and we have seen little progress since my last update in July. In fairness, there have been quite a few upheavals for George and his routine has been disrupted on many occasions. Parents of ADHD children will know how important routine is. School holidays meant his routine changed and we always see a change in his behaviour when school breaks up. Our family holiday caused another routine change. Since returning from that, there hasn't been a month without some sort of disruption and there have also been family illnesses to deal with. Not a very settled period and I think this is why progress is so painfully slow.
In the middle of all that, we were able to go to the Kenilworth centre for a follow up assessment. We were delighted to get the appointment and I feel we got quite a lot from it. I explained the astounding improvements we saw, earlier in the year, and the rather disappointing fall back which followed. George's scores on the balance machine continue to improve, so we can see there are still improvements taking place. He was given an entirely new set of exercises, much harder than before. It's quite possible that the lack of progress had been because the previous exercises were far too easy. Since starting the harder ones, along with mental exercises with the ones he finds easy, he is trying harder to complete them to the best of his ability. He never ceases to amaze me with his incredible hard work. He still NEVER complains about doing these exercises. Occasionally he gets frustrated, if he can't quite get the co-ordination right, and this sometimes develops into a war of words between us. If I suggest that he doesn't do the exercise, he immediately calms down and he tells me that if he doesn't do the exercises he will never get better. He is totally committed to the programme.
There's been so much written about ADHD over the years, and I still get very cross when I come across statements such as "ADHD is just a label for a naughty child". Children with ADHD are not naughty. They recognise their problems and get frustrated because they cannot overcome them. Sadly, there are some badly behaved children who are just that. Badly behaved. Mis-diagnosis is a fact of life but it doesn't mean that ADHD does not exist. I see it in him every day. He still often refers to himself as "stupid" because he cannot control himself. I try hard to reassure him that this is not the case. He's not stupid, he's very bright. The suicidal feelings that he suffered from whilst he was on Ritalin, and before he started Dore (having not had Ritalin for 6 months) have not returned. The relief I feel cannot be put into words.
Recently the Government made a statement about treatment of ADHD and the use of Ritalin. Why did it take them so long? This information about the long term efficacy of Ritalin has been available for over a year. I would be interested to know how they are going to tackle this issue now. I'm guessing they will return to psychology. If they do, I will not be getting on board with that. Research using fMRI scans show that children with ADHD have smaller than normal cerebellums. Psychology is not going to change a physical/biological problem. I listened to a short debate on the radio, and got angrier as it went on. The Government say don't prescribe Ritalin until you've tried everything else. What is the "everything else?". Who knows.....?
Following on from that, the e-petition that was presented to Downing street asking that The Dore Programme be evaluated for consideration in the management of specific learning difficulties has been responded to.
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to take action to prevent the loss of the Dore programme which is proven to help children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD,enabling them to reach their full potential. We believe the programme should be made available to every child in the country that needs it.”
The most important part of the response is as follows:
"the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has recently asked Sir Jim Rose to make recommendations on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia (some of whom also experience difficulties associated with dyspraxia). As part of developing his recommendations, Sir Jim will look at the methodologies which underpin approaches to overcoming dyslexia, including the DORE Programme."
So, on the face of it, good news for parents of children with Dyslexia.
Nothing, absolutely NOTHING good there for parents of children with ADHD.
If I could go back to when George was 7 and recently diagnosed, I would approach his difficulties in an entirely different way (knowing what I know now). It's not the same in all cases, but for us, drugs don't work in the long term. Psycho-babble is a waste of time and effort and can be soul-destroying as you repeatedly fail to make progress. It erodes your confidence in your abilities as a parent. The problems my child faces are caused by an underdeveloped part of his brain. I need to find a way to help him develop it fully. I still don't know it if will work, but The Dore Programme is all I have. The professionals have offered me nothing except Ritalin.
Finally, I want to bring up the Goverments famous statement of "every child matters".
Really?
Not from where I'm standing.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Playing with a group of children
is not something that George has been able to do. Hence his list, earlier in the year, of "everybody who hates me". I have always had great sympathy for his situation. His inappropriate behaviour has isolated him from his peers because he's "not normal" and they don't know how to cope with him.
It scares them...
His inability to behave like them has partly been the cause of his frustration and suicidal thoughts. He has, in the past, even tried to bribe children so that they would be "his friend".
A few weeks ago, George informed me that he would be playing football after school. I was intrigued by this, because in Juniors he joined the after school football team and when I observed him playing he always seemed to be running around like a lunatic... chasing the ball and trying to be everywhere at once. His coach explained how George just didn't "get" the rules of football. A penalty was given to the opposing side, and when the coach asked who would like to take it, George immediately put his hand up....
The change I saw in him, when I arrived early to collect him from football practice recently was amazing. He kept his position instead of trying to chase the ball down, and seemed to be accepted by his team mates. The following week, I observed the same situation. He wasn't the "nutty professor" flailing his arms and legs as he ran - he seemed more controlled and focussed.
Last week, I received a letter informing me of another detention that George had managed to pick up. My initial reaction was one of disappointment. However, when I called the school to find out the details, I ended up grinning.
No.... I haven't gone insane..... the detention was imposed on a dozen or so children for playing in a "no go area". George was playing with a group of children. He was doing what normal children do..... this is yet another indication that he is moving in the right direction.
This week, I had another meeting with the SeNCo. Apart from the detention, there was really nothing to report, so I think I can honestly say that June has been a good month. George is lucky in that Mr W really likes him... he can see past all the bravado and he thinks George is a brilliant young man. As we were talking about event logs, his lips were twitching (which means he is trying not to laugh). I pushed him for an explanation:
Mr W takes George for one science lesson per week. George is allowed into the classroom before the other students, to allow him a couple of minutes to gather his thoughts and settle down. Mr W related the story:
"George rushed in, muttering "there's no way I'm getting into trouble for that!". He sat down and made a visible effort to calm himself down. I peeked round the corner of the doorway, to see a number of students in line. They had their school blazers on, but the breast pockets had been ripped down and were hanging loose. They had obviously thought that this was a good game. George had decided that this was not a good thing to do and had removed himself from the situation before he could be tempted to follow suit"
Six months ago, George would have allowed himself to become involved in this activity, in an effort to ingratiate himself into the group. He did something that ADHD children do not normally do.... he thought about the consequences....
These are very small steps, but each step is significant and reinforces our belief that The Dore Programme is working.
I often look back at previous posts, so that I can try and measure our progress. George hasn't had a rage for about four months now - he used to have at least two a month. George used to blame all of his problems on his ADHD. His answer to every thing was "I can't help it, I have ADHD". He hasn't used this excuse for months. He believes that he is getting better, and this self-belief is, again, something that ADHD children do not normally have.
I don't want anybody who reads this to think that The Dore Programme is an overnight miracle - it isn't. We have recently experienced a slight backward step inasmuch as George has started making some of the "noises" again. This evening he went to feed his rabbits, and screeched all the way there......
