Hello!
Just a quick update (yeah right).
Ben is still doing great at CHIP!! He absolutely LOVES it there. In fact, most of the kids do. They are all jiggling the door handle anxious to get into the gym in the morning! So cute.
One of the most exciting improvements we've noticed lately is that Ben is not just tolerating other children more, but enjoying them! He still isn't sure how to interact appropriately, but he is taking so much more interest and enjoys playing with a little prompting. :o)
Heidi (ABA specialist) gave me an update today. She said that is doing wonderful in many of his programs, including matching (already doing 2D pictures) and identifying shapes. Also, she and Jody said Ben was VERY excited when they pulled out his family pictures today! They said he giggled when he saw them and I believe he correctly ID'd all or most of them. (At this point, they are using pictures of us, both sets of grandparents, and my sister and her family...just people he is around the most. I believe they are also going to do the same with the staff members so he can learn names.)
So, Ben is doing GREAT at school, but home is another story! I'm thinking he is just (1) really tired after school, even if I give him a nap, and (2) getting used to the structure of school and having trouble adjusting once he gets home. Another mom mentioned her son having similar issues. Heidi gave us some suggestions. Mostly, I find Ben does the best if I keep him awake and put him to bed early (as opposed to napping and staying up late)...the only trick is that I have to keep him busy until bed time. And, it works best when I give him options (using PECS cards) and let him chose what we do. I also try not to drill him or spend time doing "teaching" activities...at least not on school days. So, this is helping, but I'm usually pretty wiped out by the time he gets to bed (around 7 to 7:30), especially on days Jer is at work!!!
One more thing...biomedical related. I'm thinking some of the recent issues we've seen in Ben are due to phenol processing issues (irritability, circles under eyes, pale skin, inappropriate laughter, restless sleeping, etc.) Phenols are chemicals found in many foods and can be beneficial, but not if the body does not properly break them down (which sounds like a typical Ben problem!) Many of Ben's favorite foods are high in phenols (bananas!), a couple of which we have added recently (strawberries and oj). (They are also high in GSE which we've been using to treat for yeast overgrowth recently.) The enzymes we have ordered should help with this problem so I'm hoping we won't have to limit these things in his diet. Also, epsom salts in the tub are supposed to help, so we have implemented that this week. (In case anyone is interested, phenol insensitivity is believed to contribute to chronic fatigue in adults. Dana's View has a great page on phenols, see link list if interested.)
Well, so much for a short update... I'm going to go take a bath and veg in front of the TV for a while.
God bless!
Love,
Julie
3 comments:
Hoping Ben adjusts completely to the routine soon! Wow girl. You have everything on your plate, don't you? Praying for you guys as you sort out all the biomedical stuff to help Little Ben get well!
{{{HUGS}}}
Hey, I just love Ben's blog it is so cool, thanks for sending me the information also, I can't wait to start Trenton's Blog. I very happy for Ben and how well he loves the Chip program, I'm also, excited about Trenton and the progress that for both of the kids are making I hope this experience will work out for all the children. I must admit that Trenton is very tired after school and I love it!!! It lets me know that he is working hard and really trying to do his best. Well 1,000 Thank you's and I will let you know when I get my son's blog in order. Enjoy your weekend Cheers!!
Thanks for the post Alesha!!! Can't wait to see Trenton's blog!
Post a Comment