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Tinsley House Support Thread Part 4!!!

668 replies

Mangomanila · 14/10/2013 22:59

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
OP posts:
CastlesInTheSand · 13/11/2014 15:34

Yes

GreenApple7 · 23/11/2014 13:07

Hi wanted to give an update to the group! Mostly all good

We are now 7 months into TH, we have had some great progress but we still have a long way to go. DS (age almost 8), is now so much happier. Since starting Where's Wally, we have noticed an even bigger jump. Teacher's at school have gone out of their way to say how happy, and talkative he has been. The only change has been Where's Wally. I couldnt believe that looking at a book that he as looked at so many times over the years, but combined with flashing lights could make such a difference but it really does. DS is super happy, almost too happy at times. Its like an elastic reaction, as if the brain makes a change and there is too strong a reaction so needs to take a step back. I think wow this is great and then a few days later there is a bit of a regression, and then we settle somewhere in between the two extremes. I dont get discourage anymore at the regressions as they are manageable. My trick is to remember that peak we had right before and know that he is capable of the peak. A good example is they had exam week last week. Second day in the teacher commented, what did DS have for breakfast? he was super happy, first one dressed after swimming, smiling, singing. During exam week, the boys are usually anxious and DS was grinning away taking it in stride. BTW he did very well for himself, its the first time he participated equally in the exams, no shadow aide, he wrote the same exam as the other boys, just some prodding by the teacher to stay focused. The teacher agreed that the gap is indeed narrowing between him and the other boys.

On a lower note, its still evident that there is still a big gap. At a recent family dinner with friends, DS' dyspraxia was so evident compared to the other children his age. In an unfamilliar environment he regresses a bit (movement is more hesitant, sticks to certain topics, more shy, held back).

Maybe some of the longer TH members have a view. I'm a bit concerned that TH doesnt do as much movement, coordination exercises. What happens after stairs and teeth are done? Is that really enough to get rid of all the dyspraxic issues. Other programs seems do physical exercised throughout the entire program (ie bouncing on balls while tossing bean bags etc). The Dore program for example. We are just coming to then end of stairs and teeth.

One good diet tip we have been doing. I've been making hot chocolate in the blender for the kids in the morning, I add a tablespoon of coconut oil and even some grass fed butter/ghee instead of milk. It gives them a high protein Omega kick before school. I have also been alternating between Green Pasture Fermented Cod liver oil capsules and the Vega supplements. With our cranial osteopath these tested as even more effective.

Sorry for the long post, now that things are going so well, I dont check in so much. This cerebellum balancing really Works!!!

Glamintern · 03/12/2014 12:59

Hi,
This thread led me to Tinsley House for my two children (both dyslexic and with profound working memory problems) and my husband. We started ds and dd one month ago and dh about to start. So far we're on supplements, loads of protein, and stairs for ds, stairs and Where's Wally for dd.

To date things seems worse rather than better - dd hysterical, super emotional. Everybody tired and fed up w various appointments, medicines, and exercises - inc TH. Me, I'm just desperate for some good to come of this and for our lives to get a little easier.

Ruggles · 03/12/2014 15:22

Welcome Glam. I'm sorry that you're having a tough time. I know my first couple of months were really full on and intense. There is lots to take in and new routines to create. Even though I was used to cooking from scratch (DCs have food allergies), I found the food side quite exhausting! Plus the exercises seemed to take forever. DS1 behaviour got worse before it started to improve, plus I made the mistake of talking to nursery, who weren't very supportive.... Looking back it was all quite tricky. Please do stick with it. Things did improve for us - DS quickly showed some improvement, which spurred us onwards. Also, you get used to things and they become second nature.

Not sure how old your DCs are or if these all be apporpriate, but here's some things that help:

  • the food becomes much easier. Write a menu out and double up on food as much as poss. Really happy to help with menus if you'd like. Got the DCs involved in cooking new foods. I found it helped to batch cook and eat the same food a couple of times a week. E.G. I'll cook sausages and I'll re-heat for a couple of breakfasts a week. Try and make every second day a left-over day. Now, I tend to cook more roasts as they can be quick and give tons of left overs.
  • we do quite a lot of the exercises in the morning. Although we had to get up a bit earlier, we're all 'fresh' and it isn't so much of a struggle. Made the exercises as fun as possible and 'special' time - lots of cuddles etc. I found exercises after nursery / school to be tiring as we have a long journey.
  • Sticker charts with lots of stickers for exercises and food. Lots of treats for doing well. Visit to toy shop on the first couple of Saturdays.
  • talked to our DS about why we were doing this and how it was going to help him. Plus, we decided to give it 6 months and see where it got us. Within that time we were going to get on with it and not worry too much about the day-by-day moments. This def. got me through some dark days when it all seemed too difficult and meant that we could put on a really positive front with the DC.

