This is too much during vacation....

We will start back to therapy -daily- after we return home tomorrow.

It is too hard to remember when your kids are up until 11pm at Grandma's house!

7-26-2010, Monday

We are on vacation. We have missed several days and are back to starting again.

I cannot really say there is a difference in their behavior as we are at Grandma and Papa's farm. They are very much spoiled here and have 7 acres to run on, a trampoline to bounce on and animals galore to play with.

N- Session 7/A1: Almost immediately, he has relaxed so much that his thumb is out of his mouth and his mouth is open. He has been asleep for about 45 minutes now. I asked my other children about N and if they noticed any changes in him lately. All agreed that his language has increased tremendously! They also said his screeching has stopped occurring. Intensive meltdowns are no longer happening. I'm very excited that others are seeing noticeable results. My mom has even commented on the changes listed by my children, as she sees them as well. She said she sees him exhibiting normal 3 year old behavior now.

T- Session 5/A1: I am watching Thomas as he is sleeping during the session. I notice his breathing at the beginning is different than it is 5-6 minutes into the session. He is now using deep diaphragm breathing. His entire torso is rising and falling with each breathe. He has also stopped sucking on his pacifier - which he usually sucks on the entire time he sleeps. We have all noticed a significant decrease in the intensity and length of his tantrums!!!! He is using his advanced language skills instead of having a meltdown! I am happy!!!

J - Session 2/A1: I did Joseph's session late at night. He was having trouble going to sleep because there are so many people sleeping at my parents small farm house. We did his session at 10 pm after we gave him 1/2 tab of Xanax. He just could not calm down. When we are home he usually goes to bed on his own around 8:30-9 pm because he says he is tired. Session went well. He moved around a lot. We will do his sessions daily for a while because of his significant delays in all his processing issues (sensory, auditory, visual, cognitive). If this machine works on J as well as it has on N, it will change J's future in a positive way I never thought would be possible!! Crossing my fingers and sending up a ton of prayers!!!!

07-22-2010, Thursday

N: session 6. Last A1 session. I want to start with the B4 and B5 Instability sessions to see what benefit we receive from them. I posted about the language explosion and his increased eye contact.

T: session 4. A1. He is alot more relaxed and he is a lot less defiant. When I am firm with him, he obeys.

J: session 1. A1. We just started him. I am REALLY excited to see changes in him!!! He has the most processing challenges of all my kids. His dx is not strictly Aspergers like the others.

Language Explosion!

N is having a MAJOR language explosion!!!!

In the car today, J was talking about a friend who wanted to take something from him. N is usually unaware of conversations that are going on around him.

But today, he stopped J and starting asking J questions : "who wanted to take that from you?", "did you let him?", "If I was there I would have stopped him for you J!"

This conversation brought tears to my eyes!!

My son, my 3 year old, who says mostly to himself and his twin, is now striking up conversations with others, THAT ARE ABOUT OTHERS!!!!! That is the key point here. He is not only initiating the conversation, he is interested in others!!!!!

Several times a day this week, N has also come up to me, LOOKED ME IN THE EYES, and said, "I love you Mommy."

This is what Heaven must feel like!

J - Symptom Survey

J's Symptom Survey

Group 1: 11 symptoms

• Anxiety (worry)
• Perfectionist
• Obsessive - Compulsive
• Anger
• Panic Attacks
• Anxiety (fearful)
• Depressed (hopeless)
• Lacks empathy
• Aggressive
• Poor expression of emotions
• Manipulative, aggressive

Group 2: 28 symptoms

• Impulsive
• Easily Distracted
• Speech lacks intonation
• Poor eye contact
• Physical agitation
• Impatient
• Poor drawing and spatial skills
• Difficultly with math concepts
• Loud unmodulated voice
• Panic attacks
• Manipulative, aggressive
• Lack of social Awareness
• Holds a grudge
• Poor spelling
• Autistic Symptoms
• Obsessive - compulsive
• Anger
• Poor Expression of emotions
• Poor sense of direction
• Lacks empathy
• lack of body awareness
• Nightmares
• Poor visual tracking when reading
• Bruxism
• Stimulus seeking
• Poor handwriting
• Anxiety (fearful)
• Aggressive

Group 3: 27 Symptoms

• Inattentive
• Feelings easily hurt
• Cries easily
• Daydreams, inattentive
• Poor reading comprehension
• ADD
• Passive, withdrawn
• Panic attacks
• Lack of motivation
• Spaciness
• Anxiety (worry)
• Enuresis
• Sugar cravings
• Poor sequential processing
• Snoring
• Poor reading comprehension
• Irritable
• Dyslexia
• Slow, variable response time
• Poor concentration
• Depressed (hopeless)
• Remorseful after tantrums
• Difficulty decoding words
• Difficulty calculating numbers
• Perfectionist
• Mood swings
• Poor word fluency

WOW!  Would have been easier to type what he DID NOT have than this list.

group 4 instructions say that if totals from Groups 2 and 3 are similar or close to equal, consider using the Instability Sessions B4 and B5.

