Hello! I am new on this forum and I am very impressed with all the work mums and dads here are doing with their children.
I have a 3+ year-old daughter (turning 4 in September) who is possibly on the autistic spectrum. She is delayed in her speech and communication, but she appears to be quite a capable child otherwise.
I have started a home-based ABA programme which I am implementing myself. I have also become quite interested in the right-brain education recently which brought me to this wonderful form. One of the things I have started doing with her is making my own ppt presentations “tweedlewink style” (can’t afford the real thing!) and showing them to her once or twice a day.
I would greatly appreciate advice from the more experienced users of right-brain methods regarding what other things (low-budget, if possible) I could do to help my daughter.
Thanks!
Hi LMsmum,
I just want to welcome you to the forum! sorry I couldn’t give you advise on the topic, but I m sure some other people on the forum can. I have just recently read a post about someone’s baby lost an autism diagnosis, which tells me its hopeful. My heart goes out to you. Good luck and please keep us updated!!
Thank you very much for your very kind words, MySunshine. I did read the post you mentioned. It is very inspirational indeed.
Hello!
Welcome! I wanted to tell you of a Gal I know from Texas whoI implemented the doman method(flashcards, bits of intelligence, etc). Enrolled in the program and everything and made great strides. I think it would be worth investigating his book on brain injured children as well as his techniques. There is also a thread on this site that speaks to their Child’s reversal of the autistic diagnosis. You are on the right track! Good luck to you and keep us informed!!
The doc :clown:
Thank you for the suggestion, DrPrimo. I was looking at this book on amazon, but was also wondering if it really was helpful for autistic kids. The reviews made it look that this book only talks about the physical development side of the system, which, I am sure, helps and determines the overall brain development, but is only one side of the medal. Did you read it?
i believe it is for autistic children as well. i have not read it, but doman developed his theories in the beginning for all brain injured children (including autism). why don’t you call the institute (they are VERY nice and helpful) and talk to them about their strategies to see if it’s right for you? (institute for the advancement of human potential)
remember you can get almost all their materials through ebay, craigs list, etc. especially the books… so i wouldn’t start buying from them right away. but definitely give it a shot.
the doc :clown:
yes and they have a lot of advice on diet which could play a huge role
i would also recommend his books for well children
the reading, math and EK programs can all be used to help autistic children
one last thought on the physical aspects of the program is that the patterning of the body really does affect the mind in a big way
and you may be surprised at the changes mentally after using the physical programs
best wishes
Hi!
Your on the right path to help your child by being on this site. Please PM me if you have any questions. My son was diagnosised at 2.5 years and is now Five and if he was reassessed he would not fall on the spectrum.
What helped us was
-Right Brian Education
-DIET(NO Dairy or Gluten, and Limited soy)
-ABA therapy
-Sign Language
-And NEVER giving up
-Stopped immunizing(I’m not against immunizations, just the order and amounts given to small children) I will be selective in the future once he is completely health should his blood test come out and say he has not anti-bodies for something, but this is another topic in itself lol, my option only, take as you will)
My son has a medical label but in real world it was a need to know bases. I respected my sons privacy, and did not want him to be labeled. I had the same expectations of him as any other typical child.
Please take care of yourself too. I know at the beganning, I spend hours and hours researching and doing everything in my powers to help him. I feel into depression and started needing to take medication to function. My boyfriend helped me realize that as my sons mom I have to take care of myself inorder to help him.
Best of Luck
Dr. Primo, thanks for the advice, especially for the idea to call the institute.
Tatianna, thank you for this extra information regarding the approach. Diet and food supplements is another area I am looking into. Although I have to say I am very weary of starting a DF/GF diet (if that is what the institute suggests) as gluten and diary is all my daughter would it! Additionally, we never had any problem with digestion or major allergies as many kids on the spectrum do, which makes me wonder whether she would really benefit from changing her diet dramatically.
Waterdreamer, thank you very much for your words of support. They mean a lot to me, as they come from someone who has done it! I will greatly appreciate any other tips on how to fight this. May I ask how old your son was when you started ABA and right-brain education? I started ABA when LM turned 3.5 and only looking into right-brain techniques now. So I am desperately trying to catch up.
Hi LsMum,
I appreciate the great job you are doing to you daughter. Its really worth it!
Autistic children are equally capable as other children. So, we don’t need to infact differentiate them in terms of anything.
I am just curious to know if you got her analysis done by proper speech analysts and then came to know or are you assuming it yourself just because her speech is delayed.
Coz I know of a couple of cases where the parents, by reading a lot in internet, tried mapping their child as autistic when they really were not. One thing I would like to tell you is - lotsa TV watching causes autistic like behaviour. If you child had been exposed to lotsa TV watching / video games, you need to stop it immediately and divert them to other things.
All the best!
Sometimes the autistic behavior IS the reaction caused by the gluten and casein. I would remove dairy first as it leaves the system much faster then gluten(a few days to a week fir dairy but gluten can take up to 6months to leave) You can look at any of the Jenn McCarthy books she wrote about her son having autism. They are very good(her books prior about her pregnancy and such were horrible). We had already removed dairy before the offical diet because I just had a feeling and he started to walk two days later. He was a different child.
I started PowerPoint presentations here and there and ybcr here and there too around 2 years of age. But not that often. My son started ABA at 3.5 and real full force right brain education at 4. So your not too late.
