Home-based ABA

We knew we had to send Jaden for therapies but what therapies? 

Searching around blogs, autism websites, asking around parents who have experiences in these and finally trying to sort which therapy suits Jaden best.

Finally, after giving in some consideration, Mr and I decided to do ABA first for Jaden.

We were actually torn between RDI and ABA but I wanted something more solid, something much more strict that he can stick to a schedule instead of relying on me to be the 'therapist' in the RDI therapy.

Intan Miranti from ANDI Initiative came over to the house and gave us her point of view in ABA therapy. She was really  great help. She gave us her point of view as a mother and also as a therapist. She, of course was open-minded to whom we will hire in the end and even gave me some contacts for me to call and talk to, just to let me understand which therapy schedule would suit both Jaden and I best.

Intan even gave us a rough breakdown of how much home-based would cost compared to the centre-based pricing I got from the Internet and calls made. She explained to us the pros and cons and boy, these therapies don't come cheap. Really really not cheap. One month of the therapy can costs somehow  more than my annual private school fees back in my days.Centre-based? Well, one of the centre's one month fees costs as much as today's private school annual fee. Yes! That is how expensive these treatments are to have these children recover.

When we decided to go ahead with ABA, Intan truthfully told me she was not sure if she could take my case up, because she had other things running too from her organization. She recommended me another well-known supervisor, Carmen.

I was so grateful when Carmen agreed to take my case up. She has already taken on about 40 families, and to be able to slot me in was heaven-sent. Partly was also due to where I was staying. I practically stay 10 minutes away from her. 

Carmen, too came over to the house to evaluate Jaden and told us her plans for Jaden. Then she set out to find us suitable therapists whom she thinks will be able to handle Jaden and after months of me hoping to get Jaden started on therapy, my prayers were answered. Carmen smsed me in the middle of February and told me she found me two therapists for Jaden and a meeting was set up. That was possibly what made my whole Chinese New Year seems hopeful and happier.

Fast forward, today in the morning and early afternoon, was Jaden's first ABA class with his two therapists.

We were actually expecting some cries, resistance but *touch wood* it all went smoothly and the only resistance we got was he did not want class to end! 

Well, this is another step forward taken, another new beginning and I pray that more positivity will follow along.

Therbiotic Complete & Boulardii

Jaden went all hyper last night, treating the bed like his trampoline, jumping the night away till I showed him I meant business.

His behavior was pretty satisfying, and he didn't attempt to cry so I didn't lay the cane down on him. I only showed him as a threat but well, he does not know about that. =)

He woke up this morning, and was behaving through except for the occasional stubborness he put up in the bedroom after his bathtime. He has this bad habit of opening up my wardrobe and drawers and trying to take everything out. Of course, that would result him in getting cane marks on his legs or hand and he will go crying to daddy who will say I am crazy.

Mr took him down to the badminton court for a walk and a change of scenery during the evening and both father and son were just enjoying the view of the main road instead. That was what Jaden wanted anyway. 

Appetite is getting better and he knows how to look for food on his own, by going to the fridge now and only pulling out his snacks if he is really hungry. He will follow me around in the kitchen, showing me signs that he wants to eat instead of throwing tantrum now but well, sometimes, he will still lose his temper and start crying. 

Today, I gave him his first capsule of Therbiotic Complete together with his Therbiotic Detox. He will have to take them one more time later tonight and also the Boulardii, just before bedtime.

He has yet have any bowel movement. Oh no! Is he back being constipated? I sure hope not. Going to down more fluids down his throat to see if it will help move his bowels and give me a diaper to change. Its not really good news for me if he does not have his daily 'business'.

 

Fluconazole #day14 -LAST DAY

I can't believe it that 14 days is up today. No more waiting till after the third meal to feed him his antibiotics before he sleeps. From tomorrow onwards, it will be more probiotics to make his gut hostile for the yeast to find it hard to grow in there. It is the nasty yeast, bacteria and mercury in these autism children that makes them what they are. As long as these nasty things are out of them or cured to the least numbers, they are sure to get back on track with their neurotypical peers.

