I am always appreciative of any comments, but when people take time to comment like Anonymous did on the last post about Michael, I really, really appreciate it. I will try to answer some of the questions posed in the comments.
First, Michael has been on an IEP since he was 3 for his significant speech delay. He was only in EI for 6 month because we had hoped that he was just a little slow in talking, like my husband was. He started in an integrated classroom, but after a couple of months, it was felt like he needed more support. We got together and revamped his IEP to include an extended year program as well as a much higher teacher to student ratio. I believe that this has been a great help.
We finally decided to have him evaluated for Autism and ultimately, he was diagnosed May of 2012. We had another IEP meeting and asked that he be evaluated for OT since he was also given a sensory integration diagnosis along with his PDD NOS. OT felt that he did not have any OT needs that impacted his school day. Speech on the other hand continues to be involved. He is being seen for speech, both individually and in a small group setting, as well as in the integrated classroom.
I love the idea of seeing him in the classroom, but I think I may be more of a distraction. I have been in to see him, but very informally. He tends to stay with me and not do classroom things. He also doesn't transition well after I leave (though it is only for a short time).
I think he is probably doing better than I am thinking, but I am still a little apprehensive. He isn't fully potty trained and still wears pull ups at school.
We have a transition meeting set up for April 2nd. His current teacher, his speech teacher, the integrated kindergarten teacher (who has observed him in both his classroom and the integrated classroom), and my husband and myself will be there. I think that this meeting will help. I think having the kindergarten teacher there will help. I guess I don't do well with transitions like Michael.
I need to look at the kindergarten standards. I think that he is doing well, but is probably a little behind.
As for sleep, I think this is where his sensory stuff really comes into play. He just can't seem to settle on his own. With out Melatonin, he will stay awake and have a ton of energy, just like the energizer bunny!
I am also noticing that he is getting more fearful of sounds than he used to be. He was literally in tears when the fire alarm went off at the mall. That meant I was literally in tears too. He is starting to comment about the dryers in the bathroom making sure that I am not going to put them on when we go in. He is also fearful of those squishy balls with hair, almost koosh like, but different. He's not a fan of Koosh balls either.
As for music, it was where he shined with his verbal skills. Even when he couldn't talk, he would attempt to sing and dance just like in music videos. He loves acting out his TV shows now, sometimes in a repetitive way and sometimes in a way that just amazes me how much he remembers of the shows that he loves. Sometimes, it's things like this that make me think he should be in music/theater groups instead of soccer. If he were to go into a sport, I think swimming would be where he would shine. Again, probably his sensory issues and inability to slow down are more relaxed in the water.
As I look this over, I think it make be a little disjointed, like most of my writing. I am not a writer and I am not great at grammar, but writing my blogs are something I love to do. Please, if anyone has thoughts on Autism, feel free to share. I will start sharing some things from my other 2 kids days too. This blog is supposed to be about my crazy but amazing life as a married mom of 3 trying to work and enjoy life and all it's craziness!
Amy
Showing posts with label autism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autism. Show all posts
Monday, March 18, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Michael
This is Michael's last year in pre-school. In September, he will move on to a new teacher, a new school, and a new "regular class (I believe). Now this transition is hard for most parents of
"neuro-typical" children, but Michael has autism. He doesn't always deal well with change (tough that is improving a little), he doesn't socialize with others very much (or at least he doesn't without someone guiding and modeling what to do), he has repetitive behaviors and can sometimes go into his own world when it comes to imaginary play. His speech has come so far, yet his volleying back and forth with communication still needs a lot of work. He doesn't answer questions reliably or at all sometimes. He will ask for things, which he was delayed doing. He is also not potty trained with poop. I am not sure what his IEP will look like. I don't know if he will have someone in the class giving him extra attention so that his socialization skills continue to improve. We are having a transition meeting in the next couple of weeks, so I'm sure that this will help with some of my anxiety, but I won't feel better until I actually see how he does in school. Right now, he is in a class of 7 or 8 students and has 3 teachers in the room. He does go to a regular pre-school class 3 times a week for lunch and circle time. This has been going well, but it is a more structured time, so I don't know how he would do in a less structured situation.
