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

Great to hear all the success stories. Keep posting!! They keep us going!

DS (age 6) just started chewing things (plastic spoons etc) and smelling everything (books, magazines, play doh). Did anyone else have this?

Last year ds used to chew every collar on every tvshirt / school shirt, cost me a fortune. Luckily (th ???) he's not done it this school year (very pleased as each shirt cost £12)

not specifically Mango but we had an increase in DS's tics (making a kissy face and opening his eyes wide) and an onset of OCD-ish behaviour he'd never had before (touching things with his LH if he'd touched with his right hand, putting hands on his lap palm up, then palm down) all of which i found very concerning. Up until it happened to us, I'd found it amazing that some DCs had developped tics, rituals by doing parts of the TH program - knowing that they had passed in the end - evidence of how strong the program was that it was messing with their brains in that way. When it happened to my DS it was far from amazing and I suddenly realised how scary it felt. BUT I was greatly supported by other mums who'd been through it and, true enough it seems, it was a stage, and it has passed.
Chewing and smelling can be tic-ish depending on whether it's an unstoppable urge. Or maybe it's his senses being challenged/changed? Either way my advice is don't draw attention to it, don't worry that others will notice because bizarrely they really don't seem to, they're more bothered about their own children, and I'm sure it will go away.

Thanks. Just what I needed to hear!! Am treating it as a positive 'brain changing' sort of a thing. Sure we will have lots more strange behavior!!

Had our 3rd appointment with Robin on Wednesday - the last one that requires face to face time, so that's good. DS is relieved to have finished Targets - we're on to Tracking (very clearly an issue). We are continuing with stairs and teeth and will start Hemi P.

So, should start to see an improvement in reading and concentration in this next phase - will let you know. I found out the other day that he is no longer working with the TA! This is HUGE news - according to the TA he's doing well and doesn't need her support. 6 months ago, he was relying on her so much for almost everything. He has been receiving little accolades almost every week for his attitude, handwriting, sportsmanship which is really helping to give him a boost. Robin has agreed that if we can adjust his school year group it would be a great help - school is supportive so we'll just see how hard the LEA is going to try to wriggle out of it.

We are between Reading and Oxford - if there's anyone else local who would find a get-together a good idea then we'd be up for it.

Hi, I have 2 Ds 6 and 9. My older Ds is the one experiencing difficulties. I found Th by accident when I googled Dyspraxia and Diet. We are still not sure what issues my eldest has. We have just started on the assessment path. I'm pretty sure he is Dyspraxic but really what I want to do is find things that will help him.
We live in Switzerland so don't have access to Uk Health services etc.
Have people found the Skype sessions helpful. It's really heartening to see all the positive comments on these threads.
Would you recommend buying the books as well?

I always suggest people buy The Brain Food Plan book first. It details the diet, supplement and initial exercises. That way you can give it a try for very low cost outlay. We saw improvements in ds in 6 weeks of following the book and then made an appointment with Robin. Most of us visited him for the first appointment but he has clients all over the world that he only ever sees via Skype so I don't think you living in Switzerland would be a problem if you decide to go for the whole programme.

Thanks, I have just ordered the books from Amazon. I feel guardedly optimistic for 2 reasons. 1. The lovely hopeful Mumsnet threads that I have been looking at and 2. A few years ago I had terrible Pmt which followed awful Pmt. The programme I followed to make it go away was very similar to the TH programme. Diet, exercise and supplements and it worked. So that gives me faith too.
DH is not sceptical but doesn't want to be overburdened with too many opinions and exercises. We have an appointment for a Developmental Assessment with a Doctor in January. I'm hoping this will lead to OT but otherwise I can't really see what the Doctor will offer us. Maybe suggest extra time for school tests etc but little that will help DS find life easier to cope with.
So I will read the books and hopefully make appointments with TH in the New Year.

Hi Mango - My DS who never put anything that wasn't a food item in his mouth started chewing spoons, clothes and also started smelling everything whilst doing TH. He also did a weird head banging movement and excessive blinking about 6 weeks after starting hemi t. I found it all terribly distressing and worrying- I was really concerned that he would get bullied by other children and that other parents would notice and react unsympathetically. Robin was incredibly supportive to me and all these things have now gone. Robin prescribed yo-yoing for my DS and it was amazing and so so powerful. DS still does a bit of throat clearing and insists on me and him giving each other the same amount of kisses. I am looking forward to that stopping ( it would be endearing if I didn't know that it was a brain glitch) but am not really worried about it.

