Jen's thoughts & research on SARS COV-2 and COVID-19 (link to new location)

I've moved all my entries re: SARS COV-2 and C0VID-19 to a separate blog... click here to view it.

Differences vs. Disabilities

Interesting read... copied and pasted from Facebook Page, Autism Discussion Page

Differences vs. Disabilities!

In previous posts, regarding the controversy over the labels “high and low functioning” and “IQ and autism”, we explored that there are two main dimensions that have to be taken into consideration when talking about autism. There are two dimensions that interplay in how the person’s ability to function will play out: (1) autism symptoms (sensory processing issues, rigid inflexible thinking, processing differences, executive functioning problems, communication differences, social and emotional difficulties) and (2) Intellectual or cognitive impairment (limitations in being able to cognitively process information, understand, learn, and adaptive to environmental demands). As discussed in previous posts, a person can be “higher functioning” intellectually, but still have severe symptoms of autism, as well as a person can be more impaired cognitively (lower functioning) with less severe autism traits (more flexible, less sensory issues, easier time socially connecting, etc.). The whole confusion over “low and high” functioning has been because of the misunderstanding of how these two dimensions overlap. Granted, yes these labels are misleading and only tend to devalue the person. However, gaining a good understanding of these two dimensions (autism traits and cognitive impairments) is needed to truly understand how to help the individual.

There have been a lot of discussions and arguments around if the autism traits are a disability or simply differences (different abilities). I think for purposes of the discussion here, let’s define “differences” as a different way of processing and adapting, and “disabilities” as limitations in being able to adapt. For example, there are both sensory differences in autism and sensory disabilities. Common sensory differences in autism would be better acuity of sensory detail, heighten sensitivity to sensory stimulation, strong perception of sensory patterns, unbiased perception of sensory stimulation, and strong sensory memory. Granted, some differences (e.g. sensory sensitivity) can be a strength in one situation, but a deficit in another (sensory overwhelmed). Whereas there are strong sensory differences in autism, there are also sensory disabilities. Deficits or disabilities can occur if the person has strong fragmented or distorted sensory “integration” difficulties, which interferes with the person’s ability to effectively integrate their senses. This can greatly affect their ability to adapt to the world around them in any environment. When you cannot consistently integrate your senses it greatly effects all other functioning. In autism, individuals almost always have sensory differences, but sensory integration disabilities (distorted, fragmented perceptions, integration problems) vary substantially in severity.

The same holds true for cognitive differences. People on the spectrum process information “differently” in that they are more concrete, factual based, detailed thinkers, with strong associative and static memories. In these areas they are stronger than the global, more inferential thinking patterns of neurotypical people. NT people tend to process from general to specific, and people on the spectrum tend to process from specific to general. People with autism tend to be more factual and less biased in their thinking, then the more global, inferential thinking of NT people. NT thinking tends to be more abstract, whereas spectrum thinking tends to be more literal and concrete. These differences are neither good nor bad; just different.

Besides for the differences there are some processing disabilities that affect autism in varying degrees. People on the spectrum often have strong disabilities in rapidly processing dynamic, multiple information simultaneously. They have difficulty processing information coming rapidly from multiple sources (or multiple senses) at one time. However, once the information flow slows down and is given sequentially, the processing improves drastically. Also, people on the spectrum have varying degrees of weaknesses in the areas of “executive functions” which consists of the abilities to control attention, inhibit impulses, organize, plan, and monitor a course of action, and multi-task. These can be seen as a disability because they do greatly limit the person’s ability to adapt. These too can vary in severity among people on the spectrum.

We all have strengths and weaknesses, and come packaged a little differently. Unfortunately, since autism is a minority in society, their differences tend to be quickly labeled as deficits (disabilities), because they do not fit the general norm. Different often stands out as a deficit, or weakness. This is where, like for many minorities, society can severely limit people on the spectrum. We need to embrace the differences, and foster their development, not interpret them as deficits. Since their differences can be strengths that we miss, their value to society can be great. All we have to do is look at some of the major contributions people on the spectrum have made to art, science, and technology. The more we can learn from the way they view the world, the better our world can become. Their strong perceptual and detailed qualities can, and have, dramatically improved the quality of living for all of us.

So, in bridging the two cultures, we need to recognize the benefits these qualities autism presents us. We need to help those on the spectrum accommodate and compensate for their disabilities (more sensory friendly modifications, slowing down the information flow, respecting their tendency to become overwhelmed in our environment, avoid strong social demands, etc.) and foster their valuable differences. By embracing everyone’s differences we can all benefit more strongly. We have to be open to these differences and embrace the different perspectives autism can provide us. Neuro-diversity can benefit all of us.