There is lots of great support on here. Do ask anything you want to.

I logged on today to say how well DS (6) is doing. It's 2 years since we started, but we had a 5 month gap over the summer / early autumn. We've just had parents evening and couldn't be more delighted with how our DS is doing:

  • he's happy and well adjusted at school. He has friends and is popular. Has a good sense of humour.
  • he is kind and understanding of feelings of others
  • good at sport with excellent co-ordination
  • in top part of year for reading/phonics and numeracy. Handwriting and fine motor skills are average and making very good progress. He's just started colouring and can't stop making books and drawings.
  • loves music and singing. Was happy to talk to the school during a class assembly

Sorry if it sounds boasty, but this is the opposite of our DS a couple of years ago - he was always hitting other children, didn't like music or singing (it made him lie on the floor); his fine and gross motor skills were poor. He was a space invader with poor balance. He only liked playing with tractors, struggled with eye contact and didn't have any friends. He didn't show much imagination and was quite literal. As his parents we found everything a battle of wills. Nursery thought he wouldn't be able to start Reception without quite a lot of support. DS2 is making good progress too. He's much younger, so exercises like the stair have only been mastered recently. I'm really grateful to Robin and everyone on here for helping us on our way.

Glamintern · 03/12/2014 19:27

Hi Ruggles,
Thanks! It's funny to find myself as a contributor to this thread - I've read through it many times over the past year or so.

My dc are 6 (ds) and 9 (dd). We have launched ourselves into the meal plan, and I think the doubling up is an excellent idea! Both children are also seeing a homeopath and she has suggested that dd avoids wheat completely at the moment, and reduces her dairy intake - so that's adding some complexity.

We're currently facing peer pressure over chocolate filled advent calendars. I've persuaded dc that they could have half a chocolate rather than a full one, and I've chosen ones w nuts. Any advice on getting through the Christmas season w diet intact...

Also - as we're starting now, I'm trying to come up with a set of measures that are relevant to each child, so that we can reflect upon progress in the months to come. Have any of you set criteria to measure against (sort of KPI's)? I'm thinking about current levels in school and rate of advancement? Also things like general hysterical outbursts (dd) and wearing nappies at night (ds).

Thx again...

GreenApple7 · 04/12/2014 09:59

Hi Glam! The beginning is soo challenging, we had a big negative reaction when we started Engaging Eyes and then a big positive jump after. I got through it by taking it as a positive that my DS is reacting which is a good thing - it means they can/will eventually react in a positive way. My biggest concerns in the first few months were Robins words that if we see an improvement/change in the first few months then we will know if his program can help or not. Please keep at it, the hard work now will be so worth it.

I have a DD (age 11. 5) on the program as well as DS (age7.5). DD never had huge issues (school didnt formally bring up) but I recognised ADHD and processing, memory issues. She is now sooo much better. Rational, reasonable, does her homework without much fuss, so many friends (had very few 1 year ago). Life is so much easier - and fun.

Ruggles - great to hear your update. You were one of the posts that convinced me to start TH last May. Its great to hear that your DS dyspraxic symptoms have resolved. That is one of the main concerns I have for DS right now.

Ruggles · 04/12/2014 20:43

Gosh Glam – you are going for it! Will be really interested to see what changes you see without the dairy / wheat. I kept toying with making those changes, but in the end didn’t think I would manage it. Indigo and a couple of others did and saw some big improvements. We are gluten light but dairy heavy!

Chocolate is a really tricky one – the boys have DM Buttons but we tend to avoid other sweets. I was really strict to start with, but have relaxed over time and now happy for them to have occasional chocolate, but not as an everyday thing. Robin says don’t treat /reward them with something that’s bad for them, but its not always that easy! Plus I don’t want to make sweets such a big thing for them. We had a big nag about chocolate advent calendars, so I got one which we fill ourselves with mini toys.

In terms of progress, we started with a long list of ‘challenges’ and just kept noticing as things improved. I’d forgotten about dry at night – that was one of the first changes. I would just keep writing it all down. Sometimes progress is really fast, sometimes much slower.

Greenapple – so pleased that your DCs are doing well and that life is more fun – that is just fantastic to hear! Especially about your DD having more friends – I feel really emotional about their friendships and what an amazing difference it makes for the whole family. I ‘m sure your son will do really well too. Keep on at it. ?

Glamintern · 05/12/2014 07:35

Hi Greenapple and Ruggles,

Dd's problem w wheat has been picked up totally separately by homeopath, but her grandmother, aunt etc have coeliac's disease so it's easier for us to a) understand b) implement because we know the routine and have seen someone manage it successfully.

I've found a gf bakery in Islingon (N London) who make the most fantastic gf bread -Romeos's in Upper St. We buy a big one and then I slice it before freezing, and whip out 3 or 4 slices as we need it. It makes Genius bread - my MiL's previous favorite - taste like wallpaper...