So after the (10) A1 Sessions, we will begin alternating the B4 and B5 sessions as the books shows us to do.

I am a little concerned that I am doing this wrong.  If you do not choose the right session, it will not help.  Also, when do I know that the sessions we are doing now are no longer helpful?  This is my one complaint about the manual the machine came with.  The instructions are not in depth enough for me.

(Disclaimer: for the average person I am sure this manual is just fine.  But for me... I need more info, I digest that info and then I am ok with proceeding.  I have been googling this machine trying to find more studies, more research, more information so that I can understand how it works, why it works and how best to use this machine for optimum results.)

I am a natural researcher.  I want to know all the information.  It drove my Perinatologist crazy when I was pregnant with the twins. I knew every single risk.  I even read OB textbooks!

So I find the instructions on which session to use and when and for how long definitely NOT enough information for me.  Which I think will hamper progress for my children.  There are so many sessions on the ALERT machine that if I continue to follow the B4 and B5, how will I know to switch to another session?  Or do we stay with B4 and B5 for a year or so until those symptoms are gone?  WILL they ever be gone completely?  As an adult, I would know, but my child will not be able to tell me these things.

T - Symptom Survey

T's Symptom Survey Results:

Group 1: 4 symptoms

• Anger
• Anxiety
• Aggressive
• Manipulative, aggressive

Group 2: 11 symptoms

• Impulsive
• Easily Distracted
• Impatient
• Poor drawing and spatial skills
• Manipulative, aggressive
• Anger
• Lack of body awareness
• Stimulus seeking
• Poor handwriting
• Anxiety
• Aggressive

Group 3: 8 Symptoms

• Inattentive
• Feelings easily hurt
• Cries easily
• Anxiety
• Sugar Cravings
• Snoring
• Irritable
• Mood Swings

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Last nights session:

N: A1, session 5. Remarkable change today with N!! I bought him a Buzz Lightyear tshirt which I gave to him when I got home today. He came up to me and said "Best mom for getting me shirt." He said that all on his own without any promptings!!! Hearing him say that on his own was awesome!! He normally does not offer us expressive language. :)

T: A1, session 3. T had a very calm day. Even when he was defiant (only 2 times today!!) I took him aside and spoke firmly with him and that did not lead into a tantrum like it usually does. He apologized and went on his way to play again! If nothing else ever changes, just getting rid of the defiance would be enough!

That is all the children we are doing right now.

J has a lot of processing issues going on. When we did kinesology/muscle testing, all parts of his brain tested weak. His dx are ASD, math learning disability and ADHD. J also has MAJOR midline issues!!! He has visual processing, auditory processing, visual motor, long term memory retrival issues and low working memory issues that we found out about during a full evaluation last summer. He is being evaluated for CAPD on August 18. Since CAPD falls under the umbrella of ASD (a lot of people on the Spectrum has Auditory Processing issues) part of me just wants to go ahead ad start the AVE on him now. If it helps him enough to not be diagnosed CAPD then that is great. We do know that he does have auditory processing issues but not a formal dx of CAPD. I'm inclined to not have him tested because it would be just another label, which we do not need!

So we will start him tomorrow night.

I have found evening time is easier on us. My children are extremely active in the morning when we would have to have the machine on them. I'm not sure if they would be receiving the amazing results that we are seeing so quickly if we did this why they are awake. The reason I say this is because it is my understanding that the more relaxed one is, the better the entrainment works. So we will stay with evening sessions.

I'm also wondering how often we need to do these sessions. In the studies I've read, it was done 3 times a week. We are doing every other night.

Different way of posting

Since we will have 4 children and my husband using the machine at the same time, I am going to start posting by date instead of by individual child sessions.

Update

The sessions are going well.

N and T are still on both sessions A1.

The boys are doing well. We have had a meltdown each, but it was easily managed.

Dad was out of town this week so we only did 3 session so far this week.

Mom (me) is out of town this weekend so Dad will be doing the therapies on the boys Saturday night. I needed a break from "my life" so Dad (my hubby) sent me to a hotel for the weekend to relax.

I do still see major changes in N. His expressive language increases slightly every time he has a session.