The one good area that I have been really happy with is his sleep. We have been doing Melatonin for the last 2 1/2 months and have had to up the dose from 1 MG to 2 MG. It still takes a good 45 minutes to kick in, but it does kick in. He has been sleeping through the night and has been getting up a a reasonable time. No more waking his up for school. No more sleeping til 10:00 if we let him. He is now asleep by 8:30 and is usually awake by 7:30 at the latest. This morning he was actually up at 6:00. I am hopeful that his improved sleep pattern, like all of us, is helping his overall. He used to fall asleep closer to 10 or even 11 and then not want to wake up the next morning til 9 or 10. We tried to do a sensory diet which helped somewhat, but it really didn't make a huge difference. I am hoping that once spring is here and we are outside more, things will be even better.
Michael finally has something that he loves. He had been really focused on Caillou to the point of reciting lines and acting out episodes sometimes at inappropriate times and often repetitive ways such as bedtime routine. He now loves Wall-e and Mickey Mouse. He doesn't seem to act out these shows as much, though he can recite the lines to them as he watches them. In wall-e, the is a part from Hello Dolly and we watched it a couple of weeks ago. He wasn't interested in it until that scene came on and he ran into the room and sang with the song.We probably watch too much TV in this house and I am working on changing that. He does love music and the Polar Express sound track right now is his favorite!
One thing that is bothering me right now is a family member who is trying to pressure us into signing him up for kindergarten soccer. he has shown little interest in soccer or anything like that. He tends to enjoy digging in the dirt, running around, riding his bike, climbing, and swimming. Personally, I would rather see him in swimming lessons where he would thrive not in an organized team sport where he doesn't like to play with other kids. The problem I have is that this person keeps pushing and pushing and pushing. I just want to say "STOP TELLING ME WHAT I NEED TO DO FOR MY CHILD". Yes that was meant to be yelling. She always tells people what they need to do, not suggest an option that is available. She then goes on to push her agenda. With regards to soccer, she was a soccer coach for her kids and they still play soccer in high school and college. I totally feel like this is her agenda and not mine. Yesterday, we took Michael to spend $20 of his birthday money at the book store. I posted it on Facebook (and maybe that's my problem, I open myself up for criticism by putting it out there), and she responded that I should be putting his money away for college. He will have some go in his bank account, but I think it is important to let him spend some money on a gift. Again, it is my child, and my decision. No one else's, except my husband. Again, I just want to yell, "stop telling me what to do!"
Thanks for listening to my rant! I am so happy that I have some where to get out things both good and bad instead of only unloading on my husband!
Amy
"neuro-typical" children, but Michael has autism. He doesn't always deal well with change (tough that is improving a little), he doesn't socialize with others very much (or at least he doesn't without someone guiding and modeling what to do), he has repetitive behaviors and can sometimes go into his own world when it comes to imaginary play. His speech has come so far, yet his volleying back and forth with communication still needs a lot of work. He doesn't answer questions reliably or at all sometimes. He will ask for things, which he was delayed doing. He is also not potty trained with poop. I am not sure what his IEP will look like. I don't know if he will have someone in the class giving him extra attention so that his socialization skills continue to improve. We are having a transition meeting in the next couple of weeks, so I'm sure that this will help with some of my anxiety, but I won't feel better until I actually see how he does in school. Right now, he is in a class of 7 or 8 students and has 3 teachers in the room. He does go to a regular pre-school class 3 times a week for lunch and circle time. This has been going well, but it is a more structured time, so I don't know how he would do in a less structured situation.
The one good area that I have been really happy with is his sleep. We have been doing Melatonin for the last 2 1/2 months and have had to up the dose from 1 MG to 2 MG. It still takes a good 45 minutes to kick in, but it does kick in. He has been sleeping through the night and has been getting up a a reasonable time. No more waking his up for school. No more sleeping til 10:00 if we let him. He is now asleep by 8:30 and is usually awake by 7:30 at the latest. This morning he was actually up at 6:00. I am hopeful that his improved sleep pattern, like all of us, is helping his overall. He used to fall asleep closer to 10 or even 11 and then not want to wake up the next morning til 9 or 10. We tried to do a sensory diet which helped somewhat, but it really didn't make a huge difference. I am hoping that once spring is here and we are outside more, things will be even better.
Michael finally has something that he loves. He had been really focused on Caillou to the point of reciting lines and acting out episodes sometimes at inappropriate times and often repetitive ways such as bedtime routine. He now loves Wall-e and Mickey Mouse. He doesn't seem to act out these shows as much, though he can recite the lines to them as he watches them. In wall-e, the is a part from Hello Dolly and we watched it a couple of weeks ago. He wasn't interested in it until that scene came on and he ran into the room and sang with the song.We probably watch too much TV in this house and I am working on changing that. He does love music and the Polar Express sound track right now is his favorite!
