want him to know I am upset. So in order to get him to understand that this is the time out talk I have to raise my voice some. No not yelling at all just raising it. ( There is enough yelling in my house all day that at time out talk we don't need it there ) But it takes a few times and he finally gets it. Once he tells me what he did wrong I will ask him and tell him not to do it again. Time out time starts at 1 minute the first time and each time I have to send him back there during the day a minute gets added. We where up to 4 hours one day. No I never made

him stay there longer then 10 minutes but he thought it was longer.Also another thing my son has a stuff puppy that is he take me everywhere toy. Find the one thing that your son loves most of all and try taking that with you when you go out. So when he gets mad and tried to go after you hold that up and tell him to clam down or your going to throw it away. Make sure you say that before he gets one finger on you. It does work. I will threaten my son with cutting his puppy up in to little tiny pieces and feeding it to him if he does not clam down. Yes it does seem over the top mean but trust me we are long past the throwing away puppy part. Now to the part about when he gets anxious due to the noise level and immediately wants to leave, but then he gets upset because he wanted to eat at the restaurant. Here are somethings to try. Ear plugs might work but they might not you might have more of a problem there then you started with. The reason why is because that is something different going into his ears. One thing to try is start being loud at home at the dinner room table. Trust me get loud. Try this for about two weeks. Invite one person over one night. The next time make it two people. Each night there after invite more and more people over. Make sure it is people you trust. That know your son. But make sure it is loud. At the end of two weeks if he is still having the problem with the noise level then it could be his ears. You may have to talk to his doctor about it and find out if there is anything that can be done about it. One thing I have found out with my son is that when it gets really loud he changes. Sometimes good Sometimes bad. I have also found out that if my mother and I

are talking when he is asleep he hears everything we say. Even though he is asleep sleep. He hears it. It is because his hearing is so fine tune that he can hear anything. My son can hear a needle drop. Your son might have the same problem. I just had a new baby after eight years. My oldest son can hear his brother move his hand in his bed. Trust me you don't hear this baby move unless he wants you to hear him. But his big brother can hear him. I totally understand about felling like a hamster on a wheel. I home school my son. I also have a new baby I have to juggle into all that. I also just started working again to see if I can handle being away from my oldest son and the baby. It is very hard to do. Also to make sure that his week plan is all set and all the doctor appointments are set. It is very hard. But I have learn to start it out like this. I took and made a two week plan. Once one week is over I know I still have another week to go but

I go ahead and make that following weeks plan up. That way if I need to change something it is a little easier to do. Oh year raising a special needs child one that is autistic is hard it is very hard to do. It is like nothing else. It takes up most of your time you feel like you don't have a life to your self anymore. You sit down and think to your self sometimes well what if he had been normal what would be different? Would I be happier? Would I know what I know now if he had been born normal? Then you sit there and answer your own questions. Yes everything would be different. No there is no telling if I would be happier. No I won't know what I know now if he had been born normal. With me I also say to my self what is normal? Does anyone know anymore? Yes to most people normal is they can read, walk, talk, and do everything like a robot. Do I really want my son do be like that? No I don't. I love him for who he is because if he was different there is

no telling where he would be now. What he would be doing. If he would be a bully or if he would be bullied. He is who he is and I love him no matter what. There are so many question that some of them will never be answered but 90% of them I can answer my self. The one answer I always come down to is that this is what makes him, him. I really hope that reading things I go through with my son will help you out with your son. It is very hard and tiring. It is a guessing game with raising them. I would love to know if anything I have told you will help you out with your son. Good Luck and God Bless. Oh yea sorry it is so long. It took me an hour to type it all out I keep having to stop and think about different little things. To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Sent: Sat, December 11, 2010 9:08:40 PMSubject: Re: Sensory Motor Dysfunction, OT , behaviors and ABA

Thanks for the advice. We do have two dogs --rescue dogs --they were "dumped" here at our farm about eight years ago. The fact that they got along with our son was why we let them stay. They are great with him. You are right and gave good advice. I need to make walking the dogs a part of my son's day five times a week.

With home schooling, I sometimes feel like a hamster on a treadmill: lesson plans, meal plans, grading, inputing data into the goal tracker, getting to therapies and tutoring. so it is my fault we haven't walked more, but as I make the lesson plans out from here on out, that will be a part of it. I like the idea of him having to eat his vegetables and then he can have a little junk kind of snack --I only buy gf/cf/sf and they are sweetened with cane juice, I think, but I could make up some cookies using Xylotol.

My son has asthma, too, and he is prone to insect anaphylaxis, so our rescue kit goes wherever we go: rescue inhaler, Benadryl, Epipen. I stopped thinking what others think years ago! They have no idea!The problem we are having now with eating in restaurants is that once we get in the door, he gets anxious due to the noise level and immediately wants to leave, but then he gets upset because he wanted to eat at the restaurant. Next time we are going to try ear plugs and see how it goes.

We did CBI on Friday at Hobby Lobby. He was fine in there, and he got his allowance and bought himself a little book "Are You My Mother?" and some Model Magic. He waited in line and we worked on "rounding" and how much change he should expect back. He did great!

The book really made an impression on him. Now he calls me "Mother Bird," and he will come up and give me a hug and say, "I wrap my wings around you." :)My husband and I say if there is one positive thing autism has given us, it is the appreciation of all the "moments" of things other parents may take for granted. We take nothing for granted here.

Thank you all for the great advice. I'll let you know how things progress.

[Guest guest]

You might check into Brain Balance.

We followed Body Ecology Diet. It seemed easier than GFCF back when my son was

really affected. It seemed easier because we took everything away, even fruit.

This way the cravings stopped and the infections (over years)went away.

Otherwise, he just craved raisins, fruits, and GF treats like the bars, cookies,

and waffles. So rather than figure out all the craziness, I just took him down

to proteins, vegetables, minerals, cultured vegetables, ocean vegetabes, and

good fats.

Prior to dietary changes my son would scream bloody murder if you even turned a

light on. He always had his fingers in his ears. The light thing was mind

blowing.

Today my kids are basically normal with no signs of sensory dysfunction.

http://www.brainbalancecenters.com/

http://www.bodyecology.com/autism.php

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> A child with autism ; 11 years old has behaviors  and teachers think they are

of a sensory nature. The child is also non verbal and uses PECS. There are 2

opinions; dealing with the behaviors using ABA strategies( to decrease the

behavior) and giving sensory -type reinforcers like time to play with water,etc.

