NEW Tinsley house support thread -part 2!!

[Badvoc]

Hello everyone!
Thought I should start a new thread as we were nearing 1000 posts! :)
Indigo is no longer posting as you all know, but I think it would be such a shame for the support thread to go too.
I know I find reading about all the ups and downs we all experience very helpful and it's so great to hear all the progress :)
So.
We go back to TH next month and can't wait. So interested to see of the tracking programme has worked. I think ds1s reading speed has improved and he is now reading proper chapter books!
He continues to show less anxiety, OCD behaviour and stress.
He is eating better and is generally a much happier chap.
Looking forward to hearing from you all over the next few weeks/months...X

Oh, I am dreading it daft :(
Ds1 is also pretty good at wheres wally...unlike me. I could sit there for a week and not find the little twerp! :)

It's the bones we can never find! The older books are definitely easier than the newer ones

So ds' teacher is 'delighted' with him. The old school put in his reference that he was tantrumming 2 or 3 times a day and refusing to do lots of aspects of the curriculum. (All true but wasn't very helpful of them to put that as we could have lost his place at new school). Anyway he hasn't had a single incident of difficult behaviour the entire term! His handwriting has improved immeasurably, he is ahead of his chronological age in reading and while his concentration in maths isn't quite as good he is holding his own with the rest of the class. He has friends, is considered part of the group by his peers and is always cheerful.
To say I am delighted is an under statement :)

Brilliant Shopping.

Shopping- such fab news about your DS.

DD has been doing Where's Wally for 2 months now and sure DS will get it at some point too so we are in for a double dose here! argh! It's Wizard Whitebeard who gets me....!

First day back at school and absolutely no fuss from DS. Came out tonight SMILING and said he had a GOOD DAY. He enjoyed doing newswriting and read a story to himself during silent reading and was able to tell me what had happened! He is breaking out of his dyslexic/dyspraxic prison. VT is the only real bug-bear now - but still it won't be forever.

I now really believe that my DS will achieve his full potential and am not really worried about him anymore. Can't belive that 4 months ago I thought he would never go to school again and I would have to home educate.

Shopping- I meant to ask if DS is still doing stairs and teeth?

Oh how wonderful!

:)

BP that is fantastic!

Lovely news beautiful possum. Yes backwards stairs, teeth (not done as often as we should as he is crap at it and will only agree to cleaning them twice a day so won't let me reclean and that makes me paranoid about tooth decay). I must admit I've been a bit lax on the sugar front lately though. Am still doing high protein, no additives etc but we have had homemade cakes and biscuits more often than we should.

Guys, I had DS assessed by a local tutor who somebody recommended to me and she came up with all the same things I have been thinking myself. I asked her if she had heard of TH. She hadn't but mentioned something called DDAT which seemed to have really helped a previous pupl of hers with similar issues to my DS. I googled it and it looks to have similar principals to TH. Has anyone heard of it and got any opinions or experience? DH is sceptical about TH because I 'found it on the internet'. He thinks anything you hear of on the internet is a scam by definition, and that if TH worked it would be done on the NHS.

I would do the exercises, diet and supplement for six weeks. By then you will know if it's going to have an effect on your son which will provide dh with the evidence he needs to take it further. If it doesn't work you've only lost the cost of the omega 3 and the higher protein diet.

Willyou...in 10 years or so I think TH will be mainstream ,and not just on the NHS, but in schools too.
But that is in the future.
I haven't heard of DDAT, sorry.
As shopping said, follow the TH programme In the book for 6-8 weeks and see if it helps.

I am doing a sort of version of the diet, while we use the crap up. I intend to go full steam ahead, once all the cupboards are bare of things like sugary cereals. DS does seem calmer. I am seeing the teacher after school today to tallk about my worries, and I am going to get an appt with the GP to get eyes and ears tested. It will be me paying for TH anyway, not DH, so he has nothing to lose.