When I met up recently with another "Dore" Mum, I mentioned this. Her child has been on the programme for much longer than George and she explained that this is perfectly normal. I have it in my mind, now, that he will probably take two steps forward, followed by one step back.... then two steps forward and one step back.....
That's OK with me. I can understand the logic behind it, and am quite happy to persevere. George, also, is happy to persevere. He seems to instinctively know that these "silly little exercises" are helping him.
There's been some good news regarding The Dore Programme recently. They have one centre open, in Kenilworth, and are working their way through clients, in date order, and inviting them for assessment. I think that's going to be about three and a half hours for us, in the car, but I'm looking forward to getting a new appointment.
Look hard enough, and you'll be able to find some comments which "rubbish" the programme. You don't have to look very hard to find lots of articles about how good it is. Dore could have abandoned all of us, when the company when into administration. They had no legal obligation to try and continue to provide any kind of service. Not only have they worked hard to support us, they have started to provide a continuance of the programme... at no extra cost to us.
That deserves a thumbs up, in my mind.
To all the other Dore Parents, I wish you continued success and offer my thanks for the continued support you have so freely offered.
It scares them...
His inability to behave like them has partly been the cause of his frustration and suicidal thoughts. He has, in the past, even tried to bribe children so that they would be "his friend".
A few weeks ago, George informed me that he would be playing football after school. I was intrigued by this, because in Juniors he joined the after school football team and when I observed him playing he always seemed to be running around like a lunatic... chasing the ball and trying to be everywhere at once. His coach explained how George just didn't "get" the rules of football. A penalty was given to the opposing side, and when the coach asked who would like to take it, George immediately put his hand up....
The change I saw in him, when I arrived early to collect him from football practice recently was amazing. He kept his position instead of trying to chase the ball down, and seemed to be accepted by his team mates. The following week, I observed the same situation. He wasn't the "nutty professor" flailing his arms and legs as he ran - he seemed more controlled and focussed.
Last week, I received a letter informing me of another detention that George had managed to pick up. My initial reaction was one of disappointment. However, when I called the school to find out the details, I ended up grinning.
No.... I haven't gone insane..... the detention was imposed on a dozen or so children for playing in a "no go area". George was playing with a group of children. He was doing what normal children do..... this is yet another indication that he is moving in the right direction.
This week, I had another meeting with the SeNCo. Apart from the detention, there was really nothing to report, so I think I can honestly say that June has been a good month. George is lucky in that Mr W really likes him... he can see past all the bravado and he thinks George is a brilliant young man. As we were talking about event logs, his lips were twitching (which means he is trying not to laugh). I pushed him for an explanation:
Mr W takes George for one science lesson per week. George is allowed into the classroom before the other students, to allow him a couple of minutes to gather his thoughts and settle down. Mr W related the story:
"George rushed in, muttering "there's no way I'm getting into trouble for that!". He sat down and made a visible effort to calm himself down. I peeked round the corner of the doorway, to see a number of students in line. They had their school blazers on, but the breast pockets had been ripped down and were hanging loose. They had obviously thought that this was a good game. George had decided that this was not a good thing to do and had removed himself from the situation before he could be tempted to follow suit"
Six months ago, George would have allowed himself to become involved in this activity, in an effort to ingratiate himself into the group. He did something that ADHD children do not normally do.... he thought about the consequences....
These are very small steps, but each step is significant and reinforces our belief that The Dore Programme is working.
I often look back at previous posts, so that I can try and measure our progress. George hasn't had a rage for about four months now - he used to have at least two a month. George used to blame all of his problems on his ADHD. His answer to every thing was "I can't help it, I have ADHD". He hasn't used this excuse for months. He believes that he is getting better, and this self-belief is, again, something that ADHD children do not normally have.
I don't want anybody who reads this to think that The Dore Programme is an overnight miracle - it isn't. We have recently experienced a slight backward step inasmuch as George has started making some of the "noises" again. This evening he went to feed his rabbits, and screeched all the way there......
When I met up recently with another "Dore" Mum, I mentioned this. Her child has been on the programme for much longer than George and she explained that this is perfectly normal. I have it in my mind, now, that he will probably take two steps forward, followed by one step back.... then two steps forward and one step back.....
That's OK with me. I can understand the logic behind it, and am quite happy to persevere. George, also, is happy to persevere. He seems to instinctively know that these "silly little exercises" are helping him.
There's been some good news regarding The Dore Programme recently. They have one centre open, in Kenilworth, and are working their way through clients, in date order, and inviting them for assessment. I think that's going to be about three and a half hours for us, in the car, but I'm looking forward to getting a new appointment.
Look hard enough, and you'll be able to find some comments which "rubbish" the programme. You don't have to look very hard to find lots of articles about how good it is. Dore could have abandoned all of us, when the company when into administration. They had no legal obligation to try and continue to provide any kind of service. Not only have they worked hard to support us, they have started to provide a continuance of the programme... at no extra cost to us.
That deserves a thumbs up, in my mind.
To all the other Dore Parents, I wish you continued success and offer my thanks for the continued support you have so freely offered.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
We're not alone
Online forums are often a good way of reaching out to people in similar situations, but you can't beat the human touch! With the collapse of The Dore Programme it's been a bit difficult to try and keep some enthusiasm going because we were suddenly thrown back into the "unknown". In the past few weeks, I have met a couple of "Dore" mums, and it was a huge boost. We swapped stories and I know the moral support I received was invaluable. I sincerely hope that the other Mums felt the same way.
One of the main things that we seemed to have in common (apart from the obvious) is our feeling of being let down, not only by the educational system, but also by the NHS. One Mum has felt so let down by our education system, that she pays for her child to go to a private school in an effort to get him some kind of support for his dyslexia. The Governments statement of "every child matters" is laughable. Saying and doing are two entirely different things, and from where I'm sitting, the Government aren't doing very much....
Is it any wonder that we turn to alternative therapies? Over and over again, I see parents commenting on how little help and support they get and all too often I see the same theme emerging...
It's not just in theUK
I'm not going to go into specifics because I don't have the right to comment on other peoples lives without their permission. Suffice to say that, at the moment, I feel there's an awful lot of talking and very little action.
I know very little about Dyslexia, which is where The Dore Programme has it's roots, but George has a friend who is Dyslexic and his mother has very little (nil) support. Is Dyslexia so prevalent that we just accept it as a disability, shrug our shoulders and move on?
This site has a huge amount of information, not just for Dyslexia, but for other learning disorders, including but not limited to ADHD and Autism. I was interested to read a recent post there, about ADHD and fMRI scans which show that the cerebellum in ADHD children is underdeveloped. I'm frustrated just now, because I read a published paper giving more information, meant to bookmark it, forgot, and now I can't find my way back to it. But, when I stumbled across it, I had a "eureka" moment. It basically said that of all the children who had the fMRI scan had one 'physical' thing in common - a specific section of the cerebellum was smaller than in "normal" children. None of these children had received medication. There have been questions in the past as to whether the smaller (part of the) cerebellum was due to Ritalin or ADHD. This research confirmed that Ritalin seemed to play no part in this under-development.