Another opinion is to treat the " sensory motor dysfunction " by isolated ,private,

occupatiional therapy(sensory integration) outside the school to get the

" behaviors " under control " .  My questions are will sensory motor

integration " treat " the behaviors? Anyone had experience with this type of

therapy...iWill the OT be able to control the behaviors in the first place? I am

wondering what the mom will choose? Any advice?

>

[Guest guest]

There has been a lot of research done on the casein free (casein free is the key casein is in every baby formula) and gluten free diet. My child also will drink milk and not eat. If I let him. His sensory system also revolves around food textures. So a tough love approach to eating was necessary after I fixed his gut pain and digestion issues. Have your sons absorption levels checked you may be surprised how he is not absorbing nutrients. 

Not every child will benefit from the diet but many do and many more like my son have tweaked it over the years to find exactly what is causing the behavior for the most part. I will say again that Dr. s protocol eliminated about 80% of our sensory issues this along with a modified diet (he does now drink whole milk about 8 oz a day). My son is 15 holding a 8 year old child down to calm him is one thing at 15 it will be a whole different story. Getting to the root of the issue is imperatives. 

We also do the earned item technique. We write the item down be it a trip to the bookstore or whatever an he earns it if he's gets out of line he loses a letter. If he does something really bad like breaking something on purpose or any act of aggression he loses his iphone and has to earn it back. But I know what is behavior and what is sensory so I adjust to the behavior and adjust the punishment. When my son was two and he bit me I nipped him back. He thought about biting me again but would stop and just get mad. Setting boundaries is important I just am worried that your son will only behave with a person who he knows will take him on physically I've seen some very large teenagers who are only controllable when asked to do something not on their list by a larger more physical adult. I've seen children at public school surrounded by mats in a corner with headphones and the teachers say not to talk to them because they will attack if you take the headphones or try to engage with them. 

I do not think our children have issues understanding boundaries I think it is physical manifestation of something going on the body causing the sensory system to overreact. Or pain. I have a willful child who is not AU. She does well with structure time outs and reasoning but she also is pre menstral so when her hormones are out of whack look out! We ignore her outbursts and even her brothers have learned what is real behavior and what is PMS. Smart! 

At any rate I wanted to let you know that there is no easy answer and what the pitfalls of not treating the source may be. Finding a good doctor and doing the testing to see where you are with Yeast Gluten Casein and absorption and viral issues is a good idea and a good place to start. 

Trina 

 

Hey not a problem. My son is eight years old. I have been through all of this already. See I found out my son was autistic when he was 4 almost 5 years old. That was the hardest time ever. I had no idea what to do or what was going to happen. Now I take it one day at a time and I deal with anything and everything that happens.

My son runs around the house 90% of the time with nothing on. I don't mind because at least when we go out he is to where he wants to wear clothes now. It was hard to deal with because there were times where he tried to take them off in the store of just any where. There are times during the day that he goes and gets his clothes and puts them on and even though it can be some of the weirdest combination in the world at least he wants to put clothes on. He is enjoying

it because he does it all by him self. I have learned over the years that if I let him be with somethings he will turn around and show me that he wants to do it him self. He enjoys it.Now with your son showing anger towards you. My son does it with the house hold members. Anything can set him off. I thought it was food. After doing all the research and everything like that. I stop letting him have so many things. I stood in the stores and read every label to make sure it didn't have this or that in it. But the problems where still there. So finally I said enough was enough and I let him have it all back. My son loves milk he has to have it. If you tell him no its hard on him because it is something that he loves to drink. I only let him have whole milk. I have tried the 2%, the 1%, the slim, the skin, the soy, you name it I have tired it all of them will make him change. Whole milk is the only one that won't. But the only bad thing about him

having milk is that he gets full just from drinking it. He will not eat much at all if he drinks it. ( lol I can save on food by letting him drink it all day long. ) So I just have to make sure he gets only a half of a glass three times a day un-stead of a whole glass three times a day. I have as well learned that when I let him have fatty food I have to make sure he has something healthy to go with it. Say that he wants a burger and fries. With him he doesn't like veggies on his burger so I make him eat a salad. It helps with him. It is not all the fatty food going on his tummy with out anything healthy there. When he just eats fatty food he will get mean. Maybe you can try doing this.

Now I know one thing people tell parents of special needs children not to do is bribe them. Guess what I do not listen to them. One thing I do with my son all the time is bribe him. If he wants something anything as long as it is with in reason and I want him to

do something. I make a deal with him. He gets what he wants if and only if he does what I want first. Yes there are times he wants a new toy and I really don't have the money to go get it I will compromise with him. I will trade him for time to play games or going to the playground or something like that. But the most important thing I do tell him is I do not have the money right now to get it for him. I tell him that as soon as I do if he still wants it we will get it then. I tell him that it can be a month before I have the money but when I do I will tell him. Yes he ask me ever day there after if I have the money but I just calmly tell him again and again nope not yet mommy will let you know when I do.

Okay here are some things I have done to take my sons anger away from me. Now I am as strong as a grown man and I keep having to get stronger because my son is as strong as me and he keeps getting stronger. There are times I have had to pin him

down and hold him there until he has calmed down. It is hard to do at times. Once it is done and over with I feel so bad because of having to do it. But I then think if I hadn't of done it he would of hurt him self or someone else. I didn't hurt him he is fine running around laughing again. But I have a punching bag I have thought him to use. I got him a helmet and gloves the soft padded ones so he does not hurt him self. I have gotten them big body pillows and I have put them all in a corner and that is his time out area. Oh yes I know time outs are hard to do. Yes for a normal child time out is suppose to be sitting in a spot with nothing to do. But with autistic children they can not just sit and do nothing. So un-stead of hitting my head on a brick wall trying to get him to just sit there and do nothing I have put books over there about good and bad behavior. I have some small toys that make no noise and have no lights or anything on them at all

over there. Once he is done in time out I make him come to the dinning room table sit down and then we talk. Oh yes it is hard to do at times because there are times he knows what he did but doesn't want to tell me why he got in trouble in the first place. He wants to just talk about a million different things. Which will make me get upset and I have to catch my self. I really do because I don't want him to know I am upset. So in order to get him to understand that this is the time out talk I have to raise my voice some. No not yelling at all just raising it. ( There is enough yelling in my house all day that at time out talk we don't need it there ) But it takes a few times and he finally gets it. Once he tells me what he did wrong I will ask him and tell him not to do it again. Time out time starts at 1 minute the first time and each time I have to send him back there during the day a minute gets added. We where up to 4 hours one day. No I never made

him stay there longer then 10 minutes but he thought it was longer.Also another thing my son has a stuff puppy that is he take me everywhere toy. Find the one thing that your son loves most of all and try taking that with you when you go out. So when he gets mad and tried to go after you hold that up and tell him to clam down or your going to throw it away. Make sure you say that before he gets one finger on you. It does work. I will threaten my son with cutting his puppy up in to little tiny pieces and feeding it to him if he does not clam down. Yes it does seem over the top mean but trust me we are long past the throwing away puppy part.

