Autism Treatments Update
May 2013

My son is now 19 and still doing very well.  We are looking into getting an "official" DAN Doctor so that we can get certain kinds of labwork and try other treatments that need a prescription.  However, doing things the low-tech, inexpensive way has taught me a lot.  I do a lot of research on everything I do for my son and that saves me from having to pay a specialist to figure things out.  However, many families might prefer just paying some professional to do all the research and planning and making all the decisions on what to do next.

David is starting to date, and has been on several dates with several people.  These dates are mostly invites to birthday parties, group dates to movies and the mall, dances, a trip to a roller coaster park, and most recently, a wedding. Oh, and lots of texting and Skyping and such. 

He graduated High School at 18, with a regular diploma, having completed all the necessary coursework.  He is working at 2 volunteer jobs, practicing independence skills at an apartment (not living there) going to the YMCA twice a week, attending a Bible study group for young adults on the spectrum every Sunday, and hanging out with friends.  He is studying Geometry and English at the High School to make up for missing so much regular classwork because he used to be in Special Ed.  He recently learned soldering and took apart a Game Boy system and added a lighted screen to it.

Learning to Ride A Bike

I haven't written an update for a while, so the biggest thing we worked on since my last update was learning to ride a bike three years ago, which took an entire summer but was well worth it.  Over the years, since he was small, I was buying all different kinds of bicycles to see what he would like best, including a nearly adult-sized tricycle, but nothing really worked well.  All our ABA therapists gave it a try teaching him, but to no avail.  He would panic and jump off the bike almost immediately. 

Finally, I heard about a specialized bicycle training program for teaching children with special needs to ride, called "Loose the Training Wheels." 
http://www.lttwsew.org/index.php
"Dr. Richard E. Klein., an experienced engineer from Illinois, is the creator of Lose the Training Wheels, a training program that teaches disabled children and adults how to ride a conventional bike. Richard and his wife Marjorie travel extensively every summer to conduct camps across the nation.   With a proper environment and training with adapted bikes, children who are disabled are taught how to ride and transition to a conventional bike within a 5-day period." 
Loose The Training Wheels is Now called "I Can Shine"
http://icanshine.org/

 The program, (as with most things we need for David) was too expensive for us, so I called them and asked them some advice about what kind of bike to try.

They said to prepare for the program, they had these recommendations:

Buy a good helmet that fits well, and some
elbow pads and knee pads,

And find a bike that has

• balloon tires, 
• upright handlebars
• no hand brakes (back-pedal brakes), 
• no gears at all, 
• a "girl's" type bike that has no straight bar from the seat to the handlebars (it doesn't have to look girlish, of course)
• no basket, mirror, or anything to obstruct forward vision or distract

Remove the pedals from the bike to begin so he would just push with his feet on the ground.  Make sure the bike is short enough that he can sit on the seat with his feet on the ground.  You can lower the seat at first, and then raise it later on when he's riding.

We found a low traffic spot with a very slight incline for him to practice on.  Then when he could just barely ride, we put the pedals back on, and we went to a nearby cemetery where there was no traffic to practice more.  (He didn't take offense at the cemetery at all.)

So we did this and got an inexpensive bike from Sears in Red and White that he liked that looks very retro.

I decided that instead of arguing about going out each day to try to ride, we would simply have a ten minute bike riding practice every single day.  We even set a timer so he would know it would be just 10 minutes.  He seemed to like the consistency.  He got a prize from the "Prize Box" each time just for trying.

I keep at box at home with all kinds of stuff I am certain he will like.  (Certain is the important word, here.)

It took all summer, but with lots of help and encouragement, and often two people, running along on each side, he finally learned.

He loves his bike now.  He rode it to and from school on good weather days for the last two years.  We've finally been able to go trail bike riding as a family. This is important because bike riding is my favorite sport.

We kept the bike simple at first, but as soon as he was riding comfortably he got a bell, a mirror, lights for riding at night, padded bike gloves, a lock, and some other accessories.  He knows how to inflate the tires and lubricate the chain, and takes very good care of it. 

Bike riding is a whole new freedom for him.  Its good exercise, free fun, practical because you can get places you need to get to, more social than being inside a car, and good for the environment.  Its social in that so many people have bikes, and its something he now has in common with just about everyone.

He also learned important rules of the road for any moving vehicle.  This has prepared him for learning to drive a car, which he is now working on.  He has his temps and has been driving for about 9 months now. 

Update on GF/CF Products we really like:
In a previous post I listed our favorite pantry and refrigerator additions.
I have been really enjoying the Shaar bread products.  They are packaged so that they keep on the shelf until you need them.  I like the French Baguettes for making garlic bread with olive oil and garlic.