T- not so much. Once I get back home, I will do the symptom survey on him to find out the sessions he needs.

August 4, E will start AVE.
August 18, J will start AVE. I am really really excited to see how this will help J and E's processing issues. They have more processing issues than T and N.

We will also be starting my husband on this soon.

Spell was broken

T is having a tantrum.

I would not let him watch TV in my room.

He has major defiance. But the defiance only lasted a couple minutes as opposed to 10 minutes just on Prozac and 30-60 minutes off Prozac and AVE.

So I'll take it!

I still need to do the symptom survey on him. Right now he is just doing the first 10 A1 sessions.

I wanted to note that when I take the machine off N he is completely out in a very deep sleep. Last night though, T woke up as I took it off. Not sure why or what that means.

His intensity of the tantrum has lessened. Even more so than Prozac alone.

So what I am seeing is small steps compared to N's major leaps of improvement in such a short time.

It is very interesting doing this with my identical twins. They both have a different diagnosis. N- Autism Spectrum Disorder, T- Anxiety) And they are responding different to the AVE (one show changes immediately, one not so much)

N - Session 4

We skipped Monday night. I was just too tired after the day we had.

N has a habit of getting into thing he should not get into. He does not do naughty things intentionally. He is just a curious little boy who has ideas that are way above his age.

For example, a couple months ago he woke up sick. So I told him he had to stay home from preschool. As I was getting dressed, he climbed up on the counter and stood on the stove to get medicine that we keep above the stove and microwave/vent. He took 14 childrens Tylenol. He remembered that when he is sick I give him medicine. He wanted to go to school, so he took medicine.

Back to the therapies:

N is doing very well. Actually remarkably well. He has had just 4 sessions but I'm convinced this therapy is helping.

I have noticed he is starting to have more eye contact with me.

He is starting to talk in sentences and in back and forth conversation.

We also have not had any major tantrums since we started this program.

We have a long way to go, but the glimpses of improvement I see are encouraging!

I also want to make note: when the twins were younger they would interact together. But in the last yr or so I have seen N sort of retreat from interacting with T. N was still needing T around but the play was staying more as 2 yr olds play - side by side but not interacting. T on the other hand would interact developmentally age appropriate with other kids by interacting with them.

So today I was QUITE surprised when N was actively seeking out T to play! N wanted to rough house and actually play with T.

This is awesome!!!!

Session: A1 while sleeping.

T - Session 2

Changes:

(Monday) None noticed today. Wake up time was normal. Today we just relaxed at home so no pressures that would result in defiant behavior.

I skipped one night (Monday) because DH was out of town for work and honestly the twins were naughty that day and I was exhausted. It was my fault they were naughty. I had a lot of things going on which I had to attend to with phone calls and paperwork.

(Tuesday) I am happy to report that Thomas has not had a tantrum in 48 hrs.

Session: A1 while he is asleep.

T - Session 1

Tonight we start with T.

T has been a hard one to figure out. He has rages like his sister E had when she was 3. (genetics) The psychiatrist put her on Prozac and they went away, so T's psychiatrist just did the same thing.

He had severe rages and tantrums and defiance. Severe as in I could go nowhere without another adult for fear one would happen and I am alone with 5 children.

The Prozac has helped a lot. The tantrums are manageable, normal 3 yr old tantrums now.

We have not decided if it is genetic problems or learned behavior. With two brothers on the Spectrum - one being his twin - T has been witness to a lot of meltdowns in his short life.

He will be separated from his twin in school this fall. We are hoping this helps. He does have an IEP because he timed a tantrum just right during his Preschool Screening with OCPS.

Session: 1

We are starting with A1 after he falls asleep.

N - Session 3

Changes I have noticed:

N slept past 7 am again for the second day in a row. This is definitely not normal for him. He is usually up around 6 every morning telling us "the sun is up, time to get up". Bedtime has not changed either. Though last night, because he did not nap, he went to bed without any fuss and about an hour earlier.

He also went to church class without any problem.

Nicholas said: "May I have ice cold water please?". Usually it's "water!" or a grunt.

Again, part of me is going "this is too soon to see changes", yet I am seeing changes.

No tantrums today (this is HUGE!)

Bedtime was awful though. When my husband traveled from Oct 09 - May 10, we had a behavior therapist who can to help me. We did not get the tantrums under control but we did get the bedtime routine under control. When my husband stopped traveling, he had missed the kids so much he started laying down with the twins to get them to sleep. Now that he want to stop, the twins are not happy - hence the awful bedtime tonight.

Session:

A1, after he was asleep.

N - Session 2

Today was unbelievable! N did AMAZING today. This has been the first day ever withOUT a meltdown in a long long LONG time!

