What's working for you right now? What are you trying new?

[Gena]

Let's share information about helpful therapies, biomedical interventions (diet/supplements), and other approaches.

What's working for your special needs kid(s) right now? Are you using the summer to try anything new?

[Gena]

DS has high-functioning autism, hyperlexia, dyspraxia, and albinism.

We are having good success with the supplements we are using, and we have tweaked the dosage a little. DS takes:

Multivitamin: Rainbow Light Nutristars
Omega supplements with a high EPA: low DHA ratio: MorEpa Mini-Junior
"Behavior Balance" by FoodScience of Vermont: this supplement has DMG plus B vitamins and some minerals.
Probiotic

The Behavior Balance was been wonderful for DS. It has increased his expressive language and interest in social interaction with other kids. His progress in these areas since starting this supplement is simply amazing.

DS gets speech therapy and OT at school, but does not qualify for summer services and our insurance does not cover these privately. So we are working on these at home this summer. We use the exercises provided by hid therapists, iPad apps, and some materials from Super Duper Publications.

The new thing we are doing this summer is that DS is in a mainstream environment full time, since he is in daycare all day. (At school he is partially mainstreamed.) This has presented some challenges and we have hired a behavioral therapist to work with the staff in developing techniques to help DS be successful in this environment. They are using visual supports, social stories, sensory diet, and breaks to help him. We had a rocky start, but the last couple of weeks DS has been doing very well there.

Recent testing found that DS has auditory processing deficits. So we are adjusting how we talk with him and present verbal information. His psychologist recently ruled out ADHD, so we are managing his hyperactivity with the supplements and sensory diet.

[Elilly]

We do the following with DS:
GFCFSF
Yasko protocol
Orton Gillingham tutoring

Only the Orton Gillingham is new this year. We're kind of in maintenance mode at this point.

[karstmama]

pre-k in the autistic classroom in the fall will be new for us - aba, low lights, 1:4 ratio. i'm excited about it!

[egoldber]

Well, frankly summer vacation is working really well for us right now. School is so stressful for DD and in summer her anxiety just really does way, way down.

But in general, we are still on the low dose SSRI, which seems to be really helping her. And in the fall we are going to work on some anger management skills in individual therapy.

Her group therapist suggested a middle school group for her when she is a little older because she seems to really enjoy and benefit from group therapy.

[HIU8]

A continuous routine is working well right now for DS. He is in 7 weeks of summer camp and he does so much better with a routine. The 2 weeks between school and camp were hard for him. OT once a week still, karate 2x/week and behavior therapist once every 3 weeks (but her methods that we have started are working well daily for DS). Speech therapy starts in the fall and DS is being fitted with a pre-orthodontia device on Friday to wear to bed nightly. It is supposed to help bring his teeth in straight and with some tongue exercises it should put an end to the tongue thrusting and naturally widen his pallate.

I'm not seeing a huge difference with the food dyes cut out. Have not started the full feingold diet (not sure if we will or not at this point).

UPDATE: I just posted in the lounge about DS and food dye. Removing it from his diet works!!!! So we are going to continue with that for now as well.

[melrose7]

We have 30 hours of ABA at home each week
Starting a few weeks of PT tomorrow for some two walking/tight calves
First 2 weeks of summer were rough without the routine of school but we are doing better now.