Connor's Journey With Autism

Homemade "Larabars"

2011-04-03T20:40:00.005+02:00

There is some sorta saying that necessity is the mother of...in my case...creation. We have embarked, fairly recently, on a new diet for the whole family. We are now all grain free and sugar free along with the oldies but goodies of gluten free, dairy free, soy free. We are loosely following the GAPS diet. I also have some fermentation projects coming up that brings us into the Body Ecology diet world as well, but that is all for another post. Today I just want to share with you-all the fantastic new treat we are enjoying in our house. We have been eating Larabars for quite a while now. I would pack them for any road trip. The boys love them in their lunch boxes too. I eat one on the way to the gym every day for breakfast. They are so delicious and very simple. So simple in fact, that when our military commissary ran out of them for the last three weeks (I did have a small stockpile but we went through those), I was forced to take matters, literally, in my own hands. So I made "Larabars".

I can't take all the credit. Well, I can take all the credit for OUR bars, but not the whole recipe. I took bits and pieces from here and here. I researched nuts and the digestibility, or lack thereof, of nuts. The key to nuts, is to soak them. I read many places that "soaking the nuts neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Phytic acid blocks absorption of minerals such as calcium and magnesium; enzyme inhibitors make nuts hard to digest." Nourished and Nurtured

So I set off to make my own bars. I am not particularly crafty or creative, but I love food. So I just thought about what sounded good and what was plausible to make. My first bar was a peanut butter bar. That one turned out so well that I thought cinnamon apples sounded so fruity and good. The final bar was blueberry and lemon. Each one was better than the last. The blueberry one was surprisingly light and sweet. Here is what I did:

I took several cups (probably 4 cups total) of almonds and pecans and let them soak with good water and a tablespoon or so of salt. After about 24 hours I rinsed and drained the nuts. I put them on a cookie sheet in a low oven with the door slightly open for about 4 hours. You can increase or decrease the time in the oven depending on your time table I think. I then took blueberries (organic from the freezer section) and peeled, chopped apple bits, and put them on a silpat on a cookie sheet in the same temperature oven as before. I topped the apples with cinnamon. I let the fruit dry for several hours until the texture was that of dried fruit (eye it). I put all the now dried nuts into the food processor. Don't grind the nuts too much or you will have nut butter.

Peanut Butter "Larabar"

2 cups nuts (prepared as stated above)
1/2 cup dates
1 cup organic peanut butter
pinch of good sea salt
honey if needed
put it all in the food processor. It may take a bit of time to get a nice texture and consistency. Oil your hands and mold the mixture into an even, flat mound. I put it on wax paper. Cut into bars. Refrigerate.

Cinnamon Apple Bar

1 Cup nuts
1 cup dates
1 cup dried apples
pinch of sea salt
pinch of added cinnamon
honey if needed
Same process as above.

Blueberry Lemon Bar

1 cup nuts
1 cup dates
1/2 cup or more dried blueberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon alcohol free vanilla
Same process as above.

Struggling in a new place

2011-03-17T10:41:00.006+01:00

We have been living in Italy for over 8 months now. It has been one of the hardest things we have ever done, moving. It has taken me far longer to get adjusted and settled here than I ever thought it would. I am still experiencing firsts. I drove my daughter to school today, off base for the first time, alone. It only took me 8 months to get my driver's license and feel secure enough to drive. In the states, that would be unheard of. Here, I am surrounded by things within walking distance, and I have great friends who have been wonderful about driving.

It has taken me eight months to get settled, but it has taken Connor even longer. He does not do well with big changes. He doesn't voice his concern, but he shows it in his behavior. After Christmas, he had a pretty significant regression. He was completely pulled from his normal class, and put into a one on one learning situation. It was a short term fix, but a scary one too. I knew that he needed to either get back into the classroom, or be pulled full time and homeschool. This is his first week back, and so far so good. I am on high alert though. At any moment I know it might be the time to pull him and try something else. I have to do what is best for my child of course. Knowing what the best thing is, isn't always the easiest thing. He is happy again. That is all I can ever ask.

I have intentions of writing about living gluten free in Italy. I hope when things calm down here, I will have the chance to do that. It really is an amazing place full of extremes. The good things are amazing. The not so good things, are really not so good. It is just easy to live here gluten free. It is far easier to live here on our diet than anywhere I have been in the states. Once you know how to say gluten free in Italian, you are set! I walk into any restaurant in Italy and say "Senza Glutine" and they know what I mean. Refreshing...

Busy, but...

2010-12-22T07:36:00.002+01:00

I'm sorry I have been so busy with moving and a new school and new everything, but...here are a few favorite websites to get ideas for dinner. We have gone grain free since moving to Italy and these sites have been a life saver.

Grainfreefoodie.blogspot.com

Heathhomehappy.com

www.nourishingmeals.com

www.spunkycoconut.com

Connor loves the waffles and bean cake from the Spunky Coconut. I made a coconut flour bread yesterday using a recipe from Grain Free Foodie. It was a simple recipe and it turned out great. Connor is excited to have bread for the first time in months. All four blogs have wonderful breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas and well as dessert and breads. You will thank me for hooking you up with these four blogs...you are welcome!! :)

Remembering

2010-10-15T17:05:00.002+02:00

Moving to a new school means doing a new IEP, new programs, new everything. Connor's new school psychologist asked me to do a new GARS (Gilliam Autism Rating Scale) for him. For some reason, things like that get put aside and put off. I don't like looking at his skills and deficits on paper and numbered. It is a mental thing.

So I picked up the GARS and knew I needed to get it done for his upcoming IEP meeting. When I starting circling 0-3 for ratings of his behavior, I struggled. I didn't struggle because I don't know him well. I know Connor as well as he will let me. I know his behaviors better than anyone. I struggled because while circling 0 for so many things, I couldn't help but think how not long ago I would have circled 3. He use to make no eye contact. He use to only eat specific foods and refuse to eat what most people will usually eat. He use to rapidly flick hands at the side of his eyes for periods of time. It was hard to read those things and not be able to write next to each one, "use to do". I want the world to know how much better he is. I don't want them to forget how much they hurt him.

When Connor first regressed into autism, my husband and I use to say he wasn't that bad. We didn't know what "normal" was. We didn't know how far he needed to go. We held on to the fact that he still allowed us to hug him. Connor was non verbal. Connor was severly autistic. It is only looking back now that I can see that.

Connor is doing well now. He is high functioning. He still has obsessive compulsive, but he can function in the world. He still doesn't like singing, but he won't scream for hours if I sing.

I have to go fill out the GARS now, and hug Connor.

Still unpacking...

2010-09-19T07:41:00.003+02:00

While I am still unpacking and getting settled in our new home in Italy, I thought I would post a few important links and clips.

Feds settle vaccine lawsuit and then seal the results:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDQGAy3PMNo
Fantastic journalism! One of the biggest lawsuits questioning the safety of vaccines and they SEAL the results. What are they hiding?

Robert F Kennedy explains vaccines and the autism cover-up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry7toSjjgXE
He is such a great advocate for the exposure of the hazards of vaccines and the autism/vaccine connection.

The Future of Food Video:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food
This is a great video talking about the genetically modified foods. Great video.

Aran's article in Finnair magazine. Love this article. I have sat at her parent's kitchen table and listened to her dad talk about mushrooms for hours. I didn't understand anything but I got a great appreciation for the complexity of mushroom hunting. The Basque Country really is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
http://rethinkquality.finnair.com/2010/09/foraging-in-the-basque-country/

"Temple Grandin" the movie, did amazingly well at the Emmy's. Here is Temple on the Red Carpet. She handles it amazingly well. LOVE HER!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98GUabVgwlY

One of my favorite blogs, The Spunky Coconut, has some great recipes. We are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, grain free, vegetarian. Her recipes are perfect for us. I would love to do more raw also. I have a food dehydrator on my "wish list". Check out these veggie cakes...
http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2010/09/packing-healthy-school-lunch-with.html

Sorry, been gone a while

2010-09-06T12:46:00.005+02:00

Sorry I have been gone so long. So many things have happened and there hasn't been time to get online for sometime. We started Connor on a grain free diet, he is on Dr. Amy's new compounded supplements, and oh yeah, we moved to ITALY!!
I know, ITALY!! So it has been a busy summer moving to a new country and getting settled. We still don't have our stuff, but we are at least living in our new home. I will talk more about it in a bit. Here are a few pics to show you our busy summer.

Recipes to come...

Food Archaeology: Dairy (From The Spunky Coconut)

2010-05-10T22:04:00.001+02:00

One of my favorite food blogs is a mom in Colorado who has put the fun and taste back into allergen free eating. I have been interested in the history of food consumption and this article on her blog was so fantastic. I asked The Spunky Coconut if I could repost her article. Please enjoy!

Food Archaeology: Dairy
Article by Andrew Brozyna

The casein and lactose intolerant among us are unable to comfortably consume cows' milk. This restriction makes some feel that their cow dairy-free diet is strange. Yet, until very recent historic times it was the milk drinkers who were odd.

Prehistory
Humans are the only mammals that continue to drink milk into adult life. After weaning, all other mammals cease to produce lactase, the enzyme in the intestines which digests milk's lactose. Although lactase-deficiency was originally the natural condition for humans, many people today do maintain sufficient levels of lactase. This is believed to have been an adaptation that occurred sometime in prehistory. "...when there was a shortage of food during winter months those individuals who were able to metabolize milk would be at an advantage."(Mercer, p. 218) So, those people survived and passed on their lactose-tolerant gene(s). People from north-west Europe, north and east Africa, and Asia (excluding China, and the south-east) have traditional raised cows and now have low incidences of lactose intolerance. People originating from outside of these regions can not easily digest lactose.(Mercer) As for intolerance to casein (the protein in cow's milk) I have not read a history of this problem unfortunately.

The Roman Period
The population in ancient Britain presumable had low incidences of lactose intolerance, yet: "It can be doubted whether liquid milk formed a regular part of the diet of many in Roman Britain. ...The modern levels of liquid milk consumption owe more to deliberate state-sponsored advertising campaigns to cope with over-production than to long-established drinking habits."(p. 129) In her book Eating and Drinking in Roman Britain, Hilary Cool shows that the modern levels of milk consumption were completely out of place in ancient life. Cow's milk seems to have been consumed in small quantities, and mostly as a fermented product.

Milk quickly spoiled (especially in warm climates) and could spread tuberculosis and undulant fever. "Raw milk is not necessarily either a pleasant or safe drink in societies without refrigeration. It is better to convert it to butter or cheese to ensure long-term storage. In both cases there is an initial ripening to allow bacteria to sour the milk." (Cool, p. 94) Cheese and butter have been fermented, which eases digestion. The bacteria in well-aged cheese completely digest the milk's lactose. In addition to their love of cheese, the Romans ate another fermented milk product. The Roman culinary writer, Apicius, wrote of melca, a curdled milk perhaps similar to yogurt. The refrigeration typical in our modern society easily preserves milk. However, I question the wisdom of breaking from the natural historic practice of limited milk consumption. Certainly, no Roman citizen drank the US Government's suggested 3 cups of cows' milk every day. And according to the writings of Roman authors, he did not want to.

Hilary Cook has an interesting indirect way of judging the level of milk consumption in Roman Britain. The author compared incidences of tuberculosis among skeletal remains of the Roman period and the 1600s. "Tuberculosis is a disease that is spread from cattle to humans largely by the drinking of infected milk. It is noticeable that in Britain it was a common disease by the 17th century, corresponding with the post-medieval rise of dairy herds... The disease causes changes in the bones, but these are only rarely seen in Roman skeletons." (Cook, p94)

Roman Discussion of Sheep and Goat's Milk
While the Romans did enjoy cow's milk cheese, they held sheep and goat's milk in much higher regard. Goats give more milk (a yield 5 times in proportion to body weight than a cow), and they do not need to be continuously with-calf to maintain production. In contrast to cows' milk, sheep and goats' milk are easily digested by humans. It contains much lower levels of casein when compared to cow's milk. In her book, Food in Roman Britain, Joan Alcock comments on the opinon of the 1st century AD Roman writer, Pliny: "He also praised goat's milk for being the sweetest form of milk and more suited to the stomach, which may imply the Romans had some knowledge of bovine lactic intolerance." (p. 57) She later adds, "Both sheep's and goat's milk have a greater concentration of short-chain fatty acids in their fat content, and cheese made from their milk is easier to digest because of it's smaller milk particles." (Alcock, p. 59)

In the 1st century BC the Roman author Varo published an agricultural book. Varo's De Re Rustica (On Agriculture) states, "Of all the liquids which we take for sustenance, milk is the most nourishing—first sheep's milk, and next goat's milk." While he does not encourage the drinking of cows' milk, he does say it makes a nutritious cheese. Yet, even here he comments on the digestive problems that could follow: "Of the cheeses which are made from this milk, those made of cow's milk have the most nutriment, but when eaten are discharged with most difficulty..." He goes on to say sheep and goat cheese are easily digested. (De Re Rustica 11, xi)

The author Virgil complements the goat's "abundant and nutritious yield of milk." (Alcock, p 57) Columella, wrote an influential agricultural manual in the 1st century AD. It shared the same title as Varo's book. In his De Re Rustica Columella "had much to say on plough oxen, the breeding of cattle, and the production of sheep's milk cheese, but he made no mention of fresh cows' milk."(Mercer, p. 219) Columella's omission makes sense if cow's milk did not feature highly in the Roman diet.

Celts, Germans, and Dairy
The Iron Age European people living outside the borders of the Roman empire did not keep written records. The Romans made some mention of "barbarian" agriculture, and archaeology can tell us something of their milk consumption. Pliny wrote that the butter most prized by the barbarians was made from sheep's milk, rather than cow's. Columella said many barbarian tribes in Europe kept no cow herds, but drank sheep's milk instead. In his Natural History, Pliny wrote that the Gauls (Celtic people of modern-day France) produced cheese (probably cow), which the Romans liked to import. He was especially keen on Gaulish goat cheese.

Britain was abundant with cattle, but it seems they were not raised primarily as dairy animals. Iron Age and Romano-British cows' main value was in their meat, hides, and traction (pulling carts, plows, etc.). The intensive effort required to keep these ancient breeds as dairy cattle would have been prohibitive. Compared to today's "improved" dairy cows, Iron Age cattle were smaller and gave milk for only a short time after giving birth. Milk cows need to drink a tremendous amount of water, limiting where they could be raised. While it seems some settlements in Iron Age Britain were indeed raising cows for milk, the evidence for this practice is not widespread. Cattle raising in Gaul seems to have been similar. Roman writer Tacitus and Caesar say the ancient Germans were great cattle herders, keeping them for milk, cheese, and meat. (Green)

The Roman writer Strabo says the Gauls kept enormous flocks of sheep. Sheep were also very widespread in Iron Age Britain. Most sheep skeletal remains are that of older adults, indicating that they were not raised primarily raised for their meat, but were instead valued for their wool production. In the spring they offered the side benefit of milk. Sheep aren't the best milk producers. Again, the skeletal remains show that newborn sheep were not being slaughtered, meaning most of the ewe's milk went to their own young. If newborn lambs did not survive, then the ewe's milk could be used for people. (Green)

Goats were not as common as sheep in the Iron Age Britain. Goats aren't comfortable in cold damp climates, while thriving in the warmer drier Mediterranean. Each Celtic farm probably kept a few goats to eat weeds and provide milk. There numbers increased with the coming of the Romans. In Anglo-Saxon period Britain it was acknowledged that goats gave more milk, and that it was thought to cure illnesses. Through Saxon times cows became more and more popular as dairy animals, making goat's milk less popular by the Medieval period. The Saxons did have dairy cow farms. The cow's milk appear to have been preferred more for cheese and butter making, rather than drinking. (Hagen, p102)

CONCLUSION
I would love to comment on the dairy practices in ancient North Africa and MiddleEast, but at this point I have only studied Europe. (I have read that the "milk" in the Bible's description of "the land of milk and honey" most likely refers to the milk of sheep and goats, not cows). Ancient Europeans did milk cows, but it seems liquid milk was consumed in very limited amounts and only by people on the farm. Cheese and butter—both fermented food products— were the main use for milk. While cow milk was certainly used, it was the more easily digested goat milk that was favored by the Romans and Celts. By the end of the Dark Ages dairy from cows was well on its way to becoming the most popular milk.

References
1. Alcock, Joan P. Food in Roman Britain
2. Cool, H.E.M. Eating and Drinking in Roman Britain.
3. Green, Miranda. Animals in Celtic Life and Myth.
4. Hagen, Ann. Anglo-Saxon Food & Drink.
5. Mercer, Roger. Farming Practice in British Prehistory. Edinburgh University Press.

Some of my favorite things...

2010-05-01T03:35:00.007+02:00

Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...

Sorry folks, but I do like me a good Julie Andrews song.

People ask me all the time how I live on a gluten free, dairy free, soy free diet, and how I get my children to eat that way. They always follow it up with, "I could NEVER give up gluten or dairy 100%". I say in response, "Tell me what you can't live without and I will give you the gluten free, dairy free version". Nine years ago, when we started on this journey, the choices were no where near this fantastic or readily available. I can get a box of "Betty Crocker" brownie mix at my local grocery store that is gluten free, and dairy free and very yummy. I don't usually buy those type of things, but it is an example of the market and how it has changed. Bread is generally the first complaint from people wanting to switch over to a gluten free diet. Gluten free bread is dense and heavy and needs to be toasted to eat. But I have to tell you, there are several new items that will make you forget about your old food. Here is one of my favorite new brands.