Now to the part about when he gets anxious due to the noise level and immediately wants to leave, but then he gets upset because he wanted to eat at the restaurant. Here are somethings to try. Ear plugs might work but they might not you might have more of a problem there then you started with. The reason why is because that is something different going into his ears. One thing to try is start being loud at home at the dinner room table. Trust me get loud. Try this for about two weeks. Invite one person over one night. The next time make it two people. Each night there after invite more and more people over. Make sure it is people you trust. That know your son. But make sure it is loud. At the end of two weeks if he is still having the problem with the noise level then it could be his ears. You may have to talk to his doctor about it and find out if there is anything that can be done about it. One thing I have found out with my son is that when it gets really loud he changes. Sometimes good Sometimes bad. I have also found out that if my mother and I

are talking when he is asleep he hears everything we say. Even though he is asleep sleep. He hears it. It is because his hearing is so fine tune that he can hear anything. My son can hear a needle drop. Your son might have the same problem. I just had a new baby after eight years. My oldest son can hear his brother move his hand in his bed. Trust me you don't hear this baby move unless he wants you to hear him. But his big brother can hear him.

I totally understand about felling like a hamster on a wheel. I home school my son. I also have a new baby I have to juggle into all that. I also just started working again to see if I can handle being away from my oldest son and the baby. It is very hard to do. Also to make sure that his week plan is all set and all the doctor appointments are set. It is very hard. But I have learn to start it out like this. I took and made a two week plan. Once one week is over I know I still have another week to go but

I go ahead and make that following weeks plan up. That way if I need to change something it is a little easier to do. Oh year raising a special needs child one that is autistic is hard it is very hard to do. It is like nothing else. It takes up most of your time you feel like you don't have a life to your self anymore. You sit down and think to your self sometimes well what if he had been normal what would be different? Would I be happier? Would I know what I know now if he had been born normal? Then you sit there and answer your own questions. Yes everything would be different. No there is no telling if I would be happier. No I won't know what I know now if he had been born normal. With me I also say to my self what is normal? Does anyone know anymore? Yes to most people normal is they can read, walk, talk, and do everything like a robot. Do I really want my son do be like that? No I don't. I love him for who he is because if he was different there is

no telling where he would be now. What he would be doing. If he would be a bully or if he would be bullied. He is who he is and I love him no matter what. There are so many question that some of them will never be answered but 90% of them I can answer my self. The one answer I always come down to is that this is what makes him, him.

I really hope that reading things I go through with my son will help you out with your son. It is very hard and tiring. It is a guessing game with raising them. I would love to know if anything I have told you will help you out with your son. Good Luck and God Bless. Oh yea sorry it is so long. It took me an hour to type it all out I keep having to stop and think about different little things. 

To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

Sent: Sat, December 11, 2010 9:08:40 PMSubject: Re: Sensory Motor Dysfunction, OT , behaviors and ABA

 

Thanks for the advice.  We do have two dogs --rescue dogs --they were " dumped " here at our farm about eight years ago.  The fact that they got along with our son was why we let them stay.  They are great with him.  You are right and gave good advice.  I need to make walking the dogs a part of my son's day five times a week.

With home schooling, I sometimes feel like a hamster on a treadmill:  lesson plans, meal plans, grading, inputing data into the goal tracker, getting to therapies and tutoring. so it is my fault we haven't walked more, but as I make the lesson plans out from here on out, that will be a part of it.  I like the idea of him having to eat his vegetables and then he can have a little junk kind of snack --I only buy gf/cf/sf and they are sweetened with cane juice, I think, but I could make up some cookies using Xylotol.

My son has asthma, too, and he is prone to insect anaphylaxis, so our rescue kit goes wherever we go: rescue inhaler, Benadryl, Epipen.  I stopped thinking what others think years ago!  They have no idea!

The problem we are having now with eating in restaurants is that once we get in the door, he gets anxious due to the noise level and immediately wants to leave, but then he gets upset because he wanted to eat at the restaurant.  Next time we are going to try ear plugs and see how it goes.

We did CBI on Friday at Hobby Lobby.  He was fine in there, and he got his allowance and bought himself a little book " Are You My Mother? " and some Model Magic.  He waited in line and we worked on " rounding " and how much change he should expect back.  He did great!

The book really made an impression on him.  Now he calls me " Mother Bird, " and he will come up and give me a hug and say, " I wrap my wings around you. "   :)My husband and I say if there is one positive thing autism has given us, it is the appreciation of all the " moments " of things other parents may take for granted.  We take nothing for granted here. 

Thank you all for the great advice.  I'll let you know how things progress.

[Guest guest]

Hi Nina,

What specifically are the behaviors you are hoping to change?

Sensory Integration Therapy did not help my son's behaviors at all. I also didn't like it because my son hated it.

Look into getting a communication device for your son (you can get one free through the STAP program-don't let the school hold him back on that) or try the RPM method to teach him to communicate. At 11 years old, he probably is in dire need of a more advanced communication system than PECS.

The sensory type reinforcers won't hurt, and ABA could be very helpful, but definitely get something more advanced going on the communication.

