The Abstract

Since our first appointment with an Applied Kineseologist, November 4th 2011, since it was first discovered the causes of Colton's ADD symptoms as being due to all those specific food sensitivities, we have worked hard to keep him on track with this diet. Our doc had told us that there would be changes we’d see quickly and changes we would see over the course of months, as his head cleared and the toxins left his body. Well lately it has been simply amazing what Colton has been able to do in school and how his clear mind is enabling him to learn at such a deeper level. Colton has always had a hard time with the “abstract”. It was as if it took too much brain power for him to answer “open ended questions” on tests at school. He would answer the multiple choice and fill in the blanks questions (if there was a word bank), because they basically would lead him to the answers. But the open ended questions…”What are your thoughts on ……or describe how this animal would find its food……”. He would just stare at the page and say “I don’t know what they are wanting me to say”, or he just simply would not answer those questions and take the lower grades. Everything was very black and white to him, either right or wrong. Anything subjective confused him as well. The idea that others could have different answers for the same questions boggled him. Well, recently we were told that 5th grade at his private school was going to be extremely challenging and that we better get ready to see his grades drop. So he had his first few tests a few weeks back and I nervous the whole day for him, knowing he was probably stressed out and confused. At the end of the day he got in the car with a huge smile and said “Mom, Mrs. Pajela announced to the whole class that I got the highest grade on the test, and the whole class clapped for me”. He was BEAMING!!! I had no idea if she was saying this to be kind or if there was truth to this. So at this point I was dying to see what the questions were like on this test and how they were worded. MUCH to my surprise, he blew me away by answering the open ended questions perfectly and even drew a full diagram of photosynthesis. He was asked to give an example of Mutualism, and he pulled out an example he had read in a book in his class. A week later he took a quiz in the same class and pulled a perfect score. I was floating. I have no other words to describe how I felt. He had broken through a huge wall of basic understanding and is finally able to really learn, not just memorize and recite, which he has always been very good at. But I was always concerned that he was not retaining the actual knowledge of the subjects he was learning about...until now. There was a time early last Fall, prior to the diet, that we were told by an educator that she didn’t think Colton would make it much further through his school, that his daydreaming and what she saw as learning disabilities were too much. She said he would never make it through the next school year where the abstract learning will increase. She also asked if I considered putting him on medication. I told her no and told her I would like to check into the new resource program our school was offering; that I felt like he would make it at this school and we could do it without medicating him. I know lots of moms get very defensive with the idea of medication is brought up. The only reason it rattled me at all was that I knew in my heart something else was wrong with my boy. I was not upset with her or frustrated, I just knew in my gut that there was more to this. I don't know why, but I just knew we could not just give up and medicate him. I know the Lord was showing me signs right and left that something more was going on here. There was even a day where a teacher asked for a meeting with me and Colton after school. She wanted me to see how he shuts down in her class and refuses to work. So I walked into the class and he was just sitting there, looking at a worksheet on the desk. I said "ok Cole, what questions do you have for her on the worksheet". He just sat there and stared at it in silence, then put his head in his hands and started crying. I was taken aback because I had no idea what caused him to break down. It was not like him to be so emotional in front of anyone outside of close family. The teacher gave me a look of "see, this is what happens". I turned to him and got down on my knees and hugged him and told him “we were going to figure this out! I know it is hard for you and something is going on in that head of yours and it is NOT your fault. You are a smart smart kiddo, we just need to figure out what going on.” I left the room with Colton knowing that I was going to do ANYTHING to prove these beliefs of him wrong; to show that Colton is a bright capeable kid and that he deserves to be at this school. And here we are now, 11 months later, and he is such a different child. Not only is he understanding his classes more but he is organizing his day and his schedule and his school work. Even today, after school he had Karate and he told me "mom, when we get home I'll do my math homework, then have a snack and take a break for a bit, then after karate i'll study for my Science test until I go to bed". Again, this may seem like a typical kid laying out his day, but this is my child who 11 months ago did put on both shoes AND tie them without multiple prompting. He also told me that he needs to spread out studying for this big Science Unit test because "I get stressed out when there is a whole bunch to study at one time". He was able to verbalize what he was feeling, understood why he felt that way, and actually had a solution to help alleviate that stress. I am just proud beyond words of this kiddo. I think any mom with a child on the Spectrum could understand what strides like this feel like. Ever since the day he hopped in the car and told me about the great test grade and the teacher who annouced it to the class, my anxiety had lessened, and my constant worry about him has eaised. Yes, he's still my quirky kiddo who has challenges making friends and interacting socially, but he's working on it and at least now knows what it feels like to succede, and to feel proud, and to feel confident. And for all this I thank the Lord for guiding me in the right direction, down the path to begin to heal my son, for giving me strength when I had none, for giving me wisdom when I needed it most, and for not leaving my side as I struggle through the ups and down of this journey.

With Summer Comes Challenges

When summer hit my husband and I talked once about Colton's diet and "should we be a little leinent over the summer?". We both quickly decided NO and began trucking through the summer. But as the days went by we realized, we of course won't give him anything we know that has gluten, chocolate, artificial anything or refined sugars in it, but maybe we could at least try out things that "SAY" on the packaging or menu that they are GF etc. So we decided to try a few restaurants and order off the GF menu or just order him meat and veggies. We had no idea how he would respond, or how long it would take to see a negative effect, but since it was early summer we decided to go ahead and give a few places a try. For starters we went to a mexican restaurant and ordered him carne asada with a side of plain rice. We got in the car on the way home and he immediately said "mom, I need to lay down now". I asked what was wrong and he said, "I don't know, I just need to lay down, I'm so tired, I can't keep my eyes open". So I had him lay back his chair and he just laid there the whole drive home. He also said his tummy didn't feel well. I knew this was b/c of the meat and came to the conclusion that it was the marinade the meat was in....Note to self: only non-marinated meat if eating out. This exact same reaction happened to him after having shrimp at Rockfish one day. We have not taken him to eat out since. Lately our challenge is that he's getting SO TIRED of eating the same foods. He's already a picky eater and each month decides he's tired of another thing he's been eating on his limited menu, argh! With school starting there are only a few things he will eat and sending snacks to school had pretty much stopped b/c he won't eat them anymore. My goal this Fall is to find at least 5 new things my boy will eat to add to the rotation. And so here I go, diving into blogs, cookbooks and FB posts on the latest and greatest Gluten Free cooking ideas. I've met a new friend a few weeks back who was given my name because our kiddos have similar struggles. Her son was just diagnosed with a yeast issue, which is causing ADD symptoms and she has been told by her doc that he needs to be on a 10 day clenese of sugars, NO SUGARS of any kind for 10 days. Her son is young, in Kindergarten, and she is really struggling wih not only the withholding of sugars but also the huge list of supplements she has been given by the doctor. I'm am praying for her that she sticks with this to heal her son and that under no circumstance does she cheat or give in. I know this is excrutiating, I know it's torture to have your son begging you and crying for the foods they like, but I just pray that she realizes the sugars are poisioning him. That it is like him begging to drink Drano and her giving it to him. I adore this new friend and hear the pain and struggle in her voice when we talk. Regardless of what his teacher says, I pray that she keeps him on this diet! I pray that the Lord give her and her husband strength to make it through these 10 days to help get that sweet boy of hers healthy.