Heather- I agree with Shopping. My advice is : Read the Brain Food Plan, buy the supplements ( Vegepa EPA, and either floradix saludynam and kinder vital or similar)implement the diet and start the stair exercise. All those suit every child. See how you go for 6 weeks and then book a Skype with Robin. Let us know how you get on. This is a support thread, we are here for you every day.

Harriet- So pleased that things are continuing to go so well for your DS and well done to him coping so well whilst you were in hospital. Hope all is OK with you now?

The news from here is that DS LOVES school. He says year 3 is awesome and the work is much easier than year 1 and year 2. ( This is the boy who was so distressed in year 1 I thought I would have to HE) Also, he is now off the reading scheme.

So my current TH dilemma is this - when do we stop? Will Robin tell us it's time to stop or do we tell him when we are ready? We've done 3 months of lumosity and intend to continue doing it 4 times a week until our year's subscription runs out. I think lumosity is the final programme so do we need any more appointments?

Shopping, I think we are at the same stage. At our last visit, we were told to keep going with Lumosity at least until he scores over 1000 in each area (500 on Problem Solving). Apparently, as the work level increases at school, this will do the same as lumosity, so may need to continue with the program beyond the 1000 mark.

I can see us getting into a cycle of visiting (just as easy as Skyping for us as we visit down there a lot), being told to continue Lumosity and paying £70.

Indeed but his programme has done so much for ds that I feel funny about saying I don't want to pay for anymore appointments. But if you had a physical problem and someone had done as much for it as would ever be possible you wouldn't keep going back for appointments. I think I may just email and thank Robin for everything he has done and say we now feel confident to continue lumosity independently.
Will PM Badvoc and ask how they finished.

Hello everyone
Welcome to the new faces!

I'm so delighted to read all the good news - it's fantastic to hear how well some of you are getting on. And finishing too - that must feel amazing. Do any of you still have any outstanding concerns?

DS has been falling over lots. He used to do this and it stopped gradually. He stopped doing the stairs in September and is now doing the two hemis, Engaging Eyes and Whack and Alien. I've noticed it building up over the last couple of weeks and school called me in this afternoon. He fell over 7 times at school today... Thy asked me to take him to the doctors this afternoon, which I've just done. Everything is fine so he suggested keeping a diary and videoing him falling over . I'm wondering if this is a stage or whether anyone else has come across this? TIA. x

Just read back and sorry for all my typos!

We have solved everything I worried about except ds is still more emotional than his peers. He cries more readily and more dramatically. I see this as another developmental delay ( most boys by 7 1/2 try to keep their tears in in front of their peers) but he copes emotionally so much better than he did a year ago so I'm sure it will sort itself out with time. Robin says lumosity will help with this but it hasn't yet. We plan to continue with lumosity until our subscription runs out anyway though.

Ruggles has your DS ever had any inner ear issues? My DS is/was a glue ear sufferer. I'm sure this has greatly impacted his problems and is listed as a factor/contributor to developmental issues by Robin and many others. The reason I ask is my DS has fallen a few times recently, also been feeling car sick. It's the time of year for him. I think/hope his hearing isn't as bad as it was and that we're through grommets but as soon as cold season hits, bam, his co-ordination decreases and at times he's been so car sick he's thrown up within minutes of getting in the car. It just doesn't happen in the summer. Only when he gets really sticky snot (sorry!) which I guess is what he has in his middle ear too.
Might be worth an ENT referral to rule out? It's impossible to 'see' at the doctors if you have middle ear effusion unless it's a huge infection. Robin does have the machine at his clinic - the tymapanogram.
Possum great to hear from you. So pleased your DS is loving Y3. My DS is too - I think ours have the same birthday don't they? Was so worried the move to Jrs would be too much for him. Re: my hospital stay, I'm pretty much recovered now, although missing a thyroid! Thank you for asking!