Marilyn

[Guest guest]

Trina, I am glad that running the test on your son worked. But I have had so many test ran on my son that finally about 6 months ago before his brother was born he asked me to stop. Trust me I do want to find something that will work to help him but when I looked into the face of my baby I had to tell him " Okay, no more test. " I do not have to have to pin him down now as much as I had a year ago. He is around his grandmother as well as me. His grandmother can not physically take him on and he knows it. He also knows that I will only go so far as when he wants to hit or kick and me doing it back. All kids bit when they are young and the best approach is to bite them back lightly to show them what they are doing is wrong and it hurts. I worked with disabled

adults and children when I worked in the health care field. So yes I do know what some of them can do. I had a young man no older then 17 almost chock the life out of me before two grown men could get him off me. The reason he did it was because he wanted dessert before he eat his dinner. That was all it was. I am not stupid when it comes to the fact that my son will one day be a lot stronger then me and be able to hurt me more then he will ever think possible. That is why I will do anything I can to make sure I put his life in the right path now un stead of later. I have went through all of his food and went for a while there where he was on a diet of only so many kinds of food. Until finally enough was enough it wasn't working. The test where coming back with A okays on them. Nothing wrong at all. He will wake up in the morning happy or mad. With him it is just him. Before my son became autistic he was already a genius. He was talking, reading,

starting to write, and could play so many different kinds of music and make up his own songs. When he got all of the vaccitnations up to date is when he changed. He was already potty trained. He went back into diapers, not talking, or anything that he was doing before. He was only three years old. The doctors all told me it happens. He was already considered a genius. So I was told it was okay not to worry. I went two more years with doctors telling me that over and over again. Until right before he turned five years old. That was when the terrible day came and I was told he had autism. From that day on I have done research and research on what to do, how to help him, what test to be ran, what foods to change, what diet to put him on, and ran every test possible on him. Now I have learned different ways by watching him how to help him. Oh my god yes I wish there was something I could take out of his food that would make things better for him but I

am not that lucky. Every kind of allergy test to food has been ran already. Every kind of spice and food coloring has also been ran and check. Like I said before I tired the diets with him. I stood in the stores reading every label to make sure I didn't get something that was wrong for him. But it was all wrong because none of it worked. Nothing. He is absorbing nutrients perfectly. I thought that was the problem when it first started happening. But nope everything checked out there just find. I tried the tough love approach to food. It didn't work. I know my son like the back of my hand. He can be one of the most loving, sweet, caring, and kind, children you have ever met. But then he can be the devil him self. Lets see in just the past year I have only had to pretty much sit on him to stop him three times. Nope I lied four I had to do it again three weeks ago when he wanted to cook the dog because he ate one of his toys that he gave him. lol Yes it is

funny. But that is my son. He just really wanted to cook the dog. He was chasing him around the house with a pan in hand thinking he could put him in it one way or another even though this dog is 80lbs and only eleven months old he was going to put him it and cook him. I keep track of all the times that he has to have a spanking or time out or something taken away from him. When he does something on purpose he loses it and has to earn it back. He has a game cube that he loves and I mean loves he got it taken away from him 4 months ago. He loves to play the games that we get on dish network. He lost them at the same time. Four long months ago. He just earned the T.V. games back a week ago. He finally figured out when he stops doing mean things on purpose he will get things back and keep them. I do a star chart at my house. Ten stars he gets one hour of games. Twenty stars he gets five dollars. Thirty stars he gets to help cook dinner. Forty stars and so

on he gets to chose what he gets. Yes when he ask for something if he has been good I get it for him if I can. He knows the value of a dollar. I made sure he learned that young. See for everything he does good that day and does right with out back talking or getting mad he gets one star for each thing. For each thing he does wrong he loses two stars. For one month he was good as gold and when he got over a seventy-five stars I asked him what he wanted he said he wanted to take his grandma to dinner and mommy couldn't come. Trust me I thought it was so sweet but then I felt left out. But I know he can be good and I know he knows what he does when he does something wrong. I have spoken to so many different parents of autistic children and I have yet to find another child that is like mine. I wish I could find a parent that has an autistic child like mine that has gone through all of this so they could tell me what helped there child. Because there are

times I am at my wits end because I can not find out what is causing it. But one thing is for sure. I made him a promise no more test and I have never gone back on a promise to him. I am really glad that you where able to find something that helped you with your son. I wish ever parent can find that one thing ( well it is more then one thing but you know what I mean ) that will help them with there special child. Thanks for the information. Now the only thing I got to do still is find a doctor that is wroth something. I live to far from Austin to travel all the way down there just for a doctor. But I know I will find one soon enough. Thanks again. Sorry it is so long. I am really tired and just keep thinking of things to say. Dannie.To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Sent: Sun, December 12, 2010 10:44:56 AMSubject: Re: Sensory Motor Dysfunction, OT , behaviors and ABA

There has been a lot of research done on the casein free (casein free is the key casein is in every baby formula) and gluten free diet. My child also will drink milk and not eat. If I let him. His sensory system also revolves around food textures. So a tough love approach to eating was necessary after I fixed his gut pain and digestion issues. Have your sons absorption levels checked you may be surprised how he is not absorbing nutrients.

Not every child will benefit from the diet but many do and many more like my son have tweaked it over the years to find exactly what is causing the behavior for the most part. I will say again that Dr. s protocol eliminated about 80% of our sensory issues this along with a modified diet (he does now drink whole milk about 8 oz a day). My son is 15 holding a 8 year old child down to calm him is one thing at 15 it will be a whole different story. Getting to the root of the issue is imperatives.

We also do the earned item technique. We write the item down be it a trip to the bookstore or whatever an he earns it if he's gets out of line he loses a letter. If he does something really bad like breaking something on purpose or any act of aggression he loses his iphone and has to earn it back. But I know what is behavior and what is sensory so I adjust to the behavior and adjust the punishment. When my son was two and he bit me I nipped him back. He thought about biting me again but would stop and just get mad. Setting boundaries is important I just am worried that your son will only behave with a person who he knows will take him on physically I've seen some very large teenagers who are only controllable when asked to do something not on their list by a larger more physical adult. I've seen children at public school surrounded by mats in a corner with headphones and the teachers say not to talk to them because they will attack if you take

the headphones or try to engage with them.

I do not think our children have issues understanding boundaries I think it is physical manifestation of something going on the body causing the sensory system to overreact. Or pain. I have a willful child who is not AU. She does well with structure time outs and reasoning but she also is pre menstral so when her hormones are out of whack look out! We ignore her outbursts and even her brothers have learned what is real behavior and what is PMS. Smart!

At any rate I wanted to let you know that there is no easy answer and what the pitfalls of not treating the source may be. Finding a good doctor and doing the testing to see where you are with Yeast Gluten Casein and absorption and viral issues is a good idea and a good place to start.

Trina

Hey not a problem. My son is eight years old. I have been through all of this already. See I found out my son was autistic when he was 4 almost 5 years old. That was the hardest time ever. I had no idea what to do or what was going to happen. Now I take it one day at a time and I deal with anything and everything that happens.

