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yayarocks - My Superman...

City: Big Bear Lake
State: CA
Country: USA
Member since: Jan 06, 2008
Last logged in: Oct 27, 2008

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Mother, Speech Therapy, Biomedical Intervention, Echolalia

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yayarocks's Page URL

http://www.foggyrock.com/MyPage/MyJames03

yayarocks's Bio

My name is Andrea. I have a four year old son, James. He was diagnosed with mild autism when he 2.5 years old. I also have a 5 months old baby girl named Sophie. If she comes out half as AMAZING, KIND, and WONDERFUL as James... I will be the luckiest mom in the world.

Matthew is my husband. He is from England and I am from Argentina. What a mix! We have been married for five years. We live in Big Bear Lake, CA. Matthew is a production designer for commercials in Los Angeles. When he works, he stays in Los Angeles.

We have started the DAN! protocol at the beginning of December. Wow... it is so much hard work and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. If anyone else is doing it or has any advice... I'd love to hear from you!!

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The Autism Dance

by yayarocks on 02.03.08 - public

We all feel it. We all know the emotions that go with the Autism dance. Sometimes, it's one step forward, then one step back. Other times, you'll b...

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We all feel it.  We all know the emotions that go with the Autism dance.  Sometimes, it's one step forward, then one step back.  Other times, you'll be higher than a kite because it's maybe three steps forward with only one step back.  The worst is when you wake up, thinking it's a normal day and you realize today... it's three steps back.  We don't know why.   
I feel the most confused on the days where I think it's any average day, and it's a two or three step forward day, BUT fearing the potential one or two or three steps back that may come could just about kill me with anxiety.  
Lately, James has been doing so amazing.  I wish I could live in the day, appreciating the positive, but I'm so scared to enjoy it.  It feels like every time I'm happy about his progress, I get pummelled.  The next day, out of the blue I can't reach him or he loses bits of communication that were there a few days ago.
I just get scared.  I get so scared to get my hopes up.  I don't care really how he turns out, as long as he is happy and hopefully self sufficient and can learn... I just want him to be ok... I just don't want him to struggle.  I don't want him to be get hurt.  I guess I'm really not that different from any other parent, right?

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DAN! PROTOCOL

by yayarocks on 01.10.08 - public

My son James has been with a DAN! dr. since December 10. Our next appt. is on January 24. These are the therapies/treatments/enzymes/etc. that they h...

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My son James has been with a DAN! dr. since December 10.  Our next appt. is on January 24. These are the therapies/treatments/enzymes/etc. that they have him on:
-gfcf, yeast free diet
-methyl B12 injections
-Kirkman Super Nuthera Vitamin supplement
-Kirkman Isogest enzymes
-Calcium supplement
-DMG

Next Sunday he starts on the melatonin.  My doctor is also beginning chelation next week via suppositories and the drops on his forearm.

Does anyone have a DAN! dr?  What were your experiences (good and bad) regarding this road to biomedical intervention?  Are there other methods of biomedical intervention?

I'm a bit nervous about the melatonin.  I'm not quite sure why.  In order to get him to take all of these supplements, I have to slip it into his sippy cup!  I feel like I'm drugging my kid!

I guess I'm hoping to hear that "Yes! This changed my child!" or "It's worth every penny because  my child is recovered!"

I would REALLY appreciate any and all advice or comments!

Thanks, Andrea

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Why not "why?"

by yayarocks on 01.10.08 - public

Little by little James is beginning to talk more and better. I remember when he began asking "what" questions. What is that? That is actually the e...

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Little by little James is beginning to talk more and better.  I remember when he began asking "what" questions.  What is that?  That is actually the extent of his what questions.  Then he started asking "where?"  Where is daddy?  Where is my white blanket?  Where is Sadie? We even got a few "who" questions out of him.  Who is that?  Grandma!  Grandpa! Daddy! And so on...
..but I want more.  When questions will come, but I want him to understand "why?"  It seems like it's eons away.  It's such an abstract concept. 
Last night I put James to bed and about 20 minutes later I hear him screaming and crying in his room.  I run upstairs and he's crying in bed.  I ask him, "Baby, why are you crying?"  Nothing.  "What happened?" Nothing. "Why are you sad?" Nothing. He's not even crying any more.  He's just blank. "Did you get scared?" Nada.
It makes me sad that I can't help him or figure out what made him cry.  I want to know so I can prevent it from happening the next night.  Was the door closed?  Were there not enough lights on?  Did he have a bad dream?
It seems like getting James to understand the concept of "why" is so far in the future.  How do you teach that?  Does one learn the concept by just getting it?  I don't know.  Arghhh....

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Autism or just typical growing up?

by yayarocks on 01.07.08 - public

Do you ever wonder whether some action or behavior that your kid is doing is an autistic "thing" or is it just normal developmental stuff. I find mys...

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Do you ever wonder whether some action or behavior that your kid is doing is an autistic "thing" or is it just normal developmental stuff.  I find myself asking this question all the time.

For example, I wonder if James is just shy around other kids or is it because of his socialization problems?  I see him dancing and his arms are moving up and down, kind of flapping.  Is he flapping or dancing?  Does he like to run around so much because he has energy like his dad or because it's another autism "thing?"

Two children can do the exact same behavior.   But the child with autism does it because he's autistic and the other child does it because it's part of "normal" growing up behavior.

My nephew was here for the holidays and he was playing with some toys by himself, kind of mumbling and talking to himself.  He can communicate perfectly, talks quite articulately and understands very abstract concepts.  He's just a kid playing in the corner... talking to himself.  When James does it... oh, there it is... it's part of his autism showing!

That's what I kept thinking about when James was undergoing assessments to see if he was on the spectrum.  "Is he just a late talker or does he have IT?"

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