Bread...normal bread...
I never thought I would have soft, light, non toasted bread again in my life time. I was wrong. Along came Udi's...

www.udisglutenfree.com

Ingredients:
Filtered Water, Tapioca Starch, Brown Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Canola Oil or Sunflower Oil, Egg Whites, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Evaporated Cane Juice, Tapioca Syrup, Yeast, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Baking Powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornstarch, Calcium Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Cultured Brown Rice Flour, Cultured Dextrose, Enzymes, Ascorbic Acid (Contains Cellulose and Cornstarch). Contains: Eggs

Udi's also has a pizza crust that I am anxious to try and muffins and bagels. Please let me know if you try any of these, I would love to know what you think.

I buy my Udi's bread by the case and save quite a bit of money. I freeze most of them when we get them home. We eat a lot of bread and a case lasts about a month.

Holy Cheese, Batman!

2010-03-02T06:10:00.004+01:00

Sorry for the "cheesy" title but I am too excited about this new find. What rock have I been living under to not have seen this until now? A cheese that those of us living with serious food issues can eat!! The company that has invented this cheesy concoction of taste is Daiya. Even "Amy's", my favorite frozen food company, has joined forces with this new magic cheese to create a gluten free, casien free, soy free mac and "cheese". FUN!! I can't wait to try the cheese. I have heard good things so far. The best thing is that the company says that the cheese really does melt. Pizza anyone?

I will let you know what I think of the taste. If anyone out there has tasted it yet, let me know. I am so excited to know!!

What is Daiya?
Where can I buy Daiya?
What varieties are available?
What is Daiya made from?
Nutritional info
Cooking suggestions

What is Daiya?
Daiya is a revolutionary new dairy-free vegan cheese that tastes, shreds, melts and stretches like dairy based cheese. Daiya is not made with casein, the protein found in dairy products or soy, common to many other non-dairy cheese alternatives. In fact, Daiya does not contain any common allergens, animal products or cholesterol. Daiya is made with nutritious planted-based ingredients and is:

33% less fat than dairy-based cheese with equivalent attributes
Cholesterol free
Trans Fat free
Dairy free
Free of all animal products (Vegan)
Free of common allergens including:
Soy, Casein, Lactose, Gluten, Egg, Wheat, Barley, Corn, Whey, Rice, and Nuts
Free of Artificial Ingredients
Free of Preservatives
Free of Hormones & Antibiotics
An excellent source of a naturally occurring vegan vitamin B-12 as well as an excellent source of B vitamins in general
Where can I buy Daiya?
Daiya is currently available for foodservice purchases but we are working on a retail launch strategy. If you'd like to be informed when a retail product is available in your area, please fill out our contact form if you haven't already. Daiya is available at some restaurants, deli and prepared foods markets and online. For more information, please see our Where to Enjoy Daiya page.

What varieties of Daiya are available?
For foodservice, Daiya is currently available in Italian Blend, a cheese perfect for pizza, nachos, lasagna and the like, and Cheddar Style, a cheddar like cheese perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, mexican food and the like. We sometimes like to blend the two and for any of you that had a chance to sample the pizzas we made at the Natural Products Expo West show in March of 2009, we used 75% Italian Blend and 25% Cheddar style which was a huge hit. Our products are available in shred and block formats.

What is Daiya made from?
Daiya is made entirely from plant-based ingredients. The full list of ingredients are as follows:

Purified water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, natural flavors (derived from plants), xanthan gum, sunflower lecithin, vegan enzymes (no animal rennet or animal enzymes), vegan bacterial cultures, citric acid (for flavor), annatto.

Nutritional Facts, Daiya Italian Blend
Vegan Cheese Alternative
Nutritional Facts, Daiya Cheddar Style
Vegan Cheese Alternative
Cooking with Daiya
You can use Daiya in the same way you would use regular cheese.

Pizza Volumes:
It is important to use the optimum amounts of Daiya on pizza for best performance. Below are optimum recommendations resulting from performance tests in mass market pizza franchises throughout North America.
10 inch=110 grams (4oz); 12 inch=160 grams (5.5 oz); 14 inch=220 grams (8 oz); 16 inch=280 grams (10 oz); 18 inch=358 grams (12.5 oz)

Baking with Daiya:
Use Daiya as you would regular cheese. For best results (as a topping such as the top layer of a lasagna) add Daiya in the last 5 - 10 minutes (depending on temperature) when baking. This will yield smooth melting properties without excessive browning.
Tip: Try adding Daiya at the very end after baking is finished, by sprinkling a shredded layer on top of oven-hot food and covering for a few minutes. This preserves the most nutrients and maintains optimum resilience.

Microwave:
Daiya works great in the microwave in tortillas, burritos and whatever you normally would cook with cheese in the microwave. Be careful not to overcook Daiya as like dairy based cheese, it will become tough.

Storage:
Always keep refrigerated.

Freezing Daiya:
You can freeze Daiya and use it as you normally would after thawing. Like most food products, do not freeze, thaw and re-freeze.

Top

Copyright © 2010 Daiya Foods Inc. All rights reserved.

Dr. Amy Yasko Conference in Boston

2010-02-18T16:41:00.000+01:00

Yasko Protocol Conference
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 4:17:33 PM EST

PATHWAYS TO RECOVERY: The Yasko Protocol Conference

When: July 30th, July 31st & Aug 1st, 2010

Where: Boston Hilton Logan Airport

Cost:

Pre-Registration (until Feb 28th): $195 plus receive 50 Conference Points to be used on HolisticHeal.com
Registration (after Feb 28th): $225 plus receive 25 Conference Points
Day of Event: $225
To Register: Visit HolisticHeal.com/yasko-protocol-conference.html

To Make Reservations: Contact the Hilton at 1-800-445-8667, mention the "Holistic Health Group Rate" to receive a discount off of the room.

If you have any questions, please call the office at 1-207-824-8501.

Thank you, we look forward to seeing everyone there!

Temple Grandin

2010-02-11T01:19:00.006+01:00

I have been raving about the HBO movie Temple Grandin to anyone who gets close to me on the street. I am practically accosting people. I just can't rave enough about this movie and the incredible job Claire Danes did in her depiction of Temple Grandin. I have been fortunate to have met Temple and listen to her speak. She was very memorable and inspirational. This movie was so motivating and inspiring and yet agonizing for me to watch. Claire Daines did such an incredible job that you truly forget she is just an actress and not Temple herself. If you are interested, Temple Grandin is also featured in a BBC documentary and has written numerous books on her life with autism and her passion for the humane treatment of cattle. She is a pioneer in so many things, and yet the doctors told her mother to institutionalize her as a child. Not only did her mother refuse to send her away, but she refused to believe that she somehow caused Temple's autism from lack of love. "The Refrigerator Mother" was an absurd and brutal theory in the 1940s-1960s that blamed mothers for causing their child's autism by being distant and unloving. Thankfully, It was the work of scientist and father of an autistic child (the inspiration for the character in the movie "Rain Man") Dr Bernard Rimland that changed the thinking of the world at large and opened the door to the hope and belief that autism is biomedical and treatable.

The Crockpot

2010-02-11T00:43:00.002+01:00

I am not the first one to use the crock-pot. All of my friends and family have been berating me for years to use the crock-pot, but it seemed like a bigger inconvenience than just cooking. I thought that it was bad enough to have to make the meal, but thinking about it in the morning and doing prep and making sure I had groceries hours ahead of time seemed like a huge deal. Then I made my first crock-pot meal. My mom asked me to put the ingredients in her crock-pot while we were visiting one day, and then a few hours later, we had a tasty meal. Easy peasy. The real thing that hooked me was that the kids loved it. I hate cooking, but I hate cooking and having no one like the meal even more. I love how I put some raw meat and some veggies and some whatnots in the crock-pot and voila, a meal is ready at dinnertime. I love the smell the house gets during the day. So now I am preaching the ways of the crock-pot. Hallelujah!

It is easy to make meals that are gluten free, dairy free in the crock-pot also. Eating food like stews and soups are easier on your digestive system too. There are so many great crock-pot cookbooks and websites. Once you get the hang of it though, you just need to use your imagination and anything is possible. I am going to list some of our favorites for those who might be interested. I don't like when people tell me to try a website or cookbook and don't give me their favorites for me to get started.

Another tip we like in our house is to include a separate starch on occasion. I like biscuits or tortillas (see recipe in earlier post) or mashed potatoes or rice.

I am still a beginner and my imagination is not fantastic, so my meals are very basic. Once you get the hang of it, you will get ideas from everywhere. It is a fun thing to exchange ideas with your neighbors or friends. I also like playing with a dessert in the crock-pot. Bread pudding is on the list for this week.

Easiest crock-pot meals: spaghetti sauce and meat of choice on low for the day. It seems silly to do this, but you put the raw meat in and the sauce and at dinnertime it is ready. The taste was better too.
Another beyond easy and basic idea came from my mom. She put raw chicken breast in the bottom of the crockpot and just added green chili enchilada sauce. I had a hard time finding gluten free enchilada sauce, but green chili salsa worked great.

We love stew and beef roast too. I either make a cornbread or a gluten free biscuit. My new obsession is making a good, light, tasty gluten free biscuit. The family loves even the ones that didn't turn out. It is a treat, not an every day thing.

Good luck in your crock pot endeavors. Let me know of any good recipes!! Kid tested...

Trip to Mexico

2010-01-10T03:02:00.007+01:00

We are back from our trip to Casa Lagarto, Platanitos Mexico for Christmas and it was fantastic. We had a wonderful, relaxing visit. The kids love seeing their Honey and Papa and Auntie and Tio. Sophie has Tio right were she wants him, around her little finger. The boys are Auntie's favorites for sure. They are the three amigos. I got to relax and read an entire novel while listening to the ocean and enjoying the perfect weather. We didn't need to turn on the AC once. The best part for me was having food made for us daily and not having to worry if it was safe for us to eat. My parent's have an amazing house keeper that cooks all the meals using fresh, local ingredients. Gluten is not a big worry for us aside for the flour tortillas she puts on the table, and cheese is rare there. Most of the ingredients are local meat, local farm fresh eggs, local fresh vegetables and my favorite fresh squeezed orange juice. I brought some Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour and xantham gum as well and taught the house keeper how to make the gluten free "flour" tortillas from my previous post. I can't decide what my favorite thing about going to Mexico is, the beauty or not having to cook.

Here are a few pictures of our trip. If anyone is ever interested in an amazing trip, even on a gluten free, dairy free diet, Casa Lagarto is a great choice.

The boys were able to enjoy going jet-skiing on Papa's new jet-skis. Connor was a little timid about the speed but he had a good time with his aunt on them anyway. We also were able to participate in the release of baby turtles into the ocean. It was very educational for the kids as well as very memorable. We spent a lot of time in the sand and sun on the beach of Platanitos. Since we spent Christmas in Mexico, we decided to participate in a tradition of Mexico, piñatas. The kids took turns hitting the eggs filled with candy.

It was a great trip I would recommend to anyone.

www.casalagarto.net

Flour Tortillas!!

2009-12-05T15:10:00.001+01:00

Connor has been gluten free, dairy free and soy free since he was a baby. His momma, me, on the other hand, became gluten free as an adult. I know what a warm donut tastes like. I know what a warm, flaky croissant tastes like. I miss good, light, fresh, good bread for a sandwich. I love good food, which makes going gluten free, and dairy free so hard for me. It is hard to find good gluten free food. It is hard when you know what a good home made flour tortilla tastes like fresh off the grill to then settle for a store bought corn tortilla. Well, I have found a way to satisfy some of my food sadness. I haven't found a good donut or croissant yet, but I have found an excellent and easy flour tortilla recipe.

When I was a young wife, before I had kids, I use to make home made flour tortillas daily. We would some how find a way to make tortillas work with what ever we were having for dinner. We could be having fried rice, and we could make it work with flour tortillas. When friends came over, the first thing they asked for were the flour tortillas. Good, homemade flour tortillas are incredible. We are from the West, and Mexican food is a part of our culture. I was very sad when we found out we had to go gluten free, because that meant the tortillas had to go, until now. I found an incredible and EASY recipe for those of you that are challenged in the kitchen. A website called, "Gluten Free Cooking School" has the best recipe for gluten free flour tortillas. I challenge you to make these and not tell anyone that they are gluten free and see if anyone notices. I find the true test is when they go unnoticed as being "good for being gluten free". I want them to just be great!! My family keeps asking me to make these tortillas. That is awesome!!

Gluten Free Tortillas:

2 c. Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. warm water

1. Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix the ingredients thoroughly.

2. Add the cup of warm water to the bowl and mix the dry goods into the water. Just mix it all up until all of the dry ingredients are no longer dry. And then keep mixing a minute longer.

3. Separate the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place all but one of the dough balls back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap until you’re ready to work with them.

4. Sprinkle a clean, flat surface with a bit of all purpose flour and then roll your dough ball into a roughly circular shape. Get is as thin as possible. Make sure to keep it from sticking to your surface.

5. Throw the tortilla onto a hot griddle (I use a cast iron griddle on medium heat with just a smidge of shortening or oil) and let it cook approximately 1 minute – or until it has started puffing up and the bottom side is developing those lovely brown spots. Flip the tortilla and cook the other side until is toasty as well.

6. Slide the cooked tortilla onto a waiting plate and repeat from step 4 until you’ve cooked all 8 tortillas. I generally roll one tortilla out while another is cooking, so that there’s is always a tortilla on the griddle.

I find it helpful to not stack hot tortillas on top of each other. I like my tortillas slightly crunchy and the steam from one tortilla will make the next one soggy if they are stacked.

ENJOY!!

In the paper

2009-12-03T16:48:00.003+01:00

Well, Connor and I were in the local paper yesterday. I am not thrilled with the article since the majority of the text was either fluff about us moving to this town, or reiterating the authors past negative article. I wanted to talk about being an advocate for your child. I wanted to talk more about how far Connor has come. I especially wanted to talk about the positive things the school district is doing for my son. Apparently, the newspaper sells more with negative articles, surprise, surprise.

I want to say thank you to my son's teacher, Ms. Lloyd, his para, Ms. Monica, his resource teacher, Ms. Wendy, and his entire team. Thank you for your constant hard work and patience. I am under no delusion that Connor is an easy child or that your jobs are easy. I wish more people, even people with typical children, could understand the lengths you go through to help our children. You sacrifice money and time and heaven knows patience, to help our children daily. I am not good at saying thank you and I expect a lot from you, but I am appreciative. You are all good at your jobs and have wonderfully large hearts. You have helped my son and you have loved my son. Thank you. To all teachers and all supporting staff across the country, thank you.

In case you want to read the article:

Mom pleased with support of autistic student

December 01, 2009 10:21 PM
BY WILLIAM ROLLER, SUN STAFF WRITER

When Jill Mitchell first met with Yuma Elementary District 1 to inquire about services available for her autistic son, she was prepared to fight for them.

Mitchell, who moved to Yuma from Woodland Park, Colo., last summer, said services for her son Connor, 10, were not optional - she said she has read books and attended conferences and knows what works.

But despite some criticisms she had heard about special education programs at the district, Mitchell was pleased with what she found. "The fabulous thing about District 1 is that I didn't need to fight because they agreed on everything," she said.

The Arizona Department of Education audited Yuma Elementary School District 1 in October after a complaint was filed by a parent. The audit noted that 29 percent of special education teachers have not met the Highly Qualified standard in the subject area they are assigned to teach as mandated under the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. And there are four positions currently filled by long-term substitutes.

Mitchell said she knew that her son needed a paraprofessional "and without blinking an eye, they agreed."

A paraprofessional is a trained aide who spends all of their time with a disabled student while they are at school. After 8-1/2 years of therapy, diet and supplemental vitamins, Connor is now considered a "high functional autistic," Mitchell said.

"He walks and talks and does his homework, but he still has emotional and behavioral issues associated with autism. So he needs to have constant supervision to be successful."

Mitchell's husband, now a civil engineer at Yuma Proving Ground, had been self-employed. But because his business was keeping him from home, they moved to find a job opportunity in a sunnier climate with hopes of a better quality of life.

Initially, Mitchell noticed that parents had a negative view of how school districts handled autism. She found many parents who were criticizing their school's approach. This is because a diagnosis of autism is new and the rates are skyrocketing, she said.

Yet negative comments did not discourage her because she never was content to drop off her son at school and expect them to do all the work, Mitchell said.

Despite Connor's disability, he is participating in a regular fourth-grade classroom at Sunrise Elementary School. One of the initiatives the school takes that is especially helpful is the "lunch bunch" break period when Connor, his paraprofessional and two other classmates get together.

They not only enjoy sharing their meal, but it is an opportunity for Connor to work on his conversational and social skills in a small group setting while all 32 of his classmates take turns dining with him.

By having all the children rotate turns sharing quality time with Connor, none of them feels left out of the fun, and they have the chance to get better acquainted. Even before he arrived for the school year, District 1 had a counselor meet with Connor's class to explain how a child with autism is different but they can still be friends, Mitchell said.

"That made a difference in his being integrated into a regular classroom because now when he showed up, he was accepted by everyone."

