Re: nap time

[Guest guest]

Maybe create a more detailed picture schedule of what to do at nap time. Something like, " kids lay down, lights get turned off, nap mats are put down, soft music is played, sit with blankie, play with quiet toys (picture of him sitting on nap mat with toys/books etc...)Also make sure he is getting enough active time before nap time.

I just wanted to clarify a few things: No one is forcing him to take a nap. The objective is to get him to at least stay in one spot or area. As it is right now, he gets hyperactive and runs around the room slamming into walls and flailing his arms. His schedule is very structured, and we have implemented a picture schedule to let him know what is next. At first, he has a hard time transitioning, but after the first week, he " got it " and knows what to expect. Sadly, what he has come to expect at " naptime " is that all kids lay down, lights get turned off, nap mats are put down, soft music is played and he sits contently for about 5 minutes with blankie. He runs around the room injuring classmates, and then I go pick him up early. Last week, he stepped on a little girl's head while running back and forth and bloodied her nose

(sigh).  My son is non verbal PDD NOS with suspected sensory integration issues and seems to be more on the hyperactive side of things, but he is non aggressive. For me, the importance of nap time isn't so much about the nap... I know he sleeps when he needs to. It is not really about fitting in either.... I think is is more about learning boundaries. Like when it is appropriate to run around, and when it isn't. Maybe I am being too hopeful with my own goal, and maybe I am ignorant of what I can really expect from my child, but in my heart, I feel like he CAN do this. I hope that makes sense. Scheduled nap time is from 12-2 in his Parents Day Out program. It is also the " nap time " that will be used in his PPCD class starting in August. He is usually a great sleeper during the day and at night at home and I follow the same cues... lights off, soft music on. He sleeps in his own room, has his own bed, and has blankie (a textural minky that he rubs in

his fingers to self soothe). Blankie does go with him to PDO. I am a SAHM, and he is in the PDO program to not only prep him for PPCD, but to expose him to other children his age. He seems interested in mimicry of other children and is very interested in what other children are doing. One example of this is when he watched (peripherally) children going up the steps to a slide and sliding down... He had never done it before, and was more than eager to give it a go. After 2 attempts, he mastered it, and it has become one of his favorite things to do. Part of me just really wished that he would watch these kids and see that the appropriate response to the naptime cues. :-/

[Guest guest]

Maybe a weighted blanket to give him some proprioceptive input?"Be still and know that I am God"Psalm46:10

Maybe create a more detailed picture schedule of what to do at nap time. Something like, "kids lay down, lights get turned off, nap mats are put down, soft music is played, sit with blankie, play with quiet toys (picture of him sitting on nap mat with toys/books etc...)Also make sure he is getting enough active time before nap time.

I just wanted to clarify a few things: No one is forcing him to take a nap. The objective is to get him to at least stay in one spot or area. As it is right now, he gets hyperactive and runs around the room slamming into walls and flailing his arms. His schedule is very structured, and we have implemented a picture schedule to let him know what is next. At first, he has a hard time transitioning, but after the first week, he "got it" and knows what to expect. Sadly, what he has come to expect at "naptime" is that all kids lay down, lights get turned off, nap mats are put down, soft music is played and he sits contently for about 5 minutes with blankie. He runs around the room injuring classmates, and then I go pick him up early. Last week, he stepped on a little girl's head while running back and forth and bloodied her nose

(sigh). My son is non verbal PDD NOS with suspected sensory integration issues and seems to be more on the hyperactive side of things, but he is non aggressive. For me, the importance of nap time isn't so much about the nap... I know he sleeps when he needs to. It is not really about fitting in either.... I think is is more about learning boundaries. Like when it is appropriate to run around, and when it isn't. Maybe I am being too hopeful with my own goal, and maybe I am ignorant of what I can really expect from my child, but in my heart, I feel like he CAN do this. I hope that makes sense. Scheduled nap time is from 12-2 in his Parents Day Out program. It is also the "nap time" that will be used in his PPCD class starting in August. He is usually a great sleeper during the day and at night at home and I follow the same cues... lights off, soft music on. He sleeps in his own room, has his own bed, and has blankie (a textural minky that he rubs in

his fingers to self soothe). Blankie does go with him to PDO. I am a SAHM, and he is in the PDO program to not only prep him for PPCD, but to expose him to other children his age. He seems interested in mimicry of other children and is very interested in what other children are doing. One example of this is when he watched (peripherally) children going up the steps to a slide and sliding down... He had never done it before, and was more than eager to give it a go. After 2 attempts, he mastered it, and it has become one of his favorite things to do. Part of me just really wished that he would watch these kids and see that the appropriate response to the naptime cues. :-/

=

[Guest guest]

I am a firm beleiver that parents know their children best, and if you believe he can do it, then he is probably capable, but for his age I think two hours of staying in one place would be too difficult even for NT children that age.  2 hours for nap time?