Jaden has been pretty much tolerable these past 14 days that he was taking the antifungal. I am not very sure if the die-off reaction was supposed to take place when he takes them or would it happen only after today now that he is off it, and the probiotics would help fight the battle from inside out?

I have emailed Dr E today Jaden's progress so far and hopefully his reply will give me some insights on what to expect or have Jaden done well so far. 

Jaden pooped twice today. The earlier poo was more greenish this time, and more loose watery-diarrhea like while his second poo is more formed and mustardy yellow in colour with those nasty white looking strains. Are those the yeast that are leaving the body or are those his undigested rice grains, now that it struck me that it might be just that. LOL

Last night, for the first time after three-four days of putting up a fight before sleep, was being his goody self again, quietly tossing and turning before he slept off on his own. I hope it will remain like this from now onwards because it makes both our lives easier. Me, not having to get angry and Jaden, not having to sleep with difficulty due to the mucus all inside him.

I am confident that my weighing scale is not in default mode because I weighed him today again just to be sure that my eyes are not playing tricks on me last night and Jaden finally weighs 17kg! It is such a happy news for me because this means one step forward in gut recovery. That his guts are actually absorbing the goodness and not leaking them out or at least that is how I like to picture the scenario. 

Jaden still has one last round of antibiotics to go before I call it all wraps for the antifungal course and hopefully we wont have him take it again. The second time, maybe I would want to go for GSE instead of Diflucan. I don't mind if his die off reaction can get really bad but at least I would not have to worry that it might hurt his liver.

I forgot to mention that beginning yesterday, January 8th, I have started him on another new supplement, which is the Prothera MethylFolate. Since it is a non bitter tasting capsule, I mixed it all together with the Awakening Spectrum, Methycobalmin, Zinc plus and Chromium Picolinate.

Jaden is starting to play with his toys, which he showed little interest last time we took it out for him. Now, he knows how to pull them apart when we fixed them together instead of just throwing it on the floor to let it break open by itself. On some occasions, he would pick out cars of the same colour and put them aside and proceed on to the other coloured cars until no cars are left in the box. I truly see this as an improvement in play.

I know we would still have quite a long way to go but like I said in my first post, slowly but surely!

-end of day 14 update-

10 things ...

Fluconazole #day 13

Today has been rather good although he seemed tired enough to want to nap and nap he did when we went out to Ikano for dinner.

He woke up at his usual time, which was about 230pm and we did our routine, DE then meal sprinkled with taurine and fluconazole, followed by his antibiotics after meal, then awakening spectrum, methycobalmin, zinc plus and chromium picolinate in 2 teaspoon of banana juice diluted with water. After two hours, I gave him his klaire detox and cod liver oil. An hour half later, it was back to taking DE and getting ready for his second meal. 

I made sure I fed him full, food sprinkled with another fluconazole and his antibiotics before we went out so he wont demand for food or go cranky when he see others eat. Who knew, he fell asleep moments after we strapped him in his stroller while waiting for our table.

He woke up a few minutes after we finished our dinner, and he remain just quiet in his stroller. I tried to show him toys at Ikea but he refused all of them, even the pillows which he would have love so much to cuddle last time. We quickly bought what we have to for his ABA therapy at Ikea and came home before he throws a tantrum.

Anyway ....

Today he let go one big poo, this time yellow mustardy looking, a little diarrhea like. It is as if to make up for yesterday's small poo.

Tantrum wise, he is pretty ok today except for the 15 minutes of crying due to him feeling too bored. Sometimes I really feel sorry for the boy that we are unable to find time to bring him to a park to run. *sigh

I hope I am not saying it too soon because bedtime has yet to come and recently, he has been crying really badly before he sleeps and the thing is, he cries for no particular reason. He just suddenly burst into this mood all of a sudden from a smiling sweet little boy to some unreasonable little monster. Sometimes it gets so bad, I just put on my earphones and let the music drown out his cries which will eventually turn to sobs and then snores...

 

I hope my weighing scale is not spoiled but I just bought it today. I weighed the boy and it seemed that he went up from 15kg to either 16 or 17kg. He would not really stand still but even if it did, it sort of pointed at 16kg. yay!! Dr E did mention that the boy should either maintain his weight or put on weight but not lose weight. If he loses weight, means there is something wrong with his gut still so I guess Jaden is on the right path and I really pray it will keep moving that positive way.