Hello Ladies
I've been lurking for ages and thought I would jump in and say hello. You ladies have really bolstered me up and inspired me. Please say a hello to IndigoBlue too - one of her posts was my jumping off point on where to start getting help - I'm very grateful.

My DS1 is 4 and having real problems at nursery with concentration, focus, following instructions, group activities and some social stuff (eye contact when it suits him, not very good at spatial awareness and respecting people's bubbles) Its weird, its not all the time and some days are much better than others. We're off to see Hemispheres but after reading all your stories, I'm wondering if we should be going to TH instead! Any thoughts ladies...? Shoppingbagsundereyes - I was so pleased to read your post this morning - it was just what I needed to read and I can only imagine how proud you must be feeling.

I had an awful day yesterday culminating in me telling DS to 'get the f* into the car' at the nursery car park and then tears again in our local shop when he wouldn't get in the car (not sure why I let him out...) I hate myself for shouting and swearing at him, its not like me and I know it doesn't help. DH was cheesed off too. :( and I felt that once I had started crying, that I just couldn't seem to stop - I was at it on and off all evening. I don't know how difficult DS challenges are compared to other people's, but for me it feels huge and so frightening.

DS starts in Reception at a new school next September and like you, I've been beginning to wonder if we'll get there. Most of the time I feel as if we have a window of time to make positive progress, but at other times I just feel overwhelmed.

I've ordered the book and am going to start with the diet and supplements. DS1 is allergic to eggs and nuts, so his diet is mainly home-made-from-scratch already. I'm going to ditch the carbs and while it may be a bit of a challenge to sort out a menu, but if I can get a week's worth together, I can keep repeating it.

Sorry for such a long post. Apart from saying hello, I'd really appreciate any thoughts on whether we should stick with Hemispheres or think about TH or consult both and see what we think? Also, anything else we should be doing?

Thank you

All my 'evidence' is anecdotal and that's the trouble with a regime like Tinsely House- people think because there is no 'proof'' it must be garbage. All I can do is tell the story of my ds who at 3/4 was the same as your ds and by 5 was ripping up school books, jumping on furniture, writing on furniture (but refusing to write in lessons) etc etc.
we started Tinsley house in June officially but started the diet etc six weeks before. He is a changed child. He is no longer on the SEN register. I don't think he has SEN anymore, at least not in school terms. He still has meltdowns like the one you describe at home but they are much less frequent. Often recently I have held my breath expecting a meltdown and been full of joy when ds has just accepted the circumstance in the way an NT child like my dd would.
When I think of my anxiety levels just six months ago I wonder how I coped. I felt sick constantly when ds was at school and often laid awake at night fearing for his future. I feel so much calmer and more positive now. As Badvoc often says he is the same ds but is now almost free of the ASD nightmare

Ruggles, do the stairs exercise straight away, start this afternoon. You can see their brains working, it's fascinating. Stand close though as he might be wobbly when you begin it.

Welcome Willyou and Ruggles. Great to have you on the thread.

Willyou- My DH and FIL were so so cynical about TH and neurodevelopmenta work. FIL kept talking about hard science and quackery and in total denial that anything was wrong with DS. I had to trick my DH into taking us to Robin but he is now totally on board as he can see the difference the TH proramme is making to him. I ABSOLUTELY recommend Robin and TH.