My son runs around the house 90% of the time with nothing on. I don't mind because at least when we go out he is to where he wants to wear clothes now. It was hard to deal with because there were times where he tried to take them off in the store of just any where. There are times during the day that he goes and gets his clothes and puts them on and even though it can be some of the weirdest combination in the world at least he wants to put clothes on. He is enjoying

it because he does it all by him self. I have learned over the years that if I let him be with somethings he will turn around and show me that he wants to do it him self. He enjoys it.Now with your son showing anger towards you. My son does it with the house hold members. Anything can set him off. I thought it was food. After doing all the research and everything like that. I stop letting him have so many things. I stood in the stores and read every label to make sure it didn't have this or that in it. But the problems where still there. So finally I said enough was enough and I let him have it all back. My son loves milk he has to have it. If you tell him no its hard on him because it is something that he loves to drink. I only let him have whole milk. I have tried the 2%, the 1%, the slim, the skin, the soy, you name it I have tired it all of them will make him change. Whole milk is the only one that won't. But the only bad thing about him

having milk is that he gets full just from drinking it. He will not eat much at all if he drinks it. ( lol I can save on food by letting him drink it all day long. ) So I just have to make sure he gets only a half of a glass three times a day un-stead of a whole glass three times a day. I have as well learned that when I let him have fatty food I have to make sure he has something healthy to go with it. Say that he wants a burger and fries. With him he doesn't like veggies on his burger so I make him eat a salad. It helps with him. It is not all the fatty food going on his tummy with out anything healthy there. When he just eats fatty food he will get mean. Maybe you can try doing this.

Now I know one thing people tell parents of special needs children not to do is bribe them. Guess what I do not listen to them. One thing I do with my son all the time is bribe him. If he wants something anything as long as it is with in reason and I want him to

do something. I make a deal with him. He gets what he wants if and only if he does what I want first. Yes there are times he wants a new toy and I really don't have the money to go get it I will compromise with him. I will trade him for time to play games or going to the playground or something like that. But the most important thing I do tell him is I do not have the money right now to get it for him. I tell him that as soon as I do if he still wants it we will get it then. I tell him that it can be a month before I have the money but when I do I will tell him. Yes he ask me ever day there after if I have the money but I just calmly tell him again and again nope not yet mommy will let you know when I do.

Okay here are some things I have done to take my sons anger away from me. Now I am as strong as a grown man and I keep having to get stronger because my son is as strong as me and he keeps getting stronger. There are times I have had to pin him

down and hold him there until he has calmed down. It is hard to do at times. Once it is done and over with I feel so bad because of having to do it. But I then think if I hadn't of done it he would of hurt him self or someone else. I didn't hurt him he is fine running around laughing again. But I have a punching bag I have thought him to use. I got him a helmet and gloves the soft padded ones so he does not hurt him self. I have gotten them big body pillows and I have put them all in a corner and that is his time out area. Oh yes I know time outs are hard to do. Yes for a normal child time out is suppose to be sitting in a spot with nothing to do. But with autistic children they can not just sit and do nothing. So un-stead of hitting my head on a brick wall trying to get him to just sit there and do nothing I have put books over there about good and bad behavior. I have some small toys that make no noise and have no lights or anything on them at all

over there. Once he is done in time out I make him come to the dinning room table sit down and then we talk. Oh yes it is hard to do at times because there are times he knows what he did but doesn't want to tell me why he got in trouble in the first place. He wants to just talk about a million different things. Which will make me get upset and I have to catch my self. I really do because I don't want him to know I am upset. So in order to get him to understand that this is the time out talk I have to raise my voice some. No not yelling at all just raising it. ( There is enough yelling in my house all day that at time out talk we don't need it there ) But it takes a few times and he finally gets it. Once he tells me what he did wrong I will ask him and tell him not to do it again. Time out time starts at 1 minute the first time and each time I have to send him back there during the day a minute gets added. We where up to 4 hours one day. No I never made

him stay there longer then 10 minutes but he thought it was longer.Also another thing my son has a stuff puppy that is he take me everywhere toy. Find the one thing that your son loves most of all and try taking that with you when you go out. So when he gets mad and tried to go after you hold that up and tell him to clam down or your going to throw it away. Make sure you say that before he gets one finger on you. It does work. I will threaten my son with cutting his puppy up in to little tiny pieces and feeding it to him if he does not clam down. Yes it does seem over the top mean but trust me we are long past the throwing away puppy part.

Now to the part about when he gets anxious due to the noise level and immediately wants to leave, but then he gets upset because he wanted to eat at the restaurant. Here are somethings to try. Ear plugs might work but they might not you might have more of a problem there then you started with. The reason why is because that is something different going into his ears. One thing to try is start being loud at home at the dinner room table. Trust me get loud. Try this for about two weeks. Invite one person over one night. The next time make it two people. Each night there after invite more and more people over. Make sure it is people you trust. That know your son. But make sure it is loud. At the end of two weeks if he is still having the problem with the noise level then it could be his ears. You may have to talk to his doctor about it and find out if there is anything that can be done about it. One thing I have found out with my son is that when it gets really loud he changes. Sometimes good Sometimes bad. I have also found out that if my mother and I

are talking when he is asleep he hears everything we say. Even though he is asleep sleep. He hears it. It is because his hearing is so fine tune that he can hear anything. My son can hear a needle drop. Your son might have the same problem. I just had a new baby after eight years. My oldest son can hear his brother move his hand in his bed. Trust me you don't hear this baby move unless he wants you to hear him. But his big brother can hear him.

I totally understand about felling like a hamster on a wheel. I home school my son. I also have a new baby I have to juggle into all that. I also just started working again to see if I can handle being away from my oldest son and the baby. It is very hard to do. Also to make sure that his week plan is all set and all the doctor appointments are set. It is very hard. But I have learn to start it out like this. I took and made a two week plan. Once one week is over I know I still have another week to go but

I go ahead and make that following weeks plan up. That way if I need to change something it is a little easier to do. Oh year raising a special needs child one that is autistic is hard it is very hard to do. It is like nothing else. It takes up most of your time you feel like you don't have a life to your self anymore. You sit down and think to your self sometimes well what if he had been normal what would be different? Would I be happier? Would I know what I know now if he had been born normal? Then you sit there and answer your own questions. Yes everything would be different. No there is no telling if I would be happier. No I won't know what I know now if he had been born normal. With me I also say to my self what is normal? Does anyone know anymore? Yes to most people normal is they can read, walk, talk, and do everything like a robot. Do I really want my son do be like that? No I don't. I love him for who he is because if he was different there is

no telling where he would be now. What he would be doing. If he would be a bully or if he would be bullied. He is who he is and I love him no matter what. There are so many question that some of them will never be answered but 90% of them I can answer my self. The one answer I always come down to is that this is what makes him, him.

