After 3 years, this kid has caught up to “same aged peers.” He was officially released from speech therapy on Friday. Academically, Ty is doing very well. Behaviorally, he’s almost regressing. We are working with an allergist who specializes in autism and other behavior disorders. It’s really a whole other blog post but did just find out he has very high neurotransmitter levels across the board. So basically he’s in flight/fight/freeze mode 24/7. His NT profile is similar to those with PTSD symptoms. We had a feeling this was the case and was impacting his behavior but now we have hard evidence. On to a solution…
Day 58
Posted in Uncategorized, {365} The First Year Home and tagged Adoption and Orphan Care, Our Adoption Adventure, Ty.
I keep meaning to send you two different messages…they are in my mental list of things to do that comes to me at inconvenient times like 3 AM or in the shower. So here they finally are: File them under “things to try down the road” and “for a fellow information junky”.
1. I know that you have tried fish oil and probiotics for symptom management with Ty in the past with little success. I found out last year that I have a gluten sensitivity, and I was diagnosed years and years ago by Hopkins of a probable milk protein allergy. This year I finally bit the bullet and gave up both. There is a growing body of research suggesting that if you do in fact have a food sensitivity, such as gluten, the villi that line your stomach will be damaged and diminished. This means you can no longer absorb vital nutrients from foods you may not necessarily be sensitive to. (Still somewhat controversial, but I am now a believer.) With gluten sensitivity, it takes a year or two for the stomach to heal itself and begin absorbing regularly again. (Some theories go as far as to blame byproducts of unbroken down gluten or casein for ADHD symptoms.) Either way, I personally tried probiotics and fish oils for years and they made my stomach worse. But after identifying and eliminating the foods I was sensitive to, and allowing my stomach to heal, I now can’t live without fish oil. I notice a HUGE difference in energy, tummy symptoms, skin, hair, and nails. I like to think I concentrate better too. If Ty has success with a modified diet, ask your allergist if there are supplements that may not have worked pre-diet, but could be worth another go around down the road.
2. Breath regulation and the autonomic nervous system are closely tied. I do a ton of breathing work with my adult patients, but I am just now trying to put together some daily techniques for my kids. When you breath in, your heart rate increases and the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) spikes. When you breath out, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated (rest and relax), and HR slows. During deep, slow breathing, the reflex spike in parasympathetic activity from exhale is more than the inhale. This is why deep breathing during 5-10 minutes of meditation results in a net gain of parasympathetic output (relaxation.) This is also why fight or flight sympathetic system can result in shallow breathing and hyperventilation if you are not actually outrunning a saber tooth tiger. A sneaky way to decrease the effects of Ty’s constant fight or flight action can be to have him concentrate on breathing through his nose instead of his mouth for a few minutes through out the day. (I would have kids hum to me when I worked in aquatics.) He can practice blowing bubbles out of his nose in the bathtub to promote a long, slow exhale. There are also children’s books and tapes out with other techniques as there is a growing need due to the spike in asthma and steroid dependancy. I will keep you updated as I find more stuff…you can also ask your tae kwon doe instructor for breathing exercises for Ty.
Hi Mel! Congratulations on Ty’s achievements! I can’t wait to hear more about the allergist.
There is a lot of new research coming out on sleep quality and conditions such as ADHD and PTSD. I am just starting to read up on it myself, but it is a bit of a new frontier in research. I have had patients who were researchers and patients getting sleep studies done…there is some interesting stuff coming out from very reputable sources. Maybe you could ask the allergist if he recommends a sleep study on Ty?
Does Ty: talk in his sleep? Wake up excessively in the middle of the night? Grind his teeth in his sleep? Sleep walk? Kick or have excessive muscle movement in his sleep? He may not be getting into all of the sleep stages, which researchers are finding activate different forms of brain waves.
No matter what, he has everything he really needs already in place….you and Patrick, and the family! The rest is just icing on the cake!
xoxo
Thanks for your input! We’ll keep that in mind. Although, I think he’s a pretty good, sound sleeper. No evidence of restlessness or waking…