TINSLEY HOUSE SUPPORT THREAD - PART 3!!!! :)

[Badvoc]

Well, here is the shiny new thread for all of us either doing the TH programme, doing part of it, or thinking about doing it! :)
A brief synopsis of stage 1 of the programme can be found in the books "is that my child?" Or "the brain food plan" by robin pauc;

Stage 1 of the TH therapy consists of:

1. Daily Multivitamins

• Omega
• Zinc & Magnesium

1. Healthy eating

• High protein, low sugar, no artificial sweeteners, additives etc.

1. Specific neuro development exercises done 3 times a day

• Takes about 4-5 mins

And that's it :)

Stage 2 involves computer programmes to sort out eye tracking and convergence which over 80% of children with reading/writing problems have.

• www.engagingeyes.co.uk

We are coming to the end of our time doing TH I reckon...certainly by the end of the summer I think. It has been in many ways much easier than I thought at the beginning but of course takes commitment and time.

I am so glad we "took the plunge". It has made such a difference to ds and to our lives :)

congrats on everyone's good news! Great Ruggles, to hear of parents eve success. The "starting to" is really heartening isn't it. And sports day sounds fab Shopping! We have DS's next week....I sort of dread it as he's one of about 2 boys in the class who have never got a 1,2 or 3 certificate and doubt that will change but hopefully he'll handle it as well as your DS!

All good here - still bad tics...am considering upping the Magnesium. Does anyone else do this? So much online about tics being Mg deficiency....I give the basic saludynum (sp!?) 20ml a day at the moment. But just had trial day in Y3 and he came out of school full of beans saying it's going to be way better than Y2. Last year the shock of the trial day had him pretty much hysterical about going into school for the last few weeks.

I'd be interested in meeting up too.....am I think, around first week of Aug and a bit later.... x

It's been quiet on here this week. Hope you're all out enjoying the weather. The schools broke up here for the holidays yesterday and today is raining!

harriet I don't know about upping magnesium. We give the recommended saludynam dosage, like you. I guess if tics are caused by mag deficiency, then the normal recommended amount may still not be enough. Have you asked Robin?

We have our next Skype this weekend, and are diligently doing our exercises. I don't think he'll change anything but it'll be good to check in with him and share our improvements. DS has been a chatty little guy this week. I took them to the park yesterday, we were almost at the playground when I realised he'd dropped his teddy somewhere. So we retraced our steps and eventually found teddy. All the way back, DS was saying "I can't find teddy anywhere", "mummy dropped teddy", "mummy lost teddy", then singing a "mummy lost teddy" song to the tune of 'the farmer wants a wife'! It doesn't sound much but he couldn't have done that 6 months ago and it was quite funny. Though he didn't seem to realise that he had dropped teddy and not mummy!

Hi everyone.
Well we have 2 weeks left of term and its very busy with induction days/evenings/end of term shows and then we are off on hols so I may not be posting much til end of July!
I will try and arrange something for beginning of August - does that suit everyone?
Tom seems to be growing up faster with each week that passes....he walks to school (a good 20 min walk across a busy road) and back with his friend most days now.
He is also talking of sleepovers at his friends house over the summer
He is apprehensive about starting high school, but is not crippled with anxiety and upset which he would have been had we not done TH.
Ds2 seems better but is now suffering with hay fever so off to get him some eye drops later.
Am enjoying watching Wimbledon...although the way it's going it will be over in a week due to all the withdrawals!

Yes, Wimbledon is very strange this year!

Manic here too. One week of Primary School left for ds. We are mid Y6 play (performance last night and tonight) and have Prizegiving, concerts and tap exams (dd) just to add to the mix this week and give me more grey hairs. Unfortunately, it also shows my lack of diary keeping when I have to keep referring back to school websites and emails to check times/dates!

Ds is loving all the wind-down, even though he is exhausted. Trying to squeeze in Lumosity as much as possible but a few nights will be missed, I'm sure.

Ds does seem to be more mature these last few weeks and is keen to walk/tube home from school himself as much as possible. He seems much calmer about any issues and coped with forgetting to do homework last week - was quite happy about 'owning up' to it in the lesson, rather than having a meltdown that he would be in trouble. As it turned out, they had a play rehearsal, so it wasn't handed in until the following day, so he had a chance to get it done!