Ruggles- My journey with DS started in March this year, after a great nursery and reception which he thoroughly enjoyed he started not wanting to go to school and in March his teacher took me to one side and said that he was having trouble copying from the board and I should get his eyes tested. I took him to a BO who diagnosed some neurological eye problems. I then spoke to an Ed, Psych who suggested I take him to a good OT and I found Hemispheres on the internet. We went to Hemispheres in June ( by which point my DS was a total mess and saying he wanted to die/ couldn't cope/ had silly brain/ was stupid) It was tryuly terrible. Hemispheres identified that he had retained 14 primitive reflexes and sent me away with an exercise programme. I really didn't understand what it all meant and spent the next 5 weeks panicing and finding out all I could. I then discovered various mumsnet threads and found loads of people who had done REtained Reflexes with either INPP, SLC or Hemispheres but had also done TH. There is more than one way to skin a cat but after speaking to Robin ( who was the first person who was able to reassure me that my child didn't have a brain tumour despite having a retained babinski reflex) and reading Becaroo, Indigo, Blueshark, Badvoc and other posts I decided to switch to TH. I don't know how things would have progressed with Hemispheres nut I haven't regretted my decision. Robin is at the end of the phone and has reassured me during some really dark moments. I am absolutely convinced that he understands the brain. He also sorts the eyes out- Hemispheres do not and refer to BO. If you want to go through any of this I would be more than happy for you to give me a call though Badvoc, Shopping, Daft and Indigo all know more than me.

Ruggles
Firstly, welcome.
Secondly, we have all been there.
I am not proud to say I have called my son lazy to his face because I just couldn't understand how such a clever child could not do simple tasks :(
I think sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to realise you need to seek help.
I know I did :(
I will indeed pass on your hello to indigo :)
I can't comment on hemispheres as I haven't used their service but I have used TH and recommend it unreservedly.
There is a webinar on nov 19th which I would recommend you try and watch.
And remember...your journey starts today. These are your first steps :)

Wow - thank you for all that support!
Shoppingbagundereyes - that's so interesting about your DS. Its heartening to hear your story and it really fills me up with hope. Also about your own anxiety levels and how much they've improved. I think I'm about ready to blow a gasket!
Beautifulpossum - very interesting to read of your experiences with Hemispheres, thank you so much for sharing them. I've been worried that I'll waste time with them or overload DS.
Thanks Badvoc for your kind words. Its so motivating and supportive to know you are all out there.
I have bitten the bullet and just come off the phone to Robin. I wasn't expecting to get him on the call and I am so impressed with how he handled my call and worries. He thinks it sounds like the right-hand-side of brain issue. He was totally reassuring about the prospects for DS1 and we are going to see him next week! He suggested a consultation to find out exactly what is going on with DS1 and then an action plan based on that rather than treating reflexes which are probably a symptom of the issue IFYSWIM?! I will tell DH about the new plan this evening, but after last night, I think he will be very happy... As you say Badvoc, first steps... xx

Well done you!
It took me 6 weeks to pick up the courage to phone robin! :)
Do let us know how you get on..this is a support thread and that means we get to moan and be upset as well as all the great stuff! :)
X

Brilliant news Ruggles. It feels great just to be doing something doesn't it? What I found so discouraging with ds' aspergers diagnosis was having to accept that this was just the way my son was going to be and we would all just have to learn ways of coping. I reject that now. Ds does not have to be miserable, shouting and crying about the slightest thing and generally making things difficult for everyone. We are changing the way his brain works for the better on a daily basis with every exercise we do.

Ruggles- I am delighted for you, DH and DS...

By the way my DS thought the consultation was fun... Robin is fabulous with kids and the clinic is so child friendly with climbing frame outside..etc.etc.

As Badvoc said- this is a support thread. We are here for you everyday, through thick and thin. My DS was so upset about school in June he was physically being sick- today he wnet in laughing with his little mate. We have all made great progress and you will too.

In June I was so worried about DS that I wasn't sleeping, totally stressed out etc but by mid September he was coping so much better that my stress levels had dropped so much. Hang in there!

We have all been there BP...I home schooled my son for most of 2010.
There comes a point when you simply don't know what else to do but you know you have to do something.
And as awful as some of the past few years habe been for me - if ds2 has the same or similar issues to ds1 then I at least I know what to do!

Thanks lovely Badvoc.

Good news from us today is that DS has got all his stars for Accomodation Rock! just 3 more to go for both saccades and pursuits. Still nothing for BI and BO but hoping when we are down to 14 minutes DS will knuckle down to it. The VT has been so so hard for us but am determined to get on top of it before we go back to see Robin on 8th December. Any tips gratefully received.