mom2ck

Thanks for the websites. I talked with my husband about all of this today and we are going to order the kids natural calm as well as some things for us that I've been meaning to get. The book is already on my list to see if I can get through our loan. If not, I will purchase it. Lots to do as we start a new year. But, at least I feel like we are moving forward instead of just staying still. I also found out (posted on autism/aspergers post) that IL just recently passed a law that insurance has to cover ASD's. This should help greatly as he was diagnosed Pervasive Developmental Disorder recently. Maybe now we can get some help and some tests done as before our insurance wouldn't cover any childhood disorder or mental illness and we couldn't buy a rider as it is a group plan through my husbands work. It is beyond me how an insurance co. or a business can exclude these things from coverages...pitiful! Christy

The chiro I went to explained the test and what supplements to try. She is very much into natural health and also teaches at a college. She also had a son with the four-low diagnosis as my son. So, she has personal experience with it. The problem we face is my son not taking pills and having so many sensory/texture issues. She gave us samples to make sure he would take them before shelling out the $. He wouldn't or couldn't. So, we didn't do any retests. However, it was recommended and does cost each time. She is the same dr. we are going back to for the saliva test. Where I live it is very hard to find anyone who knows anything about natural medicine. She really is the only one and is 45 minutes away.

He is 7. I looked up Peter Gillham's website and looked at the product. I see you can get it from www.vites.com. Is this where you all get it or is there a better place? I have also read on here that epsom salt baths cause some kids to tic more. I guess this is another one of those trial and error things. As for his minerals/vitamins the only test I have right now is a hair analysis. It has a lot of info, but I have been told to be weary of these tests as they aren't always accurate. However, in the test he was low on everything, except manganese which was high. His calcium/magnesium ratio was also high as well as his calcium/potassium ratio and calcium/phosporus ratio. Even though his calcium levels were low, the ratio to other nutrients was high. His sodium/potassium ratio and sodium/magnesium ratio was low. Hence, the test showed he is in adrenal exhaustion. Has anyone else had any experience with these tests or any luck with the results from them. Thanks Christy

My son Cade had been doing better with his tics, only having the occasional nose touching, smelling fingers tic. We noticed it kept getting more frequent last week. He also started the grunting tic again. Now last night he started a "na" sound. This coming week I am having a saliva test done for food sensitivities. Hopefully it shows something. But, I am also planning on starting some of the supplements others have talked about on this site. But, which ones should I do? For those of you who have helped me before, remember he can't take pills. We just finally got him to take his medicine crushed and dissolved in a little juice. He doesn't do well with even hiding things as I have tried hiding a powder in the past. He caught right on. These are the things I have read may help his tics: Magnesium kids calm vitamin B digestive enzymes probiotics Some of you probably use others as well, but what would you recommend starting with? Bonnie's isn't practical as it is so many pills which would never work for him. I'm thinking 2 at the max and hoping I can get him to take it as a vitamin. He doesn't take a multi regularly either even though chewable he doesn't like the taste. Thanks Christy

About a month ago, a friend of mine emailed me a newspaper article about a law they were trying to pass in IL to cover the costs of ASD's. Today I found out the law passed Dec. 12th and is called Brianna's Law. It will cover the costs of ASD's up to $36,000 per year. Here is the link to the article Illinois.gov[/url]http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=2&RecNum=7333 I don't see when it goes into effect or how it is to be applied. From the newspaper article, it says it will require insurers to cover diagnosis. Does anyone know anything else about this law? Thanks Christy