David has learned to make GF/CF pizza with
Organicville pizza sauce,
Applegate nitrate-free pepperoni,
Daya vegan mozzerella,
organic diced sweet red peppers, (very high in vitamin C) 
Italian Seasoning from Penzy's Spices from where he works 
and we are using plain "Against The Grain" Pizza crust.

Ener G makes gluten-free communion wafers for Church, and

San-J makes organic gluten-free single serving Tamari (soy sauce) packets I can take with us to restaurants.  I requested these from our local co-op and they finally started carrying them a year ago.

He started buying soda on his way home from school, so since he's an adult now, I eased up on our restriction against soda (because of the high fructose corn syrup which has traces of mercury in 30% of it and the food colorings and artificial flavors.)  I found an organic soda made by Blue Sky which he can have no more than one per day.  It used to be an occasional treat, but now is one of the few things I have relaxed on because he's an adult.  

The biggest change with his diet is that he finally began eating some animal products.  I decided I didn't know anybody that doesn't like bacon, so we began with nitrate-free bacon.  It took about a year to get him used to it.  Now he eats very well-cooked bacon (no fat on it) and the nitrate-free pepperoni I mentioned above on pizza.  I think he is more flexible about a lot of things now that he has been feeling better on this diet.

I don't think anybody needs to eat a lot of meat, since the Seventh Day Adventists actually on average live longer than the rest of us and they don't eat meat.  But David doesn't get enough protein yet from just a few nuts and seeds, and he still doesn't eat beans yet.  I do supplement him with sub-lingual vitamin B12.

I read a book on Enzymes for use with Autism treatment and was inspired to try them as a next step.  Both of us now take Gluten Ease digestive enzymes every time we go out to eat even if the server insists its gluten-free, because it takes care of any possible contamination concerns I have had.  I notice it most with myself, since even a tiny crumb can make me sick for hours to three days of feeling lousy.   Now I won't go anywhere without them.

.

What's for dinner Saturday night?

A Gluten-free choice for dinner:

In my City, Wauwatosa, we have a new Farmer's Market this summer. Organic produce, live music, fresh made drip coffee, crepes made while you watch, the very BEST apple cider I have ever tasted (I hate the taste of preservatives.) Its close to my house and we take our bikes there every Saturday morning.

Farmer's markets are my favorite places because I get to watch puppies and children and cyclists. Our market is right on a railroad track and we get to see the trains close up. It's on a beautiful scenic bike trail, and also alongside the Menomonee River, by a bluff filled with old trees that provide shade. A tiny red historical building that just was remodelled sells candy nearby, and our favorite restaurant, Noodles, is just over the bridge.

My friend Linda runs a business making naturally gluten-free Mexican food using grass-fed, hormone-free meats. She sells them at the Farmer's Market in pans, frozen, and so every Saturday all summer, this has been dinner. My favorite is the vegetarain ones with spinach and black beans.

Linda Mulholland is the owner of Cocina DeLeon. Linda's enchiladas and side dishes are based on her mother's recipes from Monterrey, Mexico. In creating her recipes, Linda took the flavors she loved growing up; lime, salsas, chiles, garlic, corn tortillas, and Mexican cheeses.

Cocina DeLeon
18900 W. Bluemound Rd., Suite 117
Brookfield, WI 53045

(414) 403-8650

Linda@cocinadeleongourmet.com

Communication Bill of Rights

All persons, regardless of the extent or severity of their disabilities, have a basic right to affect, through communication, the conditions of their own existence.

Beyond this general right, a number of specific communication rights should beensured in all daily interactions and interventions involving persons who havesevere disabilities.

These basic communication rights are as follows:

1. The right to request desired objects, actions, events, and persons, and to express personal preferences, or feelings.

2. The right to be offered choices and alternatives.

3. The right to reject or refuse undesired objects, events, or actions, including the right to decline or reject all proffered choices.

4. The right to request, and be given, attention from and interaction with another person.

5. The right to request feedback or information about a state, an object, a person, or an event of interest.

6. The right to active treatment and intervention efforts to enable people with severe disabilities to communicate messages in whatever modes and as effectively and efficiently as their specific abilities will allow.

7. The right to have communicative acts acknowledged and responded to, even when the intent of these acts cannot be fulfilled by the responder.

8. The right to have access at all times to any needed augmentative and alternative communication devices and other assistive devices,

--to have those devices in good working order.

9. The right to environmental contexts, interactions, and opportunities that expect and encourage persons with disabilities to participate as full communicative partners with other people, including peers.

10. The right to be informed about the people, things, and events in one's immediate environment.

11. The right to be communicated with in a manner that recognizes and acknowledges the inherent dignity of the person being addressed, including the right to be part of communication exchanges about individuals that are conducted in his or her presence.

12. The right to be communicated with in ways that are meaningful, understandable, and culturally and linguistically appropriate."