I was chatting to a couple of his teachers whilst backstage (helping with costume changes) last night. They both said that ds has been fab this term - more 'with it' and involving himself completely in a science project, where previously he would have let his team members lead. I have just remembered that I dropped him in it a bit by saying it was really nice that for once we didn't have a project that had to be done at home. Apparently, they should have used one homework a week for it - oops!

Early August sounds good for a meet up. We go away for a week too before that.

Daft...yes, it sounds like our time is being spent in very similar ways! :)
Tom is an owl in his show :)

Badvoc and daft a quick luminosity question - is that the last programme Robin has? How long have you each been doing it for? Trying to gauge when ds might finally be finished. We've done exactly a year so far and I think will start luminosity in August.

We have been doing lumosity since feb and I think our appt in July will be out last (18 months since starting)

Good long period of luminosity ahead of us then? Fab to be done in July though :) certainly it doesn't seem from your posts that Tom needs any more help. Do you feel all the old symptoms are gone or are there some that are perhaps just part of him? Eg I am certain even when we are finished ds will still talk too much and be a bit unaware of whether or not he is boring people. I suspect it's just part of his personality.

I absolutely think that some of toms "quirks" are just him/his personality.
But quirks are just that...they are what make us "us", they dont hold us back, or prevent us from enjoying life.
The issues that were holding Tom back are now gone.
His like of routine is the same as dh.
His poor spelling is the same as dh.
His silly sense of humour and love is history is the same as mine.
And none of those things cause me any worry anymore.
We only do lumosity about 4 times per week now tbh...his scores are all over 1000 apart from one.
He seems to have plateaued which to me means he has found his level.
But we shall see....

Sorry not to have posted for so long. Lovely to read such good news from everyone.

We have now been doing TH for 11 months and are off to see Robin on sunday. DS remains happy to go to school and can now read and I am way less worried about him than I was this time last year. His tic has gone ( hooray) and I am really hoping we can move forward again with the programme.

Shopping- Yes, Lumosity is the last thing and I know IB's children have done 6 months of it. Her DD has now finished TH and her DS is having a skype appt in 4 months, so is pretty much finished. I reckon you may be finished or certainly very close to finishing by February.

My DD has done 2 months of Lumosity now. Hope she will be finished by end of October. Think DS will move onto Lumosity either at end of August or end October. So it's looking like an April finish here.

Hi there, congratulations to everyone for all the good news, and making it to the end of the school year (well, almost) in one piece!

I have a quick question about eye tracking B. Does anyone know what score you need to gain a star on level 1? DD has been doing this for over two weeks now and her scores have improved since she started, but all week she has been hovering around the 1800 mark, with no stars. It's a bit demoralising for her and I thought if anyone knew what we were heading for I can enocourage her accordingly.

Thanks,

Sorry Brightstars I don't know. Have you tried emailing Engaging Eyes. I'm sure they will know.

Sorry I haven't been on for ages. We've had a very hectic week.. Another sick bug, DH ran over the dog who's had to have two ops on his leg (all ok) and lots of end of term stuff too. I am exhausted and can't wait for the holidays to begin.

Really great about everyone's news. We are 8 months into the programme so have a long way to go. So many good signs though. This year DS really enjoyed Sports Day and took part in every race. Last year he had a total meltdown and the teacher carried him (wasn't sure about that one...). Plus they think he has good balance - amazing!

We've got one week to go before we go on holiday! I would love to meet up in early August - can we try and get a date organised? How about:
Thursday 1st
Friday 2nd
Sunday 4th
Wed 7th
I think after that was difficult for some?

We are off to the Circus today! Fingers crossed we get to see some of it!

Sunday 4th would be good for us as we have to make a weekend of it.
Off to chessington tomorrow! :)

How was Chessington, Badvoc? Any tips? We are planning on going on Monday.

Last two full days of school to go. More juggling between two different school's events and trying to be in two places at the same time!

Lumosity still being squeezed in mostly. Did Robin ever give any indication of what overall brain score we should be aiming for? Ds' is creeping up gradually. I am mostly letting him choose his own activities currently as a compromise between not doing it at all (his choice) and doing it every night using the suggested games (my choice).

Hope everyone is doing ok?