Hello sam_daisy,
Thanks for your reply. Her pediatrician did an assessment and suggested she may be on the spectrum. So did the speech therapist we have been seeing. Hers is not a clear-cut case though and further multidisciplinary assessment would be necessary to get an official diagnosis. Although there is a strong possibility that she is on the spectrum, I did a lot of research and decided not to pursue an official diagnosis at this stage as she would be receiving exactly the same level of support she is getting now. There is no such thing as “early intervention” paid for by the state over here. Rather that getting a label and then working to lose it, I am now working not to get it in the first place. So I am now doing what I would had she been diagnosed, if that makes sense. We still have time before she starts pre-school next year and this is our “window of opportunity”. We will see what happens then…
She never actually liked watching TV, although she does have her favourite DVDs, but she would not watch these for more than 30 min a day.
Thanks for your input!
Hello waterdreamer,
Looks like we were posting our messages at the same time!
Thanks for your reply. It has left me very hopeful!
Thank you also for the suggestions regarding the diet. I am quite inclined to give it a try… May I ask if your son had any issues with digestion and allergies prior to starting it?
Yes he did have digestive issues and allergy to dairy. But from all the reading I have done, even kids that don\t have this reaction should still attempt the diet, because the body still my not be processing this food properly. I mean anything reasonable it worth a shot to help these children. Plus I mean gluten and dairy is not the best food for us anyhow. My son’s diet is MUCH healthier then my own.
Hi LMsMum,
Yes, it is of course a “window of opportunity” before she goes to pre-school. So, pls do keep up with your good work. LM is gonna be a perfect kid in a very short time and I am sure she is gonna outshine in her schooling. My hearty wishes for that!
Daisy.
Thank you very much Daisy for your very kind words and thank you waterdreamer for all the information!
here is some info about the connection between Autism and MSG or Free Glutamic Acid
MSG introduced during the first month of fetal development causes Autism, as well as Asperger Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
Monosodium Glutamate over stimulates the brain and brain stem during development in the womb.
MSG is a brain fuel. Cell growth happens without the proper controls. The forming brain unprotected by the placental barrier develops far too quickly. Overdevelopment could lead to total destruction of parts of the brain. Broca’s area, responsible for speech development, could be one of the areas affected. This could explain the Inability of many severely Autistic children to learn to speak.
At the same time, certain areas of the brain (responsible for math or music for example) could become highly developed. This would explain the Savants who have areas of total brilliance while being unable to accomplish simple tasks.
Before 1940, symptoms of Autism were rarely seen in people with mental handicaps. With the introduction of MSG, the symptoms were afflicting enough children to require a new syndrome be named.
The growth of Autism can be directly correlated to the increase in the use of Glutamates in the diet. Autism has become more common as restaurant and processed food has become the mainstay of the American diet.
Symptoms of Autism in children have become more severe since the first cases were recorded. MSG use in larger and larger quantities in the diet may explain why the conditions of the disorder have become more extreme.
MAY 9, 2010 - Tylenol given with vaccines has been linked to autism:
Children given Tylenol with their vaccines were SIX TIMES more likely to develop autism than children given ibuprofen (which is a glutamate BLOCKER). This is key - because Tylenol, like excess MSG, lowers glutathione levels.
One of the genes for autism is for making glutathione. Tylenol, by depleting an already low supply of glutathione, makes it more difficult for an autistic child to get rid of mercury FROM ANY SOURCE. This finding would also imply that diet is important as well. An MSG-laden diet after a vaccine with a Tylenol chaser would be the gift that keeps on giving - making it difficult for that child to rebuild their levels of the very important natural chelator - glutathione - regardless of whether that mercury was in a vaccine or a tuna sandwich.
High levels of MSG reduces the liver’s production of Cysteine. This leads to a reduction in Glutathione which aids in the removal of heavy metals in the body. With less Glutathione, the metals collect in the body.
Gluten-Free, Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet
Current treatments for autism include gluten-free and casein-free diets. A current theory is that incomplete breakdown of gluten and casein result in the formation of casomorphins and gliadorphins, morphine-like compounds which act on the brain. Another theory is based on the fact that 15.5% of all the amino acids in wheat are glutamic acid in its free or active form and 22.9% of the amino acids present are aspartic acid in its free and active form (which can be converted to glutamate in only one step). In fact, wheat gluten is a considerable source of “natural” MSG in the diet. Items containing casein, like cheese, also are high in free glutamic acid. For example - 18.5 % of the amino acids found in cheddar cheese are free (active) glutamic acid. Parents helping their child adhere to a strict gluten-free, casein (dairy) -free diet may wish to consider also eliminating soy products from their child’s diet as well, if glutamate is suspect.
(if you can’t stop dairy try using whole organic milk semi pasteurized it has less Free Glutamic Acid)
http://www.msgtruth.org/flowchart.htm
Hidden Names for MSG
Gelatin
Calcium Caseinate
Monosodium glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
Textured Protein
Monopotassium glutamate
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)
Yeast Extract
Glutamate
Autolyzed Plant Protein Yeast food or nutrient
Glutamic Acid
Sodium Caseinate
Autolyzed Yeast
Vegetable Protein Extract
Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)
Sorry Tatianna I just scanned your entry on my phone. I will read it tomorrow. But my son does react to soy milk like your article suggests. We were using rice milk. But now my son can tolerate organic goats milk.
I’m sure I will have more to comment after reading the while article. Karma to u!
Holy! I couldn’t wait till tomorrow so I started up my computer. Bang Head against keyboard I ate so much chinese food while I was pregnant and that is LOADED with MSG. Sigh The things I will do different next time keep adding up 
Thanks for sharing
So many people are blind to the dangers of neurotoxins like MSG and aspartame. It is in everything now. If you’ve never read up on them, I suggest you start doing some research…it’s very eye opening.