Oh, Amazon how I love thee...

I have been busy shopping on Amazon & loving the results...  I LOVE the great prices, quick shipping and reviews of books. The reviews of books and products are what makes Amazon the best for me... Seeing what other people have thought of a product I am considering is SOOO VALUABLE.

I have gotten this book already and can't wait to have time to read all of it - it talks about many ways to help the ADHD symptoms our children have. How to explore things that might be causing certain behaviors. I will fill in more as I read it more.

We were told to explore behavioral therapy for Matthew, so I started looking for books about that to see what we might be able to learn in and effort to help Matthew. (not to say that we won't take him to actual behavior therapy at some point)

These highly rated books (on amazon) two books are more of activity books that are supposed to walk him through problem solving strageties for everyday things he encounters...  I will report more on these when they arrive.

And one more that I ordered that is supposed to walk through different things that can be done to help him succeed in school.

I can't wait for all of these to arrive and to keep reading!

Pediatrician appointment

Today we went and saw Matthew's pediatrician for an evaluation for ADHD.

We started out with a cutie little nurse checking us in and taking Matthew's vitals and we mentioned that he had complained about blurred vision recently - and she did a quick vision check on him as well (which told us that we need to visit the optomitrist soon).  Somewhere in the talking with this gal, we mentioned to her that the school was who was inisting we come in for this evaluation appointment & she laughed and said "it's always the school..."  I thought this was funny...

We waited a bit and then the DR came in and she was very thankful for all of our completed paperwork that had been turned in last week & she really liked the notes/letters that the teacher and school counselor included as well... All of that information helped her a lot in getting a picture of what Matthew is like at school.

She then went on to ask lots of questions about how Matthew is at home with us, and what the issues were at school as we understood them. We talked a lot about that & we shared how the elimination of wheat has seemed to improve his symptoms of ADHD. She stated that there is not much scientific evidence that proves that elimination diets work for ADHD... I told her that we didn't care what science says - we know that Matthew is a different person without wheat.

She asked Matthew how he felt and what areas of concern he had as well. He shared the book that we had been reading and showed her the checklists inside of it that show how he feels.

She then went on to explain the results of the Vanderbuilt tests we took (we as parents, and then the teacher) - both tests showed that he has ADHD. She explained what that means - and the treatment options that different people choose. Some work with behavioral therapists, some choose to medicate their kids, and some choose other options.  She went into how medicines would work - she generally prescribes the stimulant type of medicine - Adderall or Concerta (I think) were the two that she mentioned. And that she starts children out at the lowest doses she can and then see how they react to them - watching for sleeplessness, weight loss, headaches, stomach aches and some other rarer side effects.  She also talked a lot about no medicine is a magic-cure - that the child still has to WANT to do what he needs to do in school - that the medicine just provides some stimulation in the brain where it is being a bit "lazy" and it helps the child focus on what needs to be done.

We talked about how he is feeling better being off of wheat products, and she asked us if we would like him to have a simple blood test for celiac disease. They look for antibodies to gluten in the bloodstream... She checked with another doctor to make sure that after 2 weeks of being off of wheat products that there would still be something there to look for (antibody wise).  Since we hadn't gone totally GLUTEN-FREE (only wheat free) they stated that a blood test would be valid at this point. So she put in orders for blood work.

She also stated that even if the blood tests come back negative for celiac disease, it doesn't mean that he doesn't have a gluten intolerance.

She told us she would call with the results in a few days. She gave us a letter to provide to the school stating that she had diagnosed him with ADHD and requesting them to start a 504 education plan to put in writing the accomodations that are needed in the classroom for him to succeed.  She also gave us a bunch of reading material to look at about ADHD. She said there really wasn't any follow up at this point, the ball was in our court on how we would like to proceed. We can keep seeing how well he does off of wheat and see if that makes enough of a difference for him to succeed, or in a week we may call her up and say we are ready to talk again about the option of using medicine to help provide the focus and such that he lacks.

