Tinsley House Support Thread Part 4!!!

[Mangomanila]

This thread is for anyone interested in the Tinsley House programme. All welcome!

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 smile

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

Just thought I'd share with you, my PE refusing ds last week competed in a county athletic event for children " with needs " and his team finished first in the whole of West Yorkshire. He was and is soooooo proud. 6 months ago he would have refused to take part yet alone be bothered about the result.

Puddle something which worked for us with Engaging Eyes was for move the 'shooter' forward and back as DS looked at it until he could 'see' the targets. Also, some people need to stare at the targets for up to 5 mins before seeing them properly. Also, DS only used the space bar to fire (I moved the other controls- DS pointed to the target he wanted and said 'forward/ back')

Worth a bribe with chocolate buttons??

We had our 3rd TH appointment at the weekend and I feel DS is starting to make significant progress.

-fewer meltdowns (1 minor one in the last month when DH bought the 'wrong' look roll!)
-calmer and less stressed
-much more compliant
-dyslexia breakthrough. DS can now remember letter shapes (previously took 2-3seconds to recall each one)
-asking to read to himself at bedtime
-remembering messages from school

We have now finished stairs and teeth (7 months) and now have yoyo and balance board. Plus continue with engaging eyes.

Quite a few of these changes happened all together in the last Couple of weeks.

I've also discovered how important core stability is for dyslexic children.

So keep slogging away and keep the faith!!

Hi everyone!
How are you all?
So great to see the thread still going strong :)
Ds is still doing great :) he did well in his mock sats - he was moved up a set in maths! - and is predicated a couple of level 5s!!
He is still playing football for the local team and enjoys it very much.
He has taken the huge and distressing events of the last few months in his stride and I am so proud of him :)
Keep going.
It's so worth it! X

pizza that's so great!! hooray for mininotapizzaeater! And Mango that's great too. It's so nice when you see progress and realise it's been between visits to Robin so have nice stuff to report.
My DS continues to do well. He plays the piano and has never managed to memorise a piece (even happy birthday in the RH) - this week he memorised an enormous full page quite complicated piece, just before grade 1 standard. I'm SO proud, and more importantly so is he. He made himself a piano music folder today and can't stop playing his piece over and over.
Finding the combination of all Hemis and OPK quite a grind. Basically 15 minutes every night. Need to try and schedule into afternoon, not leave it to bed time (when really i just want to get him into bed). But with homework and clubs etc its' hard to know where to find the time.
Mango so agree with you re: core strength. Both mine struggle with that just no natural strength there. Monkey bars and hanging from bars are good. I got mine a chin up bar in his door way to hang from and do acrobatics when it's too cold to go out.

Harriet great idea about the chin up bar. Thanks.

thanks mango - I hadn't thought of operating the controls for him - will try that tomorrow :)
Good to hear of everyone's progress, we had parents evening last week. DS1 went up to middle school this year (year 5) and had a fab report - most impressive was the leaps he has made academically - he's a year ahead of himself in science :) He's also improved massively in all the core subjects and is now exactly where he should be for all subjects, including PE! It is lovely for him to finally start to believe in himself and for teachers to see what we see instead of sidelining him and writing him off. And to think how worried I was about him going up to middle school!

Brilliant news about parents eve, puddle. You must be delighted!We had parents eve and DS has now caught up (y2) in reading and maths. Writing is improving and no longer the last to finish everything. Will do his self esteem wonders knowing he's not bottom all the time.

How lovely to read all your updates and to hear how well all your dcs are doing

Ds is still not at school. He is, recently, a lot better even though he is still having the odd seizure. He has been in to school a few times for lunch. He was mobbed by everyone the first day which was very sweet but, I think, now wants to get back to 'normal'. School are being super cautious and not allowing him back to class until all his teachers are 'trained' which is very frustrating but, I guess, to be expected. Ds is petrified at the thought of all the catchup work that will be needed. It's amazing how blasé I have become about school work after he has missed a whole term!

LooksLikeRain, yes, I was an SLT. Well remembered! Can't remember what your querie was but feel free to pm me and will help if I can.

Great to hear from you Daft I hope your DS continues to do well and can get back to school soon. What a little trooper.
Had my (hopefully final) op last week and my DCs continue to amaze me with how flexible and caring and flipping wonderful they are.

Hi Harriet. How is your recovery going?

daft hope DS is inching closer to returning to school.

bright stars What did you decide to do with the headphone issue?

Could someone remind me exactly what we have to do for the hemiOPK please?

Is it stare at the screen whilst asking/answering simple maths questions??

Its been ages since we saw Robin and because of learning the trumpet taking priority - we've been really slack with our exercises.

Thank you.

Hi fishoils - yes - look right at screen (you sit behind screen so you can make sure he's doing it right) and ask simple maths qs.

I have a q for all the biokult gang - what dose do you give? After mega -antibiotics post op, I've been taking probiotics for the first time in my life and am amazed at how it's helped my digestive process. DS2 (not doing TH and high achieving so far at school but showing tics since starting school) has very questionable tummy. Have us all on GF at home but not at school/away from home. Think a probiotic could be worth a try but biokult seems to not be kid specific.

Hope everyone's well, I'm recovering well from my op thanks Mango, and hoping we can all get back to some form of normal soon :)

Hi Harriet. Glad things going OK.