~National Joint Committee for the Communicative Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities

Let's All Wabi Sabi

Wabi-sabi

"The Japanese view of life embraced a simple aesthetic that grew stronger as inessentials were eliminated and trimmed away."

-architect Tadao Ando



A comprehensive Japanese world view, aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience, of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete." The Japanese word for rust is pronounced sabi. A wabi-sabi aesthetic values asymmetry, asperity, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and the suggestion of a natural process.


A good example of this is in certain styles of Japanese pottery. In Japanese tea ceremony, cups used are often rustic and simple-looking, e.g. Hagi ware, with shapes that are not quite symmetrical, and colors or textures that appear to emphasize an unrefined or simple style. In reality, the cups can be quite expensive and in fact, it is up to the knowledge and observational ability of the participant to notice and discern the hidden signs of a truly excellent design or glaze (akin to the appearance of a diamond in the rough.) The glaze is known to change in color with time as tea is repeatedly poured into them (sabi) and the fact that the cups are deliberately chipped or nicked at the bottom (wabi), which serves as a kind of signature of the Hagi-yaki style.



Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. Wabi originally referred to the loneliness of living in nature, remote from society; Sabi meant "chill", "lean" or "withered."

More positive connotations of Wabi now indicate rustic simplicity, freshness or quietness.

Japanese arts over the past thousand years have been influenced by Zen and Mahayana philosophy of acceptance, and contemplation of the imperfection, constant flux, and impermanence of all things.

These can be of both natural and human-made objects, or understated elegance. It refers to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction, which add uniqueness and elegance to an object. Sabi is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs.

Wabi-sabi is the most conspicuous and characteristic feature of what we think of as traditional Japanese beauty. It occupies roughly the same position in the Japanese pantheon of aesthetic values as do the Greek ideals of beauty and perfection in the West. If an object or expression can bring about within us a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi.

Wabi and sabi both suggest sentiments of desolation and solitude.

From an engineering or design point of view, "wabi" is the imperfect quality of any object, due to the inevitable limitations in design and construction/manufacture, especially with respect to unpredictable or changing usage conditions.

Sabi is then the aspect of imperfect reliability, or limited mortality of any object; to rust.

In the Mahayana Buddhist view of the universe, these may be viewed as positive characteristics, representing liberation from a material world and transcendence to a simpler life. Mahayana philosophy itself, however, warns that genuine understanding cannot be achieved through words or language, so accepting wabi-sabi on nonverbal terms may be the most appropriate approach. (Through the effects of objects, art, or observation of the world.)

The wabi and sabi concepts are religious in origin, but actual usage of the words in Japanese is often quite casual. Japanese belief systems are syncretic in nature.

Honkyoku (traditional shakuhachi music of wandering Zen monks,)

ikebana (flower arrangement,)

Japanese gardens,

Zen gardens,

and bonsai (tray gardens,)

Japanese poetry, particularly haiku,

Japanese pottery, notably Hagi-ware,

Japanese tea ceremony, and

Bonsai, the Japanese art of miniature trees, all have wabi sabi aesthetic.

--Leonard Koren in his book Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers
Summary of Wikipedia description

Great article on Wabi Sabi: http://nobleharbor.com/tea/chado/WhatIsWabi-Sabi.htm


This post is in memory of Allison Sullivan, an other-worldly sprite who I was honored to have met, who I think, exemplified the distilled nature of human existence in all its beauty, through the wabi sabi patina of her earthly teacup of great value to her family and friends.

I can't live without my melior.

This is something I would take with me if I only had one trunk to put everything in.

I have used my melior pot for 6 years, and the one before that for over 18 years. A melior pot is a way to make coffee. Really good coffee. Without using up one of the scarce electrical outlets on my kitchen counter. My kitchen counter is premium real estate. Whatever is there has to really earn its priviledged place in my life. I use one made by Bodum, called the Chambord. There are other manufacturers that make this kind of coffee press, too. They are also called a French Press coffee maker. Mine makes 8 cups (34 oz) and you can get them in other sizes. The first one I got made about two cups (depending on how large your coffee mug is. These days one cup in a mug is the same size as three regular cups used to be!)

I think that this is the best way to make coffee, because you don't actually boil the coffee itself. You add boiling water to the press with coarse ground coffee, but then let it steep for about 4 minutes, instead of continuing to boil it like my Mother's and Grandmother's coffee makers used to do.

The Bodum people say they are Dishwasher safe, but I handwash mine, because I love it so much.

Here's the advantages to using a melior pot, from someone who loves coffee, and has used one for over 20 years:

They are quick and easy to use.
With the time I save, I have begun to grind my own coffee with a small spice/coffee grinder.

No filter needed.

You don't need to buy coffee filters, since the melior comes with its own permanent filter. So to save money and time, I often forgoe adding a paper filter. I also can taste the paper and got tired of that added paper taste.