He did so well today that he did not need a nap. So we are doing the 2nd session right now at bedtime.

Session 2:
Bedtime, after he was asleep. We did session A1.
He slept though it as usual.





He is so relaxed. This is 10 minutes into the session. Again - no more thumb sucking :)

N- Too Good To Be True?

Three weeks ago we took the kids to the movies to see Toy Story 3. It was the first time to the movies for N and T.

N did well at the movies. We consistently went over the rules "no talking when the lights go off", etc.. Before hand.

N did very well. At the theatre.

The next day was hell.

He has several meltdowns and was completely "prickly". He did not want anyone to be touched or look at him.

He is like this whenever he gets overstimulated. This is why we usually avoid going anywhere.

Last night we tried another movie, Despicable Me. This was also the first day we started the AVE.

Now I am skeptical saying this, but It is 10:16 am the next day after the movie and Nicholas is fine. He woke up and snuggled for about 2 minutes (normal), asked for breakfast (not normal- he usually just gets what he wants), and is playing very well with his siblings.

I do not think one session could do this, but I wanted to make a note of this nonetheless.

N's first AVE session

We have decided to do N's sessions during naptimes until school starts. It will be easier this was as he does not like music at all.



Session:
I had him do session A1. I waited until he was sound asleep. I put the machine on him and started. He usually actively sucks his thumb during sleep. Within 3 minutes of starting the session, his thumb popped out of his mouth. I have never seen him this relaxed before.

Once the session was over, I took the equipment off. He slept another 1.5 hrs.

N's Symptom Survey 07/9/2010

Group 1: 10 symptoms

• Anxiety (worry)
• Obsessive Compulsive
• Anger
• Panic Attacks
• Anxiety (fearful)
• Lacks empathy
• high threshold for pain
• Aggressive
• Poor expression of Emotions
• Manipulative, aggressive

Group 2: 18 symptoms

• impulsive
• easily distracted
• speech lacks intonation
• poor eye contact
• physical aggression
• too busy to sleep
• impatient
• poor drawing and spatial skills
• loud unmodulated voice
• manipulative, aggressive
• lack of social awareness
• autistic symptoms
• obsessive compulsive
• anger
• poor expression of emotion
• difficulty falling asleep
• poor sense of direction
• lacks empathy

Group 3 - 15 symptoms

• inattentive
• feelings easily hurt
• cries easily
• daydreams, inattentive
• ADD
• not rested after sleep
• frequent waking from sleep
• spaciness
• anxiety (worry)
• carb/sugar cravings
• irritable
• slow variable response
• poor concentration
• difficulty decoding words
• perfectionist

Which Sessions to Use?

I thought this might be helpful for anyone who wants to use it.  I thoroughly read the manuals that came with the machine.  You HAVE to do that.  There is so much information in the manuals.  Still, I was confused.

I did the symptom survey for N, J and E.  For J and E, it showed the same numbers in groups 3 and 4 (22 symptoms each).  So it said to do Sessions B4 and B5 alternating.  The book did say to have them do session A1 for 6-10 times first until they can learn to relax. I think with Joseph, it might take longer.  He has a very hard time relaxing.

For N we started with A1 yesterday (see separate post).  Within 3 minutes his thumb popped right out of his mouth.  This is AMAZING!  He has it in his mouth ALL NIGHT LONG normally.  I have never seen him that relaxed.  But see more of that in the post about it.

The DAVID ALERT system

My father in law bought this machine from Mind Alive for us to use on our children.  It stands for Attentive Living through Energizing, Restorative Technology.

HERE is some information about the program.

Our children are:

J: 11 yob with Autism Spectrum Disorder - Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, Anxiety and a Math Learning Disability.  He is being tested in August for CAPD.

E: 9 yog with Sensory Processing Disorder, Anxiety.  She is being tested in August for CAPD.

O: 6 yog with Anxiety

T: 3 yob with Anxiety.  He is being tested for Sensory Processing Disorder.

N: 3yob (twin to T) with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder and Anxiety.

We will begin working with N first.  We have to wait for J and E to have their CAPD testing before we can start them.  I am actually excited about this.  J has issues at school (Extended School Year) where he has trouble with the ADHD.  We cannot medicate him with stimulants because it causes him to exhibit bi-polar behavior.  I am hoping the studies that I am reading about the DAVID ALERT can help him with this.

With N, I just hope it slows him down a little.  There is a reason we call the twins "Twinadoes" and "Seek and Destroy"!  Though, when I had just T home this past school yr (N was put in early intervention), I did not have that much in the way of destroy.