One thing that is bothering me right now is a family member who is trying to pressure us into signing him up for kindergarten soccer. he has shown little interest in soccer or anything like that. He tends to enjoy digging in the dirt, running around, riding his bike, climbing, and swimming. Personally, I would rather see him in swimming lessons where he would thrive not in an organized team sport where he doesn't like to play with other kids. The problem I have is that this person keeps pushing and pushing and pushing. I just want to say "STOP TELLING ME WHAT I NEED TO DO FOR MY CHILD". Yes that was meant to be yelling. She always tells people what they need to do, not suggest an option that is available. She then goes on to push her agenda. With regards to soccer, she was a soccer coach for her kids and they still play soccer in high school and college. I totally feel like this is her agenda and not mine. Yesterday, we took Michael to spend $20 of his birthday money at the book store. I posted it on Facebook (and maybe that's my problem, I open myself up for criticism by putting it out there), and she responded that I should be putting his money away for college. He will have some go in his bank account, but I think it is important to let him spend some money on a gift. Again, it is my child, and my decision. No one else's, except my husband. Again, I just want to yell, "stop telling me what to do!"
Thanks for listening to my rant! I am so happy that I have some where to get out things both good and bad instead of only unloading on my husband!
Amy
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Dealing With Autism
It's been about a month and a half since we got confirmation that Michael was indeed on the Autism Spectrum. It's amazing, that even though we were pretty sure he was on the spectrum, how difficult it is to process the diagnosis of PDD NOS. There are times that I have these doubts that he actually has PDD, but then something happens and I realize that it is just my denial that he actually has PDD. I'm not in total denial that he has it, I guess at times, I hope that he does't have it, but in reality I know he does.
One of the things that makes it so difficult to fully accept (or at least I think that this is one thing) is that people (family and friends) want to deny that he has it and when we tell them that he has this diagnosis, they say that they don't believe he has it. I know that they mean well, but it just fosters that doubt in my own mind.
He was just evaluated for sensory issues, and the occupational therapist that saw him felt that some of the sensory seeking behaviors that he has are ways that he has developed to help him when he is over stimulated. This is another area where people say things like: all 4 year olds do that or that's normal behavior. I think on some level what Michael does is normal behavior, except that how often he does it and when and why he does it, is not normal developmental behavior. On the other hand, if his behaviors are his coping mechanism for overstimulation, I am pretty impressed with his ability to figure out what he needs to decompress. I think at this point, we need to find ways to help him so that he doesn't need to seek out these regulating behaviors.
We are going to see OT for 3-5 sessions to help figure out a "sensory diet" to see if that will help him not need to seek out things to decrease him stimulation, or at least help him not to get over stimulated on a regular basis. I'm sure that there are going to be times where he will still get overstimulated, but if we can help to decrease these times, maybe he will feel better.
It was amazing to watch him after his evaluation. It kind of brought home, once again, that there really is an issue. At the end of the evaluation, when my husband and I were getting the results, Michael started doing his water play. He started at the sink, then he started leaving the OT room and repeatedly going back and forth between the OT room and the water fountain in the waiting room. The other 2 kids, who had been there as long waiting for Michael's evaluation to be finished, were playing in a more "normal" or "appropriate" way, such as playing with the different toys in the room. When Michael gets like this, it can be difficult to distract him and get him to focus on something else.
Michael is still my sweet lovable boy and all of his evaluations start with a similar description. All I want for him is to be happy. I want him to have a happy, fun, good life. I think with the appropriate interventions, he will do fine. I think he may always have some "quirkiness" to him, but I think he will be fine.
I'm not sure that this is totally clear. I guess, I am still processing everything that we have just learned and I know that there are still things that we need to learn. If anyone has any thoughts that they want to share or stories that they want to share, please do. I know that I am going to more than likely start looking for a support group to talk to others who either are in the situation that we are, or who have already been there!
Amy
One of the things that makes it so difficult to fully accept (or at least I think that this is one thing) is that people (family and friends) want to deny that he has it and when we tell them that he has this diagnosis, they say that they don't believe he has it. I know that they mean well, but it just fosters that doubt in my own mind.