Years ago, I switched to chlorine-free coffee filters when a family member died of cancer. So these were sometimes hard to find. But you can buy filters for meliors. You only need a small circle of filter paper the size of the diameter of the pot, and I can find these at my local grocery. This is if you want to remove certain oils that are in coffee that tend to make it bitter, and less healthy. Research has found that the paper coffee filter does make a difference. I can't seem to find the chlorine-free version of these, but I suppose if I was a fanatic, I could simply cut the circles out of the larger size chlorine-free filters.

No plastic.

I like that they are not made of plastic. They use some kind of temperature resistant resin to make the handles, but no plastic touches the water/coffee. I can taste the plastic when drinking coffee, (particularly the styrofoam cups) and when you pay a premium price for the coffee, you want to taste the coffee, and all the nuances of really good coffee. I also am very concerned about the additives in some plastics, particularly the very hard plastics like Nalgene, which have had a cancer-causing agent added to them that leaches into what is contained by them.

When I was working, I was remarking on how much garbage our lunchroom created, and began re-using my styrofoam cups a few times by rinsing them out. When a few months later I took it a step further (which at the time seemed radical,) and tried to reduce my impact on the environment by bringing my own ceramic mug, it seemed to change how I saw drinking coffee. As something with more to it than just gulping it down like a soda. This was before Starbucks.

No cord.
No plug, no electrical outlet needed.

I just use a tea kettle to boil water, but you can also use the microwave for heating the water.
You can take it camping.

Fewer working parts = fewer things to break and go wrong.

They last a VERY long time. My sister has replaced her coffee maker several times in the years since I have owned and loved my melior pot.

They look good in my kitchen.

They are made well, of pyrex-type glass and polished steel, and, I think, are beautiful. You can leave them on your counter and they look good. Better than the plastic electric kind. They look like an instrument or expensive tool, rather than a standard appliance.

Interestingly, the Bodum, which is the most popular brand of melior, is made by an old clarinet factory in Normandy. (I just read a review posting that says the quality has changed, since the original craftsmen might not still be there anymore, so it might pay to look for a used one or antique one. Mine is 6 years old now, and is still made very well.)

The melior can be used to make tea from bulk.

Bulk tea is often cheaper than packaged tea, or in the case of organic teas, it is the only way to purchase it. Sometimes I even empty out the teabags into the melior because I want to avoid that "wet paper" taste.

I put a kitchen towel around my pot to keep the coffee warm, but there is a type of melior that is double-walled stainless steel that can keep coffee warm all morning like a thermos, and another type that is double-walled glass. The stainless steel one has a very graceful design.

I saw my first melior at the Coffee Trader on Milwaukee's East Side. Does anyone remember The Coffee Trader? The Coffee Trader was way ahead of its time. They served all their coffee this way, and each time the waiters had to explain how to use them (its very simple, wait a few minutes, then push the plunger with the filter on it down, then pour.) The Coffee Trader had absolutely adorable "cozys" that were quilted and "stood up" over the melior pot. They each were made of a different fabric. I have always wanted one, but somehow never got or made one.

I just looked around for one on the web, but none of them look like the ones the Coffee Trader used to have. The Coffee Trader one was larger than the melior, stood on its own (even without the melior in it) was made of four pieces of quilted fabric which were sewn together and had four finished edges, and curved at the top to a point which had some kind of fabric knob type finish on it. To pick it up, you just grabbed the top knot and lifted it up to pour some coffee. It would also work to store the melior, like a melior cover. Remember the quilted covers people used to use to cover their toasters? My Grandmother had one. If anyone wants to make one like this, I would buy it. I would line the inside with a heat-reflecting fabric, and use a kind of fiber felt inside the quilting that is like the water repellant fabrics mountain climbers wear. And I liked the floral prints they had, which reminded me of the antique floral prints my grandmother used to wear in the 40's.

A scar cream that really works.

Try using the scar cream, Mederma.

Reddish scars, whether they are from stretch marks, acne, or burns, will heal quicker than colorless scars.

You apply it to recent scars three to four times a day for two months and four times a day to old scars for up to six months.

I had heard that most of the creams and lotions didn't really work--just made your skin smoother/softer, so I didn' t try any other treatments than this one, which was recomended by our Doctor. But this one actually worked.

My son has had 16 operations. We used to think that scars were a way of life--so he wore them as a badge of courage. But when I went to a dermatologist myself to check for melanoma, I asked her what might help my son, and she suggested Mederma. That was several years ago, and you can't see the scars now without him actually pointing them out.

Its a clear gel, doesn't stain clothing, and is pretty much odorless. Some day I will start putting it all over my body......LOL

The cool thing about it is it is a refined and tested version of an old folk remedy, Allium. Which is the onion. I guess you could put onion juice on the scars to save money--but you would smell like onions!