So we left feeling good that we are in control - that it is our choice what to do to help our child succeed in life. For now we will provide the "diagnosis letter" to the school and see what that will prompt with them on getting a 504 plan in the works. And we will wait to hear back about the results of the blood tests and continue to support his wheat free diet.

Quiet car rides

Though my kids don't look like this and are older - this is a good analogy to how they have been on car rides together.

Before Matthew went wheat free car rides made me want to pull over and get out of the car until they figured out whatever they were bickering about at any given time. Matthew could not control his hands and Jenna over dramatized anything that Matthew did and mayhem ensued. 

In the last two weeks (since Matthew has gone wheat free) the kids have gone on a few car rides - a quick one to pick up Jenna from a friend's house, and a ride to Awana's last week. Today they had a lot of time in the car to go from school to goodwill, to the dentist, to my physical therapy appointment and then home - in total a few hours in the car...

You know what I notice in the car since Matthew has gone wheat free???  Drama free car rides... It is so pleasant - I go out of my way to praise them and point it out to both of them how well Matthew is doing...

It is the little things like this that all add up to more peaceful feelings all around.  :)

Learning to Slow Down

So we may have figured out that the elimination of wheat reduces Matthew's symptoms of having ADHD, but we still know that there are skills that he will need to refine to succeed in school with his classwork and his social interactions.

I did a bunch of searching on Amazon about books related to ADHD, reading the reviews left by other readers as well as articles on the internet that referenced a particular book.  Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention - by Nadeau & Dixon.  Reviewers said that it was a great book for children in general, not just those with ADHD... So I was sold...  We just started reading it and got through a section that had Matthew check off things on a checklist of how he feels...

I thought it would be interesting to share those things here...  There are a lot of them...

At School

• It is hard to sit at my desk
• I forget to raise my hand
• I can't seem to keep my books and papers organized
• I often forget my assignments
• I have trouble getting started on my work in class
• My desk is usually a big mess
• I forget to hand in my homework
• Even when I try to listen, sometimes I start thinking about something else
• A lot of time I feel bored in class
• I'd like school a lot more if I could work on things I am interested in
• My handwriting is pretty messy
• I think I'm pretty smart when I get to do the things I like
• I think I've got a good imagination
• My teacher says I bother the other kids too much (though Matthew stated this has improved since going wheat free)
• Sometimes I get in trouble for talking in class

With other kids

• Sometimes I get angry at other kids and I start name-calling or even fighting
• My feelings are hurt very easily - more than other kids'
• Some of my friends are younger than I am
• I don't know why, but sometimes other kids don't want to play with me
• Sometimes kids pick on me and tease me
• I wish I had more friends
• Sometimes I feel sad and left out
• It's easy to be friends at first, but pretty soon they're not my friends anymore

About myself

• My life would be wonderful if there was no such thing as school
• I worry that I'm not as smart as other kids in reading or writing or math
• I want other kids to like me more
• Sometimes I think something is wrong with me, but I don't know what it is
• I wish I didn't get upset so easily
• I feel frustrated because my schoolwork takes so long
• I lose things and forget things, no matter how hard I try not to
• I hate it when people tease me
• Sometimes I feel different from the other kids - kind of left out
• I wish my parents and my teachers would notice more of the GOOD things about me!

At home

• I have lots of arguments with my brother or sister
• I always have trouble getting started on my homework
• I have lots of trouble getting up and ready for school on time
• I hate to be bugged about doing homework and chores
• My room is a big mess (but he noted it is much cleaner since going WF)
• I have trouble falling asleep at night
• I worry about school and sometimes get stomachaches and wish I could stay home

What I wish other people knew

• I don't lose or forget things on purpose
• I hate it when people tell me I am not trying
• Lots of the time it's really confusing to be me
• I don't mean to do things that get others kids mad at me
• I want my mom and dad to be proud of me

That was a long post - but it shares how Matthew feels about things at this point...