Connor is now performing grade-level work, but that requires a lot of effort because he still has a lot of issues to overcome every day, Mitchell said. But, she noted, there is one type of therapy called applied behavioral analysis (ABA) that works better than others.

When Mitchell discovered Connor's paraprofessional lacked this background, she appealed to District 1, which had Connor's paraprofessional trained in ABA at Alice Byrne School. Mitchell's only complaint is that not enough teachers receive this specific professional development and the state needs to pass more bonds to fund this.

"I think parents ultimately got to take the responsibility for their own child and not blame the schools because District 1 has done an excellent job," she said.

In a previous Yuma Sun story, Darwin Stiffler, District 1 superintendent, said only 16 teachers out of nearly 60 special education instructors must meet additional requirements. He said ADE's report recognized that the teachers are certified in special education.

But ADE is adding new obligations that were not compulsory until now in order to meet the Highly Qualified standard. The 16 teachers must pass the Arizona Education Proficiency Assessment (AEPA), which evaluates general education knowledge, Stiffler said.

He said District 1 will comply with helping teachers prepare for the AEPA by providing professional development and reimbursing teachers for the exam expense.

Gluten and Dairy Free Brioche Recipe

2009-11-08T20:33:00.006+01:00

For anyone who knows me, they know I love food, love eating, but hate cooking. My friend Aran is an amazing pastry chef and cook and she was kind enough to post one of her creations on my blog for those of you who actually enjoy baking and cooking. This looks fantastic and I hear they tasted pretty great too!!

Gluten-Free Brioche

adapted from "Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" by Zoe François and Jeff Hertzberg

Makes enough bread for three 1.5 lb loaves

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
3 3/4 cups cornstarch
2 Tbs granulated yeast
1 Tbs kosher salt
2 Tbs xanthan gum
2 1/2 cups hemp milk
1 cup honey
4 eggs
1 cup neutral flavor oil
1 Tbs gluten-free vanilla extract
Egg wash
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

Whisk together the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, yeast, salt and xanthan gum in a 5 qt bowl.

Combine the liquid ingredients and gradually mix them into the dry using a paddle attachment until there are no dry bits of flour.

Cover and allow the dough to rest for 2 hours. The dough can be used now or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

On baking day, grease a 8.5"x4.5" pan. Break a 1.5 lb piece of dough and shape it into a round. Wet your hands as the dough will be sticky. Elongate the dough into an oval and put it in the pan. You might need to wet the top a bit to smooth it out. Let it rest for 90 minutes (40 minutes if you are using non refrigerated dough).

Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle raw sugar right before baking. Bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes.

Toasted Brioche, Poached Egg, Watercress and Apple Salad

Serves 4

8 slices toasted gluten-free brioche
4 eggs (preferably farm fresh)
2 cups watercress
Bunch of purple basil
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly slices
Few drops lemon juice
Water for poaching eggs
1 Tbs white vinegar
Mustard and toasted hazelnut vinaigrette

Poach the eggs. Bring 3 qts of water and the vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Break off the egg into a ramekin and gently submerge the egg in the simmering liquid. Do not let the water boil and only cook 1 or 2 eggs at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes or until white has coagulated but yolk is still liquid. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Thinly slice the apples and drizzle with some lemon juice so they don't oxidize.

Place 2 small slices of toasted brioche on a plate. Garnish with watercress, purple basil and thinly sliced apples. Place the poached egg on top and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle the mustard and toasted hazelnut vinaigrette on top.

Mustard and Toasted Hazelnut Vinaigrette

2 tsp mustard
2 Tbs minced shallot
2 Tbs hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs olive oil

Place the mustard, minced shallots, hazelnuts, balsamic and apple cider vinegars in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking creating a light emulsion.

For more photos, please visit Aran's blog.

Our school district is making me happy

2009-11-04T02:57:00.005+01:00

Before we moved here to this new town, my husband and I read as much as we could about it. I read about the school district and read comments from fellow parents of children with autism to get an idea of what we were getting into by moving to this town. I was getting worried at first because I read only negative comments about teachers not knowing how to teach their autistic child, or parents not getting a lot of help with their child. I then came to the conclusion that no matter what I read, or what the parents wrote, it was all about being active in the education of your child, autistic or not. I would never just drop any of my kids off at school and not have communication with the teachers on a constant basis. I can't imagine taking my child with autism to school and just letting the school do "whatever" without my input and direction. I have never just sat on my hands when it comes to Connor.

When school started, I had a lot of communication with his new team. We met for his initial "what are we going to do" meeting before Connor even started school. I needed to know EXACTLY what services they were going to provide and how they were going to do it. Connor needs a para, that is not up for debate. Thankfully, the team agreed without any arguments, but I would have fought for that if I had needed to. He also needs lots of structure and visual cues. He needs a reward system. He needs....
I did a lot of reading and went to a lot of conferences to know exactly what Connor needs and to know what to demand from the school. Parents should not expect anything from anyone when it comes to their children. They are your children! Do the work. Go to the school with your eggs in a basket and know what you need to advocate for your child. Don't ever expect anyone to ever give your child what they need.

My only complaint has been that Connor's para, although a very good personality for him and for autism in general, has no ABA training. At the last meeting, I brought this up again. In response, they suggested that while we were going to be out of town for a whole week, for Connor's para to go and have training done at one of their other schools. They sent her to this school for a whole week to do training and to shadow another para with more experience. Connor's para came back from the week focused and with so many great ABA techniques. I am more excited than I can express. She is now reading social stories to him, using a typical ABA reward chart, and using other techniques shown to work for high functioning children. YAY!

Connor came back from a week away from school and transitioned well back into the class. Good work team, and good job Connor's para!

Update on new school

2009-10-14T23:17:00.003+02:00

So, the boys have been going to their new school for a while now. I literally hold my breath every day when I go to pick them up. They have a knack for tag teaming who is going to have a bad week. I started out joking that when one is having a good week, the other has to struggle. It isn't so funny anymore. Connor took to his new school smoothly. His para is strict with him, and keeps him on task. He wasn't having any meltdowns, and was even making friends, real friends. So...Fisher was struggling. He was getting into trouble with his teacher EVERY DAY. He couldn't focus or concentrate on her direction and was constantly saying he "didn't want to do it". Seriously?! When did I make the mistake of allowing Fisher to think he had a choice? Anyway, every day was tough when I picked up Fisher. He had to stay after school every day to make up for the work he wasn't doing during the school day. Every night was like pulling teeth to get him to do homework. Then one day...tag.

I hadn't noticed the shift at first. Fisher stopped having to stay after school. He wasn't fighting me with his homework as much. His teacher would just smile and wave when I picked him up from school. I thought, yay, Fisher is getting it!! Then, I started to notice that Connor was having some small fits at school. His notes home from the Para were getting longer and longer every day. His teachers had the look of exhaustion when I picked him up. They were definitely at their wits end with the fits getting progressively worse. I tried to explain the concept of "the honeymoon" phase. Sometimes when Connor starts a new supplement or a new therapy, he goes through a fantastic stage followed by a horrible one. It is complicated and has many layers of explanation, but the bottom line is this is typical for him. I think the beginning of the year gave the staff a false sense of security with Connor. He didn't have many issues and the days were smooth. Now that he is demonstrating more "autistic" characteristics, they are shocked. I went in last week to do a para training. I watched her for a few hours to see how she interacted with him naturally. I watched to see how she handled his behavior, without interrupting her initially. I wanted to get a good idea how she handled things and also how Connor reacted to her.

Connor's para is a strong woman. She doesn't let Connor get away with anything. She holds him accountable for his behaviors. I always say that when getting a para, go with personality. You can always train someone, but you can't train their spirit. Connor's para is definitely new to autism. She has not had formal training, but she is a mom, and a strict mom. Sometimes ABA (applied behavior analysis) is counter intuitive for a mom. Mom's are giving and helping and often times does for the child instead of allowing the child to do for themselves. It is hard to just stand back and not constantly say, "Get out your pencil", "Open your book". Instead, we allow Connor (as a high functioning autistic) to try and do these tasks with just the classroom teacher's direction and then do subtle reminders. We tap on his book when it isn't open yet. We point to the pencil in his desk if he hasn't gotten it out yet. We don't do these things right away though, give the child a few extra seconds or minutes to allow their brain to catch up. Connor is probably thinking and dealing with more stimuli than we can imagine. He was sitting next to the electric pencil sharpener when I came in. Kids were getting up to sharpen pencils every few minutes right next to him, all day. Even without verbally acknowledging this action, I know he was having to process it as extra, unwanted stimuli.

The day I went in to observe and then train was a successful day for Connor. I have gone to Connor's class many times in the past to train or help, but this was the first time he asked me to come back. He actually liked me being there. I will be back again tomorrow to train Connor's specials teachers, art, music and PE. I will also watch his para using the ABA techniques I showed her to see what else we can do to help Connor at school without being too much. He needs help, but he is what i call "crazy smart". He is a Thomas Edison kinda smart. I don't want to quash his individuality and I don't want to put him in a box. But I do want him to have real relationships and fit in. Sometimes by stepping back a little at school, we allow him to spread his wings. He can take two minutes to get out his math book instead of only one minute.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chocolate and Roasted Beet Pudding Cakes

2009-09-21T19:12:00.007+02:00

Photos by Aran Goyoaga

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chocolate and Roasted Beet Pudding Cakes

My friend, and my kids' godmother, is an amazing pastry chef. She created this beautiful masterpiece and I asked her if I could post the recipe on my blog for those of us who are gluten free. Aran said that the recipe could be altered from its original state to accommodate dairy free diets as well by substituting olive oil or shortening for the butter in the recipe. I am not a fan of beets, but I have it under good authority that a fellow non beet lover liked this cake a lot. I think anytime we can add a great veggie to our desserts is a good thing.

Thanks Aran!!

Makes 6-4 oz ramekins

2 eggs
2 yolks
50 grams sugar
55 grams non-hydrogenated shortening (originally, this was butter)
170 grams gluten, dairy and soy free chocolate chips
55 grams roasted beet puree
20 grams rice flour
pinch salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale and very thick (ribbon stage).

In the meantime, place the shortening and chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and melt them together over a double boiler. Add the melted shortening and chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs and mix. Add the roasted beet puree and mix. Finally add the rice flour and salt and fold.

Pour the runny batter into the greased ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about 8-10 minutes until the edges are set but the center is still soft and pudding-like. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before trying to unmold them.

Roasted Beet Puree

2 beets

Cut the leaves off the beets leaving about 1 inch stem on. Wrap them in aluminum foil and bake them at 400F for about 1 hour or until fork tender. Let them cool completely in the aluminum foil and them peel them.

Cut the roasted beets and puree them in a food processor. Strain the puree through a fine sieve. It makes more than what you will need for the cakes but you can freeze the rest.

New Post...finally

2009-09-16T17:20:00.005+02:00

So if any of you are actually reading this, you know that I have written a new post for the first time all summer. This was a long and grueling summer for me. We moved to Arizona from Colorado IN THE SUMMER. People that live in Colorado make it through nine or ten months of crappy weather for the chance to experience two blissful, beautiful Colorado months. There is probably no more beautiful place in our vast and diverse country as Colorado in July and August. The state is green and lush and the temperature is a perfect 75 degrees. There are few bugs and no humidity either. The camping and fishing and overall outdoorsy people go crazy. My friends hiked and visited the ski areas that are actually more beautiful in the summer. All this was happening while I was in a state where the smart people leave for the summer. I moved to a state that the summer is the one season you don't want to experience. If I had a say in life, I would not have done it this way, but life didn't ask my opinion. A good job opportunity came up and we had to take it. I believe everything happens for a reason so I am not dwelling on this (too much) but instead looking for the next door of opportunity. I can't complain too much (well I can, but I won't) because we did rent a house with a pool, so the kids had a blast in the pool all summer and their momma got a pretty decent tan.

So here we are having started school in a new school for the first time in my children's young lives. In Colorado, we were in the same school since Connor had started school, but every year was a entirely new staff. I had to retrain the staff on Connor and his issues and needs every year, so I was prepared for this. Since we moved here in the summer, I wasn't able to get a hold of anyone at the school to let them know about Connor and his needs. I called and called the district office as school approached, but with no real answers. The first day of school was approaching, and I still had no communication from the school. I refused to just drop Connor off the first day of school with no para, or trained team, or plan in place. The Friday before school was going to start was the open house to meet the boys' teachers. I was able to meet the principal and the special education teacher and explained the situation. The principal called the district office and got someone on the phone who could get our ball rolling, and fast. She set up a meeting for the next week, the first week of school, for the entire team. I told them I would be keeping Connor out of school until we met and all the plans were in place. When we met, I expected to have to fight for everything. Connor needs a para. He needs a visual calendar. He needs a lunch bunch group with students and a teacher. He needs a lot of things and they didn't already have any of these in place. The team and I met for our meeting on the third day of school, a Wednesday. I proceeded to ask for all of the things I believed Connor needs, and was prepared for a fight. They don't keep paras on hand for children and they would have to hire one just for Connor. This seemed like it was going to be fight for sure. Instead, the team as a whole said "yes" to ALL of my requests, without any issues. Instead of fighting for everything Connor would need and having to justify everything, they just said "yes". Not only did they do everything I asked for, they got it done at record speed. He started school the next Monday. I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop...

So, Connor has had a great couple of weeks of school. He adjusted well to his new class and teacher and para. He still thinks school is boring, but what kid doesn't? He is doing well academically. He is doing well in his "lunch bunch" group. It would seem that life would finally calm down for me, right? Wrong...

My middle child Fisher has always been our easy child. He is a typical middle child. As much as we try to give him attention, he tends to slip through the cracks on occasion. Connor has obvious needs and requires a lot of time and energy and the baby is little and requires a lot as well. Then there is Fisher... He is a wonderful middle child because he is patient with Connor and Sophie and he has a big heart. When you are easy and low maintenance in this house, you tend to get less attention. Squeaky wheel... Fisher didn't adjust to his new school as easily. Fisher doesn't do well with change. He likes to be home and not travel because it is such a change for him. In fact, on the second or third day at Disney World, he begins to ask when we are going home. He likes the status quo. He was born in the house in Colorado that we just moved out of to move to Arizona. He was actually born IN that house because I had a home birth with he and Sophia. He loved that house. He loved his school although I don't think any of it had to do with the actual house or school. He just loved the routine of them. Moving here was a big deal for Fisher, but because he is not a big talker, he never really talked about it. This move was like a vacation for him in the beginning. He swam everyday and played games and watched TV in his room. He didn't have TV in his room at the house in Colorado, so this was cool and new. Then school started...

Fisher's teacher took me aside on the second day of school to ask about Fisher. She was already concerned that he wasn't adjusting well to the start of school. He was having a hard time with sitting still. He was also having difficulty with the work load of the day. He couldn't remember his letters all of a sudden and writing was a real issue for him. He got distracted easily and rarely was on task. We agreed that she would watch him closely for a couple of weeks and then we would determine what steps would need to be done in order to help him. Two days ago the teacher recommended Fisher be tested for ADD.

The autism spectrum is called that because it is a big and vast issue. Connor has autism. It really only makes sense that his brother would be on the spectrum also. Keep in mind that Fisher was born at home and has never had a vaccine. He eats organic food and has a home with all natural cleaning supplies and organic sheets, etc. I have done all that I know to do to limit his toxic load, but I was still toxic when we conceived and when I carried Fisher. I know there is a certain genetic aspect at play here, but I believe that the toxins are present, just less in Fisher than in Connor.

So, what am I doing for Fisher? Fisher is gluten free, dairy free, soy free. He eats what Connor eats. Also, Fisher takes supplements. He take Dr. Amy's multivitamin just like Connor and I do. He takes magnesium and Vitamin D and fish oils and a green supplement. He isn't getting a lot of sugar or processed or artificial anything. He is doing much of his school work at home now also. I sit with him when he gets home from school and we quietly and calmly go over his work. His frustration level is very high and he is quitting easily, but I just reassure him. He gets rewards for completion of his work in a timed manner. He gets to get up and go in different rooms to do his work. I feel that movement is key with him. I just bought all the supplies for a reward chart for both boys. They do what they are expected to do without issue and they get a star. X amount of starts equals a reward.

I did a lot of research on ADD. I am not worried about Fisher in the long run like I am with Connor. Fisher just learns in a different way and the public school system is not set up for it right now. Fisher's teacher is encouraging a diagnoses, but I don't believe in labeling my kids. Connor has always been told that he HAS autism. He thinks of it as an illness that we are curing rather than something HE IS. Fisher has the "symptoms" of ADD and that is enough for me. I would rather spend my time and energy toward helping Fisher rather than labeling him. Insurance won't cover anything with that diagnoses anyway so it seems it would be labeling for the sake of labeling.

I know it is said that you are never given more than you can handle and that everything happens for a reason and that this too shall pass...Enough with the cheesey cliches? Oy vay!! Enough already!! I'm ready to be given less than I can handle for once!! We will make it through this and the saying that I love right now more than any other is:
If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

On A Hiatus

2009-06-20T22:56:00.002+02:00

Sorry I have been gone for so long. I have a lot to post, but with school being out and a lot of personal changes happening, I don't have time right now. I hope to be back soon and fill everyone in on Connor and all we have been doing. Thanks for understanding.