My MiL now makes her own bread in a machine and swears by it. We may get there but for now the thought of any extra tasks is daunting. And Romeo's got the goods!

Having trawled through these Tinsleys House threads going GF seems to be a trend for treating dyslexia - I'm going to dig out an old post by Indigo and copy it again in case other parents of kids w dyslexia are trawling for info.

Of course now that we're following the TH diet, we're eating less bread anyway.

Glamintern · 05/12/2014 07:42

Copied from a very cogent and inspiring post from IndigoBelle in Dec 2012:

"... my DD had severe dyslexia - and getting a diagnosis of dyslexia for her hurt her far more than it helped her.

Dyslexia doesn't actually exist. Your DS has all those problems, and they're real problems, but he doesn't have them due to dyslexia. He has then due to underlying physical problems - all of which can be fixed.

But once DD had a label of dyslexia no one was interested in her anymore. All of her many problems were put down to dyslexia.

In order to remove DDs dyslexia all she had to do was:

  • go gluten free dairy free
  • huge amount of supplements including omega 3
  • improve her hearing with auditory integration therapy
  • improve her vision with vision therapy
  • improve her brain with neurodevelopment therapy

And now she no longer has dyslexia..."

sammythemummy · 05/12/2014 16:35

I love Romeo's Glam, we don't live far from it and we have tried their cakes yum!

I've not tried the bread, that'll be next on our list.

We will be adding B6 supplement along magnesium and zinc as my dd can't detoxify her body. We're also going to start vegepa at some point.

Does anyone use IQ? Or is it EyeQ?

Glamintern · 08/12/2014 22:00

We're following Robin's suggestions: Vegepa Chewables, Floradix Kindervital and Saludynam. We're going through vats of the stuff.

Back to chocolate. I had this magical moment when dd said "Mum, can we swap some of the chocolates for little toys ..... I really want TH to work" I thought "Wow, a breakthrough moment, for us, finally!" Sadly, later in the day she ate ALL remaining chocolates in the calendar, I guess giving up sugar has it's temptations and challenges. And so we plough on and await a positive sign.

Mangomanila · 19/12/2014 17:51

Hi everyone. Christmas update from us. 15 mths into TH and we have seen really good progress, particularly in the last couple of months. DS (age 7, major dyslexia issues plus a whole host of other anxiety/ sensory issues) no longer suffers from moving text. Coloured overlays thrown away! Reading age appropriate books. Middle groups at sch. 10/10 every wk in spellings.

Had a 'normal' family trip to Blackpool pleasure beach. DS loved all the rides (previously he'd be to scared to go on anything). Generally, His anxiety levels are much reduced. He came home from sch and told me he really enjoyed the Christmas party (usually dreads them) and coped with cinema trip. Manages fine in sch swimming sessions(which I was dreading). Only 1 ear infection in 12 mths (rather than the normal 5-6).

Looking back, I couldn't have imagined this level of improvement. It is hard, and slow, and frustrating at times but I'm so glad we took this road. Onwards and upwards and wishing everyone as stress free a Christmas as possible.

OP posts:
GreenApple7 · 27/12/2014 18:10

Hi Mango,

Thanks for the update. Can I ask what exercises you are on 15 months in, where you commented that you have had particular success in the past few months. My DS is also 7 yrs, we are about 8 months into TH and we are on Wally and Yoyo, about to start Word Search (just waiting to finish the last few eye tracking Bs).

I could use a bit of a motivation boost. DS is soo much better but I feel like we are at a plateau. Possibly the Christmas season lack of schedule, which makes me realise we still have a long way to go. Maybe once we start word search we'll see another step up.

Can anyone say what usually comes after Word Search and OPK?

Best Holiday wishes!!

Mangomanila · 27/12/2014 19:21

Hi GreenApple.

We took 15 mths to finish Engaging Eyes!! Currently on Where's Wally (maybe for 4 mths), word search and (very recently) OPK. I think OPK and wordsearch have given us big improvements. Think I remember reading (somewhere) Luminosity? comes after, but I may be wrong.

Last year, Christmas was an utter nightmare with constant meltdowns. This year has been so much better (not perfect, but better).

I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I don't expect him to be 100% 'fixed' but I'd settle for 80%.

It is a frustrating process. We seemed to make very little progress for ages, but then I suppose the brain is pretty resistant to change.

Stick with it, and I hope the next part of the program works for you.

OP posts:
Mangomanila · 07/01/2015 17:10

Bit more good news- first day back at school and DS announced 'I think I'm getting quicker at things.' He finished 2 worksheets, rather than getting half way through one. He also said he is now as fast as 'the good ones' at times tables. All very positive as processing speed has always been a concern.

OP posts:
Ruggles · 07/01/2015 20:55

That's fantastic! So heartening, what a good start to 2015. Smile

PinkPelican · 13/01/2015 22:22

Happy new year all!