This was a huge relief for me. Having a child who has been medicated for five years, and given recent developments into the efficacy of Ritalin, I have castigated myself weekly for allowing him to take this drug, knowing that the long term effects were not fully known.
Anyway, back to these new friends.... I was struck also by many common factors, we seem to find ourselves with remarkable children, they excel in particular areas - to the point that they are so far ahead of their peers, they are out of sight.
The Mum of the dyslexic child related to me how clever her child is with mechanics, how he can do many things that other children of his age cannot do, but he struggles to read and write. She told me how he could hold a conversation with adults, at their level, and be perfectly at ease.... Her pride in her childs achievements was immense, and rightly so. She has taken every step possible to help him but it's been tough (and still is). It's not right that she should have to fight so hard for something that should be freely available to her son. I haven't even met her son, and already I think he's amazing..... !!
The (non-UK) Mum of an ADHD child, is still battling to get the kind of support that she feels is acceptable - she doesn't want medication. The lad doesn't want the medication either. I don't understand why they should be left with so few choices..... it's just not fair. She told me about her "mothers instinct" and I could relate 100% to it. All these people who tell us that they know best, well.... they don't. We are the mothers - we know what is right for our children, and we should be allowed to make informed choices and be given the support to follow our instincts.
As mentioned in previous posts, I also have "invisible friends" - people who I have come across in discussion forums. One of these people mentioned some time ago about the problems her family faced with a child who has been loosely diagnosed as being "on the autistic spectrum". The following words are hers, and she has given me permission to post her story here. She hopes that by sharing the information it may be of benefit to other parents or children in a similar situation. I have changed the names to protect the innocent.
After reading this, I must admit to being reduced to tears. It's yet another example of how "the system" has failed and parents have had to work hard to research and experiment.
It's also a good example of how anecdotal evidence (in my opinion) is worth taking notice of. I'm sure there are many children who seem to cope quite well with additives. But do they? Do they really? Or do they just build their own coping mechanisms? Who knows?
I often wonder if part of the reason we see so much violence in our young people is partly due to this chemical (there's absolutely nothing natural about Aspartame). Recently we've heard about the alarming increase in "girl gangs" and how they seem to be more aggressive. I wonder how many of these girls drink diet coke? - girls need to stay slim, don't you know! I wonder how many of these girls chew sugar free gum? I wonder what would happen if Aspartame was taken off the market and we went back to good old fashioned SUGAR, or even better, fresh fruit juice or just plain water....
It's food for thought, I think......
One of the main things that we seemed to have in common (apart from the obvious) is our feeling of being let down, not only by the educational system, but also by the NHS. One Mum has felt so let down by our education system, that she pays for her child to go to a private school in an effort to get him some kind of support for his dyslexia. The Governments statement of "every child matters" is laughable. Saying and doing are two entirely different things, and from where I'm sitting, the Government aren't doing very much....
Is it any wonder that we turn to alternative therapies? Over and over again, I see parents commenting on how little help and support they get and all too often I see the same theme emerging...
It's not just in the
I'm not going to go into specifics because I don't have the right to comment on other peoples lives without their permission. Suffice to say that, at the moment, I feel there's an awful lot of talking and very little action.
I know very little about Dyslexia, which is where The Dore Programme has it's roots, but George has a friend who is Dyslexic and his mother has very little (nil) support. Is Dyslexia so prevalent that we just accept it as a disability, shrug our shoulders and move on?
This site has a huge amount of information, not just for Dyslexia, but for other learning disorders, including but not limited to ADHD and Autism. I was interested to read a recent post there, about ADHD and fMRI scans which show that the cerebellum in ADHD children is underdeveloped. I'm frustrated just now, because I read a published paper giving more information, meant to bookmark it, forgot, and now I can't find my way back to it. But, when I stumbled across it, I had a "eureka" moment. It basically said that of all the children who had the fMRI scan had one 'physical' thing in common - a specific section of the cerebellum was smaller than in "normal" children. None of these children had received medication. There have been questions in the past as to whether the smaller (part of the) cerebellum was due to Ritalin or ADHD. This research confirmed that Ritalin seemed to play no part in this under-development.
This was a huge relief for me. Having a child who has been medicated for five years, and given recent developments into the efficacy of Ritalin, I have castigated myself weekly for allowing him to take this drug, knowing that the long term effects were not fully known.
Anyway, back to these new friends.... I was struck also by many common factors, we seem to find ourselves with remarkable children, they excel in particular areas - to the point that they are so far ahead of their peers, they are out of sight.
The Mum of the dyslexic child related to me how clever her child is with mechanics, how he can do many things that other children of his age cannot do, but he struggles to read and write. She told me how he could hold a conversation with adults, at their level, and be perfectly at ease.... Her pride in her childs achievements was immense, and rightly so. She has taken every step possible to help him but it's been tough (and still is). It's not right that she should have to fight so hard for something that should be freely available to her son. I haven't even met her son, and already I think he's amazing..... !!
The (non-UK) Mum of an ADHD child, is still battling to get the kind of support that she feels is acceptable - she doesn't want medication. The lad doesn't want the medication either. I don't understand why they should be left with so few choices..... it's just not fair. She told me about her "mothers instinct" and I could relate 100% to it. All these people who tell us that they know best, well.... they don't. We are the mothers - we know what is right for our children, and we should be allowed to make informed choices and be given the support to follow our instincts.
As mentioned in previous posts, I also have "invisible friends" - people who I have come across in discussion forums. One of these people mentioned some time ago about the problems her family faced with a child who has been loosely diagnosed as being "on the autistic spectrum". The following words are hers, and she has given me permission to post her story here. She hopes that by sharing the information it may be of benefit to other parents or children in a similar situation. I have changed the names to protect the innocent.
Brief History of Angel - Aged 5 years, 6 months.
Born the eldest of small birthweight twins, she was actually the first to sit up, crawl, say the first words of Mama, Dada, Baba; stand and start to walk. Had the normal injections (not the MMR), but after the last ones, developed a very bad ear infection which resulted in a virus, producing a rash all over her body and extremely high temperature. About 2 months later, I noticed that she was not producing words any more, just babbling, and was no longer trying to walk or even attempt to stand. As time went on, I noticed that she was hand-flapping and making repetitive noises. When she finally started to walk, she was toe-walking. She started self harming, a terrible thing to behold in one so young! She would literally gouge ruts in her arms and legs, scratch her stomach and even bite herself. We now know that this was all through sheer frustration.
What made her "funnyosities" (as her twin sister termed them) all the more marked, was having her twin sister to compare to. The differences between them were so vast, and still are.
Being a Special Needs Teacher of 16+ students, I began to recognise many of her symptoms.