Very tiring! :)
Zufari and Madagascar live were good...
Mine dont break up til next Friday...am flagging now - and I have to get everything ready for our hols...

Have told the dcs we need to pack this weekend. Chessington Monday and we fly on Tuesday! Eek!

We finish tomorrow! And fly to Corfu Friday! Can't wait. There is a heat wave predicted to start in the UK the day we leave. Make the most of it, it's bound to be the only sun and we will miss it.

We finish on Friday and are off to France on Sat. Shopping, I'm laughing about the heatwave - I feel exactly the same!
Daft - it sounds very hectic at your house... I've already made a mental note to leave a week between end of term and our holiday next year.
Badvoc - I am so pleased that you had a great time at Chessington - I can't think of anyone better to win that prize.

Ruggles...thank you
It was fun.
Toms end of term show went well and he remembered his lines and actually seemed to be enjoying himself :) he was at the feint if the stage must if the time and led the conga (long story :))
He is at his new school on thurs and fri this week! He has requested to walk with his friend.
Just can't beleive it....next week he will have finished primary school
He has a leavers tea (pizza and chips so he is delighted :)) and disco (which he is less thrilled about) on Thursday and then the leaves assembly on Friday...I confidently expect I shall weep myself into a migraine :)
Have a wonderful holiday all of you who are jetting off....you deserve it x

Hi everyone,

Wow, can't believe so many of your schools break up so early. Mine finish on 23rd July.

We went to Robin on Sunday and I was thrilled ( and surprised) at what he prescribed for DS. He has been doing Wally since the beginning of January and Robin added in wordsearch in March which we stopped after 6 weeks as DS started to have involuntary movements. SO at last appointment he had to continue Wally and do yoyo ( to help the tic) This felt like a backward step. Anyway, fast forward to sunday and Robin has stopped yoyo and Wally and DS has gone straight to Lumosity ( so not gone back to wordsearch and no OPK) I am not sure if he will ever have to do OPK ( hoping not as DD hated it)

Robin was also delighted with DD whose Lumosity scores are going up nicely.

Daft- I think Robin likes to get scores to 1000 in each area. He said that generally the children make gains in the Speed, Attention and Memory to start with- flexibility and problem solving comes later. DD has done 2 months and her BPI as gone up to 700 from under 200. DS has done 2 days of Lumosity now and is OK doing it. Nowhere near as bad as VT.

We jet off for a beach holiday on 2nd August. Can't wait. This time last year we couldn't go away as DS was so bad that I honestly thought he had a brain tumor or some sort of degenerative brain condition. Things have changed so much and it is because of Tinsley House. We are not finished yet but are definately on the Home Run.

Beautifulpossum - what a wonderful post. I'm so pleased for you. My DS's tics are so worrying to me at the moment and it's so great to hear that your son's have stopped. A kid at school commented on it last week and it's so hard. I'm fairly positive I find it way more troubling than he does though. Robin tells me not to stress and just follow the program which I'm committed to doing but it's very uplifting to see your post. We break up next Friday - can't come soon enough. I know poor DS really needs a breather from school and although he's not anywhere near as stressed with school this year as he was last year I'm sure the long summer break will be good for us all.

Hi everyone.
It was toms first day at his new school for his induction (today and tomorrow) he met his tutor and new classmates and has had taster lessons for some subjects.
He really enjoyed it :)
He had pizza for lunch which he was very pleased about (:)) and seems very positive about his day.
He and his friend walked there and back and will do so again tomorrow (1.5 miles and across a major road).
I just can't beleive it really.
He is so chilled out about it. Far more than I am!
If only I could explain to you all what an amazing thing this is....2 years ago I was so worried. He was struggling so much. I had tried so many things. I felt so alone. I really did wonder if I could even send him to high school unable to read or write fluently.
And here we are now.
Tom is confident, his self esteem is high, he is happy and I am hopeful that he now has the skills to do well and become whatever he wants to be.
So. Don't give up.
It's so worth it xxxx

Tom sounds as though he is settling into being a Y7 already!

First full day of hols here. Yesterday was lovely - concert, both dcs had science awards, a leavers picnic in the park which involved all Y6s in the park's paddling pool and sand pit - yuck!

Hope you all enjoy the end of term/start of holidays

Y6! It's a middle school system here.
Roll on next Friday! :)