I understand the dangers to other children of him running around aimlessly and over other children.  This sounds like a " stim " and stims can be hard to stop.  My son is now high functioning and verbal (coming forward from moderate severe and non-verbal, but he still " stims. "   He didn't for a few years.  The stimming had stopped, but after getting talked into doing IV chelation for a time, he regressed in this, SID, and OCD.

You need to have a " plan B "   in case he is not able to sit on the mat for all that time and not nap.  Exercise (or any physical play) could maybe help.  If two hours are allotted for nap time, then you could maybe try the melatonin, though I have never used it for nap time.

The idea of a more detailed picture story to show what is expected is a good idea., my son had serious lung issues post regression.  He was sick roughly every two weeks with a fever.  It was either an ear infection, upper respiratory, bronchitis, or pneumonia.  He had pneumonia eight times between the ages of two and eleven.  They said he had " asthma. "   One doc wanted to put him on five asthma meds a day.  He was constantly being put on antibiotics and steroids.  He was diagnosed with an immune disorder NOS.  We had to watch him carefully outside as one or two fire ant bites cause anaphylaxis.  If he got bit by ANY insect, he would develop radiating staph from every bite site, so if he got bit by mosquitoes, then we would be fighting several places on his body with radiating staph/cellulitis.  One mosquito bite could blow up to the size of a grapefruit within a short time.  He was also prone to strep.  Sometimes he would get staph and strep at the same time.

The medication -- a broad spectrum antibiotic - that he would need to be on was not covered by insurance.  A tiny bottle cost between five and six hundred dollars! And he also had debilitating constipation so we were alwasy going to the emergency room for one thing or another.

We have been to several DAMS over the years.  Mostly all it got us was broke.  Then I remembered Dr. Cutler and Moria on the A-M site many years ago talking about the AC Protocol.  We decided a year ago to revisit this protocol, and then we started.

My son's " asthma " improved by ninety percent.  Instead of being sick every two weeks, he was only sick three or four times last year.  It was the first year that he got a regular, run of the mill common cold.  He did not break out in staph after an insect bite.  His anxiety improved with adrenal support (Adrenergize), which I believe also helped his " asthma. "   It has been the most normal year since his regression.

We also chose to home school beginning last year and our son has made tremendous gains across the board.  It has just been the best year ever.  So we are sticking with it.It is the first year my son wasn't put on antibiotics every other week.

So to those of you with young children, I urge you to give the AC Protocol some thought.  I beleive if I had listened to Dr. Cutler and started this protocol back when our son was young, he would be healed by now, but better late than never.

I do think the root cause of these children's problems reside in toxicity, and this needs to be addressed.  I think once you go after the root cause, the rest can get better, as well.When my son was three, a developmental physician painted a very tragic and bleak future for my son.  She told me to find an institution to put him in and " get on with your life. "   I took the road less traveled, and it has, indeed, made all the difference.

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to assist. I sincerely

think that 30 minutes of quiet time is an attainable goal... maybe not the full

2 hours, but the goal is not so much on the actual nap, but that he will learn

what is expected of him and what is considered an appropriate behavior. I think

what I will do is a detailed picture schedule, lots of talk, possibly a weighted

blanket. (depends on if I can get some time to sew one, I can't afford to get

one at this moment)I also asked another parent with a child on the spectrum, and

we will try 5 minute increments... meaning the first day, he only has to sit 5

min. If day 1 goes well, we will try for 10 minutes the next day and so forth.

Again, thank you all for helping me sort through this! It has only been a few

months since he was first diagnosed, and I feel like such a novice.

[Guest guest]

Thank you lin on that insight into what your son when through. I am located

in Lubbock, and although ABA therapy would be nice, there aren't any resources

with a trained ABA therapist for a few hundred miles of where I live at. I am

located in Lubbock. I have looked at a few school districts in my area to see

what exactly a PPCD program could do for my child, and I was actually very

impressed with my home school district. They seem to be at the forefront of

things when it comes to what is available in my area. For example... this school

district can and does use IPADS as communication devices starting in 1st grade.