Taking A Break...At Disney!

2009-03-30T13:53:00.006+02:00

Connor and I have been going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Dr. Miller's clinic for a couple of weeks now. We are going six days a week, twice a day, for an hour and a half each session. Connor has been a real trooper. He hasn't complained one time! The first day he was a little scared, but as soon as we got in, he realized it was ok and relaxed. He doesn't complain that we have to do nothing but drive back and forth and spend the entire day in the chamber. Since we decided to come here to Florida, I decided what a better way to reward Connor for his patience and good behavior than to take a day trip to Disney World!
For those of you who have read my blog before, know that we take a family trip every year to Disney World for Connor's birthday. I plan for MONTHS. I make meal reservations months in advance. I plan what order we are going to go on each ride. I plan, plan, plan.

When I decided to take just an overnight trip to Disney, I couldn't help but make breakfast reservations. I think it is essential to start a day at Disney with a full belly, gluten free, casein free, soy free...I made reservations at a fun character breakfast and Connor had a blast. It was such a great way to start the day. Since we didn't have anyone else with us this weekend we were free to run from ride to ride and not worry about anyone else. Connor is an adrenaline junky and loves the rides that go fast. We ran from fast ride to fast ride barely taking time to stop for a snack. I do know that if Connor doesn't stop and eat every 2-3 hours though, he will not last long behaviorally. I do have to get him to stop long enough to keep his blood sugar regulated.

The day went very smoothly. I have to say the key to success at Disney is not getting stressed. With the "autism pass" that Disney has, we are able to basically walk on to almost every ride. Even when it rained in the morning, Connor was a trooper and put on his poncho and kept on going. The only hitch in the day was lunch. I figured we would just go to one of the quick stop restaurants and grab a gluten free pizza with no cheese, or a hot dog with a gluten free bun, easy right? Not so much. I went to three quick stop restaurants that knew nothing about gluten free and offered to grill Connor a chicken breast. I said "No thank you, he can have a grilled chicken breast anywhere in the world. I want something special for him at Disney". I finally found a place that knew what they had that was gluten free right away. They were very nice and took the allergy very serious, but it takes 20-30 minutes of standing in the way at the pick up counter before our food was ready. Then when it was time to find a table, it was another stressful event to just find a table and two chairs. This experience reaffirmed my belief that a sit down meal at Disney is essential. It isn't any more expensive either. Our breakfast was the same price as our quick service meal, but the breakfast was relaxing and enjoyable. The lunch was stressful and frustrating.

People ask me all the time why we are such big Disney World people. I have to say, when you spend every day of your child's life trying to get the world to accept their differences, while striving to heal their little bodies, it is nice to go to a "magical place" where their differences are excepted and they are treated as special, in a good way. They have food that they can eat, just like everyone. They get a special pass that allows them to skip the lines and ride all the rides they want. When you see your child's face light up when they see the castle or when they recognize a song from a movie they know, it is worth anything in the world. Connor even went on a ride this time that he could never have gone on before. They have a ride in the Magic Kingdom, in Tomorrowland, called "Stitch's Great Escape". The ride is a nightmare for kids with autism. The ride is loud and has bright flashing lights, weird smells, weird noises, just weird and crazy in general. I hated the ride. Connor liked it.

At the end of the day, going to Disney just for the day was very rewarding for Connor. He had a blast. He ate "normal" food, rode awesome rides, and got to experience the "magic" of Disney. Aside from a few kinks (rain, lunch stress) it was a very successful day. I highly recommend going to Disney and allowing your child, and you to feel like your child's issues and the difficulties of life are put on hold, if only for the day...

Starting Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

2009-03-16T19:35:00.005+01:00

Today Connor and I started the new therapy. We traveled to Florida on Friday and are staying with our good friends (and amazing pastry chef) Aran and her family. I don't think I ever caught you up on the drama that took place about a month ago now.

I called the hyperbaric center in Fresno, California that we were going to be going to within a few weeks. The number had been disconnected. I found another number, a cell phone, and called. All the while thinking nothing could possibly be wrong. The young woman who answered the phone explained to me that they had just closed down the treatment center and were filing bankruptcy. I couldn't believe that not only had they closed, but no one called me! They put me in touch with another center that was good, but in Sacramento. I don't live in California and we were only going to Fresno because I have family there. I talked to the center in Sacramento and they were very knowledgeable, but even with a discount for my difficult situation, they were still going to charge four thousand dollars for the forty treatments we needed to get. That is $4000!! Not only was it very expensive for the therapy, but Connor and I were going to have to move into the Ronald McDonald house for the whole time we were there. I am sure the Ronald McDonald house is a life saver and is wonderful as an option for families with no other place to stay, but it is not ideal to be there by myself with just me and Connor for almost a month. I need a support system. That is when I went back to the drawing board.

I called my friend, Aran, nearly in a full fledged panic attack. She reminded me that there was a clinic not far from her house and that I should call that doctor and see if I could start going to that one. I reminded her how inconvenient it was going to be and how long we were going to have to be there, and she told me to "shut up ad book it". I called the doctor's office and talked to the doctor for over an hour about our requirements and our time table. He was extremely accommodating and insisted that he would do whatever we needed to make this work for us. He said he would open up the clinic to us on days off, and during lunch. He said he even offers significant discounts to family's with children with autism. It really was a no brainer. He was great about the time table, the price, and the location was good. So off we went to Florida...

Dr. Louis Miller in Lake Worth, FL

Gluten Free Tortillas

2009-03-04T17:00:00.000+01:00

Here is my latest find! Gluten free tortillas that actually act like a tortilla. They are soft and pliable and fold. I have never found a gluten free tortilla that heats up like a gluten-filled tortilla and still folds into a regular 'ol burrito. Give them a try! They come in dark and ivory teff...

They do contain soy, so be aware.

Avoiding OCDs

2009-03-02T21:00:00.000+01:00

Sorry I have been gone for so long. I have kinda been anti computer the last couple of weeks. I have been overwhelmed with life and kids and well, stuff and haven't had the desire to sit and surf and write on this blog the way I normally do. I have found that when I get overwhelmed I have to step back and simplify. Guilt got the best of me though and I wanted to write a bit about OCDs.

I have written many times about Connor's obsessive compulsive disorder. He has come a long way since he regressed at eighteen months. He was so compulsive that we were literally held hostage by what Connor would let us, and not let us do. He was the only one that was allowed to turn lights on or off. He was the only one that could turn the TV on or off, etc. When my eighty year old grandfather flushed his own toilet, Connor screamed for hours. It was very traumatic for my Papa.

Sometimes when I want to see how far he has come, I think about those times and how we had to walk on egg shells for so many years. Although Connor doesn't obsess about things like that anymore, he is still very rigid. He still likes to control things. He doesn't like to be wrong. He doesn't want people to disagree with him. He doesn't understand how people could have a different opinion either. He came home from school today and was very concerned that a boy in his class didn't like Mario from Super Mario Bros. Connor is obsessed with Mario. He wants to be Italian. He only wants to eat Italian food. He doesn't want to even hear his little sister watch Dora the Explorer because Dora speaks Spanish, not Italian. It is beyond a cute little character that Connor likes, it is a full blown obsession.

The Mario obsession caught me off guard. I didn't see it coming. I get so excited when Connor likes a character or a show like kids his age, that I didn't realize it had gone from a cute thing he likes, to an obsession. I just want him to like something the way other boys his age like things. I want him to want to watch a show like Spiderman, or play with the latest toy like Bakugan. I get so excited for this type of normality that I am blind to the progression past normal.

Obsessions work that way. They are sneaky. They don't just show up one day and are set in stone, usually. They creep up on you slowly. Connor will like to do something one way, and I think, "Why not?". We can do it that way. Then he wants to do it that way all week, and I think, "Sure". Then I try to do it a different way and he is overwhelmed. Unfortunately, once it is an obsession, the only way to get rid of it is through extinction. Extinction is when we just stop. Cold turkey. This is hard and can really interrupt your life, but so does autism. If we didn't stop Connor, cold turkey, from not letting us flush our own toilet, he would still be holding us hostage. We couldn't go outside of our house or have anyone come over. The older they get the more unsettling it is too. A two year old with issues get swept under the rug as a funny little thing they do when they are little. At nine years old, it is just plain weird.

Fortunately I can talk to Connor about this stuff now. I have told him about autism, sorta, and he doesn't want it. He wants to not have autism, or anything related to it, such as OCD. He started to pitch a fit yesterday about not saying goodbye to a friend of ours when they left our house. I could see the anxiety building. I told him he was obsessing and that it wasn't ok. He calmed right down. Some people don't think it is a good idea to talk to their kids about autism or OCD. They don't want them to feel labeled or "different". I can tell you that Connor already feels different whether he knows it is called autism or not. At least this way he knows what to call it. He also knows how to control it when I tell him that it is his autism that is making him do "XY or Z". He immediately calms down and internalizes what I tell him. It works for us. You have to find what is comfortable for you. For a long time we never used the word "autism" in front of Connor. Pretty soon I realized it would help him to know and not feel like he was just weird or different. Now he feels like he has something to work toward. He has something to fight against, so to speak.

Vaccines Cause Autism

2009-02-26T03:35:00.002+01:00

Dear Rescue Angels,

We would like to encourage you to reach out to your local markets news services to do a story on the recent press release that we emailed you about this morning.

Steps:
1.) Call the local show and ask for the news desk. You may want to try the health or the entertainment producers.

2.) Inform them that a family has won another landmark case against the government which conceded that vaccines cause their child's Pervasive Development Disorder (autism).

3.) Let them know that Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey have commented in the press release.

4.) Let them know that Robert Kennedy Jr and David Kirby have written articles for the Huffington Post.

5.) Let them know that Generation Rescue posted a full-page ad in USA today.

6.) Let them know the case information can be viewed on www.ageofautism.com

7.) Give them a copy of the press release

8.) Record their contact name, phone number and email address and send it to us at Mark Marking mmarking@generationrescue.org so we can keep them on our news alerts.

Thank you!

For convenience, here is the email we blasted this morning:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The News!
The government has conceded that vaccines cause autism.

Read the latest stories in the Huffington Post written by David Kirby and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. featuring the Banks family who recently won a landmark case against the government.

Take Action and Support David Kirby and RFK Jr.

Lets make this the most read article on the Huffington Post. Please read the article and offer David and Robert your words of praise and pass this information to everyone you know. Age of Autism should have the article up as well.

USA Today

To help spread the word of this tremendous victory, Generation Rescue has placed a powerfully written full-page ad in The USA Today, which hits the stands today, Wednesday, February 25th. Please purchase the paper and hang the ad proudly.

Generation Rescue - Press Release

Below is the press release that was issued to the media this morning. If you have any media contacts, please feel free to forward this to them with encouragement to tell this story.

Thank you for your support and efforts on this important day.

---

Government Again Concedes Vaccines Cause Autism

Mysterious Vaccine Court created in 1986 by the pharmaceutical industry, with the support of Congress, rules in favor of Bailey Banks against HHS.

Los Angeles - February 24, 2009 - Generation Rescue, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey's Los Angeles-based non-profit autism organization, today announced that the United States Government has once again conceded that vaccines cause autism. The announcement comes on the heels of the recently unsealed court case of Bailey Banks vs. HHS. The ruling states, "The Court found that Bailey would not have suffered this delay but for the administration of the MMR vaccine...a proximate sequence of cause and effect leading inexorably from vaccination to PDD [Autism]."

In a curious and hypocritical method of operation, the mysterious Vaccine Court not only protects vaccine makers from liability but supports a policy that has tripled the number of vaccines given to U.S. children - all after being made aware of the fact that these vaccines do, in fact, cause autism and repeatedly ruling in favor of families with children hurt by their vaccines.

"It was heartbreaking to hear about Bailey's story, but through this ruling we are gaining the proof we need to open the eyes of the world to the fact that vaccines do, in fact, cause autism," said Jenny McCarthy, Hollywood actress, autism activist, best-selling author and Generation Rescue board member. "Bailey Banks' regression into autism after vaccination is the same story I went through with my own son and the same story I have heard from thousands of mothers and fathers around the country. Our hope is that this ruling will influence decision and policy-makers to help the hundreds of thousands of children and families affected by this terrible condition."

Banks vs. HHS is the second known case where the Vaccine Court could not deny the overwhelming evidence showing vaccines caused a child's autism. The first was the case of Hannah Poling in March of 2008, where the court found in her favor and awarded her family compensation.

Jim Carrey, Hollywood legend and Generation Rescue board member, reacted to the news, "It seems the U.S. government is sending mixed messages by telling the world that vaccines don't cause autism, while, at the same time, they are quietly managing a separate 'vaccine court' that is ruling in favor of affected families and finding that vaccines, in fact, were the cause. For most of the autism community the question is no longer whether vaccines caused of their child's autism. The question is why is their government only promoting the rulings that are in favor of the vaccine companies."

Why is a secret court, which no one knows about or understands, quietly paying these families for vaccine injuries and autism? Deirdre Imus, Generation Rescue board member and founder of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology says, "Over the past 20 years, the vaccine court has dispensed close to $2 billion in compensation to families whose children were injured or killed by a vaccine. I am not against vaccines and my own child has been vaccinated. But, I share the growing concerns of many parents questioning the number of vaccines given to children today, some of the toxic ingredients in vaccines, and whether we know enough about the combination risks associated with the multiple vaccines given to children during critical developmental windows."

To help spread the word of the Banks ruling, Generation Rescue also bought a full-page ad that will run in the USA Today on 02/25/2009, which has a daily circulation of 2,272,815.

Generation Rescue seeks to answer these questions and many more on a daily basis as they fight for the truth and to recover children with autism around the world. To learn more please visit www.generationrescue.org, write to media@generationrescue.com

About Generation Rescue
Generation Rescue is an international movement of scientists, physicians and parent-volunteers researching the causes and treatments for autism and helping thousands of children begin biomedical treatment.

Contact:
Peter Nilsson, President, Performance Public Relations for Generation Rescue
858.880.5466 x227 and peter@performpr.com

www.GenerationRescue.org | 19028 Ventura Blvd., Suite 219 | Tarzana | CA | 91356

Going Skiing

2009-02-03T01:31:00.006+01:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but I had an issue with my computer and had to send it into a repair shop, leaving me without a computer for a couple weeks. It is amazing how often I use the computer in just one day. I don't know how I functioned before a computer and high speed internet.

Connor went to a ski camp a year ago that specializes in working with children with autism. He really took to it and was zooming down the mountain in no time. Since then it has been difficult to find time to take him skiing again. We have actually had quite a good amount of snow (powder) on the slopes this year and I wanted to take advantage of it.

Connor doesn't do well when competing in team sports, so I haven't put him in any team sports like soccer or t-ball, but I didn't want to keep him from athletics as a whole. I decided to go with his strengths and focus on individual sports. In the summer Connor takes swimming lessons and continues to get stronger and more coordinated. After we leave swimming lessons I always tell people that I think Connor is going to be the next Michael Phelps. I know that is just a proud mama talking, but it wasn't long ago that Connor couldn't stand for long periods of time without falling from poor muscle strength. Now he is fairly coordinated and even though he is still very skinny, he is actually pretty strong.

Connor took right to the slopes. He loves being outdoors. He would rather ski all day with no break than anything else. I had a hard time keeping up with his pace and even his speed. He had no fear. He went pretty much straight down the mountain. I had to remind him to make an "S" and use the whole width of the mountain, but he wanted to stay up with his snowboarding dad.

Sometimes I underestimate my kids. I think that you have to be older and more experienced to do things when in reality they are more able and less fearful to do something new than most adults. When I see Connor skiing, or swimming, or body surfing, I know that as an adult he is going to be an outdoor guy who loves to be active. Maybe if his conversation skills aren't the best, he will still make friends with other people that also like to be outdoors and active.

Technical Difficulties

2009-01-26T17:08:00.003+01:00

I have been having some problems with my computer, so please excuse my absence from this blog. I will be back soon, I promise.

Thank you!

Sick About This

2009-01-09T20:45:00.005+01:00

I was doing my usual web surfing today trying to find some new, fun food for the family when I came across a reference to this article by the Chicago Tribune. For anyone who's children have serious issues with gluten and you thought you were giving them safe, gluten free food, think again. Read this article and listen to the President of Wellshire Foods not even apologize for poisoning our children knowingly. It makes me sick, and it probably made MANY children sick and their parents had no idea why.

Throw away any Wellshire Farms dino chicken nuggets, chicken and beef corn dogs. They aren't making any more for a while, but stores are still selling the gluten containing ones. Even after Whole Foods knew, it still took them at least a month to remove the gluten containing items. They were going to blame the manufacturer instead of protecting their customers.

Please join me in voicing your concern to Whole Foods and especially Wellshire Farms for knowingly selling these products labeled "gluten free" knowing all along they contained up to 2200 part per million of gluten. It is nothing short of negligence.

Wellshire Farms

Whole Foods Market

Trying Something New

2009-01-09T18:07:00.004+01:00

Recently I decided that we would try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) while on Valtrex. We are gradually trying some of the foods they recommend on that diet while eliminating most of the food they don't allow on the diet. The biggest thing is to eliminate starches. While we haven't eliminated them altogether yet, we have significantly reduced them. I also read that kids on the SCD diet are trying goat milk products with success. I read a lot of parent testimonies on the fears they had before trying the goat milk, but that ultimately they chose to try.