This series on “Strengths and interests” can be found in the green book. “Autism Discussion Page on Anxiety, Behavior, School and Parenting Strategies.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2…

Biomedical Treatment

I know that not all children with Autism / ADHD / etc respond to Biomedical Treatment...  

All I know for sure is that the Lord has led me to biomedical treatment of Tyler and it has worked for him.  The SAME NHS Community Paediatrician who started hinting that Tyler had Autism at the age of 4, and at the age of 5 wanted us to have Tyler formally assessed for it, did a complete 180 one year later, 12 months of which he was Gluten-Free and 6 months of which he was also Dairy-Free, saying, “you could back me into a corner and I wouldn’t put that child forward for diagnosis” (Praise the Lord!).  

Through only diet and supplements, under the direction of a private doctor and Nutritionist who specialise in Environmental Medicine for children on the Autistic Spectrum, we have continued to see his immune system go from practically nothing to being stronger than our own, his nutritional levels go up tremendously and his energy levels increase to a level where he can now keep up with kids his own age.  And more…

• ·         At almost the age of 5 years old, Tyler still had never had a solid poo.  After going Gluten-Free, his poos became solid, leading to Tyler being able to tell when he needed the toilet and whether it was wee or poo, meaning we were FINALLY able to successfully (and quickly) potty-train Tyler,

• ·         Saw a return of ‘eye-contact’ 3 months after going Gluten-Free, and another 3 months later he started to progress academically in one school term 4-5 times as much as the entire previous school year (likely due to the morphine-like peptides that had been entering his blood stream via damaged intestinal walls and travelling to his brain,

• ·         Within 2 weeks of being Dairy-Free, Tyler’s daily runny nose dried up completely and his VERY smelly wind virtually disappeared… then he spoke his first complete sentence, completely unprompted but very well thought-out and relevant, at more than 5 and a half years of age,

• ·         Unable to make it through to lunchtime at school because he would get so tired, resulting in “defiance, sometimes leading to aggression”, Tyler was suddenly able to keep going after a minor adjustment to his morning snack,

• ·         Since starting supplements, we’ve seen his sensory needs continue to reduce, his social interaction continue to increase and his gross and fine motor skills increase,

• ·         Recently avoided an ECG, because there was worry of seizures, by starting Mitochondrial Cycle (how the body uses energy) Support.

There is a DIY questionnaire-type assessment, which is now commonly used by parents and practitioners of children on the Autistic Spectrum in both US and UK (ATEC), and though we didn’t start them until last year, we’ve literally “watched” as his score drop from 36 to 26 since we started doing the assessment, plus the benefits we saw before then… less than 30 now places him in the highest functioning 10% of children on the Autistic Spectrum and “Such children have high chances of leading fully independent lives”.

Using Biomedical Treatment has been like “peeling away the layers of Autism” and we are now able to see both what Tyler is really capable of and also where his more specific needs lie.  As I write this, I am hoping that an appointment at our General Practitioner (GP) next week will result in investigations into Auditory Processing Disorder, a much more defined and accurate description of Tyler’s needs at the moment than ‘Autism’.  Then again, I have suspicions that this too has a root “medical” cause, and I have a theory which would be treatable if it is the case, but I won’t go into that now. :)

More about vaccinations

There's loads going around at the moment about vaccinations, with an outbreak of Measles in California.  

I've just read what I think to be a good article... he's certainly done more research than I have.

He makes 6 points:
1. Vaccines can prevent disease. And, they can also cause harm.
2. A public health technique, spearheaded by the CDC, is to create “Concern, Anxiety, and Worry” like your seeing now.
3. There will be a permanent supply of “outbreaks” because the vaccines for measles and pertussis have efficacy issues.
4. We give way more vaccines than other first world countries and way more vaccines than we did in the 1980s (and neurological disorders are epidemic today).
5. The debate about whether or not vaccines cause Autism is far from over.
6. Do your research. Form your own opinions. Vaccinate in a way that you deem to be safe and appropriate for your child.

The original article was removed, but he has posted his thoughts on his blog at https://jbhandleyblog.com/ 

Vaccinations vs Autism?