I will share more that we learn from the book as we go through it - it isn't all that long, but they suggest to break it up into parts...

Pizza night

I thought to take a picture, but we were too excited to stop for one...

Spark people Gluten free pizza dough We followed this recipe to use almond meal (the recipe states blanched almond flour, but we used almond meal and it came out OK.)

Jenna came home from a friend's house last night and quickly fell asleep because they had stayed up WAAAY too late on Friday night, so this morning she put in her request for pizza tonight. We have commercial pizzas in the freezer that we can cook up, but I have hesitated to do so since Matthew went wheat free. But tonight we made our own wheat free crust and pizza... It was pretty good...

The crust wasn't all fluffy or anything, and a bit crumbly in places, but it served it's purpose without being made of all of the stuff that commercial gluten free stuff has in it - tapioca starch, white rice flour and the like...

Dinner success :)

Finally an explanation of HOW gluten can cause ADHD symptoms

Best explanation I have found on how gluten can cause an inflammatory response in the body that mimics ADHD symptoms (follow the link to read)

An excerpt from the article: "After the digestive tract, the most commonly affected system to be affected by gluten is the nervous system. It is thought that ADHD can be caused by gluten in one of two ways.

The first area addresses the inflammatory changes gluten can cause. A gluten sensitive individual’s immune system responds to the protein gliadin. Unfortunately, that protein is similar in structure to other proteins present in the body, including those of the brain and nerve cells. A cross reactivity can occur where the immune system “confuses” proteins in the body for the protein gliadin. This is called cellular mimicry and the result is the body attacking its own tissues with inflammation resulting.

When inflammation happens in the brain and nervous system, a variety of symptoms can occur, including ADHD. Research shows us that patients with symptoms involving the nervous system suffer from digestive problems only 13% of the time. This is significant because mainstream medicine equates gluten sensitivity almost exclusively with digestive complaints. Please note, that even though most doctors will dismiss a gluten allergy/sensitivity if you don’t have any digestive issues, this is not true. You can have problems with gluten that show up in other parts of your body, not just the digestive track. Gluten can attack any organ: thyroid, gallbladder, nervous system, joints (arthritis), cellular membrane (multiple sclerosis), you name it."

This totally makes sense to me!

What is he eating?

So some may wonder what my 10 year old picky eater is eating now that we are going wheat free? (I will try to update this as we find more things to add to the list)

Breakfast - yogurt, rice chex, corn chex, kix cereal, oatmeal
Lunch at school - thin corn cakes with peanut butter on them, rolled up corn tortilla shell with lunch meat and cheese inside, tortilla chips and salsa and cheese (like a lunchable)
Snacks - potato chips, small apples, fruit leathers (made with real fruit), corn chips, cookies made with almond meal and ground flax seed, brownie made with coconut flour
Dinner - Hamburger patty (no bun) and home-fries  homemade chili and wheat free corn bread (homemade as well), corn tortilla tacos, pizza on gluten free crust

Yes, I realize there aren't very many fruits and veggies in there - but I am choosing one battle at a time - we will add in more of those as we go - but for now getting him to feel better mentally and physically is my priority!

An introduction

Matthew is 10, he is in 4th grade at a school of 850+ kids. He has had 25+ kids in his class every year that he has been in school. He is on a first name basis with the principal and vice principal of the school because he has gotten a lot of referral for misbehaving in his almost 5 years at the school.

This is the first year that a teacher has put her foot down and stated that there is something "wrong" with our son. He is not the same as other kids, and states that she thinks he has ADHD. 

This is the first year he was referred to the school counselor (they have ONE for the whole school) and he has worked with him and made great strides in helping him. They first worked on social skills - how to make friends - with another group of kids that he works with they worked on interacting with each other - so now Matthew has a group of friends to play with at recess.