Quotes to Live By

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.
Comes into us at midnight very clean.
It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.”

-- John Wayne

"When you come to the edge of all the light you know,
and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown,
faith is knowing one of two things will happen:
there will be something solid to stand on,
or you will be taught how to fly."

-- Barbara J. Winter

"Reflect upon your present blessings,
of which every man has plenty;
not on your past misfortunes,
of which all men have some."

– Charles Dickens

Raisins Against Arthritis

A home remedy for Arthritis

Do you remember The California Raisins?

Singing/dancing raisins, from a commercial around 1987. Anyone remember those? I have a collection of the toy figures. I think they were from Hardees. Those were some happy raisins. Now, I think I have an idea why......

I have just made this recipe for a friend who is visiting us who has arthritis.

I heard about it several times on NPR when it was mentioned on The People's Pharmacy, and decided I just had to try making it because its so simple, and yet so intriguing.

I used organic bulk golden raisins from Outpost Natural Foods.

I just tasted some and if nothing else, these raisins are delicious! (Yes, the alcohol evaporated!)


Raisins Against Arthritis
-----------------------------------

• Empty one box of golden light raisins into a large shallow container.


• Completely cover the raisins with gin.


• Let stand, uncovered, until the gin evaporates.


• Store them in a closed container.


• Eat nine raisins daily.

~Original source:

credited to Lois L. in the parish newsletter of St. Lucas Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio

Reprinted in "The People's Pharmacy" by Joe and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.

People see results in about a month.

People allergic to sulfites (in the raisins) won't be able to use this remedy.
(In my opinion, this is a guess, it increases methylation, which helps detoxify heavy metals and other toxins.)

Its not expensive, not invasive, involves no habit-forming drugs (the alcohol evaporates,) or surgery, requires no prescription, has no side-effects, no drug interactions, so it might be something to try when the more traditional treatments aren't working well enough.

Other reputedly good folk remedies for Arthritis include:
Rose Hips
Apple Cider Vinegar
100% Emu Oil (as a lotion)

And the supplements Glucosamine and Chondroitin.

I have used the glucosamine and chondroitin supplements myself, for ankle, knee and hip pain. The pain always went away just as I was finishing the bottle of capsules, and didn't return for almost a year, during which I didn't need to take the supplements. (I suppose I could have continued taking them all the time, but I wanted to find out how much I really needed, since supplements can be expensive.)

But the thing that ended up helping me with this kind of pain the most was wearing lace-up shoes (with good arch support in them) every day from the moment I got up until the moment I went to bed. Later, I found that sandals with really high arch supports also worked in the summer, such as Birkenstocks. Now I haven't seemed to need the supplements at all anymore.

Cast Iron

Using cast iron pots and skillets for cooking has been recommened for people with low iron.

Here is a good site that talks about how to use cast iron pots for cooking and how to take care of them, and a site explaining the health benefits.

What's Cooking America
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/CastIronPans.htm

Holiday Cook
http://www.holidaycook.com/cast-iron/health-benefits.shtml

Besides helping you to need fewer iron supplements, cast iron pots have additional advantages in that they are extremely economical to buy, are very easy to clean, and can last generations. You can cook over a campfire with them, put them in the oven, and put them on the grill. (Unless you have bought ones with wooden handles.)

I have pots that were my grandmothers, that will probably outlast my grandchildren.

Iron has been found to be low in children with Autism and who have had lead poisoning. When our son was given a sleep study to find out what could help him sleep better, the main lab finding was that he was low in iron. Apparently, low iron can be a part of the cause of restless and twitchy legs at night. Low iron is a main cause of anemia, fatigue and other health problems.

Taking too much iron, on the other hand, is not good either, particularly for men.
Men don't have a regular monthly way of getting rid of it, and it is difficult for the body to remove too much iron without, um, you know (cough), bleeding.

About Me!

Hi! My name is David. I am 14 years old, & I'll tell you a little bit about myself.

My favorite video game is Pokemon (I hate the show). My favorite movie is Wall-E. My favorite TV shows are SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Simpsons! When I grow up, I want to be the world's greatest Anime Artist! In case you're wondering, the picture on the left is my very first made-up character, Sara.

Men in Sandals

What is your opinion on men wearing sandals?

I like men in sandals. I love seeing guys in sandals at the beach on vacations, and camping.

I think they look innapropriate for at work (unless you are the boss, or you sell sandals for a living!) for dancing, in nightclubs, or in a sit-down restaurant.

But I think people who wear sandals, men or women, have to take care of their feet, and toenails.
Sandals are good for this, actually. They give your feet a break from being confined in shoes with no sunlight and fresh air.

In my humble opinion, I think you can't wear them to death so they are falling apart, except around the house. Get a pair that is a good fit and not super cheap. Put them on in the early spring when you start wearing shorts so you don't have a tan line at the ankles!