I really hope that reading things I go through with my son will help you out with your son. It is very hard and tiring. It is a guessing game with raising them. I would love to know if anything I have told you will help you out with your son. Good Luck and God Bless. Oh yea sorry it is so long. It took me an hour to type it all out I keep having to stop and think about different little things.

To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

Sent: Sat, December 11, 2010 9:08:40 PMSubject: Re: Sensory Motor Dysfunction, OT , behaviors and ABA

Thanks for the advice. We do have two dogs --rescue dogs --they were "dumped" here at our farm about eight years ago. The fact that they got along with our son was why we let them stay. They are great with him. You are right and gave good advice. I need to make walking the dogs a part of my son's day five times a week.

With home schooling, I sometimes feel like a hamster on a treadmill: lesson plans, meal plans, grading, inputing data into the goal tracker, getting to therapies and tutoring. so it is my fault we haven't walked more, but as I make the lesson plans out from here on out, that will be a part of it. I like the idea of him having to eat his vegetables and then he can have a little junk kind of snack --I only buy gf/cf/sf and they are sweetened with cane juice, I think, but I could make up some cookies using Xylotol.

My son has asthma, too, and he is prone to insect anaphylaxis, so our rescue kit goes wherever we go: rescue inhaler, Benadryl, Epipen. I stopped thinking what others think years ago! They have no idea!

The problem we are having now with eating in restaurants is that once we get in the door, he gets anxious due to the noise level and immediately wants to leave, but then he gets upset because he wanted to eat at the restaurant. Next time we are going to try ear plugs and see how it goes.

We did CBI on Friday at Hobby Lobby. He was fine in there, and he got his allowance and bought himself a little book "Are You My Mother?" and some Model Magic. He waited in line and we worked on "rounding" and how much change he should expect back. He did great!

The book really made an impression on him. Now he calls me "Mother Bird," and he will come up and give me a hug and say, "I wrap my wings around you." :)My husband and I say if there is one positive thing autism has given us, it is the appreciation of all the "moments" of things other parents may take for granted. We take nothing for granted here.

Thank you all for the great advice. I'll let you know how things progress.

[Guest guest]

High testosterone levels can cause rage behavior. Everyone has to have some testing done including adults. My cholesterol and vitamin d levels are checked yearly and my husband is having his hormone levels checked as well. My AU son did not have high testosterone levels like his dad but many do. Allergy testing also did not find our yeast issue or the gluten issue these tests are not run by main stream med doctors, so if you only looked for a allergy to gluten you might have missed it. What you are looking for is the inability to digest the protein not the allergy per se. Autism file magazine has some great articles this month. Honestly though the rage behavior sounds so much like high testosterone especially as he approaches puberty that it's worth looking into. The treatment is fairly simple. Additionally I have found 15mg of oxytocin to be helpful. Tough love feeding program worked for us but it took me and two strong family members two full weeks of sometimes three hour meals for him to finally put new foods in his mouth. After that he gained twenty pounds in six months. Today he feeds himself and only needs prompting for new foods. I nearly gave up he was crying I was crying and my older son came downstairs and said "don't you give up on him mom, never give up!" two days Later matt ate his first independent bite. He was 13.TrinaSent from my iPhone

Trina, I am glad that running the test on your son worked. But I have had so many test ran on my son that finally about 6 months ago before his brother was born he asked me to stop. Trust me I do want to find something that will work to help him but when I looked into the face of my baby I had to tell him " Okay, no more test. " I do not have to have to pin him down now as much as I had a year ago. He is around his grandmother as well as me. His grandmother can not physically take him on and he knows it. He also knows that I will only go so far as when he wants to hit or kick and me doing it back. All kids bit when they are young and the best approach is to bite them back lightly to show them what they are doing is wrong and it hurts. I worked with disabled

adults and children when I worked in the health care field. So yes I do know what some of them can do. I had a young man no older then 17 almost chock the life out of me before two grown men could get him off me. The reason he did it was because he wanted dessert before he eat his dinner. That was all it was. I am not stupid when it comes to the fact that my son will one day be a lot stronger then me and be able to hurt me more then he will ever think possible. That is why I will do anything I can to make sure I put his life in the right path now un stead of later. I have went through all of his food and went for a while there where he was on a diet of only so many kinds of food. Until finally enough was enough it wasn't working. The test where coming back with A okays on them. Nothing wrong at all. He will wake up in the morning happy or mad. With him it is just him. Before my son became autistic he was already a genius. He was talking, reading,

starting to write, and could play so many different kinds of music and make up his own songs. When he got all of the vaccitnations up to date is when he changed. He was already potty trained. He went back into diapers, not talking, or anything that he was doing before. He was only three years old. The doctors all told me it happens. He was already considered a genius. So I was told it was okay not to worry. I went two more years with doctors telling me that over and over again. Until right before he turned five years old. That was when the terrible day came and I was told he had autism. From that day on I have done research and research on what to do, how to help him, what test to be ran, what foods to change, what diet to put him on, and ran every test possible on him. Now I have learned different ways by watching him how to help him. Oh my god yes I wish there was something I could take out of his food that would make things better for him but I

am not that lucky. Every kind of allergy test to food has been ran already. Every kind of spice and food coloring has also been ran and check. Like I said before I tired the diets with him. I stood in the stores reading every label to make sure I didn't get something that was wrong for him. But it was all wrong because none of it worked. Nothing. He is absorbing nutrients perfectly. I thought that was the problem when it first started happening. But nope everything checked out there just find. I tried the tough love approach to food. It didn't work. I know my son like the back of my hand. He can be one of the most loving, sweet, caring, and kind, children you have ever met. But then he can be the devil him self. Lets see in just the past year I have only had to pretty much sit on him to stop him three times. Nope I lied four I had to do it again three weeks ago when he wanted to cook the dog because he ate one of his toys that he gave him. lol Yes it is

