He is talking more, his words are more clear, he answers questions more completely and more quickly, he is more present, more affectionate, more interactive and even more willful. (In a good way, usually he will pretty much go where you want him to. Now for example, if I say, "Let's go to the car, we are going to the store," he will protest, "No. I want bike," as he is putting on his bike helmet.)
This morning Chandler gave his big brother a huge hug before he left to get on the bus for school.
After the bus pulled away, Webster turned to his dad and said, "I love that cute little guy. He's so cute. He gave me a hug. That is the second time he gave me a hug. The first time was when he got home from school that day. Do you remember that day, Daddy".
Then he told his dad all about the day that Chandler first hugged him two weeks ago.
Yesterday I took the boys shopping and they had a blast. I had bought them Oballs at a previous store to keep them happy as I dragged them all over town shopping. Chandler decided to play fetch with Webster. He sat in the cart and would throw the ball, and Webster would run to get it and give it back to Chandler. This was high comedy to them and they kept it up for a half an hour (thank goodness the Target was pretty empty), varying the game to include aspects of hide and seek and tug of war.
It was really fun for me to seeing them enjoy each other so much and giggle so furiously for so long. The game only stopped when mommy got annoyed because she was tired and was supposed to be home an hour ago and "Webster please watch where you are going and stop running into the elderly".
There are those who argue that dietary intervention, or any of the biomedical interventions that parents claim work on their autistic children, are merely normal development plus placebo effect. "Desperate" parents want the child to get better so badly that they blow normal gains out of proportion.
The placebo effect does not work on six year old brothers though. Webster does not know interventions we are trying, he only knows that his brother is acting more like a brother.
Hugs don't lie.
6 comments:
It is good to hear that the new diet is helping Chandler.
Edith's new psychiatrist prescribed Zoloft for her and the difference has been tremendous. There's been nothing but good school reports. I'm not saying it resolved all of her behavior issues, but it has certainly calmed her down quite a bit. She hasn't been banging her head or biting her wrists. She still persevates on something and won't let go until she gets what she wants, but she is a whole let better.
In fact we were able to attend church this past Sunday for the first time in a long, long time.
Don't you love it when the connection between intervention and progress is that clear.
hi ginger,
I am so glad that you have found what a profound effect that diet can have on these kids. I have been reading your blog for quite a while and I am so moved by the pain of your last few posts....I remember it so well. I am the mom of a recovered, yes and fully so, 7 year old through mainly diet, Pat Kane(fatty acids) and no ABA, special ed, ect. Only natural chelation with minerals and support with homeopathy of the detox organs and chiropractic. It can be done. It is hard and expensive and all of that but he is such an exceptional kid and no one believes he was ever diagnosed he is so far from the label now. Good luck to you...release the anger and don't blame yourself...focus on what works...you WILL get him back. Your sons are both adorable....
Ginger,
I have enjoyed your blog for some time now! Just wanted to thank you for sharing your journey with the rest of us - it has given me so much encouragement!
As I told a fellow mom the other day in my exasperation with the continuous dismissal of our anecdotal experiences - I am biased toward my children NOT a diet or a supplement or a drug or any other agenda.
Like any other parent, I want to do the best that I can to help them. I can't sit around & wait for science or medicine or the government to "save" my kids (esp. when I have every reason to believe they're the ones who helped damage them in the first place) - they don't love or care about them like I do.
I believe that kind of "bias" is what makes our efforts so valuable rather than disposable! God bless you & your beautiful family!
We just marked six months since starting down the biomed road. It is amazing! Keep up the hard work!
I'm glad the diet is working so well! We're just (ha!) on GFCF, plus no corn, eggs, assorted other allergens...and it's made a huge difference. Tonight my husband commented on how amazing it was to watch the boys play together, and how much Hutton was talking. (The boys were yelling and chasing each other around the house, but it was actually good "play" in terms of the interaction.)
Your boys are beautiful! (Yeah, I call boys beautiful, too!)
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