While I agree with the statement that vaccinations do not "cause" Autism, I cannot ignore that there may be a "connection". Vaccinations ARE "completely safe" IF your child is completely

healthy and their body, especially their immune system, is functioning properly.  And this is true of all vaccinations, not just the MMR all-in-one, because of the very nature of how they work.  The whole concept of a vaccination is completely dependent on the body doing with it what it was designed to do... i.e. ignore the bad stuff (preservatives, etc) and use the good stuff to create a reaction which produces immunity to that specific pathogen.

So, what happens if the body is unable to deal with (excrete, process, etc) the bad stuff?

And, what happens if the immune system is compromised at the time of injection... is the good stuff (pathogens intended to create a positive immune response) able to do its job and, if not, what happens instead?

Now, let's take Tyler for example... extreme Jaundice from birth to 1 week of age tells me that his Methylation Cycle (how the body processes/excretes toxins) as either 
a) compromised from birth and/or 
b) that it was overwhelmed shortly after birth. 
... did this affect how Tyler's body dealt with the vaccinations we gave him?

He was on antibiotics at least twice a year for his first 3-4 years of life, usually due to ear infections resulting from a simple cold, which also indicates that 
a) his immune system was not able to fight off the simple cold and/or 
b) that he was having his "good bacteria" killed off as well as the "bad bacteria" roughly twice a year during that period. 
... did this affect how Tyler's body dealt with the vaccinations we later gave him and/or did the vaccinations contribute to this in any way?

We also now know that, somewhere along the line, Tyler's intestinal tract was damaged (the intestinal tract is a prominent part of our immune system), though we may never know when and why this damage occurred
... did this affect how Tyler's body dealt with the vaccinations we later gave him and/or did the vaccinations contribute to this in any way?

Is there an alternative to the current vaccination schedule without risking our own's children health and development? I think there is, but it would go completely against the current NHS and AMA "position" on vaccinations so I'm not expecting it to happen anytime soon. 
We are asked if our child is "well" when we take them in for vaccinations, but I was one of those parents who thought, "sure, he's well, no coughing or temperature that I know of he's well, no coughing or temperature that I know of" and didn't realise that what they really should have asked was, “is your child's immune system fully functioning?”. I wish they would look at each child's history and take into account any signs of a compromised immune system, and then test the immune system of any that might be BEFORE vaccinating.

Is there an alternative to the current vaccination schedule without risking the health of those they come into contact with from the diseases themselves? There are two options:
1. Delay the vaccinations and spread them out more, and/or
2. Pay to have combined vaccinations given separately.

I agree that "justifying exposing children to these life threatening illnesses" is a major consideration.

Do I blame the vaccinations? I acknowledge that there was already a problem (compromised immunity and methylation), but if I could go back to then, knowing what I know now, I would NOT have given them to him without a test of his immune system first to prove that his body was "well" enough to process the vaccination properly.  If it was not well enough, then I would have delayed them and spread them out more.

Tyler had his initial 3 vaccinations but, ironically, we didn't give Tyler the 3-in-1 MMR because my Aunt felt so strongly about it that she paid for us to give him the individual ones.  However, each of these individual ones were still going into a body that was not able to process them correctly.

Now, there WAS a 'noticeable' change in Tyler after his "pre-school booster" (DTaP/IPV)… less than a month later we were referred to a Community Paediatrician for further assessment and it was 6 months later that we were first told that he might be Autistic, when 6 months previous to the booster he only had a mild speech delay that the professionals still felt he would “grow out of”. He went from reciting a learned Bible Verse to babbling most of the time, and we completely lost eye contact and interaction from him having had some previously.  

I strongly suspect that, had we given Tyler the 3-in-1, I could very well have been in the same position as the parents who claim that MMR 'caused' their child's Autism, because we would very likely have seen such a difference within days of the vaccination being given, and at such a time that we had not yet noticed, or put together in the bigger picture, the other less noticeable signs (irregular bowel movements, weak immune system, etc)

It is interesting to note that law courts have ruled that vaccinations caused a more specific condition (Encephalopathy) in children who have been labelled as Autistic, and my question is how many of their ‘features’ which led to the label of Autism were actually caused by the other condition (e.g. due to a swollen brain rather than simply by ‘Autism’), and would they have been diagnosed as Autistic if they didn’t have the other condition… so the vaccination(s) didn’t cause the Autism, but did the vaccination(s) cause a problem that were part of a pathway to the diagnosis of Autism (and I include a plural there because it’s likely that the other vaccinations which the child received were adding to the problem but just didn’t cause as drastic of a change as the MMR, as well as other environmental factors)?