Socks with sandals are ok at home, but in public only if you are definitely not single looking to date anyone new. Unfortunately, sandals with socks have a bad rap. I think they are just too comfortable that way. Kinda like wearing sweats and an old t-shirt.

Maybe someday someone will invent a sandal/sock combination that is both comfortable and stylish. Remember when bowling shoes were in style? Nice leather shoes in bright colors, that would last your lifetime. The VW of shoes.

I just bought a pair of Birkenstock's. I love the way I can walk all day in them at the fair, a festival, the farmer's market and my feet don't hurt. I had a pair that were a bright trendy orange/salmon color that I wore to death and lasted almost 3 years.

This time our local Birkenstock store had closed and I could only find 3 styles to pick from at Stan's Bootery (nice store.) So I have the classic hippie style, that my neice called something like "Jesus sandals." But everyone at the Farmer's Market was wearing them......

I'm sad that a German town like Milwaukee lost a store that originated in Germany. I love that Birkenstock's were invented by a woman. As a German woman, I feel a kind of loyalty.

Favorite Soap of All Time

I am very fair skinned, and have sensitive skin. I am also so thin-skinned (in more ways than one) that when I blush, I look like I have a sunburn.

I love Yardley's of London products. I have been using their Aloe soap for about 25 years.

Everybody says I have great skin, and I have had no skin problems the entire time I have used this soap.

This is the best soap in the Universe. I would take it to a desert island with me as a minimal survival essential.

Sweet Summer Aloe & Cucumber Bar Soap by Yardley of London.

I was a rebel and didn't follow the trend to sit out in the sun with mineral oil on my skin in the 70's. (I just gave up trying to tan--I went from no tan to burning with nothing in-between.) I also like to wear hats with a brim and sunglasses that wrap around my eyes. This makes me feel like a celebrity posing as a housewife.

Visual Schedules for Helping People with Autism

After much experience trying many things, I intend to post the ones that have really helped and really worked for us in dealing with Life With Autism.

Autism has changed our lives, sometimes for the better. We have had to become more organized, learn more patience, and have more tolerance. The areas where Autism is pronounced, others in the family have had to be even better at, such as learning to be flexible.

In Praise of Dry-Erase Boards
------------------------------------------
I have developed my flexibility by implementing a visual schedule for our sons, as a learning tool and as an anxiety reducer. This began in preschool with the use of little picture icons with velcro attached that the teacher used to explain the day to the children. Later it became a dry-erase board that my son created at summer camp and carried with him. We even put up a huge dry-erase board on the wall in our hallway, to manage the many therapists and schedules for his ABA treatment.

This method is something I would now consider to be essential in helping someone with Autism to regulate themselves and for others to use to help them get through a day that often can include unwelcome changes, deletions, additions and other reasons for flexibility that the Autistic person doesn't seem to have.

I believe that the Autistic person does have some flexibility in them, but it is difficult to see this because of the sensory and other brain issues that make being flexible harder for them to do in real time.

I think that flexibility has two parts:

1. Anticipation
2. Preparation

Anticipation of an event allows a person to mentally and physically "brace themselves." If you are going to the State Fair on a sunny day, you will want to bring sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, bug repellant if you are staying late, and perhaps a thin rain poncho, a water bottle and some hand wipes. This is to help you with dealing with the natural elements of the day that you will have less control over in the State Fair grounds than you would at home. If your senses are unusually sensitive, as in Autism, then any situation you have less control over might bring pain, discomfort, and anxiety.

Preparation is the way to deal with anticipation of an event with less anxiety.

Research Shows a person with Autism is less able to recover from Anxiety
If a person has less ability to recover from anxiety, then avoiding the anxiety in the first place is paramount.

The worst possible scenario for anyone is when they can only anticipate pain, surprises, being startled and unprepared, and even worse--anticipating being startled by pain.

What I think every Autistic person wishes others would know:

My theory of what its like to be an average Autistic person away from home (at school, on an outing, in the community, at work) without this kind of help, is that it is a never-ending feeling of anticipating being startled by pain.

Putting a schedule on a dry-erase board allows for changes to be written in as soon as the caregiver or teacher is aware of them, to allow the Autistic person to brace themselves. Any pain can be less by not having it be startling. When you have a hair-trigger sensory system, that doesn't return to normal easily or quickly, being able to prepare can be a life-saver. (The tendency for the entire day to be ruined from one unexpected change is less likely.)

It is a natural human tendency to want control over the things that matter to them. Control isn't just for control's sake. Sometimes people think this is about power, but what is power other than the ability to control the elements of one's day? Research has shown that even very painful events seem less painful if there is a sense of control involved.