We could almost set the clocks by her repetitive play and indeed her rigid, self-imposed routines. Video's were brought down from the shelf at the same time each day, all lined up in a certain order (woe betide anyone moving them around or even catching one with a foot and moving it slightly out of line!). I began to be able to predict exactly what game she would play next. Sadly, there was never any play with her sister, not even alongside of her. Playtime had to be a solitary affair, by her orders. We lost the beautiful direct gaze into the camera from her shining blue eyes. Instead, she would look at either ceiling or floor. On the very odd occasion, if she did happen to look into the camera lens at just the right moment, it was like looking into two empty little holes. Her very soul seemed to have disappeared.
Without speech, communication became a very frustrated affair, usually ending up in tears and angry rages. She knew what she wanted, but could not make us understand and so the temper tantrums began. Between the rages and tantrums, she began to become more and more withdrawn into herself. No cuddles, at least not without a fight first! Very few smiles; just a look of pure apprehension and dejection on her little face. Almost as if she was trying to say to us, "Why can't you understand me?"
I managed to get her assessed through the Pre-School Unit at a local school. Thankfully, she was referred and sort of diagnosed. She is a bit of an enigma, as she does not slot nicely into any little boxes. They cannot say she has Aspergers because........., they cannot say to what level she is Autistic because..........
We do know that she is very clever, has a brilliant, almost photographic memory, and a wicked sense of humour. For now, she has just been diagnosed as being on the Autistic Spectrum, but is awaiting further tests. She has a full-time Carer in school, as she does not have a sense of danger. She does not seem to have pain receptors, so does not really understand pain, but throws a real wobbly if she sees blood! When she screams, it reminds me of one of those sirens they used to sound in the war to warn of an air raid.
Thanks to the Pre-School Unit which she attended 3 days per week, she now has speech, albeit not to the same standard as her peer group, but she has also taught herself Makaton (after seeing it used with other children in the Unit!). This helps greatly in reducing the rages due to poor communication skills. However, as she gets older and stronger, her rages become more and more violent. She had recently started to attack her Carer and a few children in School. As she is still not toilet trained and has to wear pull-up Trainer Nappies, some of the other children have started to notice and began teasing her. At least we know that she will never put up with being bullied, but we do sometimes worry that she may become the Bully instead.
We have tried many things in the past year in order to deal with her Behaviour problems and the increasing temper rages. Nothing really seemed to help. Until I met Mary that is! I read her blog, I exchanged emails with her and started to learn about other strategies. The one thing we have always tried to keep Angel off is fizzy drinks and artificial additives in food.
Mary told me about Aspartame being in Low sugar or No Sugar drinks, and the effects that Aspartame seemed to have. We have always given the children Low or No Sugar Drinks, believing we were doing the right thing in looking after their teeth, but now, I have banned anything containing Aspartame, and this seems to be the main help in her diet.
I also found out about fresh Salmon being a good source of Omega3., so she has fresh, steamed Salmon fillets twice a week, to supplement her Omega3 capsules.
Another fantastic bit of information was the Dore Programme. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to be able to enrol her for one of these Courses, but I am trying to follow the few simple exercises to help with co-ordination. I have noticed that she has now almost stopped the toe-walking.
We started to try to follow some of the dietary advice in the hope of some small improvement.
I cannot say Thank You enough to the Lady who told me about these things! In just a few months, Angel's behaviour has improved tremendously. There have been no attacks on her Carer for at least 4 weeks running now, nor has she attacked any children in school. Her arms and legs (and those of her poor, long suffering Twin sister) are clear of bite marks and bruises for the first time in years! We are now able to reason with her and talk her down from her rages before they hit a peak. Don't misunderstand me, there has been no overnight "miracle". She still has rages and tantrums, she still gets very frustrated at times. But those times seem to be getting fewer in number, and when she does have a rage, it seems only to last for minutes now, rather than the hours that used to be spent trying to hold her tight in order to stop her hurting herself and others.
Our major achievement was last weekend. We went to a family Wedding. We had a short struggle when she was a little overwhelmed by all the people milling around her (we have never dared to take her to such an occasion before, for fear of her having one of her strops), we had a few tears, but they were not from rage or frustration, they were actual sobs of fear. Once we managed to reassure her, she sat down to her 3 course meal, ate with beautiful manners and was actually one of the best behaved children in the whole room! We were so proud of her.
Tonight she has astounded me again! She has just read through her School reading book, without faltering once. What is so fantastic about that??? The book was in Welsh, we are not Welsh speaking at home. She then read it a second time, but translated it into English for us.
She will go far, eventually. With love, care and lots of support. So many other children could also be helped in the same way. I hope our story will encourage others to at least give these methods a try. We were almost at our wits end and about to resort to Drugs to try to calm our sweet little girl down. I am just so glad that I found this information, or rather, the Lady who was willing to share this information, first!
After reading this, I must admit to being reduced to tears. It's yet another example of how "the system" has failed and parents have had to work hard to research and experiment.
It's also a good example of how anecdotal evidence (in my opinion) is worth taking notice of. I'm sure there are many children who seem to cope quite well with additives. But do they? Do they really? Or do they just build their own coping mechanisms? Who knows?
I often wonder if part of the reason we see so much violence in our young people is partly due to this chemical (there's absolutely nothing natural about Aspartame). Recently we've heard about the alarming increase in "girl gangs" and how they seem to be more aggressive. I wonder how many of these girls drink diet coke? - girls need to stay slim, don't you know! I wonder how many of these girls chew sugar free gum? I wonder what would happen if Aspartame was taken off the market and we went back to good old fashioned SUGAR, or even better, fresh fruit juice or just plain water....
It's food for thought, I think......
Monday, June 9, 2008
He does seem to be getting better....
... is what I was told today, by the School SeNCo. We managed to grab an hour after school for a meeting to look at the progress (if any) that George has made recently.
There are still issues with inattentiveness and impulsivity, but generally Georges' progress is described as very good. It's difficult to quantify because we have no real starting point from which to measure him. We do, however, have the "event logs" and this is where we can draw some conclusions from.
As previously mentioned, January was pretty awful, as was February (I found out today) and March was particularly hair curling.... All three months showed numerous negative event logs and each month seemed to be worse than the month before.
Mr W told me today, that 'they' would normally expect to move on from there to discussions about different schooling options - we have a couple of schools in our area for children with challenging behaviour (which I refer to as schools for "naughty children" and have often threatened George with this).
George has completely thrown them, by turning everything on it's head. April was better, May was better still and so far (fingers crossed) there is only one event log for June and that is a massive positive given by a Teacher who doesn't take any prisoners - so coming from her it's real Kudos! :o)
We talked about the possible reasons behind this new attitude that George has. Because there is no science behind it, we have to make certain assumptions. Mr W is a very experienced teacher and can quote chapter and verse on children with ADHD. He has a very good understanding of the problems associated with these children and how best to deal with them. He couldn't understand how George could improve so much in such a short space of time.