Following is a little about my son who was diagnosed with adhd, ocd, and tics disorder a little over 1 year ago. A child psych recently diagnosed him as PDD. She wants a neuro test of him as well. I asked about AS, and she told me he wasn't autistic. I never thought he was autistic, but from my research I see maybe AS which falls under PDD. (this same info is under another topic in Tourettes and Tics, but thought someone here might have more experience with this). The school psychologist did report she thought he was aspergers. She did some checklist of questions which showed it was probable. His teacher reports he is very bright, one of the brightest in the class. He always has the answer and remembers everything he learns. He is very fascinated with learning. However, it is sometimes hard to get or keep his attention because of distractions or ticcing which causes him to lose focus. He is also behind in motor skills which causes poor hand writing skills and not very good in sports. Therefore other boys don't want him on their team on the playground. He is up in your face when talking to you or trying to get your attention. He doesn't observe personal space. He also likes to play alone. This is mainly due to other kids not wanting to play his game, which is usually star wars or some sort of fighting. He hardly ever makes eye contact. He can stay on tasks for hours when playing his Wii or computer games, building legos, playing with his Thomas trains, drawing, or watching Star Wars. At home, I find staying on task isnt hard. It is transitiioning from one thing to another. But, with verbal cues and touch it helps. As a little guy (2-3) he was very interested in Thomas the train and played with them all of the time. He also occasionally played with his lego table. At 5-6 he became very interested in legos and anything to do with the Army and fighting. At 6, we got him a Wii for Christmas against my better judgement because his ped. said it would help with his motor skills. I didnt want this as I knew he would hyperfocus on it and be addicted to it. He did fine for a while with bowling, shooting, etc. But then started playing Batallion Wars II. It is a game that is army tanks that fight off enemies. It quickly became his favorite game and he played it over and over. It is rated T for teen and he has conquered it. For his 7th birthday, we got him star wars lego wii game as he became very interested in Star Wars. Again, it became his favorite. For Christmas a couple of days ago he got a few Star War lego sets. Within an hour he had the first mini one already put together. Now it is torn apart as he has made his own things out of it. He keeps himself occupied by pretending to play army or star wars even when other kids are around. His free drawings are always an army or star wars scene complete with tanks, missiles, people, etc. He has every last detail. We started him in karate this fall and the spatial awareness is his biggest issue. His instructor is great and very patient! He has to constantly ask him to step back, or get in line, or move over. His tics do cause him to lose focus especially the smelling fingers/ nose touching. Other times, his own little games or punching the air or fighting sounds cause him to lose focus, especially when the instructor is talking alot instead of demonstrating. Again, his instructor says "eyes on me" or "look up here" or something alot during the 50 min. class. He loves karate and it is giving a sense of accomplishment. But, it is evident he is behind in motor skills on his movements. He constantly gets messed up about what hand or foot to make a move with even with demonstration. He also gives up easily when he doesn't do things well...pushups or situps. He wants to stop and take a break which he can't do. In soccer this year, he was fine as long as he was in the action. When the coach put him back to defense he lost focus and had no clue what was going on. The bad thing, he isn't the fastest or most athletic so his turns on offense were limited. He also would ask to take a break as he was hot or needed a drink even though he might have just had one. He said he wanted to play soccer and he likes soccer, but it is very frustrating to me (a pe teacher and coach for 8 years) and his dad to see him do these things. I am very much, you start something, you finish it. So, not sure if we will do this next year. We have already decided baseball isn't going to happen again. He says he wants to play, but he losses focus as there isn't enough movement. Plus, hand eye coordition isnt there. Hitting a ball is hard for him and catching a ball doesn't occur because of the motor skill delays. His dad and I have decided he isn't going to be an athlete and aren't encouraging him to go that route. We see he is different and has different interests. So, we are trying to help him with that. Right now, karate is it. Plus, he loves photography so we got him a camera for Christmas. In less than 24 hours he has taken 130+ pictures. They are all centered and many are excellent pics. It is just funny to me to see what catches his eye. He has photographed everything! Well sorry for the long story again. There is just so much to share about our son and some of which has been shared in other posts. He is different, but he also is very special in his own ways. Thanks Christy

After searching on the internet last night, I found out the test my cousin spoke about is some form of applied kinesiology where they see how the muscle reacts. I also read about A/Cert and NMT and NAET as well. But those are the treatment for allergies aren't they and not really the tests? Thanks Christy

I want to get my son tested for allergies or intolerances. I know of the pin/scratch test. I am considering this but not sure how he will react as he is very sensitive to being hurt. However, I talked to another friend and she said her son did them as he has many environmental allergies and he described it as a little prick. He said it didn't hurt. Not sure. Are there other tests. I have read about IgE and IgB I think. But again my friend said those won't give you good results as they show it differently. Didn't really understand it or ask too many questions as I was dealing with a sick daughter when we were talking. My husbands cousin saw a chiro, I think, who did some sort of test by placing the item under the tongue and then having him try to lift his arm. She said when they did corn, his arm wouldn't move. He couldn't do anything. She said this isn't painful and done in Columbia, MO where they live. She said she would set up an appt if I wanted to make the 3 hour drive. It's a thought. Plus, there is a blood test, right? What do you recommend and can I get it done without a dr. or allergist?

