Interventions we have Tried with Noah and the Results Thus Far

Here are the list of interventions we have tried with Noah since last fall and the results we have seen from these interventions if any.

1) Occupational Therapy (1hour a week through Early Intervention Program): Our occupational therapist has been an invaluable part of the team. She has taught us so many things- about sensory processing disorder and how to treat Noah's SPD issues. She has given us creative strategies for eating, bathing and grooming issues and she helped Noah get on track with his play time skills and with other developmental milestones. I am positive we wouldn't be as far along without her help and guidance.

2) GFCFSF diet. We started the gluten, casein and soy free diet in December and have stuck faithfully to it since then. It has been difficult for various reasons--- limited food options for Noah (who didn't like much food to begin with) and the cost is much greater when you buy GFCFSF. I have heard that it can take up to 6 months for Gluten to leave a person's digestive track-- that being said, I do not know if we have seen the full benefit of this diet or not. I do know that when we removed dairy from his diet he had a detox reaction through his skin (a bad rash a week following the removal of dairy...) so that tells me it probably needed to go. We will probably continue with it until we can have some testing done to see what his allergies are and if he has gluten or casein sensitivities.

3) Cod Liver Oil, multivitamin, probiotics, vitamin C: so we introduced these at different points over the last 9 months. Since starting we have continued with them all except for the probiotic. I kept Noah on a probiotic (Culturelle) for about 3 months straight. I am sure it was good for his body to receive some active cultures since his body was depleted of good bacteria due to countless rounds of antibiotic. I do not know if we saw any significant changes from it though. I do think he may have been experiencing some yeast die off when we gave him the Culturelle but I am not 100% sure of that. He would have periods at night where he would scratch his stomach constantly... As far as the multivitamin and CLO- they are just a necessity due to his limited diet and the CLO is important for the brain and language, so we will keep them going. Vitamin C  was added in when we began CEASE therapy. This helps support his body during detox.

4) Speech Therapy (1 hour a week): this was added at the beginning of the year when Noah was assessed at 12 months development for expressive language and 6 months receptive language. This is the therapy I have seen the least from (this isn't necessarily the fault of the therapist) I just don't know if 1 hour of ST in home is as beneficial as taking him to an outpatient ST.

5) ABA Therapy (6 hours a week): I think this has been one of the best interventions for Noah this far. Even though we can't afford the recommended 20 hours a week, we have seen positive results just from 6 hours a week. He is coming right along with this therapy and has mastered some of the programs and is moving on to new programs. My family (me, husband and my mother) all do extra therapy with Noah to help supplement the hours he needs.

6) Homeopathy and CEASE Therapy (started in February 2013): Okay, this is the number one intervention hands down. We have been doing this therapy with Noah for 3 months, detoxing the Hep B vaccination. The results has been nothing short of AMAZING. The first thing we noticed was that the "fog" he was in was lifting and he was alert and aware of his surroundings. Then, the language appeared. He went from saying 2-5 words a day to repeating almost any word he hears.  It hasn't been a walk in the park, the detox reactions and return of old symptoms has been difficult to deal with.... but the positives have outweighed the struggles by far. If I could have only one intervention this would be it for Noah. Homeopathy in general has been awesome as well. To know that you can treat your child's ear infection, cold or other sickness with natural remedies at home and see better results than if given medication from the doctor, well.... it is just empowering and exciting.

7) Gymboree  (2x a week for socialization): This started off bumpy but has been very good for Noah. He attends a music class that he loves and a regular play group each week. He used to cry and refuse to go in, he now can't get in there soon enough and throws a tantrum! Big change.

8) Puppy Luna (for socialization): our puppy arrived at the end of April and she is keeping Noah on his toes! Noah has to interact with her in some way each day- we have heard him say "No dog!" and recently "No Luna"... so that is a good start. They will be friends one day and Luna is fiercely protective of Noah which is awesome.

So, the top 3 interventions are definitely Homeopathy/CEASE therapy, ABA therapy and Occupational therapy for Noah! This may change as we go along.

Update- Trying to focus on the positives!

There have been a few new things to happen this week with Noah.

We have been giving him Culturelle probiotic over the last two weeks. Then, out of the blue, he began to break out in a stomach rash and had difficulty at night sleeping, and I found him scratching at his stomach (and waking every 2 hours).  There have been no other changes to his diet so I am thinking that this is a yeast die off. I have read that you can have rashes/itching when there is a die off.  I immediately cut the dose in half and it has started to heal which is good.

I also added Cod Liver Oil to his routine. I mixed it in with his Gluten Free oatmeal and he didn't seem to notice (so relieved!). I have heard great things about this oil- doctors have found that it improves eye contact, and lessens visual stimming. I can't say I have seen anything yet but I just started this yesterday.

Some of his stimming behaviors have disappeared recently (pacing/side eye glancing) and others have re-emerged (hand flapping, head shaking).... He has started to fixate on electronic buttons (pushing them over and over and over). He has been less verbal this weekend too (not using his normal 8-10 words) It is just so hard to tell what is going on with him half of the time and what is causing what. I feel like a detective! A really bad detective! It is just a guessing game.

I started getting discouraged seeing these new behaviors pop up.... I have to remind myself that he is going to have regression from time to time. That he will take steps backwards and then steps forward... as long as the trajectory is positive that is what I must focus on.

I looked through his daily journal over the last 3 and half months and I could immediately see how far he/we have come. His words have increased. He enjoys playing with typical toys now. He is warm and engaging more than he is not. He doesn't zone out the majority of the day anymore. He isn't fixating on one thing all day like he used to (balls, spinning wheels/bowls). He is tolerating social settings with other children (Gymboree). I have to make a choice to focus on the positive----there are many things/improvements to be grateful for.