Can I check we're doing the word search Hemi correctly? Should they hold the word search next to the computer screen (like Where's Wally) or should it be on the table next to the keyboard?

Mangomanila · 14/01/2015 21:09

Hi PinkPelican. Word search is done in the same way was Where's Wally. Book standing up to the right of the computer.

OP posts:
PinkPelican · 15/01/2015 01:24

Thanks Mango!

3bunnies · 20/01/2015 11:01

I hope that you don't mind me gate crashing this thread. We aren't actually doing Tinsley House, although dd has a few ishooes we haven't felt the need to get a formal diagnosis, she could be very boarderline ASD/sensory problems, but dh works in the field and doesn't feel that she is likely to meet diagnostic criteria.

But oh the reading problems! She is about on the right level for her age (nearly 8), but really struggles, particularly with words in text and text as it gets smaller. Tinted glasses help, but not a complete solution. We have recently started her on the engaging eyes program and this is where I wanted some advice from some experts!!

I think that we might have hit on the problem as she does find the 3D convergence program difficult. She has been doing it for just over a week. She is now managing to get beyond level 2 on most days but we are finding 4 very difficult and she usually gets sent back to level 1a or 2. Even I am finding it impossible to converge my eyes. If we use the glasses we were sent (left eye red, right eye cyan) then they don't seem to converge at all. If we use some paper ones which we aquired with a book (left eye green, right eye red) then I can fairly easily converge them, dd still struggles and says that it is still a bit blury, but then that is why we are doing it!

Does it matter which eye has which colour lens? Are our eyes just wierd? Does it get easier? She has been fairly enthusiastic but is begining to get frustrated.

Mangomanila · 20/01/2015 18:00

Hi 3bunnies,
You are very welcome here! Can't help with the technical question about lens color... Why don't you email them (address on their website)? It took us about 15 months to finish the program, so yes, can be very slow progress. Other things we found useful- I moved the 'shooter' to the target DS pointed at and he said 'forward/back'. Otherwise it broke his concentration. Don't let her look away from the screen. Initially if she can't 'see it', tell her to focus on the shooter and move it forward and back. Might help her 'pick it up'. It us a bit tedious, but goodness me it works. Resort to bribery if you need to!

OP posts:
GreenApple7 · 20/01/2015 19:11

Hi 3 bunnies, the glasses that come with the program are quite big. For my youngest DS (age almost 8) we ended buying some on amazon that were wrap around sports style, and we tied an elastic around them so they would stay on. I think which colour in the lens does matter . I think getting to number 4 is pretty good in the first week, be prepared that it will take several months (took us 7 months) to finish level 3 in the target game.

Might be worth doing the stair exercises as well, my understanding is if the eyes aren't converging properly, its likely due somewhat to the cerebellum. So doing the stair exercises will also help with the rythym of the eyes.

good luck

3bunnies · 20/01/2015 20:10

Thank you both for your encouragement. I might email them to check the colour order. Level 4 just seems like a huge leap from level 3. She has so far been very good at doing the exercises and she can tell that they aren't easy for her so we are hoping that they will make a difference. The school are still saying that she is fine and not at the bottom of the class but reading seems so painful for her. She is ok if asked to read a list of words but gets lost if she has to read a passage of text.

I might suggest the stair exercise to her too. We did try walking backwards for a short time but then we went camping and didn't have any stairs! I will tell her that level 4 is good in the first week.

She is nearly 8 but quite petite and the glasses are fairly big so might look into the wraparound ones. Do you know which ones they were?

Mangomanila · 20/01/2015 21:14

I bought these glasses (i think) as they are for kids (ds age 7)
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KIDS-SIZE-3D-GLASSES-RED-BLUE-ANAGLYPH-FOR-3D-MOVIE-/250785117094?pt=UK_Home_Garden_CD_DVDStorage_SM&hash=item3a63f533a6

OP posts:
reddragon1 · 22/01/2015 12:27

Hello everyone it has been a while since I have been on the thread - but I have just spent the morning re-reading and catching up - so many positive outcomes, brilliant news for lots of families.

I felt we had only made minimal improvements so far, less than many, so I was really reading for inspiration to carry on as I am slightly dreading the next school report in a weeks time. But as I read I did realise that my son has made more solid friendships over the last few months, is more open to having play dates with new children and is this weekend having his first ever sleepover at a friend's house. He has willingly joined 2 after school clubs (unheard of) and yesterday asked me to put his name forward for a Saturday School Club! His reading and writing may not have not improved, he is still often sad with low self esteem - and he is often spaced out, but after all now I see that real progress has been made!!

Also I have seen 'speed up' recommended for handwriting, A2 milk which I will google, GF bread making tips and Optibac to look into. Thank you ladies for all of these tips and support and positive stories.