DS been on probiotics for about 6 months (&GF). Started on optibac kids as they also have pre biotics on (to feed the probiotics I think!). Did maybe 3 maths of that then changed to biokult (recommended in gaps diet). Began on 1 capsule. Now gone up to 2 a day. DS still gets some stomach aches, but I think its worth sticking with. Also, when I had last appointment with robin, he mentioned aloe vera may be worth investigating for healing the stomach (a client of his had great success with it)

Thank you Harriet,

I'm glad to hear your recovery is going well.

Sorry - one more question ...

DS has loads going on besides the stuff we deal with at Tinsley House - so I don't have time to do his TH exercises every day. We're better in the Winter, but somehow in the summer there's less incentive to go on the computer.

My question is does all the computer stuff still work if you only do it a few times a week. At best we manage 3 times a week at the moment (I know that's not very good). Do you think this is worth doing?

fishoils - we've been really slack the past month + too - what with my op but even before that, and it's harder to do things religiously when things are getting better. Today is the start of a new regime I hope - we'll do it daily all holidays and then I really plan to try and make it happen daily for the 2 months before we see Robin. I'm sure doing it sometimes is better than not but I'm also sure doing it all the time is better than that. I don't know if we'll manage but want to try and have a good month with us? Maybe we can make each other stick to it?

Thank you Harriett

I've found (we've been doing this about a year now) that I can stick to it every day during the winter - but not during the summer. Its all because we go to the park after school in the summer and then there's less time at home etc - and we have reading to do and trumpet practice now and doing computer exercises is just too much regimentation on top of the other stuff. So I rotate and do one day reading/trumpet and one day exercises and that's why it ends up as 3 days a week.

I'm taking a break from seeing Robin at the moment, because its slow doing just 3 days a week ...

Good luck with your new regime though. My DS has lots of physio exercises to do - it takes an hour each morning before school - so I really am being careful not to overload him with enforced stuff.

I just wanted to check that doing only 3 days a week was not wasting his time ... I know I should ask Robin, but also know that Robin will say we MUST do it every day.

Oh well - we'll just do our best x

Haven't posted in a while.

Feel totally disillusioned. We have put in so much effort over last 6 months and feel we are nowhere. We are at the end of stage one. We have finished stairs and teeth and are just doing targets and eye tracking.

Did any of you guys who have completed TH still have exactly the same probs 6 months down the line? Did you have more problems when you came to the end of the physical exercises? Does anyone have any advice? I feel like a battered wife. I am literally battered every day. He speaks (DS) to me and DH like we are dirt. And there is literally nothing we can do. And NO ONE understands. I feel incredibly isolated and depressed. What shall we do? Help. xxx

NellieEllie and Prince

Have just been reading back and I think we all started at the same time (sep/oct). You guys were downbeat in Jan, but have not posted since. Have you seen any improvement or have you given up? Thinking of you all. The line between OK/great and deep depression is so thin. Am thinking of all the Mummies who are struggling xxx

Hi Sunshineandshowers,
Wow, it sounds like you're going through the mill right now... Sending big hugs.
I can only share our experience to date. We started in Sept with our DD (she was 5 but now just turned 6). We did stairs and teeth initially and did ok. Then meant to do splat an alien and target practice but, for a variety of reasons, we just didn't really do this at all. We're only just now getting back on track and are resuming splat an alien and hemi p.
We HAVE seen huge progress since Sept but the last few weeks have been incredibly hard, it's like we've got a teenager in the house...real attitude , kicking, calling us names, door slamming etc etc... Horrid. We've hung into the hope that, for our DD, we usually get a big regression in behaviour (and skill) just before some big leap forward developmentally. Boy it's been so damn hard but I actually do think we're seeing some real progress again.
Please don't feel you're alone. I'm sure all of us on here can relate to what you've written. It's so hard.
Have you talked to Robin about how you're feeling?
I want to write more but trying to get DD to settle and it's not working aaargh.... I just needed to respond to your post and to send a hug. :)

Thanks justlooking,

I thought we were seeing progress...we had a good 6/7 weeks in the new year, but the last few have been terrible. I am finding it hard to be objective. Have we seen any progress? I just don't know anymore. Am I just hoping to see progress. Argh.

Thanks for your reply. You are right its like having a very badly behaved teenager. He answers back, rolls his eyes, screams and cries constantly. I really didn't think parenting would be this bad. I feel like running away. It is so depressing having to care for someone who is quite frankly abusing me. Let alone do any nice things, which we still do and always end up in tears. We must be mad.

Robin always seems so blaze about it, yes this is to be expected. Give me more information! How bad will it be this bad! How did other children like my DS respond? etc etc. Although the treatment might work I need more information. xxx

Hi sunshine. Sorry you are having such a terrible time. Must be really soul destroying for you.

Think I remember reading (on one of the earlier threads) that the tantrum behaviour (for want of a better word) is the last thing to be addressed (ie. All the other stuff needs to get fixed first, before that part of the brain can be stimulated). So if the programme takes 18 mth to 2 years to complete, then I guess that's what you may be looking at...

Sorry, this might not fill you with hope. DS is often vile to DH. Also as he is perfect at school, I think it all has to come out at home...

Hi Sunshine
Just checking in to see how you're doing today?
If it helps to know you're not alone then I can tell you I'm having a horrendous day here, DD just playing up so badly. My blood pressure feels like it's on the ceiling!
I SO hope this phase will pass...it's hard!