Is this my kid?

[Guest guest]

Can this be a whole new world that is opening up to me? Am I about to be

introduced to my son for the first time since his adoption 5 years ago?

Please let it be so. I'm new here. My name is Sherrie. My little boy,

was 5 in June. He was diagnosed (rather skeptically) at the age of 3

with PDD. Because the diagnosis was half-hearted I tended to rock along a

bit longer than my nature usually allows me. I did not pursue answers.

Instead I waited to see if thy were right. He is now 5 and I cry when I

think that I " wasted " so much time. When I read about the hallucinogenic

effect of dairy and gluten on these little guys, my heart breaks to think of

the “treats” I offered my son that were turning his world into a whirling

tornado of confusion. Every cookie, granola bar, and milkshake have haunted

me. One week ago yesterday my husband and I read Karyn Seroussi’s book and

one week ago today we removed dairy and subsequently gluten from his diet.

The first five days: from bad to worse. Sleep walking every night (urinating

on walls and doors, thinking he was in the bathroom) ; Scooting his forehead

on the floor (something he has never done) ; Extreme stimming.

BUT, interspersed throughout the last two of those days were other things we

have never seen; getting up in the morning quietly (he usually stomps from

the time he gets out of bed) listening to a story being read even while

other children are playing in the same room; showing remorse for spilling a

drink; noticing and commenting on the clothes I was wearing; less wandering

and darting; more cooperative.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. (No sleepwalking the night before) He played

in the Mcs playground without once creating a need for us to apologize

to the other parents there. (A big thing!) When it came time to go home he

came when he was called, the first time! Wow.

Today, the scene: Breakfast. Mom and Dad looking hopefully at one another

that we are getting our precious little boy back. Big brother and little

brother munching away. Suddenly throws his arms into the air and

screams, jumps out of his chair and crashes to the floor with squeals. My

husband and I look on with horror (remember that one week ago this was

common behavior) We look quickly at his plate, minds racing to determine the

culprit. It didn’t take long, I asked, “Did you cook his egg in butter?”

Ohhh, how I wish I had been the one to make this slip. My poor husband

looked as if he had unknowingly slipped his son poison. It brought him to

tears. He scooped up the little guy who was thrashing about and carried him

to the sofa and held him tightly, asking him for forgiveness. It has been 2

hours now and we see him coming ‘back down” He is playing fairly quietly

with only an occasional outburst.

I am writing for several reasons. To introduce myself, to unload, to rejoice

and to ask a question. Obviously until we get really good at this, there are

going to be slips such as the one this morning. When such things happen, how

do you deal with the reaction. Do you just sit and watch, try to control it,

wait it out, or use some of the therapy techniques, like brushing or

swinging? Or does it really make any difference? We are homeschooling, and I

can see the potential of losing a whole day of school if a little butter

slips into his diet during breakfast. Is there some way to counteract the

effects so that they are minimal and not as distracting to the whole family’

s schedule?

I know I’ll have loads more questions and I am very glad to find this list,

but for now I just need to know, like the old song in Camelot, “What do you

do while they’re doing it?”

Sherrie

" The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the

righteous runs into it and is safe. " Proverbs 18:10