I have to say that we have been healing Connor's gut for almost eight years, and that the choice to try anything new is something every parent must listen to their instincts and trust their gut to know if it is going to be right for their child. I listen to my gut a lot, especially when it comes to Connor and what to try and when to try it. This time my gut said it was time to try the goat milk products and watch closely to see if it is going to be a good decision for Connor. I would not suggest trying any "dairy" with your ASD child unless you have done significant gut healing and have been gfcfsf for at least nine months to know if the child can tolerate the new food. The reason I say nine months is because until the gluten is fully out of their system, their body might not register if it doesn't like the goat milk products.

Having made the decision to add in some goat milk products, my husband decided to make a casserole with the goat cheese on top. We didn't tell Connor about the added ingredient to make it more of a "blind study". We have been watching for three days now, which is more than enough time to notice a reaction to "dairy", and still no sign of any issues. He is having a great week at school, and is very clear with no OCD issues at home. So far so good...

Please look into the SC diet if you are interested in learning more. It has helped a lot of kids on the spectrum. I also want to note that goat milk products don't taste like cow milk products. Goat milk is much easier to digest and is very similar to human breast milk, but just be prepared for a stronger smell and taste than cow milk products. All three of my kids and my husband love goat cheese, milk, butter and even yogurt. I however, can't even smell goat products. Don't spend a lot of money and time using goat stuff without knowing if you like it.

Pecanbread.com is the official website for SCD and autism.

Breaking The Viscous Cycle is the official website of the original diet, not specifically for autism.

Connor's New Favorite Breakfast

2009-01-08T22:11:00.002+01:00

For years Connor was content with the fact that he couldn't have oatmeal. He had never had it, and therefore didn't miss it. He watched his brother eat it often, since it is his brother's favorite breakfast meal. Connor has an ability to not want things he can't have. I don't know if it is because he knows that these foods hurt him, or if he doesn't treat food as a reward as much as most of us do. He likes food, but he doesn't use food as anything but food. I envy him often for not knowing or caring what amazing foods are out there that he can't have.

Oats have always been an issue for people who can't tolerate gluten. Oats, in fact, do not contain gluten. However, because of farming practices in this country, oats and wheat are usually processed together. Therefore gluten sensitive people could never have oats because of cross contamination with wheat. Recently, there have been a few farms who have changed their usual practice to allow oats to remain uncontaminated. You can now find certified gluten free oats in specialty stores and on the internet.

This week we tried oatmeal for Connor. He was skeptical at first since he knew oatmeal was not safe for him in the past. He asked several times if we were sure that this oatmeal was gluten free. The directions for "quick cooking" are to leave one part oats with two parts water in a bowl overnight and then to either stove-top cook it or microwave it the next morning. After cooking the oats the next morning, we added some fresh blackberries and a drizzle of honey. My husband made a very large serving and Connor ate the whole bowl. We asked him later what his favorite breakfast it, and he said "Oatmeal!".

That day at school he was slightly quiet with no behavioral issues. If anyone is going to try the certified gluten free oats for anything, remember that they are not instant and do need to be soaked. I bet these will be good in a cobbler...

Gluten Free Oats Website
Cream Hill Estates Gluten Free Oats

Back From Paradise

2009-01-03T21:40:00.000+01:00

Well, we are back. We are unpacked and the boys are playing with their new toys "HO HO" got them for Christmas. "The girl" is running around the house screeching about every toy in the house as if it is the first time she has ever seen them. Coming home is bitter sweet since we had such a wonderful trip. Mexico was amazing and the weather couldn't have been better, but it was the time we got to spend with family and friends that made it truly memorable.

We stayed in a small, rural area about two hours north of Puerta Vallarta. My parents fell in love with the area as soon as they saw it and decided to build their ocean-front dream home. They really have put their heart and soul into creating an amazing place. They also have a wonderful group of friends who live around them that make living there even more special.

Connor and his siblings really were spoiled at Honey and Papa's. They got to go to the beach every day, play in the pool and have hot cocoa while watching the sun set. Where we live in Colorado we don't get a sunset, so it makes it even more amazing to see the beauty of the sky and the sun as it goes "Night Night" into the ocean. My dad, "Papa" made lattes for everyone every night including Connor's hemp milk "latte". My mom, "Honey" even made a special hot cocoa for Connor using a special Mexican chocolate and hemp milk. We always gauged the time based on the location of the sun in the sky since we never wore a watch. This was a bit difficult for Connor a few times because one of Connor's biggest OCD's is his obsession with time.

I was a bit worried about the food aspect of going to another country and not having direct access to familiar food for Connor. I knew we were going to be in a rural area and that finding specialty food would be impossible. I also knew though that my mom had been stocking up on "Connor food" for months in preparation for our trip. Plus, Mexican food is one of the only ethnic food that is fairly easy for Connor to eat. Tacos, beans, rice are pretty much a staple at Mexican food restaurants and all easy for Connor to eat. Terry, my parents housekeeper went above and beyond making food safe for Connor every day. The language barrier was a bit of an issue initially since Terry only speaks Spanish and my Spanish is quite rusty, but she was very caring and eager to learn. She made everything from scratch using local ingredients that were fresh and organic. Connor never seemed to tire of refried beans though. No matter what else was made, Connor would always have a big plate of freshly made beans and corn tortillas.

Christmas in Mexico was an experience. I was able to learn about the local traditions, see beautiful pinatas being made, and hear from Terry about what they will eat for Christmas. In the end, it is always about the food. Ho Ho (Santa) even found us. The boys were a bit worried that he wouldn't find us in Mexico at first. Then they had fun trying to figure out if he would still ride his sleigh in Mexico or ride on one of the many whales that swim right outside of Casa Lagarto.

The kids had so much fun spending time outside all day. If they weren't in the pool, they were at one of the local beaches. We collected sea shells, and they took turns burying each other in the sand. They learned to boogy board and body surf. It was an amazing experience to watch their enjoyment. Connor loves being outside and being active. He has very few difficult behaviors as long as he is busy. Connor even taught himself a little "household Spanish". He gave a few lessons to all of us one evening out of a book my parents had. He told us that he was the teacher and no one was allowed to help or correct his gringo accent. He even talked to Terry whenever he could.

It was nice to spend time with our friends Aran and her family and see her son play with our little girl. Aran gave a few baking lessons and even though I don't enjoy cooking myself, I love watching and of course eating. My grandfather, we named "Papa Grande", was able to make it as well. We all love having him with us and seeing him with my children was wonderful. More life long memories were made and he reminded us of how powerful memories are. We would have all loved to have my grandmother there, but she is always felt. We even saw a hummingbird a few times to remind us that she will always be with us.

I just want to thank my parents for allowing us to share that time with them in their wonderful Mexican paradise. They are very generous people who spare no expense for the ones they love. My mom had been planning the trip for almost a year and it was apparent by the amount of care that went into everything.

My friend Aran said that her resolution for this year is going to be to live in the moment. I couldn't agree more. We only get a small time on this planet and even less time with the people we love. Between work and the stresses of family and obligations, it is the small beautiful moments that make it all worthwhile.

Have a wonderful 2009.

Getting Ready for Mexico

2008-12-12T21:41:00.004+01:00

This Christmas is going to be a first for us. My entire family is flying down to Mexico for Christmas. We are all going to stay at my parents house, Casa Lagarto. My parents took my boys down to their house last spring break, but this will be a first for the baby, my husband and myself. When I say my entire family is going, I mean EVERYONE. I'm not excited yet since I am still plugging away getting things done before we leave. My parents have been stocking up on food for Connor to eat at their house for sometime. They also don't eat a lot of food down there that is not "Connor friendly". They have a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and corn tortillas. They eat a lot of fresh seafood and beans too. Whatever they can't get locally, my parents buy from the Puerta Vallarta Costco. Yes, there is even one down there. It makes getting diapers and such easier for us.

Next Blog Post: A Casa Lagarto Christmas!

Have a great Christmas Everyone! See you soon.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-12T21:07:00.004+01:00

I realized recently that I never wrote about Thanksgiving. We had a great day spending time with family. We all decided this year to not cook. None of us were particularly interested in hosting this year and spending a lot of time and money to make a bunch of food that would barely get eaten. Instead we met my family at a restaurant for lunch and met with my husband's family for dinnertime snacks.

Connor is really into seafood right now. Since Disney World, Connor has only wanted to eat seafood. He asks all the time if I will make crab legs or shrimp for dinner. Since I don't eat seafood (nothing from the sea) that has been quite a challenge.

The restaurant where we had lunch was a buffet and traditionally buffets are a nightmare for us. There is very seldom anything without gluten or dairy for Connor, and the contamination factor is huge. I called the restaurant first thing in the morning and asked about the menu. I spoke to the manager who informed me that all the seafood would be plain, without butter or anything else. There was going to be plenty of fruit and meats also. I would always ask to speak to either the manager or the chef directly. I always stress the allergy and ask for specific dishes that would be safe. If there are no choices available for Connor, I would just bring as much of his own food from home as possible. The nice thing about this particular restaurant was that the seafood was in a different area than the other food. The fruit and meats were also all separate from things like bread or cheese. It was nice and easy. Connor had a good time and loved his crab legs! It was a nice way to spend a holiday. With no clean-up either...

It has begun...

2008-11-24T03:22:00.002+01:00

I started Connor on Valtrex yesterday. He immediately starting letting out toxic smells. He was off but nothing major. Today, on the other hand, was pretty major.

Connor has OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. I feel like most of what makes him different is linked to his OCD. When he was little, two or three years old, we were living in fear that anything we did could lead (and usually did) to a major meltdown. We couldn't turn on or off any lights. We couldn't turn the TV on or off...so on. We couldn't even flush our own toilet. My grandfather made the mistake one time of flushing the toilet with Connor around. My grandfather still carries that baggage. It isn't pretty. Connor would be fixated on it and would want you to undo the act. Of course we couldn't undo some things and really couldn't or we would be feeding into the obsession. Connor hasn't behaved like this in years, until today.

Today I saw so many of these behaviors return. He wouldn't let me put his bowl on the table. He wanted me to do it a certain way. When I refused, he snapped. After an hour of screaming irrationally for an hour, I finally had to put pressure on his torso. I learned about this from Temple Gradin in a conference one year. She is an adult with high functioning autism, and she talks about pressure and how it soothes the brain when "short circuiting". It kind of "reboots" his system. He is still off, but nothing like before.

I have to say, as much as I hate going through this, and hate Connor having to go through this, I hope this means he is "a responder". Stan Kurtz talks about the first week being the worst. I just focus on what will hopefully come out of this and am glad Connor is on Thanksgiving break.

Autism Warriors

2008-11-21T17:33:00.004+01:00

I have to pass on a great news site devoted to autism. It is a very informative site and the writers, I believe, are all (or most) parents of autistic children.

http://www.ageofautism.com/

I think we all need to become aware of a serious issue going on with the Somalian immigrants living in Minnesota. The rates of autism in their children are 1 in 28 children! Yes, I will repeat that, 1 in 28 children! I know the national rates of autism is supposedly 1 in 150, which is an extremely conservative number, but 1 in 28?! The government is dragging their feet (no surprise) to gather data to try and figure out why these particular people, in this particular place, are seeing such catastrophically high numbers. Please read in more detail about this story and the fight ahead for these people at these great sites:

http://www.ageofautism.com/

http://adventuresinautism.blogspot.com/

I also want to mention a fight going on between a great autism advocate, JB Handley and the man I refer to as Da Devil (He da devil) Paul Offit. Please go to Age of Autism and read about the lies DD is spewing now. He has even written a book talking about us "parasites" and how we are ruining the world. I hate to type the title, but I think most of you will enjoy the irony, Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure. Only Da Devil would consider a cure for autism wrong. By the way, for those wondering who DD is, he is the "brilliant VACCINE INVENTOR" who is mentoring Amanda Peet and encouraging her fight against Jenny McCarthy and other "parasite" parents like me.

Visiting the Doc

2008-11-07T17:21:00.005+01:00

Yesterday Connor had his first doctor's appointment in years. He doesn't get sick, and traditional doctors aren't very knowledgeable about autism, so there is never a reason to go. I decided a couple weeks ago to go back to our DAN! (defeat autism now!) doctor to see what was new with DAN! and to get a new perspective. Connor is doing so amazing, but he is not recovered. He is still awkward with peers and gets obsessive about topics. I was very interested to see what the doctor would say after seeing Connor. Our DAN! doctor has been our doctor since the beginning. We were one of his first autistic patients in his practice. He didn't know a lot about autism back then, but decided to dedicate his practice to treating kids with autism.

He had a couple of new ideas that I had thought of a few years ago and never pursued. Since many of our kids have viral issues, we are going to test for viruses. In Jenny McCarthy's latest book, "Mother Warriors" several parents talk about how much their child improved after addressing viruses. Please consult your DAN! doctor if you are interested in more information on getting rid of viruses. (check out Stan Kurtz's info at TACA)

We also talked about Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments. Our DAN! doc has done a lot of research into HBOT and feels that it is a great treatment for autism. He had also traveled to Fresno and visited the facility that we are going to go to in March. He was impressed with the facility. We are going to do some testing to ensure maximum benefits from HBOT.

I always feel like you need to go back and readdress things that didn't make it on your plate before. One great way to do this is to keep a journal. I always tell new moms just starting biomedical or ABA treatments with their kid's to write everything down. Sometimes years later you will finally get to something. We are always going down a path, and sometimes we find a fork in the road. Sometimes we go left and sometimes we go right. That path takes us down another path...and so on. We need to go back now and again and readdress the other direction, the path we didn't choose. Sometimes it just wasn't the right time.

We are going to do some new testing. I will let you know how it goes, and what path we decide to go down...

Our Trip to Disney

2008-11-05T20:00:00.014+01:00

My family and I returned from our week-long vacation to Disney World. This year was the best family trip we have had. My parents decided to join us for four days this year. They are a lot of fun to have with us, and the kids love having their "Honey" and "Papa" with them. Our great friends, Aran and Chad also drove up to meet us. It is great to see them and their little one, Jon. Connor also had his best trip ever. He was much calmer and more in the moment then he has ever been on a trip. He wasn't consumed with what was next, or overwhelmed by all the excitement as much as usual. He did have a couple moments, but by far he did great.

I must say that going to Disney World with my family is a really fun thing. To be able to go into any restaurant and say we have a gluten, dairy, and soy allergy and still be able to eat fun, new and tasty food is amazing. Connor never had to go without or not have what everyone else was having. We wanted ice cream the first day and sure enough the ice cream stand at Animal Kingdom had gluten free rice dream ice cream. I highly suggest becoming acquainted with what the parks carry that is gluten, and dairy free. If you call or email any of the parks special allergy staff, they will send you a list of every park and what they carry. They even have links to the product websites so you can read the ingredients and become acquainted with the brand.

I did a couple of things this year that I think were helpful. The first thing I did was have every park mapped out for Connor. He and I sat down and decided what rides we were going on and when. He loves roller coasters, so I knew we had to get to those first. Also, I made meal reservations at sit down restaurants (as apposed to the quick service places) so that we could all relax a bit and not be rushed to find a table or to eat. The prices are a bit more, but if you budget for at least one sit down restaurant a day it is worth it. Depending on the park, time of year, and restaurant, you will want to make reservations at these places as soon as possible.

Another reason Disney World is such a great trip for us is because of the special needs pass. This is a pass they give people with special issues like people in wheelchairs or people with autism. Waiting in line is the number one reason people tell me they don't want to try a place like Disney. I will tell you that the day we went to Magic Kingdom, we had a big sit down breakfast in the park (Crystal Palace Character Breakfast) and took a lot of breaks, and we still rode every ride, and some twice, before our six o'clock dinner reservations.

I can not say enough about the food at the parks. Connor is so use to having a hamburger with no bun at every restaurant, that he goes crazy in the restaurants at Disney. Disney also takes food allergies very serious. The chef comes out at every restaurant to to talk about the allergies and discuss food options. One of Connor's favorite dinners was in Epcot at Japan's Tempenyaki restaurant. First the manager came out and talked about the allergies, then the chef cleaned the grill really well, then she cooked Connor's food in front of us first. He is on a seafood kick right now so he got the kid's shrimp meal. She cooked his shrimp and veggies in front of us on the big grill tempenyaki style. He loved it!

Connor celebrated his birthday while on vacation. We actually plan it that way every year. October is one of the slower times a year, so we plan our trip to coincide with his birthday and Halloween. This year, Connor chose to go to Hollywood studios for his birthday. We have never been huge fans of this park in the past, but this year we loved it. I made reservations for breakfast at a Little Einsteins character breakfast for that morning. Connor danced with the characters and had a great breakfast. We had dinner at a place were you sit in cars and watch old sci-fi movie clips like in a drive-in. The food there isn't the best, but Connor gets a rice milk shake, so it is cool. We also had a birthday cake for him. I ordered it about a week in advance. I told them the allergies and that was it!! They did a wonderful job. Connor also got a "It's My Birthday" button with his name on it, so every time a staff member walked by they would say "Happy Birthday Connor". I can't tell you how amazing it was to see the look on his face. He really felt special...in a good way.