Thanks Harriet - I will ask Robin on Saturday as we've got our next review. Very intersting what you say about the autumn as the change has been noticeable recently. Funny that the doctor can't see it - I find them so dismissive of things. Took 6 visits for DD to be referred for ENT and then discharged. We then went privately and she had TT and grommets very quickly.

Didn't realise that you had your thyroid done. You poor thing, that is really quite an op and then quite an adjustment. I have an overactive thyroid which is behaving at the moment, but flares up at times.

Ah yes mine was overactive Ruggles but never recovered despite a long time on the drugs so in the end it had to come out. I feel pretty good tbh, considering! But we'll see how the hormone adjustment goes....! Will be interesting to see what your DS's tympanogram shows. My poor DS is in pain with his ears today so I fear we've got glue back.

greener we make fruit salad (maybe mango, pear, banana) and splash some smoothie in. I know fruit is sugar too but but I figure natural sugar is what we were made to be able to digest and use so it's better. DSs also love greek yoghurt with a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup and a small sprinkling of unsweetened granola on top for a crunch. In fact that's about all we ever have now and from a family who were very big on their desserts (and still are) they're kind of happy with this! Frozen smoothie ice lollies in the summer too. Or those tubes of innocent smoothie put in the freezer.

Thanks Possum. DS just started chewing his school shirts. Good to know its a phase. Hopefully!

Shopping- We are in the same boat as you. DD now has a BPI of over 1000 and all areas are over 1000 except PS which is nearly 800. She has a Skype appt with Robin next month and I will let you know what he says. DS is also doing well on Lumosity. His BPI is 900 and all area except PS are over 900 and 2 over 1000. I asked Robin at last appointment how long DS had to go and he said he would be doing Lumosity for most of next year. I also asked if there was anything after Lumosity and he said normally not. Robin has extended the gap between appointments for both my DC to 4 months. We have always visited ( I hate Skpe) and I suspect that switching to Skype will put me off.

I still have a few concerns about DS - he has a throat clearing habit and v slight OCD but all the horrible stuff has gone. I am so grateful to Robin for what he has done for my DC and am happy to keep paying him for a while longer as I don't quite feel ready to go it alone. I also want to discuss long term supplementation with him. My understanding at the start was that Robin thinks all children should take VEGEPA but only those with DDS to take zinc and mag. I may have got that wrong though - I was so distressed about DS to start with I could barely take anything in.

My nephew had his thyroid removed 2 years ago and has had no ill effects. He seems to have his thyroxin levels spot on, so I think it can be managed very successfully.

would be very interested to hear about the long term supplementation....I give mine religiously and feel very antsy when supplies run low! DH calls them their drugs and thinks I'm a bit nuts! Just live in fear of things returning to where they were. Would be great to think down the line it might not be necessary.

Saw DS's teacher briefly yesterday, she's sent some handwriting practice home to do which is great and helpful. I told her how amazed I was that DS now says he 'loves' literacy, and to keep doing whatever she's doing. She replied that he's really good at it! I still don't/can't believe her but am assured by others that this teacher can be pretty direct and won't tell us he's doing well if he isn't. His literacy in that past has always been poor and weak and he never completed anything.

Well I've bitten the bullet and emailed Robin. I told him how he had changed our lives and what a fabulous, happy little boy we have now. We're going to continue with lumosity and stay in touch but I think we can say we've finished TH. What a journey it's been and how different our lives are now than when we started 18 months ago.

Oh my goodness Shopping - how fantastic! How are you feeling? The thought of you made me tingle as we are only six months behind you. I am so delighted for you all. Please don't disappear on us - we'll miss you!

I will lurk I promise :) we've still work to do but I feel confident that we can keep going by ourselves as it's just doing lumosity as often as possible. I started a thread the other day moaning that school want ds to improve his colouring when I think they should be setting more difficult work for hwk instead. I then took a step back and reminded myself that 18 months ago he was drawing and climbing on furniture in school and the old school were talking about him needing full time 1-1 support. If scruffy colouring is school's main worry then I'm a happy woman!
Keep going, the improvements become much gradual from here on IMO but when you take stock in 6 months time I'm sure you too will see how far you've come.