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.