Then they moved on to a behavioral plan where each day there is a rating sheet that Matthew fills out on how he think his day went and then the teacher does the same & Matthew earns stickers that equal a trip to the treasure chest to get a prize. The behavior chart has worked well, but the counselor met with us just over a week ago and stated they have done about all they can to help him, further help would be necessary to help him succeed. You need to take him to the pediatrician to be evaluated for ADHD and get him some medicine.

Um... OK we thought - we will take him to the pediatrician  but we are not agreeing to medicating him right away. We will see what she thinks...

We just recently had to fill out paperwork for the pediatrician to review in preparation for our evaluation next week. The teacher added a note that listed what she sees on a regular basis in class that are not good behaviors: "typical behaviors: talks during my instruction, has a hard time focusing and remaining on task, blurts out, goofs off, talks to students around him and distracts them by messing with the supply basket on the table. He does not finish his work, or takes much longer than the other students to do it. He has a hard time getting started and makes careless mistakes on assignments. His hands are on others during carpet time. Doesn't pay attention. Hums and makes extra noises, like rolling or tapping pencils. Talks in line, even after being reminded no to. Puts things in his mouth, such as pencils and magnets. I often have him work at the isolation desk, which helps. Even there, his hands are moving over the file cabinet and counter. Picks at other kids; for example: poking them, wiggling their desk, mimicking what they say, repeatedly pushing the recorder away from their mouth, and so forth. Gets in trouble often in the cafeteria or on the playground. Involved in fights. Has difficulty interacting appropriately with others his age. His behavior makes others prefer not to work or play with him. It also affects his academic success and the learning of others in the classroom."

(Wow that is a lot when I type it out like that - hard to read about your own child - and hard to think of what life is like for him, as he states that he doesn't know why he does what he does, and the counselor is sure that he doesn't mean to do any of it - that he truly feels out of control)

I have been grain free for almost six months. So I did some reading and my husband heard from some coworkers how elimination diets have worked for their children to help with ADHD symptoms. 9 days ago we talked to our son and asked him if he was willing to try going wheat free to help himself. He was on board & we did it we took him off wheat.

We have had to brainstorm a bunch to determine ideas for what he can take to school for lunch. Dinner has become a bit different around home, a few less choices because we haven't really stocked up on alternatives that he can have that match what Dad and sisters are having. But it doesn't matter. As it is working!

Matthew is happier, he feels more focused, he feels more in control of himself...  Did I mention he feels happier?  What more could a parent want?

It is a whole new atmosphere at home, it is calmer, quieter and just peaceful... We could get used to this. We are still struggling with his oldest sister nit-picking EVERYTHING he does, and he is very sensitive to this because he has worked hard at making improvements, yet she is still finding the bad in everything... I feel so bad for him when she does this and he ends up in his room feeling bad for himself that he can't do anything right in her eyes...  :(  But we are working on it.

Matthew's teacher has noticed a bit of difference, but I am pretty sure Matthew hasn't told her what we have changed. I kind of like it that way - as it would be interesting to see if they see improvements that they would expect if they think he started medication... 

I am amazed that we are not getting any resistance from Matthew on this change - which tells me that he truly sees the difference in himself and he likes it...  He tells me that he just feels better...

The cutest thing was last night when he admitted to having something at school that wasn't wheat-free... I inquired what it was and he stated "a cupcake - and it was delicious!"  I told him "I bet it was..."  Then we talked about how he felt after he had the cupcake - he said he could tell right away, that he lost focus again...  And I pointed out that it could be why he was feeling extra tired too...  I thanked him for letting me know about the slip-up, but it also helped us confirm that he may truly be intolerant to wheat...

Going to end this novel of a post for now, but leave you with a link that describes what ADHD is like for a child...

This link explains what ADHD is like for a child pretty well - while I am not sure I agree with the statements about HAVING to medicate a child diagnosed with ADHD - I really appreciate how she describes it.