We talked about the possibility of his "wake up call" in March, when he was in quite serious trouble on at least two occasions. We also agreed that whilst it may have had some impact, it cannot be the only reason for this massive improvement (ADHD children don't seem to be able to recall how their behaviour negatively impacted on anybody else or themselves).
We talked about the possibility of natural maturation, but discounted that because of the huge gains made in such a comparatively small length of time.
The only other thing we could pin it on is The Dore Programme.
So..... we talked about that for a while. Mr W hadn't heard of it before I mentioned it a couple of months ago. He has asked around and found only limited information, so, because people weren't jumping up and down about it, I think he rather discounted it.
He asked me why, if it's so good, isn't the Government introducing it into school?
I gave him the simple answer - lack of clinical research.
Unfortunately, I then got on my high horse....
If Dore had spent several million pounds (and numerous years) on clinical research, we probably wouldn't have access to this programme, even now. It would still be in the research phase, surely? I don't know.... I'm not a research expert..... but I think that most of these alternative forms of therapy are, in the main, belittled by mainstream doctors and specialists. As a society, I think many of us are very critical of anything which is outside the norm and is termed "alternative".
Ritalin, on the other hand, is well known, has been used for at least 40 years, and has clinical research behind it to prove that it works. Until recently, what it didn't have, was research into the long term efficacy, along with any long term side effects.
Last November, in the UK, there was a Panorama programme about a boy called Craig, who had been taking Ritalin for his chronic ADHD. This was a follow up programme to a previous "snapshot" of Craig, which was taken in 2000.
The 2007 programme was filmed specifically because there were new results announced regarding Ritalin and it's long term benefits.
The results, in a nutshell, are that there are NO long term benefits to taking Ritalin, and the quote made by Professor William Pelham, a world authority on ADHD is most worrying:
"I think that we exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study. We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn't happen to be the case. There's no indication that medication's better than nothing in the long run."
If I were able to choose, right now, between Ritalin and nothing, based on that comment, and what I have seen my child go through whilst taking this drug, I would choose nothing. What mother wouldn't?
Why is this information not being plastered all over the newspapers?
We're living in a "quick fix" society, that's why (in my opinion).
Once I had dismounted from my high horse, we continued our discussion and I discovered this:
It would seem that there are an increasing number of General Practitioners (in our area) who are now refusing to regularly write prescriptions for Ritalin. Why is this? Could it be that there is now a huge question mark over what was once perceived as the correct treatment for ADHD?
Why is it, when the proof is there in black and white, that parents are being told that Ritalin is the only way forward for these children?
Why is it, that our children have been prescribed this potentially mind-altering drug when the research into the long term effects has been (up until recently) severely lacking?
Why is it OK to accept this lack of research regarding Ritalin, but our clinicians will not accept the lack of research when The Dore Programme is presented as a very good possible alternative.
Go back a few paragraphs:
There's no indication that medication's better than nothing in the long run.
Is what the Professor said, and he's a world renowned authority on ADHD.
OK... I'll take that NOTHING and raise it with The Dore Programme
I win the game, I believe.
There are still issues with inattentiveness and impulsivity, but generally Georges' progress is described as very good. It's difficult to quantify because we have no real starting point from which to measure him. We do, however, have the "event logs" and this is where we can draw some conclusions from.
As previously mentioned, January was pretty awful, as was February (I found out today) and March was particularly hair curling.... All three months showed numerous negative event logs and each month seemed to be worse than the month before.
Mr W told me today, that 'they' would normally expect to move on from there to discussions about different schooling options - we have a couple of schools in our area for children with challenging behaviour (which I refer to as schools for "naughty children" and have often threatened George with this).
George has completely thrown them, by turning everything on it's head. April was better, May was better still and so far (fingers crossed) there is only one event log for June and that is a massive positive given by a Teacher who doesn't take any prisoners - so coming from her it's real Kudos! :o)
We talked about the possible reasons behind this new attitude that George has. Because there is no science behind it, we have to make certain assumptions. Mr W is a very experienced teacher and can quote chapter and verse on children with ADHD. He has a very good understanding of the problems associated with these children and how best to deal with them. He couldn't understand how George could improve so much in such a short space of time.
We talked about the possibility of his "wake up call" in March, when he was in quite serious trouble on at least two occasions. We also agreed that whilst it may have had some impact, it cannot be the only reason for this massive improvement (ADHD children don't seem to be able to recall how their behaviour negatively impacted on anybody else or themselves).
We talked about the possibility of natural maturation, but discounted that because of the huge gains made in such a comparatively small length of time.
The only other thing we could pin it on is The Dore Programme.
So..... we talked about that for a while. Mr W hadn't heard of it before I mentioned it a couple of months ago. He has asked around and found only limited information, so, because people weren't jumping up and down about it, I think he rather discounted it.
He asked me why, if it's so good, isn't the Government introducing it into school?
I gave him the simple answer - lack of clinical research.
Unfortunately, I then got on my high horse....
If Dore had spent several million pounds (and numerous years) on clinical research, we probably wouldn't have access to this programme, even now. It would still be in the research phase, surely? I don't know.... I'm not a research expert..... but I think that most of these alternative forms of therapy are, in the main, belittled by mainstream doctors and specialists. As a society, I think many of us are very critical of anything which is outside the norm and is termed "alternative".
Ritalin, on the other hand, is well known, has been used for at least 40 years, and has clinical research behind it to prove that it works. Until recently, what it didn't have, was research into the long term efficacy, along with any long term side effects.
Last November, in the UK, there was a Panorama programme about a boy called Craig, who had been taking Ritalin for his chronic ADHD. This was a follow up programme to a previous "snapshot" of Craig, which was taken in 2000.
The 2007 programme was filmed specifically because there were new results announced regarding Ritalin and it's long term benefits.
The results, in a nutshell, are that there are NO long term benefits to taking Ritalin, and the quote made by Professor William Pelham, a world authority on ADHD is most worrying:
"I think that we exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study. We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn't happen to be the case. There's no indication that medication's better than nothing in the long run."
If I were able to choose, right now, between Ritalin and nothing, based on that comment, and what I have seen my child go through whilst taking this drug, I would choose nothing. What mother wouldn't?
Why is this information not being plastered all over the newspapers?
We're living in a "quick fix" society, that's why (in my opinion).
Once I had dismounted from my high horse, we continued our discussion and I discovered this:
It would seem that there are an increasing number of General Practitioners (in our area) who are now refusing to regularly write prescriptions for Ritalin. Why is this? Could it be that there is now a huge question mark over what was once perceived as the correct treatment for ADHD?
Why is it, when the proof is there in black and white, that parents are being told that Ritalin is the only way forward for these children?
Why is it, that our children have been prescribed this potentially mind-altering drug when the research into the long term effects has been (up until recently) severely lacking?
Why is it OK to accept this lack of research regarding Ritalin, but our clinicians will not accept the lack of research when The Dore Programme is presented as a very good possible alternative.