There has been a lot of pressure, fundraising, and resources from local private

organizations, such as the Burkhart Center at Texas Tech to continue to develop

programs in our area. Now, if we can JUST get some ABA therapists down here...

HAHA!

His school is at one of four elementary schools within this district and on

staff, they have a psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, 1

adaptive PE instructor, 3 special education counselors, a parent liason, 4

diagnosticians, 1 dietician, a coordinator of Autism services, as well as 4

directors that float amongst the 4 elementaries, 2 middle schools and 1 high

school that comprise this school district in addition to each special education

instructor dedicated to each individual school. Right now, the ratio for his

PPCD class would be 4 students to 1 instructor, then as he gets older, the ratio

gets a little bigger. PPCD for the 4 year olds becomes the " buffer " year where

at some point, inclusion is worked in. Also, any/or all private therapists

within my community are welcomed to conduct therapies as needed at the school

from ppcd till 12th grade as long as the schedule allows. With this kind of set

up, it can get as intense as a child can handle. I know that things are

different everywhere you go, so I am not advocating PPCD in every case. I just

know that for us, and where we are located at, it is the best option we've got.

>

> Sheri,

>

> Your son sounds a lot like my son at that age. He also had a PDD-NOS

diagnosis. He’s now 7.

> This is just my experience in hindsight, but I will share it.

>

> My son was absolutely not capable of doing what you’re hoping for at that

age. Yours may be capable of it, but I doubt it.

> From the age of 2 1/2 through 4, his behavior in places like you’re

describing became progressively harder to control. It was

> crushing to see place after place where he wasn’t able to fit in. I can’t

tell you how many times I drove him home while I cried.

> He would run around like a mad man, pushing every child he came near, and some

adults.

>

> Also, what do you hope that they are going to do for your son in all-day PPCD?

Hopefully, your school district is different

> from ours. My son went to half-day PPCD for almost 2 years and I feel that it

did nothing for him. In our district, PPCD

> is not intervention! It is more like child care with a few (very few, in my

opinion) learning activities thrown in. Their

> IEP goals for him were laughable and there was very little language and speech

work done for him †" and that was his

> most urgent need, of course.

>

> I would suggest you implement an ABA program instead. That is where my son

has made the most gains. it was truly

> amazing the first time a good ABA therapist worked with him. Unfortunately,

finding funding for an ABA program is a

> different matter.

>

> I know you didn’t ask for our opinion on PPCD, so please forgive me for

butting in. But I wish someone had told me.

>

> Marilyn

>

[Guest guest]

Marilyn:Great words!  I feel the same way!  Our 2 1/2 year old son is PDD NOS, sensory and non verbal.  There is no way that our son would be capable of doing this either.  We actually utilize DIR Floor time with my son and he has shown good progress.  I like the floor time model for his age.  As he gets older, we might look into ABA Therapies!  

 

Sheri,

 

Your son sounds a lot like my son at that age.  He also had a PDD-NOS diagnosis.  He’s now 7.

This is just my experience in hindsight, but I will share it.

 

My son was absolutely not capable of doing what you’re hoping for at that age.  Yours may be capable of it, but I doubt it.

From the age of 2 1/2 through 4, his behavior in places like you’re describing became progressively harder to control.  It was

crushing to see place after place where he wasn’t able to fit in.  I can’t tell you how many times I drove him home while I cried.

He would run around like a mad man, pushing every child he came near, and some adults. 

 

Also, what do you hope that they are going to do for your son in all-day PPCD?  Hopefully, your school district is different

from ours.  My son went to half-day PPCD for almost 2 years and I feel that it did nothing for him.  In our district, PPCD

is not intervention!  It is more like child care with a few (very few, in my opinion) learning activities thrown in.  Their

IEP goals for him were laughable and there was very little language and speech work done for him – and that was his

most urgent need, of course.

 

I would suggest you implement an ABA program instead.  That is where my son has made the most gains.  it was truly

amazing the first time a good ABA therapist worked with him.  Unfortunately, finding funding for an ABA program is a

different matter.

I know you didn’t ask for our opinion on PPCD, so please forgive me for butting in.  But I wish someone had told me.

 

Marilyn

[Guest guest]

I so agree with Marilynn about foregoing PPCD and advocating for an ABA program.  I have seen few PPCD programs that work in Texas.  ABA programs on the other hand -- I have seen remarkable results.Haven