funny. But that is my son. He just really wanted to cook the dog. He was chasing him around the house with a pan in hand thinking he could put him in it one way or another even though this dog is 80lbs and only eleven months old he was going to put him it and cook him. I keep track of all the times that he has to have a spanking or time out or something taken away from him. When he does something on purpose he loses it and has to earn it back. He has a game cube that he loves and I mean loves he got it taken away from him 4 months ago. He loves to play the games that we get on dish network. He lost them at the same time. Four long months ago. He just earned the T.V. games back a week ago. He finally figured out when he stops doing mean things on purpose he will get things back and keep them. I do a star chart at my house. Ten stars he gets one hour of games. Twenty stars he gets five dollars. Thirty stars he gets to help cook dinner. Forty stars and so

on he gets to chose what he gets. Yes when he ask for something if he has been good I get it for him if I can. He knows the value of a dollar. I made sure he learned that young. See for everything he does good that day and does right with out back talking or getting mad he gets one star for each thing. For each thing he does wrong he loses two stars. For one month he was good as gold and when he got over a seventy-five stars I asked him what he wanted he said he wanted to take his grandma to dinner and mommy couldn't come. Trust me I thought it was so sweet but then I felt left out. But I know he can be good and I know he knows what he does when he does something wrong. I have spoken to so many different parents of autistic children and I have yet to find another child that is like mine. I wish I could find a parent that has an autistic child like mine that has gone through all of this so they could tell me what helped there child. Because there are

times I am at my wits end because I can not find out what is causing it. But one thing is for sure. I made him a promise no more test and I have never gone back on a promise to him. I am really glad that you where able to find something that helped you with your son. I wish ever parent can find that one thing ( well it is more then one thing but you know what I mean ) that will help them with there special child. Thanks for the information. Now the only thing I got to do still is find a doctor that is wroth something. I live to far from Austin to travel all the way down there just for a doctor. But I know I will find one soon enough. Thanks again. Sorry it is so long. I am really tired and just keep thinking of things to say. Dannie.To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Sent: Sun, December 12, 2010 10:44:56 AMSubject: Re: Sensory Motor Dysfunction, OT , behaviors and ABA

There has been a lot of research done on the casein free (casein free is the key casein is in every baby formula) and gluten free diet. My child also will drink milk and not eat. If I let him. His sensory system also revolves around food textures. So a tough love approach to eating was necessary after I fixed his gut pain and digestion issues. Have your sons absorption levels checked you may be surprised how he is not absorbing nutrients.

Not every child will benefit from the diet but many do and many more like my son have tweaked it over the years to find exactly what is causing the behavior for the most part. I will say again that Dr. s protocol eliminated about 80% of our sensory issues this along with a modified diet (he does now drink whole milk about 8 oz a day). My son is 15 holding a 8 year old child down to calm him is one thing at 15 it will be a whole different story. Getting to the root of the issue is imperatives.

We also do the earned item technique. We write the item down be it a trip to the bookstore or whatever an he earns it if he's gets out of line he loses a letter. If he does something really bad like breaking something on purpose or any act of aggression he loses his iphone and has to earn it back. But I know what is behavior and what is sensory so I adjust to the behavior and adjust the punishment. When my son was two and he bit me I nipped him back. He thought about biting me again but would stop and just get mad. Setting boundaries is important I just am worried that your son will only behave with a person who he knows will take him on physically I've seen some very large teenagers who are only controllable when asked to do something not on their list by a larger more physical adult. I've seen children at public school surrounded by mats in a corner with headphones and the teachers say not to talk to them because they will attack if you take

the headphones or try to engage with them.

I do not think our children have issues understanding boundaries I think it is physical manifestation of something going on the body causing the sensory system to overreact. Or pain. I have a willful child who is not AU. She does well with structure time outs and reasoning but she also is pre menstral so when her hormones are out of whack look out! We ignore her outbursts and even her brothers have learned what is real behavior and what is PMS. Smart!

At any rate I wanted to let you know that there is no easy answer and what the pitfalls of not treating the source may be. Finding a good doctor and doing the testing to see where you are with Yeast Gluten Casein and absorption and viral issues is a good idea and a good place to start.

Trina

Hey not a problem. My son is eight years old. I have been through all of this already. See I found out my son was autistic when he was 4 almost 5 years old. That was the hardest time ever. I had no idea what to do or what was going to happen. Now I take it one day at a time and I deal with anything and everything that happens.

My son runs around the house 90% of the time with nothing on. I don't mind because at least when we go out he is to where he wants to wear clothes now. It was hard to deal with because there were times where he tried to take them off in the store of just any where. There are times during the day that he goes and gets his clothes and puts them on and even though it can be some of the weirdest combination in the world at least he wants to put clothes on. He is enjoying

it because he does it all by him self. I have learned over the years that if I let him be with somethings he will turn around and show me that he wants to do it him self. He enjoys it.Now with your son showing anger towards you. My son does it with the house hold members. Anything can set him off. I thought it was food. After doing all the research and everything like that. I stop letting him have so many things. I stood in the stores and read every label to make sure it didn't have this or that in it. But the problems where still there. So finally I said enough was enough and I let him have it all back. My son loves milk he has to have it. If you tell him no its hard on him because it is something that he loves to drink. I only let him have whole milk. I have tried the 2%, the 1%, the slim, the skin, the soy, you name it I have tired it all of them will make him change. Whole milk is the only one that won't. But the only bad thing about him

having milk is that he gets full just from drinking it. He will not eat much at all if he drinks it. ( lol I can save on food by letting him drink it all day long. ) So I just have to make sure he gets only a half of a glass three times a day un-stead of a whole glass three times a day. I have as well learned that when I let him have fatty food I have to make sure he has something healthy to go with it. Say that he wants a burger and fries. With him he doesn't like veggies on his burger so I make him eat a salad. It helps with him. It is not all the fatty food going on his tummy with out anything healthy there. When he just eats fatty food he will get mean. Maybe you can try doing this.

Now I know one thing people tell parents of special needs children not to do is bribe them. Guess what I do not listen to them. One thing I do with my son all the time is bribe him. If he wants something anything as long as it is with in reason and I want him to

do something. I make a deal with him. He gets what he wants if and only if he does what I want first. Yes there are times he wants a new toy and I really don't have the money to go get it I will compromise with him. I will trade him for time to play games or going to the playground or something like that. But the most important thing I do tell him is I do not have the money right now to get it for him. I tell him that as soon as I do if he still wants it we will get it then. I tell him that it can be a month before I have the money but when I do I will tell him. Yes he ask me ever day there after if I have the money but I just calmly tell him again and again nope not yet mommy will let you know when I do.