Go back a few paragraphs:
There's no indication that medication's better than nothing in the long run.
Is what the Professor said, and he's a world renowned authority on ADHD.
OK... I'll take that NOTHING and raise it with The Dore Programme
I win the game, I believe.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tell me what's happening...
.. has been the subject of recent telephone calls to School. Today, the SeNCo called me (in half term week....) to give me some feedback and to tell me what his plans are regarding my Son and his schooling. The school have quite a high-tec (to me anyway) approach to recording anything out of the norm. These are called "event logs" and can be positive or negative. I have been trying to get somebody to talk to me about the event logs so that I can see if the changes that have been so evident at home, have been replicated at school.
Six months ago, I always expected George to be late home from school on Wednesdays. This was because his last period was Science and he always seemed to get himself into trouble either just before, during or at the end of this lesson, and the Science teacher would hold him back for a short discussion about his behaviour. I have been told today that she now regards him as one of the most trustworthy students in this group. It seems that when she is dealing with some of the more difficult children, she can now rely on George to sit, behave, and continue with his work.
This is, for me, further evidence that we have made the right decision to follow our chosen path.
Last week, I spoke to his History teacher. She tells me that he seems to be calmer.....
Last week, I spoke to his Tutor. She tells me that he seems to be calmer...
Can anybody see a pattern emerging here?
The event logs:
In January there were at least a dozen event logs - all of them were negative.
In May there were four event logs - one of them was positive, three were negative and they were: He upset another student, by putting the childs schoolbag in the bin. He sent an inappropriate email. He said a swear word.
The SeNCo and I both agree that the negative event logs in May are nothing to be overly concerned about, because they are normal "schoolboy pranks".
Oh wow! What a difference!
English is still a problem, and we have decided that George will have one English lesson a week, out of the classroom, with 1-1 supervision. This will enable him to catch up with the rest of the class and hopefully will also stop the routine that he seems to have got himself into - not paying attention and messing about. We're going to try this for three weeks and then evaluate the situation.
We also have some appointments arranged, so that I can get regular feedback. Finally, I feel more in control.
There's just one small problem. Well... it's not small really..... it's a biggie! Dore have closed all their UK centres, and I'm panicking a little about completing the programme.
As always, the other Dore Mums have been incredibly supportive, and I feel a little guilty that I'm not able to offer the same level of support to them.
George has seemed to regress slightly in the last week or so - he has started making some of "the noises" again. However, this could be normal as I've read that children can go backwards for no apparent reason. My main concern is that George is picking up on my apprehension regarding The Dore Programme and this is resulting in his current behaviour.
Whilst I understand fully that there must be lots of things going on in the background, which we know nothing about, Dore (in my opinion) have been a little slow in coming forward with information for everybody who is currently in the middle of the programme. The announcement was made on Friday and we have spent a nail biting long weekend, waiting for information. Yesterday, a new part of the website went up, which I am told will enable me to access further exercises for George. At the time of writing, it doesn't recognise my PID, and so I have no access to it. I understand that it must be taking time to load up all of the records, but, until I see it with my own eyes, I still feel as though we are in limbo. I am happy to continue the programme, using online resources and the help and support of the other Dore Mums, although, clearly I would be happier if we still had our regular assessments but we don't know if that will ever be possible.
We are just playing a waiting game at the moment and it's hard to stay positive when everything is so uncertain.
We have enough exercises to last a few more weeks, and we're continuing with those. I'm hopeful that by the time we really need them, we will be able to get more so that we can continue to encourage our Son to develop into the person we know he can be.
It would be heartbreaking for us (and for lots of other parents) to have seen such improvements, only to have it all crumble to dust...
In the event that we can eventually access the exercises on the Dore website, I have decided that we will need to explain to George why he isn't going to the Dore centre for testing. He'll ask, eventually!
I'm going to tell him that he's doing so well, that they don't need to see him for the time being. :o)
Six months ago, I always expected George to be late home from school on Wednesdays. This was because his last period was Science and he always seemed to get himself into trouble either just before, during or at the end of this lesson, and the Science teacher would hold him back for a short discussion about his behaviour. I have been told today that she now regards him as one of the most trustworthy students in this group. It seems that when she is dealing with some of the more difficult children, she can now rely on George to sit, behave, and continue with his work.
This is, for me, further evidence that we have made the right decision to follow our chosen path.
Last week, I spoke to his History teacher. She tells me that he seems to be calmer.....
Last week, I spoke to his Tutor. She tells me that he seems to be calmer...
Can anybody see a pattern emerging here?
The event logs:
In January there were at least a dozen event logs - all of them were negative.
In May there were four event logs - one of them was positive, three were negative and they were: He upset another student, by putting the childs schoolbag in the bin. He sent an inappropriate email. He said a swear word.
The SeNCo and I both agree that the negative event logs in May are nothing to be overly concerned about, because they are normal "schoolboy pranks".
Oh wow! What a difference!
English is still a problem, and we have decided that George will have one English lesson a week, out of the classroom, with 1-1 supervision. This will enable him to catch up with the rest of the class and hopefully will also stop the routine that he seems to have got himself into - not paying attention and messing about. We're going to try this for three weeks and then evaluate the situation.
We also have some appointments arranged, so that I can get regular feedback. Finally, I feel more in control.
There's just one small problem. Well... it's not small really..... it's a biggie! Dore have closed all their UK centres, and I'm panicking a little about completing the programme.
As always, the other Dore Mums have been incredibly supportive, and I feel a little guilty that I'm not able to offer the same level of support to them.
George has seemed to regress slightly in the last week or so - he has started making some of "the noises" again. However, this could be normal as I've read that children can go backwards for no apparent reason. My main concern is that George is picking up on my apprehension regarding The Dore Programme and this is resulting in his current behaviour.
Whilst I understand fully that there must be lots of things going on in the background, which we know nothing about, Dore (in my opinion) have been a little slow in coming forward with information for everybody who is currently in the middle of the programme. The announcement was made on Friday and we have spent a nail biting long weekend, waiting for information. Yesterday, a new part of the website went up, which I am told will enable me to access further exercises for George. At the time of writing, it doesn't recognise my PID, and so I have no access to it. I understand that it must be taking time to load up all of the records, but, until I see it with my own eyes, I still feel as though we are in limbo. I am happy to continue the programme, using online resources and the help and support of the other Dore Mums, although, clearly I would be happier if we still had our regular assessments but we don't know if that will ever be possible.
We are just playing a waiting game at the moment and it's hard to stay positive when everything is so uncertain.
We have enough exercises to last a few more weeks, and we're continuing with those. I'm hopeful that by the time we really need them, we will be able to get more so that we can continue to encourage our Son to develop into the person we know he can be.
It would be heartbreaking for us (and for lots of other parents) to have seen such improvements, only to have it all crumble to dust...