Disney does not skimp on anything. My husband and I always say that it is in the details. They really made our life easier for the week we were there. If you have a chance to go, please do. I would recommend staying on Disney. They have great transportation that takes you anywhere on Disney's grounds. Not having to get a rental car saves on the stress and the budget. We are already talking about next year. I am already saving for our trip. I don't want it to be a financial burden, so we use airline miles and start saving the moment we get back.

Our next trip is Mexico for Christmas. My entire family is going to my parents home in Mexico for Christmas. Even my Papa is going to make it. We are looking forward to that. Connor is using that trip as a way to focus. Check out my mom's new blog too www.casalagarto.blogspot.com

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

2008-10-17T20:13:00.007+02:00

I fully believe things come to you when you are ready. I had heard about hbo therapy (hyperbaric oxygen) about two or three years ago. At that time I was overwhelmed with all the other biomedical things we were doing and working with the school, so I didn't really do a lot of looking into it. Recently I started to feel like there was something out there that was "calling" me. After ready Jenny McCarthy's latest book "Mother Warriors" I realized what it was. Several of the parents in her book mentioned HBO therapy and how much it helped their kids. I knew I needed to find out more about why it works and what the protocol entailed.

I know in my gut that this is right for Connor. There is a definite protocol in place and the safety rate is outstanding. So I started calling local HBOT centers. I heard from all of them that autism is not something they treat and that no one in Colorado would risk treating my son because it would be considered "off label". When I finally talked with the last HBOT center that I had a number for in Denver, a technician heard my sh peel and then, as all the other centers had done, he denied my plea. I then kinda lost my cool and began to rant about the ridiculousness of the bureaucracy of these clinics and how my son could be really helped but because of these stupid rules he wont have the chance. He then asked if he could put me on hold, so I figured he was just dishing me off to someone else, but instead he got back on the phone and began to whisper. He said if it were him he would find a "stand alone" center that was not connected to a hospital. He warned to find a reputable clinic that had trained personnel and not be fooled by people pawning off their equipment. He talked about the risks of renting one and that out of state would probably be my best option. It was a relief to actually have someone talk (or in this case whisper) to me fairly openly instead of just another "no". I felt reinvigorated that this was the right path for me and for Connor.

I found a clinic in Denver (about two hours away) that treats autistic children. It is a stand alone clinic, meaning it isn't connected to a hospital. The problem with this particular clinic is that they know they have a monopoly for desperate parents like me, therefore they charge three times what they should charge. I made it clear to them that I would not be paying that price and they said, "Good luck out of state then".

I had almost given up hope that I would find a clinic that I could afford to go to and that would work with us "off-label" people.

I found an amazing clinic in the LA area that have some pretty amazing and famous autism professionals working at the clinic. One of the doctors is Dr. Kartzinel, Jenny McCarthy's son Evan's doctor. This clinic looks amazing and the price is the lowest of all I have found. Please look into it if you have the chance. www.californiahyperbarics.com

In our case we are actually going to go to a clinic in Fresno, California. The reason I decided to do this is because I have lots of family and friends in Fresno and this clinic looks wonderful. The owners opened this clinic because of their own journey with their autistic child. They traveled all around California, and the country doing biomedical treatments for him. They wanted to spare other parents and children the financial hardship of having to travel all around the country to get hbot and other biomedical treatments. This clinic is also associated with the Ronald McDonald house. Please check out this clinic also if you are in the area. HOPE Hyperbaric Treatment Center

We are planning on trying HBOT this spring break. I don't want Connor to miss too much school and we will be there three weeks. The protocol is forty sessions with most people seeing some improvement around twenty sessions. Most clinics will do two sessions a day with four hours separation between sessions. Please look into this treatment later in your biomedical protocols. I think things like this do so much more after the gut and "bugs" are addressed. In fact, the doctor we use, Dr. Amy Yasko advises doing it in her stage three. Basically after addressing methylation and gut issues.

More info: Hyperbaric Healing Institute
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a method of administering pure oxygen at greater than atmospheric pressure to a patient in order to improve or correct conditions. By providing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber we are able to deliver 10-15 times more oxygen then if delivered at sea level or at normal atmospheric levels. Some of the effects this has are to promote the growth of new blood vessels, decreases swelling and inflammation, deactivates toxins, increase the body’s ability to fight infections, clears out toxins and metabolic waste products, and improve the rate of healing. HBOT should be used to compliment conventional therapies and treatments.

Wish us luck...

From the Archives... Chocolate Molten Cake

2008-10-14T11:10:00.000+02:00

I made this chocolate dessert a few months ago and thought it would be a good addition to Jill's blog. It is great as an elegant dessert but it can also be a great dessert for kids. I served it with vanilla flavored rice milk ice cream and the kids loved it. Very, very simple.

Just a note regarding the non-hydrogenated shortening. The only one that we have found that is soy free is made from palm oil (Spectrum sells a good one). However, if soy is not a concern, I recommend you use the butter flavored non hydrogenated shortenings that is sold usually in the refrigerated isle, next to butter. If dietary restrictions allow it, this is my preference.

Gluten, Dairy and Soy Free Chocolate Molten Cakes

4 oz non-hydrogenated shortening
6 oz gluten, dairy and soy free chocolate chips
2 organic eggs
2 organic egg yolks
2 oz sugar
3/4 oz organic white rice flour
pinch of sea salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar and whip until very thick and pale. In the meantime, melt the shortening and the chocolate chips together over a double boiler.

Add the shortening and chocolate mixture to the whipped eggs while the mixer is on low speed. Once all the chocolate is added, turn mixer back to high for about 10 seconds so it's all well mixed.

Fold in the rice flour and the sea salt. Pour batter into 4-oz greased molds and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. The outside of the cake will be baked but the center will stay slightly soft and gooey.

Let the cakes rest in the molds for a few minutes until they cool down enough to handle and then flip them onto a plate. These are best served warm with ice cream.

THESE MOMS SHARE SPECIAL GIFTS

2008-10-09T20:12:00.004+02:00

THESE MOMS SHARE SPECIAL GIFTS
by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures, and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger. 'Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint Matthew. Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint Cecelia. Rudledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity.' Finally he passes a name to an angel and smiles, 'Give her a handicapped child.'

The angel is curious, 'Why this one, God? She's so happy.'

'Exactly,' says God. 'Could I give a handicapped child a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel.'

'But has she patience?' asks the angel.

'I don't want her to have too much patience, or she will drown in a sea of self pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make him live in her world, and that's not going to be easy.'

'But, Lord, I don't think that she even believes in you.'

God smiles, 'No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness.'

The angel gasps, 'Selfishness? Is that a virtue?'

God nods, 'If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says Momma for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations.'

'I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side.'

'And what about her patron saint?' asks the angel, pen poised in midair.

God smiles, 'A mirror will suffice.'

Preparing For Disney

2008-10-06T05:06:00.000+02:00

Every year for the past four years we have taken Connor to Disney World for his birthday. I know this seems a bit extreme but after we went the first time we fell in love with the experience. Connor is a bit of an adrenaline junky. He loves roller coasters. He loves rides in general. He loves rides most adults cringe at going on. Luckily for him though his mama loves those rides too. Also while visiting Disney World the first time, we found out how easy it is to eat in the Disney owned restaurants. They take food allergies seriously and try to have fun kid friendly food that is safe for all kinds of allergies. We kinda feel like a rock star because the chef always comes out to talk to us and walk us through what is safe and what they can make especially for us to fit our allergies. They even have ice cream and brownies for dessert! They have dinner rolls at almost all of their restaurants. Connor NEVER gets to have bread at a restaurant so this is especially cool for him.

Our friends (and blog contributor) Aran and her family live in Florida so it is nice to meet them also and enjoy a few days with them. It is a nice break from the cold Colorado winter.

As most of you probably already know, Disney also has a pass for special needs that allows you to basically skip the lines. This is an amazing thing to have! I would trade standing in the long lines any day of the week to take away Connor's autism, but since that isn't an option right now, I will take the no wait at Disney World. It is like having a "fast pass" for every line, so it doesn't really mean no wait, but a significantly shorter wait.

We have it planned to go not only during Connor's birthday, but also Halloween. Halloween has never been a great "holiday" for us since the entire day revolves around candy. Connor has never been able to eat any of the candy he gets from trick or treating or the party at his school. One year the town we live in gave out apples for Halloween from the grocery store. Connor was thrilled since he knew he could have apples. At Disney World they have an even for Halloween called the "Not So Scary Halloween Party". It is a fun way to experience the dressing up part of Halloween and not worrying as much about the candy part of it. We let the boys get candy at the designated areas just for fun, but we trade them for non candy treats later.

Having said all of that, I will tell you that planning this trip every year is an event for me. You can't just walk into the restaurants at Disney World without a reservation. You have to call sometimes up to six months ahead of time to get into some of the more popular places. If there are characters involved, you need to plan at least six months out for it. Also, every year Connor fixates on the next thing we are going to do. He isn't even off of the ride and he is asking what we are going to do next. This is very frustrating since he can't even enjoy the ride we are on. This year I hope I have solved that dilemma by making a schedule on an index card so he can always know what is next. Having a schedule at school has worked really well, so I thought it made perfect sense to try it at Disney World. For some people this might take away the fun and spontaneity of the experience, but for us it is just another way we can take away Connor's anxiety and give him some reassurances.

I am looking forward to our trip and will post pictures and a few stories about how everyone liked the trip in a few weeks. I recommend going to anyone looking for a fun, kid friendly, allergy free vacation, with minimal waiting in line too!

I can have yogurt?!!

2008-10-03T04:22:00.004+02:00

Yes, it is true, they have come out with a dairy free, soy free, gluten free yogurt. I was picking up a couple of things with the baby today at Safeway and saw a new yogurt in the organic food section. When I read the ingredients I couldn't believe what I was reading. The milk that was used was coconut milk. It clearly states on the label that it is soy and dairy free. Gluten free was missing on the label so I figured it was too good to be true. Once I looked it up on-line, it explains why they don't include the verbiage "gluten free". It is in fact gluten free though.

Connor was skeptical that he wasn't allergic. He said he was afraid that it had gluten. He didn't want to taste it yet. I am not a big fan of yogurt myself, but I tasted it and it was pretty darn good. It doesn't have any coconut taste. I would be surprised if anyone could tell the difference between this and cow milk yogurt.

So Delicious® Coconut Milk Yogurt
Dairy Free Lactose Free
Soy Free
Rich in Medium Chain Fatty Acids
Excellent source of Vitamin B12 (vegetarian friendly)
Formulated for maximum calcium absorption
Contains Pre- and Probiotics for enhanced intestinal health
Cholesterol Free
No Trans Fats
Certified Vegan

INGREDIENTS: WATER, COCONUT MILK, BLUEBERRIES, ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, PECTIN, CHICORY ROOT EXTRACT, DEXTROSE, NATURAL FLAVORS, ALGIN (KELP EXTRACT), MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, RICE STARCH, LOCUST BEAN GUM, AGAR, CULTURE, CARRAGEENAN, GUAR GUM, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, VITAMIN B12.
Live Active Cultures include: L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Plantarum, L. Rhamnosus, L. Paracasei and Bif. Lactus

"On a journey to get my autism out"

2008-09-29T02:24:00.004+02:00

I just wanted to post about a cute thing that happened today.

My parents have been staying at their house in Mexico for the last couple of weeks and while they were gone both of my boys lost a tooth. I was telling my mom how excited they were about losing teeth and having a visit from the tooth fairy so she said she would call later to talk to the boys. When she called she asked Connor how he was doing and what he had been up to while she was gone. Connor started telling her about his journey. She asked what journey he was talking about and Connor responded, "my journey to get my autism out".

He saw the name on my blog one day and figured it was something fun. He started asking about journeys and what they mean. I didn't think much of it at the time since I didn't know he had seen the blog name. He started saying he was on an adventure, or a voyage, an odysey or an excursion. I still didn't catch on to the connection with the blog name. I have told him in the past that a doctor accidentaly gave him bad medicine and that we are trying to fix it. I want him to know that there is a reason he has to take all those pills and why he sometimes gets overwhelmed.

When I asked what his journey to get his autism out meant, he replied, "I'm going to get the bad medicine out and then my autism with be gone". Somehow hearing him say it, I knew he could.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Crackers with Pear, Fig and Vanilla Bean Jelly and Baked Pear Flan

2008-09-27T01:47:00.000+02:00

Although I am no expert in gluten free baking, I have managed many times to bake gluten free cakes and cookies, but this was my first attempt at baking yeast breads using gluten free flours. I have to admit it was a challenge and it took three trials to get to these crackers that you see in the photos. It is a very simple recipe but I couldn't get the consistency right the first two times.

The trick to getting a thin cracker is to roll it as thin as possible, almost like paper. The first two doughs were tough so rolling them became a challenge. The baked crackers were rather thick and hard. Finally, for the third batch, I added a bit more water to see if a softer dough would be easier to roll. And there it was, worked like a charm.

To accompany the crackers, I made a pear, fig and vanilla bean jelly and also a baked pear custard. For the custard in these photos, I used cow's milk (I am not of an dairy free diet), but it works the same with rice, hemp or coconut milk.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Graham Crackers

1 1/2 cups gluten free baking mix (used Bob's Red Mill all purpose mix)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 Tbs agave nectar
1 Tbs vegetable oil
3 to 4 oz water, at room temperature
Ground cinnamon
Sugar

In a mixing bowl, stir together the baking mix, salt, instant yeast, agave nectar, oil and 3 oz of water. Mix well and slowly add the remaining 1 oz of water, if needed. Shape into a ball and place it in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough ferment for 90 minutes. It can also be placed in the refrigerator overnight retarding the fermentation (I chose to retard the dough this way).

Lay out two sheets of parchment paper or silicon mats. Divide the dough in half and place the dough between the sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is paper thin and about 15" x 12". Peel away the parchment on top and place the dough on a sheetpan. Spray the surface with cooking spray and sprinkle cinnamon sugar and top.

Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes or until brown. Let them cool before serving.

Pear Flan

250 ml rice milk, hemp milk or coconut milk
3 eggs
60 grams sugar
Half a pear, thinly sliced

Whisk together the eggs and the sugar. Slowly add in the milk and whisk until thoroughly combined. Strain through a fine sieve and pour the custard in your ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking sheet or deep baking dish and add some hot water to go up about an inch high. Bake at 300F for about 25 minutes, but it will depend on the size of the ramekins. The center should still jiggle a little but the rest should be set. Let them cool for a bit and store in the refrigerator.

Pear, Fig and Vanilla Bean Jam

2 pints of green figs, quartered
2 medium sized Bartlett pears, medium diced
1 lb sugar
Juice of half a lemon
1 vanilla bean split

Wash the figs, pat them dry and cut the stems off. Cut them into quarters and place them in a ceramic bowl. Dice the pears and add them to the bowl. Add the lemon juice, sugar and vanilla bean. Stir the fruit gently and cover the bowl with parchment paper. Let the fruit macerate at room temperature for an hour.

Transfer the fruit to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Transfer the fruit to another bowl, cover with parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

The following day, transfer the fruit to a saucepan, bring it to a boil, skim impurities from the surface and cook for about 7 minutes. Laddle the jam into jars and seal.

Connor's Lunch Box

2008-09-09T22:56:00.003+02:00

While at Whole Foods getting all the fun new food to go into Connor's lunch box for school, I discovered this new and "clean" lunch box. I hated putting all of his organic food into a grody 'ol plastic (probably full of lead) junky old lunch box. I hate to sound so dramatic, but it did make me feel like the food that was going in was getting contaminated by the grodiness of it. This new lunch box is safe and has a ton of room. I do tend to over stuff Connor's lunch box anyway, so now it doesn't get all smooshed in the process. He has a fascination with other countries so this lunch box was perfect for him.

While talking about his new lunch box I figured I should at least mention what I put into it. Connor is on a low protein diet because of his genetics. Because of this, and because he is sooo darn skinny, I insist the school give him access to food every two hours.

Connor's lunch box:
1 huge organic grapefruit (he loves these things!)
1 organic nectarine
1 organic blueberry dried fruit
1 bag of gfcf barbq chips (whole foods brand)
1 bag of pizza flavored gfcf bread sticks (glutino brand)
1 baggie of raw organic pistachios
1 baggie of organic baby carrots
1 raw food bar (spirulina)
1 juice box (R.W. Knudsen Lemonade)

I know, I know, where's the pb and j?

I would love some suggestions...

Crocodile Creek Countries Lunchbox
Description
School lunches can now be more fun than ever with this beautifully-designed, high-quality lunch box. Lunch box is 10"w x 7.5"h x 3"d. We have given special attention to make certain that the lunchboxes currently offered by Crocodile Creek do conform to the current U.S. & European Consumer Product Safety Standards as well as FDA recommendations. Our lunchboxes are child safe, with lead-free linings and are Phthalate and PVC free. Ages 3 and up. Handwash in warm water with mild soap and soft cloth. No abrasives or heat.

Helpful Magazine

2008-09-08T18:22:00.003+02:00

I just found my favorite magazine on the rack at Whole Foods again after months of it being gone. I know they were doing something to it and it was gone for a while, but it is back.

I read it last night and found some great articles and recipes. My mom use to make my sister and brother and me a special breakfast on holidays and special weekends called baby dutch pancakes. When Connor started the gluten free, casein free diet we were sad that we couldn't make those special pancakes any more. This issue of Living Without has a recipe for these baby dutch pancakes. I was so excited I called my mom right away to tell her. They call them dutch pancakes. I will update you when we make them...stay tuned!!