Okay here are some things I have done to take my sons anger away from me. Now I am as strong as a grown man and I keep having to get stronger because my son is as strong as me and he keeps getting stronger. There are times I have had to pin him

down and hold him there until he has calmed down. It is hard to do at times. Once it is done and over with I feel so bad because of having to do it. But I then think if I hadn't of done it he would of hurt him self or someone else. I didn't hurt him he is fine running around laughing again. But I have a punching bag I have thought him to use. I got him a helmet and gloves the soft padded ones so he does not hurt him self. I have gotten them big body pillows and I have put them all in a corner and that is his time out area. Oh yes I know time outs are hard to do. Yes for a normal child time out is suppose to be sitting in a spot with nothing to do. But with autistic children they can not just sit and do nothing. So un-stead of hitting my head on a brick wall trying to get him to just sit there and do nothing I have put books over there about good and bad behavior. I have some small toys that make no noise and have no lights or anything on them at all

over there. Once he is done in time out I make him come to the dinning room table sit down and then we talk. Oh yes it is hard to do at times because there are times he knows what he did but doesn't want to tell me why he got in trouble in the first place. He wants to just talk about a million different things. Which will make me get upset and I have to catch my self. I really do because I don't want him to know I am upset. So in order to get him to understand that this is the time out talk I have to raise my voice some. No not yelling at all just raising it. ( There is enough ye

[Guest guest]

Wow! Trina, you are one tough cookie!  I did tough love on the eating too, but Ethan was little and I could bear hug him.  I cried, too --so many struggles getting him to eat.  He really didn't gain much weight for two years, and then we started B12.  Then his eating just took off, and now we have the opposite problem, but I am buying no more junky snacks -- even if they do say gf/cf/sf.

I WILL get him to eat good vegetables.  I will not give up!Thanks for being a beacon!Haven

[Guest guest]

Yes so many of us struggle with our kids and food. I held off for years thinking eventually he would eat. Who doesn't like pizza? But it never happened. I used to joke that GFCF was easy for us since all he ate was cereal and chips anyway. I regret waiting so long to work on the food and eating issue, I was told by a team at Kennedy Kreiger when he was 3 to bring him in for a feeding program. But I had two other children at the time and one was a baby. So I devised a liquid supplement using vitamins minerals protein and a rice milk base. KK tested it out in their lab and said it was the best liquid diet they had ever seen. But they also said not to go to long that it would be bad for his digestive system. And I did wait TEN more years luckily he's always been really small like 2 percentile. 

If I can prevent one family one child from any of the hardships we have endured it will be worth all the hard work. I hope people just like you can see that through my challenges there is hope, things do get better but they don't get better by doing nothing and hoping they change. I also knew by looking in my sons eyes that his brain was working I just had to find him. That is what kept me going and that is why Matt and I have endured so much. I will always have a bond with him like no other, our children are an incredible gift. 

Beacon.....that's quite a compliment. I hope I can prove worthy. Trina 

 

Wow! Trina, you are one tough cookie!  I did tough love on the eating too, but Ethan was little and I could bear hug him.  I cried, too --so many struggles getting him to eat.  He really didn't gain much weight for two years, and then we started B12.  Then his eating just took off, and now we have the opposite problem, but I am buying no more junky snacks -- even if they do say gf/cf/sf.

I WILL get him to eat good vegetables.  I will not give up!Thanks for being a beacon!Haven

[Guest guest]

Haven I taught my kids to eat cultured vegetables, bite by bite. Then green

drinks. What I found is that as they got these healing foods in them, they

craved less and at some point due to the behavioral training and the good foods

going in....their guts changed and they actually WANTED vegetables like kale,

onions, etc.....

When the bad guys are being fed, the kids will seek out anything to feed these

infections.

Turn that around and start to get good flora into the gut...then the kids will

want these foods. The microflora are intelligent and do many great things for

the gut, immune system etc....

A great tool for getting vegetables in, is green smoothies. A simple recipe I

make often:

Use a good blender like a vitamix:

celery, parsely, green apple, romaine, tiny amt of ginger, cucumber, zuchini

(all organic of course), super vitatality greens (body ecology), avacado, and

your fav protein powder like hemp, chia, or br rice protein powders. I sat

with my kids literally for months working to teach them. We started with shot

glasses and worked our way up to tall glasses.

Take care

>

> Wow! Trina, you are one tough cookie! I did tough love on the eating too,

> but Ethan was little and I could bear hug him. I cried, too --so many

> struggles getting him to eat. He really didn't gain much weight for two

> years, and then we started B12. Then his eating just took off, and now we

> have the opposite problem, but I am buying no more junky snacks -- even if

> they do say gf/cf/sf.

>

> I WILL get him to eat good vegetables. I will not give up!

>

> Thanks for being a beacon!

>

> Haven

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks !Haven

[Guest guest]

vegetables smoothies?...how I make them...could I have a receipt?

please

God Bless you!

Subject: Re: Sensory Motor Dysfunction, OT , behaviors and ABATo: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Date: Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 9:55 PM

Haven I taught my kids to eat cultured vegetables, bite by bite. Then green drinks. What I found is that as they got these healing foods in them, they craved less and at some point due to the behavioral training and the good foods going in....their guts changed and they actually WANTED vegetables like kale, onions, etc.....When the bad guys are being fed, the kids will seek out anything to feed these infections. Turn that around and start to get good flora into the gut...then the kids will want these foods. The microflora are intelligent and do many great things for the gut, immune system etc....A great tool for getting vegetables in, is green smoothies. A simple recipe I make often:Use a good blender like a vitamix:celery, parsely, green apple, romaine, tiny amt of ginger, cucumber, zuchini (all organic of course), super vitatality greens (body ecology), avacado, and your fav protein powder like

hemp, chia, or br rice protein powders. I sat with my kids literally for months working to teach them. We started with shot glasses and worked our way up to tall glasses. Take care>> Wow! Trina, you are one tough cookie! I did tough love on the eating too,> but Ethan was little and I could bear hug him. I cried, too --so many> struggles getting him to eat. He really didn't gain much weight for two> years, and then we started B12. Then his eating just took off, and now we> have the opposite problem, but I am buying no more junky snacks -- even if> they do say gf/cf/sf.> > I WILL get him to eat good

vegetables. I will not give up!> > Thanks for being a beacon!> > Haven>