He was just evaluated for sensory issues, and the occupational therapist that saw him felt that some of the sensory seeking behaviors that he has are ways that he has developed to help him when he is over stimulated. This is another area where people say things like: all 4 year olds do that or that's normal behavior. I think on some level what Michael does is normal behavior, except that how often he does it and when and why he does it, is not normal developmental behavior. On the other hand, if his behaviors are his coping mechanism for overstimulation, I am pretty impressed with his ability to figure out what he needs to decompress. I think at this point, we need to find ways to help him so that he doesn't need to seek out these regulating behaviors.
We are going to see OT for 3-5 sessions to help figure out a "sensory diet" to see if that will help him not need to seek out things to decrease him stimulation, or at least help him not to get over stimulated on a regular basis. I'm sure that there are going to be times where he will still get overstimulated, but if we can help to decrease these times, maybe he will feel better.
It was amazing to watch him after his evaluation. It kind of brought home, once again, that there really is an issue. At the end of the evaluation, when my husband and I were getting the results, Michael started doing his water play. He started at the sink, then he started leaving the OT room and repeatedly going back and forth between the OT room and the water fountain in the waiting room. The other 2 kids, who had been there as long waiting for Michael's evaluation to be finished, were playing in a more "normal" or "appropriate" way, such as playing with the different toys in the room. When Michael gets like this, it can be difficult to distract him and get him to focus on something else.
Michael is still my sweet lovable boy and all of his evaluations start with a similar description. All I want for him is to be happy. I want him to have a happy, fun, good life. I think with the appropriate interventions, he will do fine. I think he may always have some "quirkiness" to him, but I think he will be fine.
I'm not sure that this is totally clear. I guess, I am still processing everything that we have just learned and I know that there are still things that we need to learn. If anyone has any thoughts that they want to share or stories that they want to share, please do. I know that I am going to more than likely start looking for a support group to talk to others who either are in the situation that we are, or who have already been there!
Amy
Labels:
autism,
children,
development,
family,
michael,
milestones,
PDD NOS,
sensory
Monday, March 26, 2012
Michael
I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment to have Michael evaluated to see if there is more to his speech delay. I am hoping that I am just being overly worried and that they will say that he is just behind and will catch up. At this point, I do think there is more to his speech delay and since he is four, I want to have him evaluated so that he can receive more services if he needs them. The irony is that my husband was the one who was initially concerned, and now that his fears are alleviated somewhat, mine have increased. My husband is a teacher and has seen kids with autism, I don't really have experience with childhood development. If you were to ask me about dementia related issues, I could probably tease that out and see a lot of warning signs, but not childhood developmental issues. For example, I definitely picked up on the fact that my grandmother was showing signs of dementia long before I was told that she was actually diagnosed with it. My background is in nursing homes and geriatrics so I definitely fee comfortable with watching for those signs, not things like autism. Do I think that he has autism? Honestly, I don't think he does, but I am starting to realize that there are some really mild forms of autism or PDD NOS that some people wouldn't even diagnose as PDD NOS. I do think that there is more to his speech delay, but I don't know what. I guess that is why he is being evaluated. I know that he will be evaluated by a pediatric neurologist from MGH and that the evaluation will be play oriented, but that is all. I am looking forward to having this evaluation so that I am no longer worrying if there is an issue. I am concerned that there is an issue, but at least knowing that there is an issue will be better than wondering. Once I know if there is an issue I can hopefully learn what else I can do for Michael and what other services he is entitled to.
It's going to be a long couple of months til May 15th, but I am so happy that it is only a month and a half until the evaluation. I have heard that it can take up to 6 months to get an appointment so I am happy. I am also happy that we are meeting with the doctor 1 week later to discuss the results!
Amy
It's going to be a long couple of months til May 15th, but I am so happy that it is only a month and a half until the evaluation. I have heard that it can take up to 6 months to get an appointment so I am happy. I am also happy that we are meeting with the doctor 1 week later to discuss the results!
Amy
Labels:
autism,
developmental delay,
evaluations,
me,
michael,
milestones,
PDD,
speech delay
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Delays!
Michael has some pretty significant speech delays! He is doing much better now that he has an IEP and is in school for 5 hours Monday thru Friday, but he is still behind. A while ago, Like more than a year ago, my husband mentioned Autism. We have gone through the back and forth of wether or not this is an issue. I have asked his EI person, I have asked his teachers at school, and our family practitioner has never mentioned anything. No one seems to be concerned about autism. Everyone seems to think that this is just a speech delay and that in time it will resolve itself.