I guess I'm still unsure about whether what we are dealing with in Tyler and the hundreds of kids now being diagnosed with ASD is actually Autism, in the form in which it was originally defined in 1943 anyway. It seems to me that in many cases we are dealing with problems that "look like" Autism but that doesn't necessarily mean that it actually is. This is one of the reasons that we went against the advice of the professionals and didn't have him formally assessed. There was a paper written recently, admittedly by an organisation that promotes treating Autism with biomedical treatment, which points out a number of examples where “features” of ‘Autism’ are being helped simply by addressing medical needs in them.  

Let’s go back to Tyler… I will never know which, if any, of his “environmental” circumstances could have had anything to do with his later situation.  While I was pregnant I had food poisoning from fish, had a mercury-based Amalgam filling put in and flew on a plane; then in labour I was given Pitosin to speed things up.  Sound familiar?  Of course it does, because many mothers experienced one or more of these.  Again, it’s not going to be any one of them, but COULD any or some of them have contributed to the problem or started the ball rolling towards the problem.  I don’t bring these things up out of guilt as there was no way for me to have known at the time, but simply to illustrate that this issue is actually much bigger than just vaccinations.  

According to the Health Visitors, Tyler was developing ‘normally’ until the age of 4 when he was not anymore. We have been working and praying hard ever since to bring him back.. the good news, he is being healed. (read the post entitled Biomedical Treatment for more info on that...)

However, there are some for whom Biomedical Treatment don't seem to work... perhaps these children do have the Autism that one is "born with" and cannot be avoided regardless of exposures or weaknesses.  

One of the reasons that I don't expect the NHS or AMA to start seeing and treating Autism biomedically is that every single child is different (hence the expanded name, Autism Spectrum) and will therefore have to be assessed and 'treated' individually.  There is no single answer or pill, and that can mean more cost (and less 'kickbacks' for the doctor and health service if you believe what is said about that, but that's a whole different story).

So, these are my thoughts and questions.  I'm not about to publish them publicly because I am not informed enough and they are just thoughts and questions, not answers.  However, I hope you don't mind that I shared them with you.

2014 - Onwards and Upwards!

2014 has been another good year for Tyler, and I've started sharing information on Facebook.

If you use Facebook, please visit https://www.facebook.com/TylerGeorgeSwallow

If you don't use Facebook, please let me know and I'll find a way to keep you informed.

THE STORY SO FAR (2006 - 2013)

THE STORY SO FAR:

Mummy started to realize that I was on my way in the early hours of Saturday March 25. However, I made her wait a further 2 days when the hospital decided that it was time to speed things up. Mummy was "induced" on Sunday evening, had her waters broken on Monday afternoon, was given a hormone drip 2 hours later, and FINALLY I was born 5 hours later at 11:40pm on Monday March 27. I weighed 8lb 1/2 oz and was 50 cm long.

The hospital let Mummy and I go home the next day, after I'd had some tests for a "possible slight heart flow murmur" and Mummy and Daddy had been shown how to change and bathe me properly. We're still waiting on the Heart Murmur thing...hoping it will fade away in the next couple months. I came home on the evening of Tuesday March 28, but then had to return to hospital on Thursday March 30. I was suffering from severe Jaundice due to Mummy and I being "AB-O Incompatible". Thankfully, they seem to have caught it in time, though when I was tested initially the doctors took me away very quickly and Mummy and Daddy were told that there was a good chance I would need a blood exchange and that we would be in hospital for a long period of time. Instead, they were able to get my "Bilirubin levels" under control with UV Light Therapy and IV fluids. We were released to come home Monday April 2, and returned to hospital the next day for a blood test to ensure that the levels had stayed down in my 24 hours at home. Though it was a very scary and unexpected experience, those 5 days certainly created an airtight bond between my parents and me, and they are thankful for me every moment.

Auntie Debby lived with us for the first month at home. She looked after Mummy so Mummy could look after me and now I'm going to have a new cousin at the end of November...maybe it's contagious!! Congratulations to Auntie Debby and Uncle Mario! Daddy had to do a bit of work in Greece, but that's all finished and now we've started life together as a family. Together we're learning everyday!! Mummy and I have just started going to a Baby Massage Class once a week. She's learning not only how to give me a massage but also some helpful reflexological tips (big word for such a little fellow, huh!).

I started smiling at 6 weeks old. There's a great picture above!! Don't I look cute!?! Now I'm getting better at using my arms and legs. I can lift them all at the same time if I really concentrate on it! At 8 weeks, I began to find my "voice", and I've not stopped making noises since!! I enjoy having "conversations" with anyone who'll talk back to me!! The first time I laughed, I was 12 weeks old and looking at my Dad pulling funny faces!! It's a cute laugh, Mummy says, because it's kind of a yell that turns into a laugh.

