Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Session 1 2012

With 4 kids doing this and 2 machines we are alternating.

Last night was N and J.

Tonight was just T. E is not feeling well so we are going to wait. Mainly because it's 11:30 and she is still awake! I am hoping this will help regulate her sleep. She is an awful sleeper. We gave her 3mg of Melatonin and she is still awake.

Nothing else to notate at this time.

What I like to have this improve are the ADHD symptoms the children have. The impulsiveness, the impatience, the hyperness. Hoping for better listening, eye contact, handling frustrations better.




~ Debra

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Starting this again

After two years of speech, occupational and physical therapies we are starting back on the AVE system.

We have had some changes in diagnosis.

Joseph: Aspergers and ADHD

Emma: ADHD and Anxiety

Thomas: ADHD and Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Nicholas: Aspergers and Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

I'll post what I feel is appropriate to see improvements as we start the sessions.

~ Debra

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Therapy on hold

This has been a very tough week on our family.

We have been in a battle with the school district for a year now to accept our son's diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder - to which they refuse.

J was terribly bullied last school year. Even with me fighting the school district, they wanted him back at this school... But still refused the ASD classroom.

We finished the first week of school. J ended up with extreme paranoia because of going back to that school.

He had to be admitted to a behavioral hospital for a couple of days to get everything under control. Then he will be at their day treatment program.

We are under so much stress that we will need to put AVE on hold for a little bit.

Thank you for your understanding.


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

8-17-2010 Three

Tonight we did the A1 Session on all four children.

School starts next week. We've decided to do therapy on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays as those are our less busy nights. This way we will be on a set schedule instead of hit or miss like our therapy has been the last month.

Honestly, this summer was tiring and I am pretty burnt out! I am very thankful all 5 children will be in school this fall for full days. It is our first year of full day school for all of them.

N: I have not noticed any additional changes or improvements. I think it is time to switch to the B4 session that the Symptom Survey directed us to use. I am still amazed at how much his language has increased. Thursday we go to "Meet Your Teacher" and I cannot wait for N's teacher from last year hear him talk!! His tantrum's are lessen, but his Autism "prickliness" is still evident. The hour long tantrums are gone though.

T: I have not noticed any additional changes or improvements. We will start the Session that his Symptom Survey directed us to. I am still amazed that his tantrums that were lasting over 30 minutes are completely non-existent!

J: I want to add that we have put J on Strattera. He has gone to Extended School Year over the summer. His ADHD inability to focus was so overwhelming, the staff and school psychologist were unable to even see Asperger symptoms. After 2 weeks of being on Strattera 60mg, he has calmed down a lot. He said that his "brain fog" is gone and that he can think better. We will still do the therapy.

E: This is only her 3rd session. I have not noticed any changes.

~ Debra

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

08-11-2010 - Two

Tonight we did Session A1 on all 4 children.

T- no changes in symptoms other than what I've previously seen. Results are still amazing! The tantrums are gone. When he gets upset, we talk through it.

N- no changes in symptoms other than what I've previously mentioned. He is still talking in sentences.

I do want to state this: though he is using his words and will speak in sentences, he is NOT at the same developmental level as his identical twin T. There is definitely a difference between them.

J- Results are now starting to show! J is starting to SLOW DOWN and become more FOCUSED. We are having calm conversations together. His expressive language is still lacking but we are working on this everyday.

E- no changes. This is just her second time.

Monday, August 9, 2010

More unscientific evidence

A friend that had been on vacation for the past 6 weeks came over today.

She thought N was T because N was talking in full sentences and having a back and forth conversation with her.

Hooray!!!!!!


~ Debra
~ Chaos Controller

Sunday, August 8, 2010

8-8-2010 - One

Hooray!! We have the second machine now! Thanks to my FIL :) Thank you Trey!

So now, we begin again. All 4 kids will be on all the same sessions for the first 10 - A1 sessions from today on out. Then I will do symptom surveys to determine their next 10.

I still see improvements coming from the A1 session, so I am starting over with those.

I've been told by my father in law that we should do 40 sessions to make lasting changes. Then we will have to do a session a week for maintenance.

So our plan is for us to finish these 40 sessions and be on maintenance therapy by October. That is when I am planning on hiring back the ABA therapist. She will be here 16 hrs a week. *as of now, the only therapy we are doing besides AVE is medicine and vitamin supplements we found they needed from the Spectracell Labs testing.

The twins, T and N will be receiving OT/sensory curriculum at school daily - one more thing that I don't have to worry about!

When I am out in the community and we talk to people who understand Autism, they say my kids do not seem like they are on the Spectrum. Hooray!!! Wearing out myself and our finances for all these therapies is WORKING!!!!!!

OK ---------->

We did session A1 for J, T, N and E.

Tonight was E's first session. She is definitely not a relaxed sleeper! It took Michael and I both to uncurl her from the fetal position she sleeps in,lay her on her back and leave the machine alone!

T was doing something odd tonight. Actually he has done this every time we have put him on the machine. He twitches. His fingers, wrists and elbows twitch. Not sure if this is good or bad or harmful or if it means nothing. I know this machine is changing brainwaves. So I am concerned.

Edited to add a response I received from Trey (my father-in-law who bought the machines for us): I called Mind Alive regarding the twitches. David Siever says not to worry. T is probably switching between deep sleep and REM sleep.

That makes me feel better! :)

~ Debra
~ Chaos Controller