Bracing isn't the same as wincing when you know a person is about to pinch you or give you a shot. This is the sense that you know you can handle whatever it is, painful or not. The idea in your head has to be that "I can handle this." In fact, people who cut themselves on purpose do it with the idea that the pain is under their control. Whereas in other areas of their lives, physical or emotional pain is completely out of their control. If you feel that you won't be able to control your reaction to the event, you will be more anxious just from that feeling.

So there is the event, and your reaction to the event. If you know your reaction will make things worse, then you have twice the anxiety, will require twice the control over yourself, than if you are comfortable with the feeling that you can handle this event.

If your senses aren't reliable, and your ability to control your reactions during events as they are happening is minimal, then your anxiety level can soar.

Anything you can do to anticipate and prepare in a functional way will help reduce anxiety for someone unable to do this for themselves.

In Praise of PRIMING
---------------------------------
We do something called "priming."

Priming can be doing a "dry run" of something where a person's behavior is important.
It can be role-playing.
It can be taking a tour.
It includes reading about something in a book,
seeing something in a video,
writing a story about it,
journaling it,
taking pictures,
singing a song about it,
putting it on a calendar,
on a To Do list,
on a Schedule.

Everyone does this. But people with Autism really need this. They can't just do it in their heads, or hope to adjust as things happen in the moment. They need more time, and in the moment, there is no extra time. Planning ahead is all they have.


In Praise of TIMERS
-------------------------------
We also make good use of a Timer.
We started by timing everything we do. Mom did this mostly, then we timed important things like chores. This makes arguing about them much more realistic. :D

Autistic persons are often "Lost In Time." They have a very hard time telling time, and sensing the passing of time, and estimating time, because time is a rather abstract concept, and abstract reasoning is often not their strong point.

We made an investment in a professional-looking stopwatch and a book about stopwatches.
Once we knew how long things really took, we could set the timer, and say we were leaving in 15 minutes, and REALLY MEAN fifteen minutes! What a relief.

The timer became a "self-regulating" mechanism. The timer also takes all the heat off Mom, because Mom can blame the timer for many things she used to get blamed for. Like periods of waiting. Autistic persons hate unplanned waits. They have very few resources for entertaining themselves while doing un-planned waiting.

Mom never takes advantage of this sytem by cheating and changing the timer when no-one is looking. I thought you were thinking that! But that is really counter-productive, because the goal is to teach the Autistic person what "fifteen minutes" feels like. Not to make his senses and internal sense of life experiences even less reliable.

A lot of these ideas came from and are described in the book:
"Activity Schedules for Children with Autism: Teaching Independent Behavior" by Lynn E., Ph.D. McClannahan , Patricia J., Ph.D. Krantz

What do coffee shops have "milk" wise that I can have so I don't get any casein?

Most coffee shops offer soy milk, which is what I get.

I am not trying for soy-free because the diet I am on includes no yeast products also (just too many restrictions.) I don't buy a lot of soy for protein because I still eat meats, mostly seafood and organic chicken. I think investing in small bottles to carry Almond, or Rice milk might be your only choice then. I have a cooler in my van all the time, to put stuff from the Farmer's Market. You can get small individual serving size packages of rice milk in packages of 6, and keep that in your car. I have also used coconut milk for replacing part of the milk in a recipe, but it is a high-fat product. Coconut milk is very healthy and just fine if you aren't overweight.

You can also try a product that is dairy free milk in a powder form, made from potato flour. It is slightly sweetened and tastes like milk. The powder might be easier to take with you.

I like this product. You can buy it by the case, and it has a nice mixer-pitcher that helps you mix it to dissolve the powder.

Vance's DariFree 1-800-497-4834
http://www.vancesfoods.com/.
Dari-Free Milk Alternative (now made without honey)
Dari-Free Chocolate Milk Alternative

Because it doesn't dissolve that easily, give it to the Coffee server before they make your coffee to add when they mix it up. I know a lot of people are removing soy from their diets because it might be a problem for people with thyroid issues and because of the phyto-estrogens. But I think these effects are mainly for people who consume large amounts of soy-based products daily, such as newer vegetarians who haven't changed their cooking style yet, and use a lot of processed meat substitutes.The amount of soy you are talking about isn't that much, and if you aren't allergic to soy, it might be fine just for coffee.

Our Family's Favorite GFCF Products

Ok, I am not selling anything.

But for those who are thinking of trying this diet, I would like to recommend my personal favorite products to get you started. (These are simply things my family and I like. I don't work for them, or know them personally.)

I looked in my pantry, and after being on this diet twice, and over a period of years having the whole family on it, this is what we have in the house.

We love:
Van's Gluten-Free Waffles,
Pasta Joy pastas (they come in all different types),
Purely Decadent Dairy Free "Ice Cream", Yum! I am having some right now!
Bob's Red Mill Oats,
Kinnikinnick Foods English Muffins and Gluten Free bread,
San-J organic Tamari, (wheat free soy sauce)
General Mills Rice Chex

A lot of stuff kind of comes and goes, and some things you don't really need to replace, you just start eating and cooking differently. For instance, pouring melted cheese onto Chinese food doesn't realy make it taste any better. Or serving it over bread instead of rice. You could do it, but why? If it tastes good and works, you don't need to.