August was an exciting month full of "firsts" for me!! I started swimming lessons and love being in the water!! I start kicking even before mummy puts me in the "phase 1" swim position and I even enjoy going under the water. I also went camping for the first time. We went to Devon for 5 days where we stayed at a campsite at Wimbleball lake and travelled around a bit to meet relatives for the first time! I was feeling my gums being pushed by the teeth underneath quite a bit, but managed to keep smiling and laughing through it! The first little white sign of a tooth appeared around the middle of the month but as of yet none have made a full appearance! Mummy's also been packing away alot of things in the house as we're hoping to move in the next few months.

September has been the start of the "next phase" of my life as Mummy has had to go back to work (she tells me every day that she'd rather be at home with me!). I am being well looked after though!! My care schedule is as follows: Monday - Nana Chris (and visit to Great Nana Philpott) Tuesday - Nursery Wednesday - day with Daddy!!! Thursday - Nursery Friday - Nana and Grandad Swallow (with a visit to the Greats of the same name!) I was dedicated at Gold Hill Baptist Church on September 3, 2006. This was my parents' way of promising to raise me as part of a church, showing me God's love for me, and teaching me about Jesus's sacrifice for me on the cross.

It's been great spending time at the nursery, but Mummy has quit work to be able to spend more time with me!! We've also put our house on the market and mum & dad keep dragging me along to other houses to find one for us to live in. I like to "babble" alot now, and I'm enjoying trying different foods...though I prefer the home-made stuff to the stuff in jars and packets!!

My bottom two teeth have arrived!!! They “broke through” at the same time when I was 33 weeks old. I can still feel them pushing their way out, and not looking forward to the next ones, but overall I’ve managed to stay a pretty happy baby! Mummy and I have gone back to swimming each week, but we’re doing it on our own now instead of in a class. We’ve also started going to a “Toddler Playgroup”. I’m on the young end of the age-range, but I find it fascinating watching the older kids playing!! I love to be on my feet these days, and am thinking about going straight to walking and skipping the whole crawling thing!!!

Those top two teeth are really playing me around!! I've been bothered by them for a couple weeks now and they still haven't "cut through"!! However I've discovered something that takes my mind off the pain but certainly doesn't give my mum a break...I CAN CRAWL!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm 9 months old and on holiday in California getting to know my first cousin, Wesley Moogan. I'm having a great time with my Auntie Debby, Uncle Mario, Grandad Evans, and Wesley!! I've been able to meet loads of other great people too!

Back in England at 10 months old and everythings changing!! Mummy has gone back to work part time (for the RSPCA)and so I am spending Mondays with my Daddy, Wednesdays with my friend Marie, and Fridays with Nana Ann & Grandad Swallow. My Great-Nana Philpott is not very well, so Mummy is taking me to visit her often. Nana Chris and Great Auntie Pauline say that she smiles the most when I'm around!! Also, we're going to have a new house soon! I think there's still a few last details being sorted out, but Mummy & Daddy say we'll be moving to "Stokenchurch" next month! Mummy has spent a bit of money getting things for my new nursery and she says it's going to be really nice when we get there!!

Wow, alot's happened since I last wrote! I'm now 13 months old! I had a great birthday with lots of family around. We have moved to our new house and it's great! Nana Chris and Auntie Pauline have made my room wonderful! The walls are blue and the curtains, sheets, and other things are made out of a "Jungle Babies" material. Great-Nana Philpott passed away in March. I'm glad I got to meet her before she left us. Also, my sister Kai got very sick very suddenly and also is no longer with us. Things have been very up and down in the last few months for Mummy and Daddy but we're hoping we can settle down in our new home now.

15 months old and Mummy keeps saying words at me over and over again!! I've just started walking on my own and she's already trying to get me to speak words. She may not understand me, but I'm actually talking to her ALL the time. Daddy is working alot but I still get to spend every Monday with him which I love. Mummy has started taking me swimming every week again, and we're spending more time out in the garden as she and Daddy are getting it "Tyler-friendly".

19 months old and I've got the walking thing down to a "t". I'm also running and climbing whenever and whereever possible!! Give me something to stand on and I'll give you a performance of song and dance. HOWEVER, want me to speak in your language? Forget it! I'm far too happy using my own language...too bad YOU can't understand ME!!! Everything's going well for me and my family. Daddy is working 2 jobs...gardener by day and Door Supervisor (aka Bouncer) by night. Mum's still working 3 days a week at nursery. I get to spend time with Nana Ann and Grandad Swallow each Friday and Nana Chris comes to play with me a few times a month when Mummy is singing at church. I still enjoy both creche at church and nursery on Thursdays. I'm looking forward to next month when I get to see Grandad Evans, Auntie Debby, Uncle Mario and Cousin Wesley again!!!

