Simon's Tool Box Update

My 'famous' Canada Flag Cake

Today is Canada Day! The anniversary of my nation’s birth, which was essentially the day we told the Queen of England to get lost (politely of course, we are Canadian after all). Did you know Canadians invented basketball, insulin, IMAX, Trivial Pursuit, the MacIntosh apple, Superman, the Jolly Jumper, newsprint, the paint roller, kerosene, plexiglass, the snowmobile and snowblower (go figure), the lightbulb and UN Peacekeepers? Since we Canadians like to be thought of as helpful souls, I'm sharing with you today an update on how the various treatments/activities/groups have been working for Simon, in the hope that you may find some that might work for your child. As always, consult your own doctors where appropriate.

Chiropractic

I have always been extremely skeptical of chiropractic. I’ve had conventional doctors tell me it’s quackery at best, dangerous for some at worst (people at risk for stroke). I personally couldn’t understand how something that appeared to be a glorified massage could be the cure-all that some claimed it was. But over the years, I’ve had quite a few friends – intelligent, critical-thinker friends – SWEAR by it.

Two things nudged me into trying it for Simon: first, a friend felt it may have helped her daughter’s sensory issues, and second, I had a bout with a very, very bad knee and I ended up being able to cure it only with alternative medicine (acupuncture). The Chinese have of course relied on this treatment for centuries and while I was always respectful of different cultures’ beliefs in their own medical treatments… I never really believed in them myself. But that process of healing through acupuncture helped open my mind to the very real benefits of alternative medicine and if sticking a zillion little needles into my leg worked, why not tapping your spine with a spring loaded hammer?

So, what did the Chiropractor do for Simon? We made sure he knew we weren’t there looking for a cure, and were interested in exploring whether chiropractic could help alleviate any of the aspects of autism that can be problematic for Simon. Like many kids on the spectrum, Simon was still unable to get through the night without wetting the bed, resulting in an ongoing pull-up saga. The chiropractor told us he could end Simon’s bedwetting – he explained the cause (as chiro’s see it) but to be honest I wasn’t really listening because I still wasn’t buying any of it. He told us it would likely take about 8 weeks of treatments, 2-3 times a week.

And guess what? Eight weeks later Simon is sleeping through the night in his undies completely dry. I can’t guarantee this wasn’t just a coincidence, and I can’t guarantee it will work for all kids, but I am pretty darn sure it worked for Simon. In our province, part of our chiropractic cost was covered under regular medicare, and the rest was covered by our private (employers) insurance.

Naturopath

As you may have read in this post, we consulted a naturopathic doctor who is also a conventional pharmacist, about supplements that may help Simon with some of his allergic tendencies, hyperactive tendencies, and limited (sensory driven) diet. I was very impressed with this particular doctor because he was very well-versed in autism spectrum issues; there wasn’t a term or acronym I could throw at him that he didn’t already know and understand.

He noticed the dark circles beneath Simon’s eyes right away, and said they may be related to his adrenal system, which is connected to the body’s allergic responses. He gave us a large assortment of supplements, and so far we have had Simon on CalmGen, Adrenal Drops, Omega 3 (a megadose), and Zinc. I mix them twice a day into a small glass of orange juice (in a shaker). There are a number of others we haven’t ramped up to yet. I consider myself a very skeptical person by nature, but even I noticed a marked improvement in Simon’s undereye circles and his hyperactivity noticeably declined. My husband noticed a difference too - and I didn't tell him I had started Simon on the supplements, so I could make sure I wasn't just seeing what I wanted to see. So for us, the extra effort and cost for these supplements has been worthwhile (although we had coverage for this cost, which totaled nearly $700).

Speech Therapist

For the longest time I thought Speech Therapists only helped kids who had delays or trouble forming their words. How wrong I was! A properly trained ST will be able to help your child with Social Stories, which I’ve heard are extremely helpful for kids on the spectrum in terms of giving them insight and tools to handle the social situations that can otherwise be so stressful for them. Of course, there’s a big assessment initially (3 one-hour sessions for Simon) so we’ve used up most of our coverage just on that, without even getting to the social stories yet, but the assessment is only done once I believe, so when our insurance re-loads next year, we can use all of it for the actual stories. You can also find some social stories for use or modification  here.

Keep these words of wisdom from the Carol Gray Centre website in mind when using Social Stories: "When you are facing a difficult or confusing situation, it is easy to assume that a Social Story™ will "fix" the situation. Remember that there is much that parents and professionals can do to change the environment or expectations in such a way that a Social Story™ may not even be necessary." For example, a social story about how to line up for recess is great, but if your child has serious tactile defensiveness and cannot handle being bumped or pushed, you should work with the school to find a solution for your child, like allowing her to step out of line or be the leader/tail every time, because a social story cannot change their neurology.

I am honoured and excited to say that the Carol Gray Centre has agreed to do a giveaway and interview here at Welcome to Normal, so stay tuned for that!

Social Skills Group

Our local autism association runs social skills groups for kids in our city. Most cities (even small ones) have these, so I encourage you to look into them. Initially I was wary, because I’d heard from autistic adults that the social groups they were forced into as children were horrid. Punishments for not participating, pushy moderators, unreasonable expectations. So I was careful to check into their methods and philosophy before we enrolled Simon, and we observed the classes to make sure we were comfortable with how they were being run. Ours is actually run by an Occupational Therapist and she has worked magic for Simon.

The class is 1 hour, once a week, all year long (off for summer). I noticed a very significant improvement in Simon’s ability to handle social interactions, especially with peers, after he’d been in this class for a few months. It’s very laid back, but structured enough to avoid meltdowns. She lets the kids interact naturally, and where an interaction is unsuccessful, she points out in a casual and friendly way how to approach the situation differently in the future. Simon went from being physically incapable of allowing another child to determine the course of their play, to actually asking how the other child wanted things to go, and then allowing it – with ease!

Karate

So in case you haven’t noticed, I’m really more of an artsy type than an athletic type, and there was a time I shunned all toys or games that involved violence, hitting, or shooting of any kind. But Simon’s autism has opened my mind in many ways, and loosening my death-grip on all things pacifistic is one of those ways. I had seen many comments on discussion boards from parents who felt Karate had helped their spectrum kids to focus and gain confidence. I had about as much faith in Simon being able to focus in a karate class as I did in the chiropractor curing his bedwetting (sense the foreshadowing).

Simon surprised us, and not only focuses steadily throughout the class, but even manages to discreetly move away from boys who are goofing off because he doesn't want to lose his focus. Everyone needs to feel competent and acomplished at something, and if this is what gives Simon that feeling of achievement, I'm not going to be the one to nix it. I am however crossing my fingers that, as he matures through the belt colours, he honours the old adage "with great power comes great responsibility", because while I don't want Simon being bullied, I also don't want him Karate-chopping anyone who offends him... or gets their Star Wars facts wrong.

So that’s how things have been going in our world. All that said, there are times when I pause to make sure I am keeping myself in check – being ever vigilant not to turn Simon the child into Simon the Autism project. While I do not want a cure for Simon’s Autism, I do want Simon to have a toolbox for life with Autism. Hopefully that's how each of these therapies/activities will serve Simon as he navigates through this mine field/amusement park we call childhood....

Please feel free to share any therapies or activities that have helped your own children!