My boy is growing a lot.  Independence is strongly wanted quit frequently.  We know when he lies, we know when he is honest.  Most importantly, I know when I need to have those sit down conversations that sometimes I don't look forward to discussing.  Very recently, I had to do this and I am having to do it again soon.  Time is approaching where my little boy is not going to be so little anymore!  Now, I am dreading the pre-teen conversation.  I really wish I can just hand this over to someone else.  However, I know that it has to come from me because I am the only one that "gets him".  He recently asked yet again about marriage..."Who am I going to marry mom?"  This solidify's the talk that is going to have to come next for us.  I am confused as to how to go about doing this.  I would love for anyone with this experience...and you all know what I am talking about...to give any advice & or suggestions!  It would be greatly appreciated!  To update you all on his Oxford learning.  It really didn't go well.  His grades actually slipped some of them 2 grade averages!  We also recently moved back to our home city, and Nicholas has fit right back in to his old school where all of his former buddies were and still are!  He fit right in like a glove, and actually quit enjoys math & no questions asks does all of his homework!  I wonder what happened there.  I surely hope I see some grade improvement this term!  Regarding another topic, I am thinking of taking Nicholas to his first concert, I am just wondering about the noise level with his sensory issues.  I want to take him to see Michael Buble.  He really really wants to go, I am just concerned the noise factor!  I definately don't want to be a babysitter if I take him, I'd rather he take it all in and enjoy it!

Today will be the start of Nick going to the Oxford Learning Centre in our local city.  He is struggling with math.  For the last two years this has shown.  Yesterday I had a brief visit at his school and to my surprise the teacher thought that math was his strong suit?  I think the teacher is on Mars now?  If his report cards show the signs, and his assessment (oxford) shows the signs, then you’d think that the teacher would?  He is in grade 5 with levels in reading some at grade 7 levels and some at grade 4 levels.  However math he has a definitive grade level of a grade 1 student?  This is baffling, and I hope we see a increase in his grades in math after the 3 month mark.  He has great teachers, so with this being said, with all of us working together, then I hope that we see a rise in his academic grade level for math!  It is very difficult though considering the math effort takes in holding the pencil for the work and his sensory integration disorder plays effect with this matter.  I definitely don’t want to set him up to fail come time for middle school, I would like to see him succeed to his fullest capacity and knowledge!

I have known for years this stuff is bad!  It does not surprise me about this, I have known about this for years(with the study on the dogs), that is why I am writing about autism and other related topics to help others.  I don't believe this thimerosal entirely causes autism, but it may be part of the reason why kids are autistic.  

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 I thought that I would post this link below, as I myself have tried diet for my child with autism.  It is good for some kids and not for others.  It is a trial and error type of diet.  Really having a lot of key things in place is important when doing something like this.  It is imperative that you use supplements as well.  Plus a load of of information for this diet is needed.  There are not a lot of supermarkets where you can do a one stop shop for this diet.  However, I have found one in my area that does and it is great!  The key really to doing the diet is not giving up!  Don't give in to the tantrums that follow either!  I know, I have been there, it is like a child coming off of drugs when attempting this diet, but you CAN and will survive and your child will thank you in the long run!  The last link in this blog is the very first diet site I used.  It has a lot of informative stuff on it and print outs.

Cheers,

Renee 

http://www.autismweb.com/diet.htm

http://www.gf-cf.com/

http://www.gfcfdiet.com/

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The Autism Research Institute calls for further investigations into the use of chelation therapy for individuals with autism  SAN DIEGO, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two studies published by the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in the October issue of BMC Clinical Pharmacology investigated the use of oral dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), a prescription medicine approved by the FDA for treating lead poisoning, and used off-label in these studies for treating heavy metal toxicity in children with autism.    In the investigations, DMSA was given to 65 children with autism (ages 3 -8 years) to determine its effects.  The researchers found that DMSA dramatically increased excretion of several toxic metals, including a 10-fold increase in excretion of lead.  In terms of safety, the study found that there was no adverse effect on standard safety tests, including no effect on kidney or liver function.    Of greatest interest was a surprising finding that DMSA therapy had a dramatic effect on glutathione levels.  Glutathione is the body's primary defense against toxic metals, and it was very abnormal in children with autism.  Treatment with DMSA for only 3 days normalized glutathione levels for at least 1-2 months in almost all children.  DMSA therapy also had promising effects on possibly reducing some of the symptoms of autism, including improvements in language, cognition, and sociability.  However, a formal randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study is needed to confirm those results.  The study was led by Matthew Baral, N.D., Chair of the Department of Pediatric Medicine and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) and James B.

Today is October 22, 2009 and last Friday I went to the pediatrician with Nicholas.  He told me after Nicholas had tried the stratterra and the concerta just recently that maybe Nicholas didn’t need meds.  He said this because I had reported that the recent use of concerta made his tics worse and that he had problems going to sleep with this new medication.  Seeing as both drugs and no drugs had no real behaviour modification changes for the better, the doctor retold me to go back to behaviour modifications at home on my own with a new stratedgy in mind.  He told me about the rights of a child and the child’s priveledges and that I need to make that fine line of the big difference.  I guess I new about this before but what I was doing before wasn’t working.  I was taking Nicholas’ priveledges away for wrong doing.  However, I hadn’t been implementing the earning part of it.  He now has to earn his right to the priveledges.  Tomorrow will be one week since we started the new technique of earning the priveledges.  It is actually working better than I had thought it would.  Sure he is going to try and get the attention seeking behaviours out and rant and rave about it but I won’t give in!  Apparently hugs are earned too?!  So obviously if a child wakes from a nightmare and cry’s you can give the hug, however, if the child is freaking out and having a rage fit and then wants a hug later about that same situation then the answer would be absolutely NO.