November and December 2007 were exciting with a visit from Grandad Evans, Auntie Debby, Uncle Mario, and cousin wesley! See, Grandad Evans just turned 60, Mummy just turned 30, and Great Nana Evans is turning 80 next month. I even got to be with wesley on his first birthday at my house in December!! Mum and Dad went away for mummy's birthday and Mummy spent her first night without me!! Bet she was sad, but I was quite happy with Nana and Grandad Swallow and then Nana Evans for a day! Nana Evans and Auntie Pauline came over to be with us on our first Christmas Day in our new house, and then we spent Boxing Day with all my Swallow family!

January 2008 was spent in Maryland, USA, with mum's friend Dana and her new daughter Madison. we spent a day in washington DC, went shopping and swimming, met some of Madison's friends, and just about left their house in one piece. I'm still not talking too much in mum's language...don't understand why mum and dad don't just learn my language!!! I love to run and climb and still really enjoy my weekly day with Nana and Grandad Swallow. Plus, Daddy got a promotion at work and is now "Head Doorman" at the nightclub!!

February and March 2008 were my last couple of months as a 1 year old and I continued to be a happy little chap! I had lots of visitors for my birthday, including Great Auntie Rita and Great Uncle Les who drove up from Exeter to be with me on the day. I still enjoy my one day a week at nursery and one day a week with Daddy.

May 2008 was an important month for our family as Daddy spent his last month as a bouncer and finished up most of his gardening contracts so he could start working for the Metropolitan Police as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). I now don't get my one day a week with Daddy, but he's around alot more when I'm awake so it's okay. I also get one more day with Mummy as she's reduced her working hours to 2 days a week.

June and July 2008 didn't have as much sunshine as I'd have liked, but Mummy let me play outside as much as possible. I've got a playhouse and a toy car and a swing and a sand table and a slide and a bucket and spade and... we had sports day at my nursery and I got to run in the egg and spoon race while Mummy handed out ribbons to all the kids who got first place.

August 2008 was a fun month. My toddler group visited a couple of new places that I hadn't been before...a secret garden and a paddling pool. Also, Mummy and I went camping for a long weekend with Timber and 20 other Newfoundlands (and their families too of course). we also visited mummy's Great Auntie Rita and cousin Brian who I hadn't met before. I got along really well with Brian who was really nice and played games with me.

In October 2008, Mummy took me to a "drop in" Speech & Language Therapy session. She'd been telling the Health Visitor that she was worried about my speech but the others still weren't really worried. This lady wasn't too concerned but did agree to put my name down for a "group speech therapy" course. Christmas 2008 was great! I think I'm starting to understand about holidays :) We had Nana and Grandad Swallow and Nana Chris with Auntie Polly around on the day to play.

I turned 3 in March 2009 and had a joint birthday party in the church hall with my friend James, who turned 3 two weeks before me. I also started my first group speech therapy session. At the end of the course they weren't worried about me but agreed to put me into another one to keep Mummy happy :) Then, at the end of that one they agreed that I was going to need to have individual speech therapy sessions.

Summer 2009 we went to New Wine for the first time... it's a camping holiday with lots of other Christians. I went to a children's session in the morning and in the afternoon Mummy or Daddy took me to a play session. We also went on holiday with Nana & Grandad Swallow to Centre Parcs in Sherwood Forest. They took me to different play sessions and we went swimming in a huge swimming pool that even went outside! My favourite bit was riding around the park in a trailer on the back of Mummy or Daddy's bicycle :) This summer we also joined a new Church Family at Kings Church, High Wycombe where they do a great creche that I like... I tried Sunday School but wasn't quite ready for it. I went to the lake a few times with Mummy but spent alot of time with Nana Chris this summer :)

In September 2009 I started Nursery at my local primary school. My 2 teachers were really nice, but they noticed that I was needing much more help than the other children getting used to "school". I loved being there, it's just that we were supposed to sit still for soooo long and pay attention soooo much :) They asked a lady to come and assess me and she gave them some suggestions to help me.