Dinner Idea

2008-08-30T02:44:00.005+02:00

I always struggle with dinner ideas. It actually gives me anxiety most days. I have no imagination and I actually despise cooking. I always feel like it is another thank-less task we moms (and some dads too) have to do. Sometimes I find a really cool thing to make and I spend two hours chopping and sauteing and everyone moans and groans when I set it on the table. "I wanted sloppy Joe's" is what my middle son always says. They always want what I didn't make. My husband always eats what ever it is I make, but I always feel like I am torturing him. He likes lots of spices and herbs and...stuff. I like simple flavors. I like yummy food, don't get me wrong. I just don't want to be the one doing all the work making it. I have looked into a couple of gluten free, casein free meal plans. I have even tried a few places. I love them but the problem is always money. I found one recently that looks really good, but it is hard to justify the cost.

I don't know if anyone else struggles the way I do with dinner. I am going to assume there are a few people out there that can relate to the difficulties I experience and share some of the meals I have found that don't get as big of a "Why are we having this for dinner?" moan. I use as many organic ingredients as possible. I also stick to things that don't take long to make. Here is my first suggestion:

Rice with chicken and chorizo and broccoli

When doing this "recipe" I use the Lundberg - Organic Risotto Tuscan rice. I think this takes out the creativity of adding flavors and spices. I really like the taste of the sun dried tomatoes.

I then cook the organic chicken with just some salt and pepper in a pan with a little oil.

I steam broccoli.

When everything is cooked I add it all together and top it with a little chorizo. I like the dry cured chorizo like what I fell in love with in Spain. I actually haven't found a good tasting chorizo in Colorado, so I have my friend Aran ship a few packages to me from Florida. I think it adds a little texture and saltiness to the meal.

Enjoy. My kids actually all like this meal. No further endorsement needed.

Lundberg - Organic Risotto Tuscan

Description: Dine in beautiful Tuscany tonight with this unique vegan risotto. Zesty organic sun-dried tomatoes, piquant onions and spicy garlic combine with Lundberg's organic Arborio rice for a delicious, fast and easy side dish or entrée.

Product Weight: 5.6 oz. (160 g)

Ingredients: Organic arborio rice, organic dehydrated vegetables (tomato, garlic, onion), sea salt, organic evaporated cane juice, organic brown rice flour, organic spices (turmeric, basil, oregano, parsley), yeast extract, citric acid, organic sunflower oil.

Cool New Ice Cream

2008-08-27T02:24:00.005+02:00

While in Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago, while on the search for a new gluten, casein, soy free cheese, I found a new ice cream. It has a coconut milk base and no soy. It has agave nectar as the sweetener and is made with primarily organic ingredients. It is typically hard for Connor to try new things because only a couple of products are safe. Once we find something, we stick with it. I feel bad because I like to treat Connor to new cool things on occasion. This is probably my hang-up since Connor doesn't complain and is generally pretty happy with the food he gets.

Connor has only tried two out of the five flavors so far, the vanilla and the chocolate. Be careful, one flavor made by this company does contain gluten. The mint chocolate chip flavor has barley. His favorite is the chocolate delight. I tasted the chocolate delight myself and it was surprisingly good. I am very critical of things like ice cream and don't normally like non-dairy ice creams. In this case, it was very chocolaty and it has a very distinct coconut taste in the background. Well worth trying, especially those who love ice cream and are sick of the few non-dairy chooses out there. Good eating!

Gotta Do Chocolate
A chocolate delight, as rich and satisfying as they come.

Ingredients: coconut milk, organic agave nectar, organic brown rice,
organic cocoa, organic chicory root, carrageenan, organic guar gum, sea salt. CONTAINS TREE NUTS (COCONUT). MANUFACTURED IN A FACILITY THAT ALSO PROCESSES DAIRY.

Although NadaMoo! is not certified gluten-free, we’re choosy about our ingredients. All NadaMoo! flavors are made with gluten-free ingredients except for Lotta Mint Chip, which contains grain-sweetened chocolate chips.

We are working on our Gluten-Free Certification, so check back with us for updates.

Finding Strength

2008-08-25T20:43:00.002+02:00

Today was the first big meeting of the year with Connor's school. I have been preparing for a couple of weeks. I have read several inclusion books and even a few blogs. I went in to the meeting more organized and with more concrete plans than ever in my life. I wanted to not only give great ideas for what to do this year to strengthen Connor's social skills, but give concrete plans and strategies on how to implement them.

We are doing data this year for the first time ever. This is going to be new for the school and very new for me. When I home schooled Connor in the beginning while doing ABA, I hired a BCBA (board certified behavior analysis) to come in a couple of times to train me on ABA and to design his programs (what to teach). She would always tell me that data was key to any good program. Since I was doing the program myself, I couldn't teach and take data. Plus, I could see with my own eyes if things were improving. Data didn't work then, but now it is crucial. Connor has several different teachers (regular teacher, special ed, lunch buddy teacher, etc..) and we need to see empirical data to know if he is improving in the skills we are teaching. The school is on board with data, it is just so new to them, they need to figure out the logistics of it. I also feel that keeping data will keep them consistent. They dropped several great programs last year simply because no one was watching.

I am pessimistically optimistic about the year. I know more this year than any other year, and I feel more organized. Connor seems happy this year with the teachers and kids. I just hope with the new structures in place, he will only blossom socially.

Reinventing The Wheel...Again

2008-08-21T22:05:00.007+02:00

Connor started school this week. For most parents this means getting school supplies, buying a backpack, etc. For me this meant researching Wrights Law, and finding new programs to try. Connor had not had the best summer school experience. The school district and I have two very different ideas of what "training" and "support" mean. I wasn't about to have this year be another disappointing year for Connor.

I have often wondered if inclusion is right for Connor. Is he a round peg we are trying to put in a square hole? I bought a book that I highly recommend for anyone trying inclusion with an autistic child. It talks about the benefits of inclusion along with detailed programs to help teachers implement social skills in the classroom and throughout school.

I have voiced my concern for Connor during lunch and recess. He has a hard time with social skills and those are the main times during the day that he interacts with his peers in a non-structured way. I had been hearing about different programs like "Lunch Bunch" and other buddy programs. Connor has a desire to socialize but doesn't quite know the rules. He might do something inappropriate or say something about a topic that isn't interesting to other kids and they won't be interested in him anymore. He doesn't have the ability right now to catch on to their disinterest. "Lunch Bunch" is a way to work on social skills in a structured way with a couple of interested peers and a facilitator.

Another program we are going to try is a class wide peer training. Last year I was a bit skeptical when I was first introduced to this concept. I didn't want to draw extra attention to the fact that Connor is different. This of course, I have come to realize, is silly. The kids already know that Connor is different. We need them to know how he is the same. We need to teach the kids why it is that Connor doesn't always say the appropriate thing. We need to teach why Connor doesn't every whisper or play with them on the playground. They need to know why he has behavior issues sometimes. I don't want the kids thinking he is just weird. I want them to see past the parts of him that are different so they can see the cool fun parts of him. Connor is very funny. He is witty actually. Many of his teachers have commented on this fact. They say that when he opens up and is comfortable, he is actually quite humorous. I want the kids to see all that he has to offer by explaining that even though he is different, it's OK to be his friend.

We are setting up a reward chart for him also. We are still working through the specifics, but it is a chart that he gets stickers for every time he completes a specific task appropriately. At the end of the chart, when all the spaces have stickers, he gets a reward. This is basic ABA. It is simple, but it works. Remember to always keep the reward something that is truly, a reward. Also, in the beginning you will want the child to be successful everyday so set up the chart to make it possible to get the reward at the end of everyday. After a couple of weeks the reward could be obtained after two full days or so.

The school seems to be willing to try all of the things I have "suggested". They want Connor to be successful, but they also know I won't take no for an answer. Much of my job is trying not to step on too many toes, but still getting my point across clearly. Sometimes you have to shake up the "establishment" to get results. Change doesn't generally happen on its own.

Gluten, Dairy and Soy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and Blueberry Crumb Bars

2008-08-20T21:09:00.000+02:00

Jill has been asking me for a long time to start baking more simple gluten, casein and soy free desserts that kids can enjoy, so this will be my little section dedicated to it. I am a pastry chef by trade, but I have never really baked allergen free so this is a learning experience for me. I have found that even the most common ingredients contain gluten, such as vanilla extract, which is made with alcohol and alcohol is made from wheat. Ingredients that I never suspected had gluten, do in fact have it, so I will have to be very diligent and check every single item in my pantry.

As many theories state, the human digestive system is our second brain, in the sense that it controls and builds our immune system and protects our brain from toxicity. Therefore, the treatment for autism is very linked to the protection and strengthening of the digestive system.

We believe that Connor most likely had a genetic predisposition to the autism disorder. However, when his young immune system was overloaded with toxic metals, his body could not react fast enough and became sick. The symptoms started shortly after.

This is why the rebuilding of his immune system through diet has been crucial and so effective. Behavioral therapies are necessary but most likely insufficient without the support of an allergen free diet, but this diet doesn't have to be boring and it is important to make it fun and kid friendly. So here are a couple of cookie recipes that everyone will be able to enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 oz non-hydrogenated shortening (palm oil)
4 oz organic brown sugar
2 oz organic milled sugar
1 organic egg
1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
8 oz gluten free baking mix
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
5 oz gluten, dairy and soy free chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening and the sugars until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and the egg. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure that all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the baking mix, the xanthan gum, the baking soda and the salt. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a log that is about 3 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in parchment paper and refrigerate it overnight. Cut the log into half an inch disks and bake them in a 350ºF oven for about 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown but the center is slightly soft.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Makes a 13 x 9 inch pan

3 cups gluten free oats
2 1/4 cups gluten free baking mix
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
8 oz non-hydrogenated shortnening (palm oil)

1 lb frozen or fresh organic blueberries
3/4 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs water

In a medium saucepan, mix the blueberries with the sugar and cook until the blueberries start to bubble. In the meantime, dissolve the cornstarch with the water and lemon juice. Add the cornstarch mixture to the bubbling blueberries and cook stirring constantly until it thickens. Pour the filling in a bowl and let it cool completely.

For the crust, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking mix, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Add half of the shortening and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers or with a pastry cutter. Add the rest of the shortening and do the same. The shortening is soft and sticky that's why we want to work quickly. Don't work too much. We want a crumbly dough.

Take half of the crumble and press it onto the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spread the cooled blueberry filling on top of this dough. Take the remaining half of the crumble and sprinkle it on top of the filling. Don't press it in because we want to keep it as a crumbly topping.

Bake in a 375F for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool completely before cutting it. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Changing My Look

2008-08-19T23:11:00.004+02:00

Sorry to confuse anyone out there who might be wondering if this is still "Connor's Journey with Autism". It is indeed. I thought it needed a change. It was time to change purses and time to change the look of my blog. Sorry for any confusion.

My Favorite Things

2008-08-08T20:02:00.003+02:00

I am always on the look-out for cool and yummy food that my kids will like. It isn't a hardship anymore to be on the gluten and casein free diet. When we first started the diet in 2001, the internet wasn't as easy as it is today, and most people didn't even knew what gluten was. My neighbor said to me, after telling her about the diet Connor was going to have to go on, that it shouldn't be that hard to not give him wheat, just give him white bread. Somehow that made sense to a fairly intelligent person. Now, you can find gluten free things everywhere. We even have a few gluten free bakeries here in Colorado.

I don't think it is hard to find gluten free things anymore, but finding things your children will actually eat is still a challenge. Parents tell me all the time that they spend so much money on the diet and their children don't even eat most of it. I have bought my share of flops and cooked my share of them too. Once I find something they like, we stick with them. I get so excited when my kids actually LOVE something I bought or made. It is so hard to find things to put in their lunch box that is healthy, safe, and child friendly. I don't want my kids to be the ones at the birthday party with the baggy of carrots and a rice milk box.

To help parents save time and money, I am going to submit all of our favorite things here in this house. Of course, this isn't going to mean that your family will like the same things, but these are time tested and very child proof.

Let's start with breakfast...

Breakfast:
Since we are low protein here (due to build-up of ammonia in Connor with too much protein based on DNA mutations) we stick with cereals and breads.

Cereal:
Envirokidz Cereal: Gorilla Munch, Koala Krisp
(Some of the cereals have soy, which I don't advise eating)

Perky O's
(A lot like cheerios)

Glutino Cereal
(Another cheerio-like cereal) I like the tase of these better than the perky's, but they have corn as a main ingredient.

Toast:
Outside the Breadbox
I highly recommend the bread from this gluten free bakery!!
This is the only gluten free, dairy free, soy free bread that tastes good and is light and fluffy. It isn't dense and heavy like most choices on the market.

Pancakes and Waffles:
Namaste Mixes
Absolutely the best pancake and waffle mix.

More soon!!

Is my child autistic?

2008-08-06T22:13:00.000+02:00

I was in labor with Connor for over 40 hours and 38 hours of it was natural. I didn't want any intervention and I definitely didn't want to use any medication. I was determined to give Connor as healthy a beginning as possible.

Connor was a bright and wonderful baby. He was social and playful and happy. Looking back, there were signs that Connor was already struggling with a toxic load, but they were so subtle there was no way to know. He had a love for fans. He would stare at his ceiling fan for long periods of time. We use to joke that the aliens were talking to him through the fan. He also never crawled. I blamed the "back to sleep" campaign for not exposing him to his tummy often enough. Despite these things, Connor seemed to be developing typically. He sat up on time. He rolled over on time. He even started talking at a year. He had six or more words by thirteen months. He was so social and happy. We always were complimented by waitresses on how happy he was. He always wanted their attention. I didn't even notice right away when all of those things started to disappear.

Connor is my first born. He is also the first grandchild. None of our friends had even started to have kids yet, and because of it we didn't have another child to compare to Connor. We thought that he lined up cars and stared at the wheels turning because he was an engineer's son and he was studying them. It wasn't until a neighbor came over with her little girl that was a couple of months younger than Connor that I began to notice differences. She pointed at a balloon we had in the house and turned to her mom and said, "balloon". Then she went over to touch Connor and he started screaming. It was then that I began to piece together the clues. I knew something was going on. I then realized Connor had stopped talking. He wasn't looking at me anymore either. I would call his name over and over and he wouldn't even look at me, then a car would drive by and he would turn and look at it. It was all so gradual that it was hard to see it happening.

I didn't know what was wrong. I took him to the doctor and he tried to reassure me that he was a boy and that nothing was wrong. I insisted that Connor had stopped talking and that that alone was not normal. I insisted he recommend we go to a speech therapist and have Connor tested for a speech issue. The speech therapist asked a couple of seemingly weird questions that didn't seem related to speech issues at all. She asked if Connor played with his toys appropriately. She explained that appropriate meant flying the plane around and making plane noises, or driving the car around and making car noises. I described how he spins wheels instead. She then asked Connor to point to mom. Connor didn't seem to hear her. He just continued to "play". She repeated, "Connor, were is mom?". He didn't even look up. She said she had seen enough. She told me that she would call his doctor and discuss her opinion of a possible diagnosis. I didn't understand why she couldn't discuss it with us . When we got home, I called the speech therapist's office and asked her to tell me what was wrong with Connor. I assured her that I wouldn't sue or hold her accountable for anything. She then told me that Connor clearly was autistic. She told me that he was a classic case.

I didn't know what autism was. I had never heard of it, but I knew it wasn't good. I started doing research on-line and quickly discovered other mom's out there that had a similar story. I would read for a while and then cry hysterically for a while. I knew that I was at a precipice. I would either lay down and die (which sounded easy) or get up and fight. Little did I know how much fighting I would have to do and for how long.

My mom had immediately gone to Barnes and Noble and found a couple of books by moms who had found ways to help their children out of autism using food and vitamins. I was so happy that although they had to suffer with the same issues my son was now going through, that they wrote a book to help those of us coming after them to learn what they had learned. I was so grateful to them for sharing their story and helping so many. They had done a lot of research and in the end their children were not considered autistic anymore. I knew this would be Connor. I had no doubt that with a diet change and supplements he would be recovered. I thought it would take a year or two and voila, Connor would be healed. It had only taken a couple of days to drive his body into autism, and I thought it would only take a year or so to heal it.

Seven years later, Connor is doing well. He is still autistic, but high functioning. I tell this to you so you don't feel like you have to see your child "cured" right away to feel like you are doing the right thing. I know now that some kids do recover right away from just diet, and others will never recover. I know that Connor was already autistic when he was given a double dose of vaccines at his 18 month check-up. I use to play the whata, coulda, shoulda game and think about what I would have done different, but everything happens for a reason. I feel like Connor is autistic to help other people. He is a strong person and he is living this life for a reason. Just today a mom called me to ask me about my journey and what I have learned along the way. Her son was just diagnosed and he is just three years old. That little boy will now be helped thanks to Connor. Maybe they won't have to make the same mistakes I made. Maybe their journey will be a short one.

Tortilla de Patatas

2008-08-06T21:21:00.000+02:00

This is my favorite dinner/lunch/whatever to make. I have made the basic tortilla with many different veggies added depending on my mood. My kids LOVE this meal also.