All-Time Favorite Books

in no particular order...

"Living The Infinite Way," and "The Art of Spiritual Healing" by Joel Goldsmith

"Mister God, This is Anna" by Fynn

"Illusions" by Richard Bach

"Hope for the Flowers"by Trina Paulus

"Dancing Wu Li Masters" by Gary Zukav

"The Holographic Paradigm and Other Paradoxes" by Ken Wilber

"Son Rise: The Miracle Continues" by Barry Neil Kaufman, Raun Kaufman

"Love Is Letting Go of Fear" by Gerald G. Jampolsky

"Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In" by Roger Fisher, William L. Ury

"Getting Past No" by William Ury

"Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; An Inquiry into Values" by Robert M. Pirsig

"Lila: An Inquiry into Morals" by Robert M. Pirsig

"The Road Less Travelled" by M. Scott Peck

"Zen and the Art of Leadership"

"Zen in the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel

"You Can Heal Your Life"by Louise Hay

"Love, Medicine and Miracles" by M.D. Bernie S. Siegel

"A Course In Miracles"

"Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal" by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

"Gift from the Sea"by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"Living Alone and Liking It"by Lynn Shahan

"Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramhansa Yogananda

"Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux" by John G. Neihardt

"Animal Liberation" by Peter Singer

"Happiness Is a Choice" by Barry Neil Kaufman (check author--there are two books by this name)

"Alcoholism the Biochemical Connection: A Breakthrough Seven-Week Self-Treatment Program" by Joan Mathews-Larson, Phd.

"Sink Reflections" by Marla Cilley

"INCARNATIONS OF IMMORTALITY Series by Piers Anthony

"Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide" by Linda Babcock, Sara Laschever

"Case Against Divorce" by Diane Medved

"Codependent No More" by Melody Beattie

"Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No, to Take Control of Your Life"
by Henry Cloud, John Townsend, John Sims Townsend

"How to Win Friends And Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

“Seven Spiritual Gifts of Waiting” by Holly W. Whitcomb

“Notes on How to Live in the World…And Still Be Happy” by Hugh Prather

Hi, this is Webster's biggest pal and family member.

One of his brothers read his blog and wanted to add that Webster does make a sound, an everyday kind of sound. He sneezes. He doesn't sneeze every day, or anything. But when he does sneeze it is always about 10 times in a row!

Here's my blog posting:

Ode to a popcorn popper.
------------------------------------------------
Thank God for air popcorn poppers!

I want to be outwardly grateful for everything I truly appreciate. And today it is our air popcorn popper. It is about 11 years old. It was inexpensive--actually a premium from Dad's work.

Here's what I like about it besides that:

* It never burns the popcorn. Our microwave can burn popcorn to a crisp--creating a lot of smoke in the process!

* I don't have to watch it pop--of course you can hear it, it is very noisy, so there is no way you could forget it's on. But when each kernel pops, it pops out of the popper. The only thing left in the popper when it is finished is a few unpoppable kernels.

* I don't have to clean it each time it is used. Because I only add the butter afterwards, the popper itself only needs cleaning once every few months or so, to just spiff it up. I just tip it over and dump out a few unpopped kernels of corn and put it away (after it is cooled a little, of course.)

* I get to decide how many calories to add to the final product. I can eat the popcorn plain when I am on a diet, or I can add oil or butter and salt in exactly the amounts I want.

* No lung cancer!! The stuff they add to the microwave popcorn can cause lung cancer!

* No popcorn lust from co-workers, and complaints about making the entire breakroom and its vicinity smell like a movie theater.

* It is simple to operate. It is basically a very hot hair dryer. It doesn't even have an ON/OFF switch. Its on when it is plugged in, and off when it is not. So less features to break, fewer crevices to get dirty and have to clean, and this is probably why even now they are so cheap to buy.

I am in that time of life when I am trying to simplify. There are so many kitchen gagets that you don't really need or use that clutter up the limited space in my kitchen. I have actually gotten rid of a few electric appliances. Some are one-season wonders. But that air popper keeps on making the cut.

Here's my tip for making the best popcorn:
We get organic popcorn in bulk from our natural foods Co-Op. This stuff is great. It also seems fresher, and doesn't have that "fresh out of the plastic bag smell."
Then we add Smart Balance butter with Omega 3 oils in it. Then sea salt or popcorn salt.

Mmmmmmm Even Webster loves it (he likes his serving without the butter.)

Speaking of movies, "Blades of Glory" was a hoot, with some twists that were very creative. It reminded me of "The Odd Couple."