In October 2009, Mummy and I went to California to spend some time with Wesley, Auntie Debby and Uncle Mario. While we were there Auntie Debby turned 30 years old and Mummy's friend Shannon got married. Plus, we got to go to DISNEYLAND which I LOVED! Christmas 2009 was fun... we had a full house with Nana & Grandad Swallow, Nana Chris with Auntie Pauline, and Great-Nana Evans with Uncle Paul. I got lots of great presents, but my favourite was my new red bicycle!

In March 2010 I had a visit from a Community Paediatrician who tried to get me to play games her way. I tried to get her to play them MY way, and after the visit she recommended that I get some extra help. I then turned 4 at the end of the month and a week later started Nursery at a new school where Mummy and Daddy have wanted me to go since we moved to this area! By this time I was already visiting Rachel, my very own Speech Therapist, each week. Last month, Timber had a problem with his tummy, called "Bloat", but he got better very quickly. Right now we have a foster dog called Ruby who Timber REALLY likes (I hear it's something to do with the season?).

Summer 2010 was spent in a tent... which I love! We camped at New Wine again and we camped at a really beautiful part of England called the Lake District. I got to ride my bike quite a bit, and guess what? Mummy and Daddy bought a bicycle trailer so I could get to ride in one again :) By this time we also had a new dog! After many foster sisters coming and going, Timber decided that he wanted to keep Ruby :) She really likes swimming and I even got to try out my new wetsuit a few times and spent most of the day in the water by the end of the summer.

I started full time school in "Reception class" in September 2010. By the end of last term my Headteacher had sent in an application for me to get a "statement"... this means that the school will get extra money to give me more help. We had to wait for almost 6 months to find out how much money they would get, but we got it and at a good amount :) Mummy also took me to a hearing test where they told her that I wasn't hearing well in one of my ears and showed signs of fluid trapped in that ear. But I had a great first term and really like my teachers and school friends. Mummy and Daddy got to go to school once a week also for a Training Course for parents of children with Autism... we've not yet determined that I have this but they found the training very helpful for understanding me and why I do what I do.

Christmas 2010 was a full house again... my big present was a "Work Bench" just the right size for me. My Final Statement came through the first week of January so that the school can now start putting things in place to give me the help I need. I've really started to get better in alot of things. Mummy and Daddy are doing some different types of tests for me to see if I am eating the right things. They tested my wee to see if there were signs that some nasty stuff was getting to my brain and it came back that there was something possibly getting there... it comes from me not digesting gluten properly. Then I had a "finger prick" blood test (the man told me that I was better than most of his adult patients!) and that showed that I have a mild/moderate intolerance to gluten, but thankfully not what they call Ceoliacs Disease.

Early 2011 was when we went "Gluten Free" at home. Mummy and Daddy are really pleased that the diet helped my poos (sorry to talk dirty) get better straight away. They're also hoping it will help me in other ways, but that will take longer. The lady who helps me at school is Karen... she's really nice and I've liked spending time with her since I started at this school but now she is able to spend alot more time with me and help me be a good student. There's another lady who is coming to school once a week to help the teachers and Karen know how to best help me, but we're still waiting for 2 other people who will come to school each week, one to help me with my speech and one to help me with my skills and behaviour... until the new person comes I am still getting out of school once a week to play with Rachel and she is really happy with me and what I am showing her can do.

During Spring 2011 the other 2 people that are going to help me started coming to school each week and both seem happy with my progress so far. I turned 5 years old in March and had a small family party at home to celebrate. Just after my birthday, Nana and Grandad Swallow took me on a trip to Devon to see Auntie Rita and Uncle Les. This Spring I've also started going to Water Training with Mummy, Timber and Ruby. Daddy has to work sometimes and I'm now old enough that I can stay in the water all day with the dogs, and I love it!

In June 2011, Mummy and I travelled to Calfornia to spend time with my new cousin, Baby Tabitha, and Wesley. I enjoyed spending time with Wesley and he was really nice and let me play with his toys. I like Baby Tabitha and told Mummy several times that I would like a baby please... she keeps saying No :( I got to watch lots of cartoons on the long flights there and back and we were fortunate to get seats that allowed me to move around a bit without bothering anyone around me. Auntie Debby and Uncle Mario were really great and did lots of Gluten Free cooking for me.

I enjoyed the rest of the school year and had an exciting summer... more water training, watching Daddy graduate as a policeman, time in our blow-up pool at home, walks in the woods with the dogs and camping with lots of other Newfoundland owners! I enjoyed some days with Nana and Grandad who like to take me on adventures and Auntie Polly moved up to live with Nana Chris and it was fun getting to spend more time with her.