I have this sinking feeling that there is more than just a speech delay. I am hoping I am wrong, but something just makes me think that there is more to it. The problem, is that I don't trust myself and my gut. There is a good chance that I am just over reacting and thinking that there is something wrong, when he is just behind the developmental curve and will catch up. I tend to compare my kids to my friends' kids who may actually be ahead of the developmental curve so that puts a spin on things too!
I don't think that it is autism. I have taken my DSM IV, and looked at the autism spectrum disorders and while Michael may fit some criteria, he wouldn't, at least in my opinion, even fit PDD. We are going to Michael's first school conference tomorrow and I will be asking and probably pushing the teacher to tell me if there is more than just a speech delay and if we should look at getting any sort of testing.
The other piece to the puzzle is that we have had a blood test for Michael and it showed that he has a significant sensitivity to gluten and dairy (as did my test). The problem is, that this blood test has a lot of people that don't believe it's a valid or accurate test. We have been trying to remove these foods from Michael's diet, but it is so hard! Michael is my son when it comes to food. When we removed dairy back in January, we saw a dramatic difference. I didn't see that difference with the gluten so I wasn't as strict. I was talking to my husband's cousin who mentioned that it could take a while before we see a difference with the gluten, and I remembered reading something about that. After that conversation, I decided that I really needed to be more strict and I have removed anything that he could see that he would want and I would be tempted to give him. I am trying to make sure that we have options in the house for him so that he can have bread and cookies and milk. I need to get better at baking gluten free. I also want to watch how much sugar he has. It's amazing how I can do this for him, but I can't seem to do this for myself. Michael is on his 3rd day of being gluten free. Yesterday, he came home and hadn't had an accident at school. This was the first time in a long time that he had been accident free. I think the other thing that made going gluten free hard was seeing him regress with potty training about the same time as we stopped the gluten. It probably had nothing to do with the gluten, but it was making me wonder if gluten was an issue or not. Maybe the potty training regression had nothing to do with gluten, maybe I just needed to be more consistent and stop feeling bad about not giving him gluten. I am totally on board with keeping him gluten free and hoping that this will help with a lot of his issues. The dietician we met with mentioned that getting rid of gluten would make a major change with his neurological symptoms (we had mentioned the autism fear that we had).
As I write this, I feel that I should make a strong point to say that Michael has made significant gains over the past year. This time last year, he had about 10 words in his vocabulary and that may be stretching it. He now will say 3-4 word sentences, but he will be 4 in just 3 1/2 months and still can't even have a simple conversation. I think I will feel better after our conference tomorrow and then we can hopefully move forward and either get some testing, or I can feel better knowing that it is more likely just a time thing!
Amy
I have this sinking feeling that there is more than just a speech delay. I am hoping I am wrong, but something just makes me think that there is more to it. The problem, is that I don't trust myself and my gut. There is a good chance that I am just over reacting and thinking that there is something wrong, when he is just behind the developmental curve and will catch up. I tend to compare my kids to my friends' kids who may actually be ahead of the developmental curve so that puts a spin on things too!
I don't think that it is autism. I have taken my DSM IV, and looked at the autism spectrum disorders and while Michael may fit some criteria, he wouldn't, at least in my opinion, even fit PDD. We are going to Michael's first school conference tomorrow and I will be asking and probably pushing the teacher to tell me if there is more than just a speech delay and if we should look at getting any sort of testing.
The other piece to the puzzle is that we have had a blood test for Michael and it showed that he has a significant sensitivity to gluten and dairy (as did my test). The problem is, that this blood test has a lot of people that don't believe it's a valid or accurate test. We have been trying to remove these foods from Michael's diet, but it is so hard! Michael is my son when it comes to food. When we removed dairy back in January, we saw a dramatic difference. I didn't see that difference with the gluten so I wasn't as strict. I was talking to my husband's cousin who mentioned that it could take a while before we see a difference with the gluten, and I remembered reading something about that. After that conversation, I decided that I really needed to be more strict and I have removed anything that he could see that he would want and I would be tempted to give him. I am trying to make sure that we have options in the house for him so that he can have bread and cookies and milk. I need to get better at baking gluten free. I also want to watch how much sugar he has. It's amazing how I can do this for him, but I can't seem to do this for myself. Michael is on his 3rd day of being gluten free. Yesterday, he came home and hadn't had an accident at school. This was the first time in a long time that he had been accident free. I think the other thing that made going gluten free hard was seeing him regress with potty training about the same time as we stopped the gluten. It probably had nothing to do with the gluten, but it was making me wonder if gluten was an issue or not. Maybe the potty training regression had nothing to do with gluten, maybe I just needed to be more consistent and stop feeling bad about not giving him gluten. I am totally on board with keeping him gluten free and hoping that this will help with a lot of his issues. The dietician we met with mentioned that getting rid of gluten would make a major change with his neurological symptoms (we had mentioned the autism fear that we had).