I ate this almost daily while living in the north part of Spain, the Basque country. This is a very common tapa (or pintxo as they call it in the Basque country). Whenever my best friend is around I have her make it because she makes it so perfectly. It is amazing how food can bring you back to a different time and place.

Tortilla is gluten free, dairy free and soy free. You can add any veggie to it that you like and your kids probably won't even know. It is fast and easy and a staple in my house.

Basic Recipe:

Peel and dice as many potatoes as you like.

Cook diced potatoes in oil until soft.

In a bowl, add eggs (1 egg for every three or so potatoes) and cooked potatoes. Mix.

Pour egg and potato mixture back into pan with a little bit of oil in the pan and salt to taste.

Depending on the pan you will need to keep the mixture from sticking.

When it is done on one side, take a plate and lay it over the pan, flip.

Cook on other side by sliding the mixture back into the pan with raw side down. Salt more if needed.

Let cool and slice into pizza-like slices. Serve warm or cold. Use as a side dish or alone. Can also be used with some gluten free bread as a sandwich. ENJOY!

Working With The School

2008-05-16T19:27:00.000+02:00

After about two years of intense ABA therapy at home, I decided to start Connor in public school. This was a tough decision since I knew autism was so knew and the teachers were not trained at all in ABA or similar teaching therapies to help Connor. I knew I needed to start working with socialization and the only place I could get that was at school. Because I had a little baby at home, I couldn't go with Connor to school everyday. Instead, I hired a BCBA (board certified behavioral analysis) to go to the school and train his teacher and his para professional. I had no idea at the time how hard this area of his life was going to be.

Since Connor started school, I have learned many great lessons, most of which I learned after the fact. I now know to have a meeting at the beginning of the year with Connor's entire staff of teachers, paras, and specialist teachers. When I first suggested this, (insisted is more accurate) the teachers fought me. They insisted they never all meet at one meeting and they weren't about to change things for my child. I explained to the principal and the rest of the staff that I wasn't asking their permission and that we were all on the same team. They begrudgingly met with me all together. I described to the staff how Connor had regressed at fifteen months old. I showed pictures of Connor before the regression, during the regression, and after starting biomedical treatment. I showed some of his tests results indicating toxic amounts of metals. I described his OCD and how bad it was. I described how I used ABA to teach Connor. I asked for their help with food and making sure he never touched gluten or casein either in food or art supplies. After the meeting the entire staff told me how much they appreciated being included in the meeting and how nice it was to understand more about a student with special needs. I wanted them to understand that I was recovering Connor and that I was going to need their help to make it happen. Connor can be difficult because of his OCD and his inability to articulate what he is wanting clearly. He can have anger issues and lash out. If the staff doesn't understand why it is happening, then they might misinterpret the situation. I need everyone to be on his side and help make school a success for him.

Connor is now at the end of second grade. When I first started Connor on biomedical and diet, I really believed Connor would be recovered by kindergarten. I had no idea the depths of autism or how much a child needs to know. I underestimated the subtleties of communication and relationships. School is still a roller coaster at this point. He might go months with no issues and then have a week of behaviors daily. I hold my breath when the phone rings wondering if it is going to be the school saying he had an issue and I need to get over there immediately to tend to him.

Connor is learning about peers more everyday. He is learning that just because someone tells him to squirt a girl in the head with juice doesn't mean he should. Unfortunately he is learning most things the hard way. The lesson I take from such times is that he is interested in peers. He wants to make them laugh. He wants them to like him. I love that he is aware, the rest will come with time.

School is going to always be tough for me. I want more out of teachers and administrators and even students. I want Connor to never be teased or made fun of, but that is not reality for anyone, is it? Everyday I question whether Connor should continue in an institution that isn't set up for special and gifted kids like him. Should I continue to try to fit a round peg in a square hole?

ABA Therapy

2008-05-10T22:02:00.001+02:00

After I got the diet and biomedical underway, I started researching ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis). I have a degree in education and thought that maybe I would be able to do this sort of teaching on my own. There were no schools in the area at the time that specialized in autism or ABA and I knew time was critical. Connor had started coming out of his "fog" of autism and was learning faster and easier than before. The only problem (not that there was only one) was that I couldn't find any books that taught moms how to teach ABA! I knew it couldn't be rocket science, and I thought of my self as a capable person, but I couldn't find anything to teach me step by step how to use the principles of ABA.

I don't know how well I can describe ABA. I read a lot of books by moms who said that it was the only teaching method that worked for their kids. I also read the statistics that showed of all the teaching methods for autistics, ABA was the only one with real data on recovery. I read a lot about other methods too, but I didn't see any concrete stats on success stories. I went with my gut and focused on ABA.

After talking to other moms, and doing as much research as a could, I decided to hire a consultant to train me and to run my program. For those of you calculating the costs up to this point, I know, it is crazy how expensive everything is! I got the name of a certified BCBA (board certified behavior analysis). She came out to the house and met with Connor and me. She brought data sheets and books I could read to understand what I was about to do. She explained to me how I would do everything hand over hand at first, ten or so times to get him to understand what I was asking of him. I would put him on my lap and hold his hand and ask him to point to a cat on a sheet of paper with animal's pictures on it. I would say, "Point to the cat" and then I would make his hand point to the cat. I would repeat that many times. Then I would ask him, "Connor, point to the cat" and wait a couple of seconds to see if he could do it by himself. If after just a few seconds he couldn't point to the cat, I would hold his hand and make it point to the cat. If he could do it, I would tickle and hug and kiss him saying what a good job he did. He loved the praise! He worked really hard for me to say "Good Job!". Some kids require food or a toy as a reward, but Connor never did. Praise was enough for him.

Imagine having to teach a child everything in this way. It is impossible to understand how much a typical child learns by watching and listening to other people. Since Connor couldn't do that, everything had to be taught "hand over hand".

Not long into this process I realized I couldn't do this by myself. I had just had another baby and needed to pay attention and take care of him as much as his brother. My parents were wonderful enough to offer to pay for a girl to come out and help teach Connor ABA. Where do I find such a person? They didn't have people on lists looking to do ABA any where that I knew. I started calling the local colleges and asking the education department for suggestions from any of their students. It took months of calling and emailing before I finally got a girl who was interested. Soon after starting to work with Connor, she came to me and said it was too much. Connor was aggressive and sometimes violent with his OCD (obsessive compulsive behavior) and would scream for an hour after something triggered it, which could have been her turning on the light. She told me she wouldn't be coming back the next day. I thought I was going to explode. Little did I know that everything happens for a reason. The next parent support group meeting I went to I got the name and number of a girl who was interested in working with autistic kids. She worked with some of the moms in my support group. The moment I met her, I knew it was going to work.

Now that I had an amazing person working with Connor, I could relax a little. I still had the BCBA coming to the house to give us our topics to teach and to do some more training. She taught us how to "break" Connor of some of his OCDs by just letting them happen and not letting him get his way. Of course that is easier said than done. Sometimes it was just easier to work around something. We soon realized though that the longer we allowed an OCD, the harder it was to break. In those days, we couldn't flush our own toilet or turn the TV or lights on. Connor was the only one who could do those things.

We still do ABA with Connor but it isn't as structured, it is just how we teach him. When Connor started public school, we had to bring in a BCBA to train his teachers how to teach him. School is a difficult place for Connor sometimes because of the inherent lack of structure. Connor still thinks in black and white, right and wrong. He is learning how peers feel and about subtle things like body language.

A good link for books on ABA. http://www.piecesofthepuzzle.com/recommended-books-about-autism-aba.aspx

Biomedical Intervention

2008-05-02T20:21:00.000+02:00

Soon after I started the gfcf diet with Connor, I heard about a local autism conference that was going to be held. One of the keynote speakers was Lynn Hamilton. She had written an amazing book about recovering her son with a combination of diet, supplements and ABA. ABA is Applied Behavioral Analysis. She talked a lot about ABA and how well it helped her son. I was very interested in starting ABA with Connor, but I knew that would take time to learn how to use this particular teaching strategy.

At the end of her lecture she was asked if she had a local doctor who helped with her son's recovery. She pointed to a tall, thin man in the corner of the room. She said he was her son's DAN doctor and that he was helpful in running test for her and guiding her through his "biomedical" aspect of recovery. I was intrigued. I knew I had to meet this doctor and have him start this "biomedical" stuff with Connor. After the conference I got his information and immediately made an appointment with him.

I never do anything without researching it first. I don't buy toilet paper without knowing which brand is the best. So before going to see this mysterious DAN doctor, I decided to do some research on what exactly DAN means.

I credit DAN (I know now is Defeat Autism Now) for the info I used to do much of Connor's healing. It was the first association started with the idea in mind that autism is treatable, if not curable. It is a group of doctors and researchers and parents working together to find a way to help these children.

I saw our DAN doc for the first time not long after that conference. I had done some research on biomedical things being done to help autistic children. The biggest one being talked about at the time was chelation. Chelation is the pulling out of heavy metals. Since most (if not all) autistic children have severe heavy metal poisoning, it is the belief that by removing the metals, the body can start to function on its own to rid itself of toxins again. We started chelation treatment with Connor just before he turned two years old. I wanted to wait a full six months with the diet before trying anything that invasive. I wanted his body to be as "healthy" as it could be before potentially ripping it apart with chelation. VERY soon after starting chelation therapy, we started to notice words again. Connor was actually starting to talk again. Before he regressed (around 12-15 months old) he had about five or six words. Since his regression, we couldn't get him to say anyting. The diet cleared his mind in a lot of ways, but it didn't allow speech. Now we were getting five to ten new words a day. Soon he started speaking in short sentences. We were ecstatic by the results. We really saw the light at the end of the tunnel. We thought it wouldn't be long before he was playing typically with his peers and carrying on typical two year old conversations.

Not long into the therapy (maybe six months) I started to wonder what it was doing to Connor's body long term. I could see he was doing better externally, but what about his inner body? That is when I decided to take him off the therapy. I wanted to try nutrition and natural remedies. Many of you may wonder why I would mess with something that was apparently working, but my instincts told me it was the right thing to do.

I don't regret any decisions I have made with Connor. I followed my instincts and did a lot of research before doing anything with him. I continued to follow the DAN protocol. I went to their conferences in California and Oregon. I learned a lot about chemistry and anatomy (both of which were my worst subjects in school). I continued to see improvements with Connor. Each time I tried a new vitamin or added or removed a food, I saw a change. Not all changes were good with Connor, some changes made him worse. He was talking more and learning more, but he was still very obsessive compulsive and still wouldn't make eye contact. Everytime I thought we were getting closer to the end of the journey, I would see how far we have yet to go. Children are complicated beings. It is hard to see all that they are. Since I didn't have any other children at the time, I didn't know all that he wasn't doing.

I was randomly google-ing something one day when I came across a web-group of people following a protocol from a doctor. I was intrigued. It really seemed to make sense. The doctor was having people run genetic tests on their children to determine what supplements were right for them. It was very child specific. That was always my complaint with DAN. I felt they were throwing darts at a dart board. Now and again it would hit the target for your child, but you never really knew if it was going to be the right thing for your child. With this new protocol, I felt like we weren't guessing. I read the suggestions from the doctor on what I should do for Connor, just Connor, based on his genetics. It has been a relief every since.

Dr. Amy Yasko is the doctor, and the Yasko protocol is what we now follow for Connor.
http://www.holistichealth.com/

The GFCF diet

2008-05-01T19:31:00.001+02:00

I started reading books by moms who had recovered their sons by using "the diet". I loved the book by Karyn Seroussi. She was so inspirational and down to earth. She talked about her search to cure her son and how she found the science behind the diet. I knew this diet would help Connor. Her son sounded so much like my son. Her story was so similiar to my story that I knew this was something I needed to try. Again, with the mindset that if it won't hurt him and might help him, why not?

At first the diet seemed so daunting. What is gluten? Is it as simple as not giving him bread? The more I learned about gluten and casein (milk protein) the more I felt udderly overwhelmed. Gluten is in EVERYTHING! Not only is it a hidden ingredient in almost everything, you also have to worry about the contamination issue. Contamination is actually a bigger issue than most people realize. When moms tell me that they tried the diet and they didn't see any change in their child, I always ask if their house is a gluten and casein free zone. Do they use the same pizza wheel to cut gluten and non gluten pizzas? Do they cut a piece of cheese and then cut something for their child with the same knife or on the same cutting board? Also, did they call the manufacturers of the packaged food they are giving their kids to make sure there is not a hidden gluten ingredient (like misc spices) or if the manufacturer uses dedicated gluten and casein free assembly lines?

When you are first starting this diet there are a lot of things you have to look into, but once you have done a bit of research (thank god for the internet) you can feed your family with confidence.

I believe you have to find fun things that taste good and are healthy for our kids, especially in the beginning. Our kids only eat chicken nuggets and milk for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many parents believe their child would starve to death if they even attempt to put them on this diet. The question you have to ask yourself is, would you allow your child to eat poison if that is all they wanted to eat? It is hard in the beginning, but it only takes a couple of days before you start to trust your decision.

What do I feed my child? That is the first question I get with new parents. The answer is, whatever he/she will eat (in the beginning). I gave Connor Rice Dream icecream for breakfast the first week we started the diet. I knew he would eat it and I knew it was a safe food. We don't need to do everything at once. The important thing is to have a plan. Don't get discouraged when your child won't eat what you made (or bought at the store) in the beginning. Children in general are fickle about food. They like certain textures and spices more than others. I spent a fortune in the beginning finding out what Connor liked.

I made a lot of mistakes the first six months. I didn't know that Rice Dream milk had gluten. I didn't know that some french fries have gluten. I didn't know that wheat free doesn't mean gluten free. I also used soy as a replacement for a lot of his favorite things. I don't know if this was a mistake, but it is not the best way you can do it. Soy is like a cousin to gluten and casein. It isn't tolerated by our kids. I didn't take soy away from Connor's diet for at least a year. Luckily he didn't mind not having it.

I think that this diet was the first thing we did that really made a difference for Connor. His mind cleared. He stopped the weird giggle. He didn't stim as much. He really seemed like he was taking in more of his world. It was not a miracle pill for Connor like it is for so many other kids. It was a piece of the puzzle.

I would like to share some ideas for what to feed your kids (and yourselves). It is hard to come up with new ideas that don't have all of the no-no foods in them. I use to make homemade flour tortillas every day and homemade pizza dough. Now I don't allow gluten flour in my house. I hardly allow gluten or dairy in my house at all. Now we have taco night with crunchy shells and spaghetti night with rice pasta. It is different than before, not worse, just different.

My best friend and godmother to Connor is an amazing cook and pastry chef. She has offered to share some recipes and dinner ideas that your whole family will love. She is busy with her little boy (cute little blonde handful) but she will post ideas whenever she has time. Thank you Aran.

Please take time to think about the diet for your child. Remember, it is only food! There are so many things you can make or buy that your child will love if you just allow them the opportunity.

Starting with Research

2008-04-30T19:25:00.000+02:00

When Connor was "diagnosed" seven years ago the first thing I did was go to the computer to find out all I could on autism. Since I had never heard the word autism before, I had no idea what to expect. I had watched "Rain Man" with Tom Cruise but didn't even know that his brother was autistic.

Connor is a regressive autistic, meaning that he was a typically developing child who regressed into autism. I knew that he was typical at one time and that he could be typical again. I knew that to be true. I never doubted that with enough hard work and research I would find our little boy again. Because of that belief, I never had Connor formally diagnosed. I had to fight to have our pediatrician send us to have his hearing tested, and when that came back ok, I had to fight to have him send us to a speech therapist. When the speech therapist saw him, she knew immediately that Connor was autistic. He was a classic case. He lined up cars instead of playing with them. He didn't respond to his name. He didn't notice who was in the room or if anyone was talking to him. He didn't make eye contact or point...etc. I could go on and on. When the speech therapist told me all of this I knew it to be true.

Instead of spending the time and money on having all the formal tests done, I decided to invest in his recovery. I started searching the internet for recovery posts. The first positive thing I came upon was diet. People were talking about this crazy miracle diet that was curing autistic kids. I started the mind set then (and have continued it to this day) that if it won't hurt him and may help him, it's worth a try.

I know it seemed like the end of the world at the time that he couldn't have cheese or bread. We couldn't do Papa Murphy's pizza on fridays anymore. I wondered about birthday parties and school lunches. Then it hit me, it's only food! I know most of us have food baggage, but is that what we want for our kids anyway? Do we need to pass on the "need" to have a donut every time we go to the grocery store? When our kids fall down or get their feelings hurt, do they need to have an icecream? Maybe starting this diet with my son would help me seperate my needs from my wants. I stopped getting milk delivered to the house. I started shopping for basic food needs like fruits and veggies. CRAZY! I didn't need to buy Nestle chocolate milk?! I didn't need parmasian cheese on my spaghetti?! I could do it! I knew it was the right thing to do, not just for Connor, but for all of us.

That was the beginning of the gluten free, casein free diet.

Creating a blog

2008-04-30T02:34:00.000+02:00

I have been thinking about starting a blog for a few weeks. Since my son was diagnosed with autism seven years ago I have spent much of my day researching ways to help him. I had no idea when we started this journey where it would lead us. I am grateful for the opportunity to be Connor's mom. I know he chose me to go on this journey with him. He has touched so many lives and our lives our richer for having known him. Some days are better than others, but I know in the end I will only remember the golden moments.