Progress?

To say we've been hitting the DAN! protocal hard is an understatement. With Kindergarten looming in just a few short months for Cole, we have vowed to do everything we can now to help get him started on the right foot in school.

The GFCF diet has been going very well! Cole has taken to it like a champ and knows what he can and cannot eat. He is awesome about asking if something is gluten free before he eats anything! In fact, we recently discovered that one of the few fast food restaurants we can eat at is Subway because Cole can request a bowl of meat and veggies. He skips the bread and is completely content eating a bowl of turkey, green peppers and cucumbers! One of the workers in our hometown Subway knows Cole now and thinks he is so cute asking her if the veggies are gluten-free!

I feared that it would be difficult to get all of the supplements down Cole. However, once again, he has taken right to it! We add the digestive enzymes into his chocolate milk for breakfast and lunch. And, the rest of the vitamins and supplements are blended in with a smoothie before bed! Even Chase has gotten in on the smoothie action and, after his bath, starts in with, "I want a smoovie!!!" (Without the supplements, of course!)

The latest thing we have added into the arsenol of autism-fighting weapons is mild hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments (HBOT). So far, Cole and Mommy have completed 2 one-hour-long sessions in the chamber. 38 more to go. 40 sessions is the "magic number" based on the studies. Anyway, I did lots of research on this treatment before we pursued it. And, it appears from the studies that HBOT has helped many kids on the autism spectrum with irritability, anger, and agression issues.

After only two sessions in the HBOT chamber, we are starting to see some results! Cole has had a great week at Nonnie's house....his best behavior in quite some time! He is coming home from school with good reports from his teacher! And, today, someone noticed something was different with Cole. It was the grandma of another boy is Cole's preschool class. She commented to Nonnie that Cole seemed much happier and has a more relaxed look about him! To have someone who was totally unaware of the autism treatments come up to Nonnie out of the blue and say they noticed Cole seemed different to her was a complete and unexpected surprise!

The treatments are time consuming and difficult for all of us. But, the fact that we are starting to see positive results gives this Mommy lots of encouragement to keep going!! I think we're starting to finally make some progress!