In the event that we can eventually access the exercises on the Dore website, I have decided that we will need to explain to George why he isn't going to the Dore centre for testing. He'll ask, eventually!
I'm going to tell him that he's doing so well, that they don't need to see him for the time being. :o)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
You want to what?.....
Yesterday, we went for a checkup with the ADHD specialist. We go every 6 months because children who take a class A drug need to have regular medical checks to make sure they are growing at a normal rate (Ritalin has been known to stunt growth). George also has his blood pressure taken. What normally follows that, is a short discussion regarding any issues or problems - this is generally a kind of "counselling" session.
Last time we went, in November 2007, we were told that we would be called back in three months because we had taken George off his meds. Sure enough, 6 months later....... *rolls eyes*
We haven't seen the same Doctor twice in the five years that George has been visiting. Yesterday was no exception. We made that comment and the Doctor apologised profusely and went on to explain about staff shortages and how he, as a consultant Psychiatrist, had been called in to help out. Whilst I am fully aware of the shortcomings of the NHS in terms of resources, it shouldn't be my problem. I'm not really interested in the problems faced by the NHS, I am more interested in the problems faced by my son, and ensuring that he gets the correct support.
I felt a bit sorry for the chap, to be honest. We told him exactly how we felt - that we had been abandoned by the system and left to our own devices. How, in January and February, we were at our wits end and the only support we could get was a telephone call from a hard pressed ADHD nurse, three days to a week after we called asking for help!
In fairness to him, he had read all the notes, and he asked if George was taking any medication at all. This obviously led on to a conversation about The Dore Programme. I was surprised to know that he had heard of it, and he told me that he was attending a Psychiatrists convention shortly, and Dore was on the agenda. He has also seen one other child in our area who is on The Dore Programme and this other child is also making some good progress.
We discussed the cost involved. I'm not a Rocket Scientist, but even I can see that Dore could actually save the NHS money, if only they would get behind it. I have no idea how much Ritalin costs, but 18000mg per year for five years must cost more than a few pence..... add to that the cost of the resources - psychiatrists, support staff, ADHD nurses etc., and the five years that George has spent within the system must have cost more than £2500. Had we not discovered Dore, George would be faced with at least two visits per year for .... I don't know how many more years. Again a cost factor when comparing traditional ADHD management with The Dore Programme.
We also discussed the "leap of faith" factor. Yes, I know that Dore doesn't work for everybody, and I'm sure if the people at Dore could identify why it doesn't work for all then they could possibly take some steps to refine the programme. Perhaps in the future this may come to pass.
Whilst we were talking, George (bless him) was sat quietly next to me. He was sketching a hot rod and I noticed how calm he was, how relaxed, how totally focussed he was on what he was doing. This is not something he has ever managed to do successfully when there is something else going on in the same room. The Doctors words "He's like a different boy" will stick in my mind for some time to come..... and as I'm typing these words, I'm grinning like an idiot....!
He is like a different boy, he's calmer, quieter, more content and we have noticed this, but it's doubly impressive when other people notice. The Doctor admitted that he was apprehensive about our meeting and had been racking his brains to find a way to help us. I know that once he met George, and saw the way he behaved so perfectly, he was quite relieved.
To answer the question "You want to what?"....
He wanted to discharge George. He doesn't feel that George needs to go back for any more check ups and is very happy with his progress.
Now... the cynic in me feels that by discharging George, much needed resources will be freed up to deal with the many other children within the system and also on the waiting list. Whilst I am sympathetic, and God knows I realise how frustrating it is to be on a waiting list where you never seem to get to the top, my main concern is my child and his wellbeing. For this reason, I refused to allow him to be discharged. We are very happy with the way George is improving, and I have faith in The Dore Programme. But, we're still only 3 months into it and I want to retain a safety net for 6 months just in case.....
So, we'll get another appointment through in 6 months time, and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to take my perfectly normal son to see them, and sit there with a smug look on my face....
Last time we went, in November 2007, we were told that we would be called back in three months because we had taken George off his meds. Sure enough, 6 months later....... *rolls eyes*
We haven't seen the same Doctor twice in the five years that George has been visiting. Yesterday was no exception. We made that comment and the Doctor apologised profusely and went on to explain about staff shortages and how he, as a consultant Psychiatrist, had been called in to help out. Whilst I am fully aware of the shortcomings of the NHS in terms of resources, it shouldn't be my problem. I'm not really interested in the problems faced by the NHS, I am more interested in the problems faced by my son, and ensuring that he gets the correct support.
I felt a bit sorry for the chap, to be honest. We told him exactly how we felt - that we had been abandoned by the system and left to our own devices. How, in January and February, we were at our wits end and the only support we could get was a telephone call from a hard pressed ADHD nurse, three days to a week after we called asking for help!
In fairness to him, he had read all the notes, and he asked if George was taking any medication at all. This obviously led on to a conversation about The Dore Programme. I was surprised to know that he had heard of it, and he told me that he was attending a Psychiatrists convention shortly, and Dore was on the agenda. He has also seen one other child in our area who is on The Dore Programme and this other child is also making some good progress.
We discussed the cost involved. I'm not a Rocket Scientist, but even I can see that Dore could actually save the NHS money, if only they would get behind it. I have no idea how much Ritalin costs, but 18000mg per year for five years must cost more than a few pence..... add to that the cost of the resources - psychiatrists, support staff, ADHD nurses etc., and the five years that George has spent within the system must have cost more than £2500. Had we not discovered Dore, George would be faced with at least two visits per year for .... I don't know how many more years. Again a cost factor when comparing traditional ADHD management with The Dore Programme.
We also discussed the "leap of faith" factor. Yes, I know that Dore doesn't work for everybody, and I'm sure if the people at Dore could identify why it doesn't work for all then they could possibly take some steps to refine the programme. Perhaps in the future this may come to pass.
Whilst we were talking, George (bless him) was sat quietly next to me. He was sketching a hot rod and I noticed how calm he was, how relaxed, how totally focussed he was on what he was doing. This is not something he has ever managed to do successfully when there is something else going on in the same room. The Doctors words "He's like a different boy" will stick in my mind for some time to come..... and as I'm typing these words, I'm grinning like an idiot....!
He is like a different boy, he's calmer, quieter, more content and we have noticed this, but it's doubly impressive when other people notice. The Doctor admitted that he was apprehensive about our meeting and had been racking his brains to find a way to help us. I know that once he met George, and saw the way he behaved so perfectly, he was quite relieved.
To answer the question "You want to what?"....
He wanted to discharge George. He doesn't feel that George needs to go back for any more check ups and is very happy with his progress.
Now... the cynic in me feels that by discharging George, much needed resources will be freed up to deal with the many other children within the system and also on the waiting list. Whilst I am sympathetic, and God knows I realise how frustrating it is to be on a waiting list where you never seem to get to the top, my main concern is my child and his wellbeing. For this reason, I refused to allow him to be discharged. We are very happy with the way George is improving, and I have faith in The Dore Programme. But, we're still only 3 months into it and I want to retain a safety net for 6 months just in case.....
