F.A.L.A. March 2008 Newsletter

JAY IS A COMPASSIONATE SIBLING
Alex was diagnosed with Persuasive Development Disorder (P.D.D.) a form of Autism at 18-months and Jay was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) at age four which is also linked to Autism.

Having twins with Special Needs certainly keeps me on my toes and has been very rewarding. But, having a compassionate son like Jay, has also been a real blessing.

With so much emphasis and attention being placed on Alex, who has significantly more needs and uncontrollable behavior at times, Jay remains caring, sensitive, unselfish, and very protective of his twin brother.

Jay was recently given “The Compassion Award” from Olive Grove Elementary School for the Fifth Consecutive Year in a row. We are extremely proud of Jay’s accomplishments and Alex is fortunate to have a caring, patient, and understanding brother.

As a reward, Jay and I have been going on monthly lunch dates, just the two of us. It is my way of showing Jay how much he is loved and appreciated. Every month, Jay writes down the date on my desk Calendar. It is a special day for a very special sibling.

SLEEP APNEA AND AUTISM
For the first three years of Alex’s life, he had Sleep Apnea. He would wake screaming uncontrollably every night and I would rock him for hours while singing.

Around May 2000, my husband and I watched a Special on 20/20 on Sleep Apnea & ADHD Children. We were glued to the Television in hopes for a cure.

Once the ADHD Children had their enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids removed, they slept through the night, were able to be removed from Ritalin, and started to excel in School.

The following morning, I called our Neurologist and asked him to look at Alex’s MRI X-rays to see if he had enlarged Adenoids. He called us back and stated that Alex did have enlarged Adenoids and referred us to a Pediatric Ears, Nose, and Throat Specialist.

Alex had his Tonsils and Adenoids removed in July of 2000 and has slept through the night ever since. After talking with several parents, they also have had their children’s Tonsils and Adenoids removed due to Sleep Apnea.

If your child experiences Sleep Apnea, check with your Pediatric E.N.T. and have your child’s Tonsils and Adenoids checked. Everyone needs a good night’s sleep!

GET EDUCATED & TREAT YOUR CHILD
You can treat your child without going broke. We have roughly spent $1500 on Books, Seminars, Doctor Office Visits, Tests, Vitamins, Methyl B-12 Injections, Epson Salt Baths, and Glutathione Transdermal DMPS.

After reading “Unraveling the Mysteries of Autism” by Karyn Seroussi, I knew that my son had Food Allergies and Bacteria or Fungus in his gut. I attended two-free seminars by Defeat Autism Now (D.A.N.) doctors.

The first seminar was three hours and the second seminar was two-days and 14-hours of lectures by D.A.N. Experts.

I contacted our Family Doctor and requested to see a Blue Cross Allergist. He ordered all of our tests which cost roughly $1600 and Blue Cross paid $1000 and we paid $600.

He also wrote our Prescriptions for our Methyl B-12 Injections and our Glutathione which was covered under our RX Plan for a small Copay.

Alex tested positive to Casein (Dairy) and Gluten (Wheat) and all of us have been following a strict GF/CF and Low-Oxalate diet for close to two years.

We write-off any unpaid medical bills and ¼ of our groceries on our taxes. Get educated and treat your child without going broke!

TOILET TRAINING AND AUTISM
When we were sent a Behaviorist to address Toilet Training for our three-year-old twin boys, we were ecstatic and could not wait to get our boys out of diapers.

The Behaviorist stated that after four-days of intensive 20-minute dry pant checks, using a visual chart, and reward system, that our twins would be out of diapers for good.

I asked her if she had ever worked with an autistic child before and she stated that she had not but that she guaranteed that her methods had worked on countless children and felt confident that Alex wouldn’t be any different?

A year later after continuing with 30-minute dry pant checks, using a visual chart, and reward system, Alex was Toilet Trained at age four. Jay on the other hand was Toilet Trained after four days.

I tell this story while chuckling because sometimes even Professionals have a difficult time assessing our kids and really understanding their capabilities.

This was a great reality check for mom because it helped me understand the difficulties Alex had in mastering a skill that took him a year versus his twin brother in four days.