I was happy to go back to school in September and people noticed that I had been doing alot of growing... not just that I was taller, but that I was wanting to play with my friends more, talking to others more and looking at people when we were talking. With the re-start of school came the re-start of my one-to-one support, speech therapy and occupational therapy. I've got homework every week now which mummy and daddy help me with and I'm starting to read. At school I go to Scripture Union, Yoga and Music clubs. On Sundays we go to church and I like Sunday School.

Towards the end of 2011 Mummy decided to make my diet even weirder than it already was by taking out things which contain normal cow's milk and things that contain milk. I do still get to drink some milk, but only the stuff that comes from Guernsey cows. I know it sounds strange but there were a few good things that came from it... I don't have smelly farts anymore (sorry about the language), I've started using full sentences when I talk and I don't "flap" as much as I used to. I still like to jump and dance around but I now have alot more control over what I do and when!

We had a nice Christmas and this was the first year that I got really excited about it all and wanted Father Christmas to come! Daddy had to work a lot but we got to spend some time together as a family, including Christmas Eve at Nana and Grandad's, Christmas Day at Nana Chris's and New Year's Bank Holiday at Brighton Beach (and boy, was it cold!).

In January I had the annual review for my Statementing and you wouldn't believe how pleased everyone was with me! I have progressed so much academically that I am actually starting to up to the others! In fact, everyone is noticing how much I'm progressing and I love it when people are happy with me :) Mummy's got another couple of things up her sleeve to try with me, there are lots of people praying and with the continued support at school and therapy God is healing me!

During Spring 2012 I continued with my various therapies and weird diet but I also got to see a Doctor who specializes in children with Autism and how they can be treated biomedically. I've got to give him some of my hair, blood, wee and poo so he can see what's going on inside me... then he can help fix those things that aren't right. I also now can't have any milk at all for a while, nor any additives or artifcial sugar. ALSO, some really great news... I saw my Community Paedeatrician in April. This time last year she told Mummy that she would put me forward for Autism testing whenever she was ready to do so. This year she said, "you could back me into a corner and I wouldn't put your child forward for testing"!!! (By the way, Mummy didn't actually want her to, she was just being expressive!)

A good thing that happened in June 2012, which sounds silly I know, was that I caught a cold and it went away in just a few days! In the past, a cold would have turned into an ear infection without a doubt, but this time I was able to fight the cold... just goes to show that something is going right! In July I got to spend time with my cousin, Wesley, who I love very much. Auntie Debby came to visit along with Wesley and Baby Tabitha and we had a lovely time together doing all sorts of things.

Summer Holidays 2012 were fun! I spent lots of time with Auntie Polly and with Nana & Grandad as well as a few whole days with Mummy or Daddy. I went to London and played on a huge Pirate Ship (Diana Memorial Playground) one day and read books on a Library Boat (Book Barge, Grand Union Canal) on another. Grandad and I worked on my new TreeHouse and Mummy and I went camping to Watermead with the dogs. One new thing this summer, I started playing with the other children at the playgrounds. I would start playing with them all on my own without any prompting or intervention and kept playing for over 20 minutes!! This made Nana & Grandad and Mummy & Daddy VERY proud of me :)

I was happy to go back to school in September 2012 and there I had a new LSA (Learning Support Assistant) who is very nice. Mummy is very pleased because she was practicing reading with me over the summer holidays and now I'm reading my homework books which are the next level up from last year!

I've been doing better in school assemblies and at Christmas 2012 I had a line in the Christmas play which I stood up to say clearly and loudly. The parents must have been impressed because they clapped for me! :) Just before Christmas I saw "Dr Danny" again (Dr Daniel Goyle), who was pleased with my progress but had a couple of ideas of helping me even more... he's really good at understanding me and what I'm feeling. I had a lovely Christmas, at Nana Chris's again because Daddy had to work, and received some lovely presents.

2013 started out cold and actually stayed cold for quite a while... I'd asked for snow at Christmas but by the end of January I was asking for it to go away! We found out which school I am going to go to next September, Disraeli Primary School in the Social Communication Unit, and Mum & Dad seem pleased with the decision.

It was my 7th birthday in March 2013 and I changed my mind... originally I'd asked for a party at the cinema with my friends from school but then I decided I'd rather have a party at home with family (Nana & Grandad, Nana Chris, Auntie Polly, Auntie Mavis, Uncle Paul & Great Nana, Uncle Les & Auntie Rita). It's still cold, but I'm looking forward to going camping at the farm in Norfolk again! :)