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In This Issue
·
Diagnosed: Now to Start Developing a plan
· Sibling
issues
· Holiday Nutrition
· Readers
Recipe – From Tina Persels
www.utaharts.org
connecting you to art
www.ebay.com
Buy the Co-founder Tim Wilson’s marbles right
now
www.usautism.org
US Autism & Aspergers Association
www.utahkids@yahoogroups.com
A parent support group for child with
disabilities
www.marblesformiracles.org
Dec. 2nd For more information
contact Brooke at (801) 735-3870
Royal Food Fight Fundraiser
http://www.marblesformiracles.org
brooke1@marblesformiracles.org
tim1@marblesformiracles.org
Diet change the first steps
Services you are entitled to
Alternative therapies
Stress relief for parents
Support groups for family
Organic food choices
GFCF, SCD, LOD Which diet does your
child need.
Going GFCF
DAN! Doctors
Biomedical treatments
Supplements
Speech therapy
Occupational Therapy
The Star Program
Floortime
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments
Coping with OCD
Setting a routine in place to benefit
child and family
IEP process
GI issues the minds connection
Environmental Toxins
Sibling Issues
Behavior Management
Toilet Training
Vaccine Connection – Controversy
Omega 3 and 6
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Diagnosed: How to Start Developing a Plan
With a sea of
information, so many different treatments and no magic bullet cure all, what
do you do to get your child on the road to recovery? These are suggestions
from the DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) Conference held in Seattle in October.
- Tune into your
priorities – Keep in mind that if it causes additional stress to your
family you may not see the full benefits.
- Make a budget – Make a
plan: With so many options and opinions out there it is easy to get
wrapped up and spend A LOT of money. Remember if it sounds too good to
be true, it probably is.
- Use as much of your
insurance as possible: Most insurance companies will cover speech,
occupational, physical and massage therapies, or some portion of the
cost.
- Get and stay educated:
Attend conferences & workshops. Talk to other parents about what
they are doing.
- Don’t be afraid to
speak your mind or stand your ground: You are the expert on your child
and you are your child’s advocate. Follow your heart, mind and gut.
- Be the super parent:
You CAN do it!
- Take time out for
yourself: As parents we become so involved with our family and their
needs that we often overlook ourselves. Take 5 minutes of everyday for
YOU.
Holiday Nutrition
As adults we struggle
with holiday pounds. All the goodies and treats make the season a challenge
for most. So with children who already face diet challenges and digestion
issues, how can we adapt holiday recipes and traditions? If you have begun a
special diet, take your child’s foods with you to friends’ and relatives’
houses. Now is also a good time to visit your local grocery or health food
specialty store and see what organic produce is available. Keep the sweets to
a minimum. Take them to work and share them with co-workers, and get them out
of the house. Avoid prepackaged ready to eat foods. Read ingredients and if
you can’t pronounce it or if it takes more than a few seconds to read because
it has a lot of ingredients, don’t buy it. More on nutrition to come in the December
newsletter, before Christmas.
Sibling Issues
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Ideas to help siblings cope.
Take time for your other children. Easier said than
done, but it is imperative that the typical children do not get overlooked
while focusing on the special needs child. Some siblings begin to act out,
misbehave, or have regressive type behavior in order to get attention. It
is hard to understand why children act out for negative attention, but
realize negative attention is better than no attention.
- Take
the sibling with you to the grocery store or to run other errands for
some one on one time.
- Allow
your child to stay up 10 minutes later so you can read a book
together.
- Plan
one night a week for the child to plan and prepare dinner with you
being the special helper.
- Develop
a date night. It can be as simple as spending the night in their room
watching a movie of their choice, going to a movie, ice cream or out
to dinner.
- Avoid
giving children too much responsibility. Some children develop
resentment because we set our expectations too high.
- Find
a sibling group. The Carmen B. Pingree School offers groups for
different age children, where only the typical siblings can go
interact with each other and get a feeling of belonging.
Remember families without the challenges of special
needs experience sibling rivalry as well; we just need to make each child
feel special and unique.
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Reader’s Recipe
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Adam Persels
enjoying his bike
For
more information on the SCD diet, check out the book Breaking
the Vicious Cycle-Intestinal Health Through Diet by Elaine Gottchall.
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This
recipe comes from Tina Persels. Her son Adam was diagnosed with Autism at
age 4. Adam lives with multiple diagnoses, including Cerebral Palsy and
Hydrocephalus due to a complicated premature birth. Tina has implemented
the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) with Adam and in 3 months has seen
positive changes in his skin, hair and digestion.
Monster
Cookies
5 cups
nut flour
1 cup
raisins
1 cup
walnuts
1cup
flaked unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup
melted butter
1 cup
honey
2 eggs,
beaten
1 tsp.
baking soda
1/8 tsp.
salt
Mix all
ingredients.
Drop by
large tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Press flat with a
buttered fork. Bake at 325 F. (160 C) until golden brown (15-20
minutes).
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