As I write this, I feel that I should make a strong point to say that Michael has made significant gains over the past year. This time last year, he had about 10 words in his vocabulary and that may be stretching it. He now will say 3-4 word sentences, but he will be 4 in just 3 1/2 months and still can't even have a simple conversation. I think I will feel better after our conference tomorrow and then we can hopefully move forward and either get some testing, or I can feel better knowing that it is more likely just a time thing!
Amy
Monday, October 24, 2011
Diets
No not the kind to lose weight, though from what I hear a lot of people eat this way to lose weight. Last summer I had a blood test for food allergies and this summer, my oldest has the same test. Unfortunately, we both showed sensitivities to dairy and gluten. I wasn't surprised about the dairy for either of us, and often wondered if gluten could be an issue. Now it is time for both of us to go completely dairy and gluten free.
I think that this is going to be a really difficult thing for both of us. Obviously, since I had the blood test over a year ago and haven't gone completely gluten or dairy free yet, I am going to have a really hard time. The good part for Michael is that I will be the one figuring out what I am going to be making for meals and snacks. He won't have a choice like I do. I have to make the right choice for me and him.
I have been reading some blogs that are gluten free focused and dairy free focused. I am hoping that I will feel some relief from my foggy brain that I sometimes get. When we talked to the dietician about Michael's test results, we mentioned that at one point we were concerned about him being on the Autism spectrum. My husband is no longer concerned, and even though I didn't pick up on things earlier, I am now the one that continues to have concerns that there may be more than just a speech delay. The dietician mentioned that we may see some changes neurologically once Michael gets the gluten out of his system. I am hoping that we see some changes since I have heard that diet can play a huge role in people's behaviors.
The other issue with diet is, my mom found out that she is a gene carrier for breast cancer. I am more than likely going to get tested for the gene, but I also want to change my diet to help keep myself healthy even if I don't have the gene.
I am hoping to find some good bread recipes since that is going to be the hardest for me to give up as well as for Michael to give up. What I have been finding lately is that I need to let go of what I expect things to taste like. I can't expect that gluten free and dairy free foods, unless they are naturally gluten and dairy free, to taste the same as the regular foods will taste.
If anyone has any good recipes, cookbooks, blogs, or any info at all, please leave a comment. If you have any suggestions on how best to tackle this, please leave a comment. I will be researching and reading blogs often!
Wish me luck!
Amy
I think that this is going to be a really difficult thing for both of us. Obviously, since I had the blood test over a year ago and haven't gone completely gluten or dairy free yet, I am going to have a really hard time. The good part for Michael is that I will be the one figuring out what I am going to be making for meals and snacks. He won't have a choice like I do. I have to make the right choice for me and him.
I have been reading some blogs that are gluten free focused and dairy free focused. I am hoping that I will feel some relief from my foggy brain that I sometimes get. When we talked to the dietician about Michael's test results, we mentioned that at one point we were concerned about him being on the Autism spectrum. My husband is no longer concerned, and even though I didn't pick up on things earlier, I am now the one that continues to have concerns that there may be more than just a speech delay. The dietician mentioned that we may see some changes neurologically once Michael gets the gluten out of his system. I am hoping that we see some changes since I have heard that diet can play a huge role in people's behaviors.
The other issue with diet is, my mom found out that she is a gene carrier for breast cancer. I am more than likely going to get tested for the gene, but I also want to change my diet to help keep myself healthy even if I don't have the gene.
I am hoping to find some good bread recipes since that is going to be the hardest for me to give up as well as for Michael to give up. What I have been finding lately is that I need to let go of what I expect things to taste like. I can't expect that gluten free and dairy free foods, unless they are naturally gluten and dairy free, to taste the same as the regular foods will taste.
If anyone has any good recipes, cookbooks, blogs, or any info at all, please leave a comment. If you have any suggestions on how best to tackle this, please leave a comment. I will be researching and reading blogs often!
Wish me luck!
Amy
Labels:
autism,
behaviors,
diet,
follow through,
health,
healthy eating,
healthy living,
me,
meals,
michael
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