-end of day 13 update-

Fluconazole #day 12

Jaden threw major tantrum again last night before bedtime. This time, we did not even evoke the monster but the monster within him woke up on its own and the boy was crying for no apparent reason, just refusing to sleep. We ignored him as usual and soon, he fell asleep on his own... after some time.

He only pooed once today and it looked like this. It is considered quite little compared to the usual he usually let go. This is his dark chocolatey looking poo.

For three days now in a row, I noticed that he only throws tantrum around night time, nearing bedtime or during bedtime. One minute hes a happy boy taking his bath before bedtime, the next minute, hes a little crying monster in his pyjamas.

Appetite is getting a little bit better but he is still not consuming as much as he used to. At least he is eating. Today is TAURINE day two and he seems fine with it. Maybe a little hyper here and there but acceptable.

Now after ending this post, its on to another round of Digestive Enzymes, then dinner and then antibiotics, followed by probio just before bedtime. 2 more days to go now for the anti fungal and antibiotics.

I foresee another round of tantrum throwing that is going to start soon. God bless my sanity.

-end of day 12 update-

Fluconazole #day 11

Last night was quite a nightmare for Mr and I. Jaden's mood swings were rather bad and lets just say, he kept crying and then stopping and then crying until Mr has to get out of the room to get peace.

As for Jaden, he fell asleep soon after the father left the room. Hmm...

As usual, I got blamed for Jaden's crying, getting accused for spoiling Jaden's mood before he sleeps whereas the truth is that Jaden was in just one of his crazy mood swings.Was it wrong in the first place for me to whack Jaden for opening my wardrobe and taking everything out and throw it all over the floor?

I added on TAURINE today to his line of supplements. I sprinkled it on his food and he ate it all down without suspecting a thing. I read it somewhere that its best for taurine to go with food so it can perform its specific task as its best. Not sure how true it is, but well, as long as it goes down his throat and into wherever it must be at.

I don't think I see any side effects to TAURINE in Jaden but well, will keep a lookout for at least these two days before I start off on the next supplement.

Jaden is still looking quite hyper today but the giddyness has subsided. *phew* and the uncontrollable mood swings too. So I am guessing it must be the hazelnut milk or the chocolate in it. Maybe its the milk overall. Well, I guess I will soon find out once Vance DariFree Chocolate Milk makes its way into my kitchen. Jaden's godmother has gone all out to source the potato milk for him and bought it for him today so I am just waiting for her to come KL to pass it to me.

Anyway, back to his antifungal status today, he is at Day 11 and his stool, formed, big (not as big as yesterday's) and a bit more brownish in colour.

Appetite wise, hes still not back to his usual hearty meals but less resistance compared to the earlier days when we introduced antifungal to him. I have been giving him probiotics twice daily since he got on antifungal. The second one usually before bedtime but I think I have to give more to let his body build resistance against the growth of yeast. 

If I am not mistaken, I am supposed to give him four times a day after he is off the antifungals. I better email Dr Erwin and ask again a day before Jaden finishes his 14 day course of antifungal & antibiotics.

Jaden finally discovered how to leverage his strength to open the fridge door and that gives me another reason to worry that he might just decide to take anything from the fridge and put it inside his mouth. I have been caning him since to let him know that he will get the cane each time he opens the fridge door. I hope he will stop it soon or think twice about opening the fridge.

The thing about me caning him is that he learn not to do it, but then its only when I am near him. For example, he keeps throwing my books placed on the bedside makeshift table down the floor, but after today's whacking, me showing my displeasure at his actions, he actually picked up the books from the floor even if he accidentally knock them over. So tell me, why stop disciplining him the way it is effective? at least for now till his ABA therapy starts and hopefully that will teach him to be more compliant.

The home-based ABA supervisor came over yesterday to assess Jaden and drew a list of program for Jaden. Now, she will source for therapists then we can start off his ABA therapy. Finally!! YAY!

-end of day 11 update-