Occupational Therapy Effects

Alec started occupational therapy about 3 weeks ago and it has been wonderful.  He LOVES going!  Everyday he asks me if he gets to go to OT today.  The results from it have been great.  When we leave OT, that night and into the next day, he is SO calm and focused.  It’s amazing the difference I see in him.  His teacher has told me the same thing.  One day at school he was so quite and still that his teacher asked him is everything was OK.  He very calmly responded that he was good.

S0000000…I want more of this for him!  My husband and I decided to convert our dining room into a sensory playroom where he can go for all of his sensory needs.  We moved out our dining table!  So far we’ve covered the floor with large solid puzzle mats and got an enclosed trampoline.  I also put the slide  in there as well as the train table.  The train table I will convert into a sensory table.  My husband is planning on building a large ball pit from PVC pipes and netting.  I’m also going to make a large crash pad from a duvet cover that I have.  I want to have lots of bean bags, large exercise balls, and sensory balls to roll around on, crash, and bury himself as well as a cocoon swing.

I’ll keep an update on the progress we’re making… with pictures :)

Drumroll please....The results are in!

So, we finally got all the results from the tests/labs that Alec's new DAN! doctor had done.  Prior to receiving the results I had told my husband that I hoped his results didn't come back normal because that would mean that there would be nothing to fix or work on.  I was really anxious that it would be the case for us, but I didn't prepare myself for the opposite.  What if there was A LOT wrong?  Well, that's what we got.  I'm still kind of shell shocked, but what did I expect?  We're not dealing with a little vitamin deficiency...we're dealing with Autism.  A condition that is so complex and affects so many different aspects of a persons life.  How could I have thought it would be a simple matter of a deficiency here and a deficiency there.

So here it is...we have all of our puzzle pieces.  They are mistreated, worn out, damaged, and now we must fix them, polish them, give them the care they need so we can put them back together as a whole working picture. The puzzle piece symbol for autism is appropriate in so many different ways!

Let's start with the simple things.  Alec has vitamin A, D, and B-12 deficiency.  Vitamin A deficiency can cause a lot of visual sensory issues.  There have also been links between vitamin D deficiency and autism.  This is a good site about that.  Vitamin B12 deficiency is also commonly seen in children with autism.  Using the supplement Methyl-B12 has shown to have a profound effect on autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.  Other issues we're addressing with supplements are deficiencies in Magnesium, Selenium, Cholesterol, and protein.

Alec has also tested positive for a genetic mutation known as MTHFR gene mutation.  He actually tested positive for 2 copies of this mutation which means that he received it from both mom and dad.  MTHFR gene mutation is not too uncommon.  Most people will never even know they have it.  This gene mutation is responsible for things such as heart disease, depression, schizophrenia, clotting issues, among other health issues.  In some cases though, a bad combination of the MTHFR genes will pair up and a person will end up with the inability to process metals and sulfates.  This build up, when combined with environmental factors such as toxins from food, cleaning supplies, and vaccines, can be one of the triggers for autism.  This genetic mutation also inhibits the proper processing of Folic Acid.  What does MTHFR gene do normally?  MTHFR is an enzyme that allows us to process Folic Acid.  It is a very complicated chemical model that shows how the body must process Folic Acid so that many other processes can occur.  It's a chain reaction and when there is a malfunction at one point, it effects the rest of the chain.  In a nut shell, the inability to process it properly leads to many other dysfunctions at a cellular level and that leads to many illness, including cancer, that plague society today.  It is also responsible for many behaviors that we see in children with autism and ADHD among other developmental disorders.  The way around this is to give the body activated folate.  This type of folate can be properly processed by people with this genetic mutation and can help stop the problems it's causing.  We are using Deplin to treat this in Alec. While the mutated gene can never be fixed we can bypass it with this treatment.

Alec also tested positive for PANDAS titers.  PANDAS stands for pediatric autoimmnue–neuropsychiatric-disorder-associated with- Streptococcus.  Children with autism seem unusually vulnerable to strep in a way that triggers increased obsessive and compulsive behaviors . Essentially what happens is the body’s immune cells (already on over-drive in autism), see the strep bacteria and mount an immune response.  They make antibodies to the strep bacteria (the way we want them too), but that is where things get off track. Those antibodies cross-react with the brain in way that triggers the OCD type of behaviors and other behavior commonly associated with autism.  It can also trigger tics and other odd movements.  Even if a child with PANDAS has not been sick with strep for months or years, the strep bug has decided that it's OK to cohabitate.  His body keeps the bacteria in check by keeping antibodies levels high.  The antibodies interfere with brain function and create these behaviors.  There are many different ways of potentially treating this.  We are treating it with antibiotics, antifungals, and antiviral medicine.  Hopefully it will work. 

Lastly, and the thing that impacted me the most was the results from his viral immunology testing.  First, his immune system is very low.  This needs to  improve.  I've been given four options to study about before deciding which one I want to do.  Secondly, his body has very elevated levels of Measles and Mumps virus.  This is from the vaccines he received.  Normally, when you receive a vaccine you process it and you remain with a small enough antibody that if you were to ever come in contact with that disease your body could prevent you from getting it.  Alec's body did not process the Measles vaccine nor the Mumps vaccine as it should have.  Due to the elevated levels of these viruses his immune system is busy fighting these disease that he actually doesn't have.  This is with the already limited immune system that he has.  To me this PROVES what I've always felt is true.  Not that vaccines CAUSE autism, but that in some individuals vaccines can TRIGGER autism.

It's easy to see how it all falls together.  Alec was born with a genetic mutation that prohibits him from processing Folic Acid as he should.  This in turn prevents him from properly ridding toxins and metals in his body.  Then you add extra toxins from food, environment, cleaners, vaccines, and we've compounded his issue and introduced more toxins into his body that he will not be able to process properly.  Then, because of all of this he now has a weakened immune system.  He's constantly sick and given round after round of antibiotic by our trusted mainstream medical professionals (sorry, couldn't help it).  This works on destroying all the healthy flora in his intestine and leaves him with a dysfunctional gut that no loner processes foods correctly so his body can receive the vitamins and nutrients it needs.  He contracts the common strep virus.  His body begins fighting it, but has an auto immune response (probably because his entire system is off balance)  and also begins attacking itself...the brain.  Now we see more "autistic like" behaviors come out.  Its easy to see how this could have happened with him.  Now we just have to undo all this damage...