So, we'll get another appointment through in 6 months time, and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to take my perfectly normal son to see them, and sit there with a smug look on my face....
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Hot and Sweaty...
was how we arrived for our 2nd follow up visit on Tuesday. It was a beautiful day but it was a bit hot in the car for a two hour motorway drive, even with the air conditioning going full chat. The Dore centre, just outside Taunton, is in a converted barn attached to a working farm. George had a run around in the field to burn off a little excess energy, before we went in. As always, we were attended to almost immediately. George was assessed on the balance machine and eye tracking and the results showed that he is making progress (as we had already noticed). His "balance" is still very poor but has improved on both follow up visits. By the time he had finished the assessments he was getting a bit restless and started playing up a bit, but a few stern words outside soon brought him back into line and the rest of the visit went well. He has been given some slightly harder exercises which are more focussed on the balance aspect. Hopefully this will help him improve further.
I spend quite a lot of time working on my PC and over the years have been lucky enough to have a few cyber buddies (people whom I like, but have never met). One of these lovely people asked me last week to explain "the exercises" because she couldn't work out what it was all about. So, for Pat, here are a couple of examples:
Walk five paces forwards, then five paces backwards. Bend to the left three times, then bend to the right three times. Repeat this sequence eight times more.
Using the ball (which looks like a space hopper without the ears), sit down on it with your knees together and your feet together on the floor. Bounce up and down for 1 minute. Then, sit perfectly still on the ball for 1 minute. Close your eyes and bounce up and down for 1 minute. Keeping your eyes closed, sit still for 1 minute.
I also have "real life" friends and am priviledged to have known one of these friends for 30 years. We were chatting a couple of days ago and I was telling her that George needed to eat Salmon twice a week to ensure that he keeps his omega 3 levels fairly high (much better absorption than fish oil capsules). She came up with a really fun way of getting him to eat it, rather than just slapping a fillet of steamed salmon in front of him (it's a bit boring after a while). I'm going to try it this weekend:
Slice one cod fillet and one salmon fillet into strips (gougons). Dip them first into beaten egg, then into home made breadcrumbs and fry them for 3-4 minutes each or until golden brown. The fun bit is you then have a guessing game, whilst eating them: Pink or white? The one who guesses the most right, wins!
I also shared one of those Homer Simpson style "Doh" moments....
It's becoming increasingly difficult to find squash that isn't "no added sugar". It seems these days that everybody is harping on about cutting down on salt, sugar, saturated fat, eggs, cheese..... everything really.... I know! Lets just drink water!
Oops.... there I go, on my high horse again.... I'll get back to the plot....
Sugar free drinks may be better for you in terms of reducing ones sugar intake. What they don't tell you is that the sugar has been replaced with aspartame and this is a HUGE problem, in my experience. My children DO NOT have sugar free drinks because the aspartame causes more problems. For this reason, we always buy high juice squashes (not sugar free ones) or real fruit juice. A couple of weeks ago, George had been particularly helpful and he asked if he could buy some chewing gum. I allowed this and didn't really given it a second thought. The following day, come mid-morning, he had turned into the Tasmanian Devil, was completely uncontrollable, and I started to panic that the Dore Programme had stopped helping him..... Then came the "Doh" moment. I checked the ingredients of the chewing gum, and sure enough, it was sugar free and LOADED with Aspartame. That'll teach me to take my eye off the ball...... thankfully, by the following day he was much calmer.
Finally, in my haste to make my previous blog post, I forgot a rather significant and pleasant occurrence. Earlier in the year (pre-Dore) George was in danger of being excluded from Scouts because his behaviour could not be efficiently managed while he was there. We were recently told by his Scout leader that for the last 6 weeks, George's behaviour has been exemplary.
Woo Hoo!!!!
He's off to Scout camp this weekend, and for the first time ever, I'm not worried that he'll be disruptive.
I really like this feeling. :o)
I spend quite a lot of time working on my PC and over the years have been lucky enough to have a few cyber buddies (people whom I like, but have never met). One of these lovely people asked me last week to explain "the exercises" because she couldn't work out what it was all about. So, for Pat, here are a couple of examples:
Walk five paces forwards, then five paces backwards. Bend to the left three times, then bend to the right three times. Repeat this sequence eight times more.
Using the ball (which looks like a space hopper without the ears), sit down on it with your knees together and your feet together on the floor. Bounce up and down for 1 minute. Then, sit perfectly still on the ball for 1 minute. Close your eyes and bounce up and down for 1 minute. Keeping your eyes closed, sit still for 1 minute.
I also have "real life" friends and am priviledged to have known one of these friends for 30 years. We were chatting a couple of days ago and I was telling her that George needed to eat Salmon twice a week to ensure that he keeps his omega 3 levels fairly high (much better absorption than fish oil capsules). She came up with a really fun way of getting him to eat it, rather than just slapping a fillet of steamed salmon in front of him (it's a bit boring after a while). I'm going to try it this weekend:
Slice one cod fillet and one salmon fillet into strips (gougons). Dip them first into beaten egg, then into home made breadcrumbs and fry them for 3-4 minutes each or until golden brown. The fun bit is you then have a guessing game, whilst eating them: Pink or white? The one who guesses the most right, wins!
I also shared one of those Homer Simpson style "Doh" moments....
It's becoming increasingly difficult to find squash that isn't "no added sugar". It seems these days that everybody is harping on about cutting down on salt, sugar, saturated fat, eggs, cheese..... everything really.... I know! Lets just drink water!
Oops.... there I go, on my high horse again.... I'll get back to the plot....
Sugar free drinks may be better for you in terms of reducing ones sugar intake. What they don't tell you is that the sugar has been replaced with aspartame and this is a HUGE problem, in my experience. My children DO NOT have sugar free drinks because the aspartame causes more problems. For this reason, we always buy high juice squashes (not sugar free ones) or real fruit juice. A couple of weeks ago, George had been particularly helpful and he asked if he could buy some chewing gum. I allowed this and didn't really given it a second thought. The following day, come mid-morning, he had turned into the Tasmanian Devil, was completely uncontrollable, and I started to panic that the Dore Programme had stopped helping him..... Then came the "Doh" moment. I checked the ingredients of the chewing gum, and sure enough, it was sugar free and LOADED with Aspartame. That'll teach me to take my eye off the ball...... thankfully, by the following day he was much calmer.
Finally, in my haste to make my previous blog post, I forgot a rather significant and pleasant occurrence. Earlier in the year (pre-Dore) George was in danger of being excluded from Scouts because his behaviour could not be efficiently managed while he was there. We were recently told by his Scout leader that for the last 6 weeks, George's behaviour has been exemplary.
Woo Hoo!!!!
He's off to Scout camp this weekend, and for the first time ever, I'm not worried that he'll be disruptive.
I really like this feeling. :o)
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