The tics don't really seem to bother my son as he doesn't realize he is doing it. It bothers others around him. The school psychologist did report she thought he was aspergers. She did some checklist of questions which showed it was probable. His teacher reports he is very bright, one of the brightest in the class. He always has the answer and remembers everything he learns. He is very fascinated with learning. However, it is sometimes hard to get or keep his attention because of distractions or ticcing which causes him to lose focus. He is also behind in motor skills which causes poor hand writing skills and not very good in sports. Therefore other boys don't want him on their team on the playground. He is up in your face when talking to you or trying to get your attention. He doesn't observe personal space. He also likes to play alone. This is mainly due to other kids not wanting to play his game, which is usually star wars or some sort of fighting. He hardly ever makes eye contact. He can stay on tasks for hours when playing his Wii or computer games, building legos, playing with his Thomas trains, drawing, or watching Star Wars. At home, I find staying on task isnt hard. It is transitiioning from one thing to another. But, with verbal cues and touch it helps. As a little guy (2-3) he was very interested in Thomas the train and played with them all of the time. He also occasionally played with his lego table. At 5-6 he became very interested in legos and anything to do with the Army and fighting. At 6, we got him a Wii for Christmas against my better judgement because his ped. said it would help with his motor skills. I didnt want this as I knew he would hyperfocus on it and be addicted to it. He did fine for a while with bowling, shooting, etc. But then started playing Batallion Wars II. It is a game that is army tanks that fight off enemies. It quickly became his favorite game and he played it over and over. It is rated T for teen and he has conquered it. For his 7th birthday, we got him star wars lego wii game as he became very interested in Star Wars. Again, it became his favorite. For Christmas a couple of days ago he got a few Star War lego sets. Within an hour he had the first mini one already put together. Now it is torn apart as he has made his own things out of it. He keeps himself occupied by pretending to play army or star wars even when other kids are around. His free drawings are always an army or star wars scene complete with tanks, missiles, people, etc. He has every last detail. We started him in karate this fall and the spatial awareness is his biggest issue. His instructor is great and very patient! He has to constantly ask him to step back, or get in line, or move over. His tics do cause him to lose focus especially the smelling fingers/ nose touching. Other times, his own little games or punching the air or fighting sounds cause him to lose focus, especially when the instructor is talking alot instead of demonstrating. Again, his instructor says "eyes on me" or "look up here" or something alot during the 50 min. class. He loves karate and it is giving a sense of accomplishment. But, it is evident he is behind in motor skills on his movements. He constantly gets messed up about what hand or foot to make a move with even with demonstration. He also gives up easily when he doesn't do things well...pushups or situps. He wants to stop and take a break which he can't do. In soccer this year, he was fine as long as he was in the action. When the coach put him back to defense he lost focus and had no clue what was going on. The bad thing, he isn't the fastest or most athletic so his turns on offense were limited. He also would ask to take a break as he was hot or needed a drink even though he might have just had one. He said he wanted to play soccer and he likes soccer, but it is very frustrating to me (a pe teacher and coach for 8 years) and his dad to see him do these things. I am very much, you start something, you finish it. So, not sure if we will do this next year. We have already decided baseball isn't going to happen again. He says he wants to play, but he losses focus as there isn't enough movement. Plus, hand eye coordition isnt there. Hitting a ball is hard for him and catching a ball doesn't occur because of the motor skill delays. His dad and I have decided he isn't going to be an athlete and aren't encouraging him to go that route. We see he is different and has different interests. So, we are trying to help him with that. Right now, karate is it. Plus, he loves photography so we got him a camera for Christmas. In less than 24 hours he has taken 130+ pictures. They are all centered and many are excellent pics. It is just funny to me to see what catches his eye. He has photographed everything! Well sorry for the long story again. There is just so much to share about our son. He is different, but he also is very special in his own ways. Thanks Christy

Risperdal is suppose to bring down the anxiety and the frustration level that he often has. If things dont go as he expects, he has a total meltdown. We were also told it would help with tics. These are the 2 main issues he has at school. He also doesn't have any close friends mainly because kids see him as different or a troublemaker. This is something I don't want to see and another reason we have to get control of his issues. Concerta was to help with the adhd symptoms of concentrating and attention. However, even though we want to get a handle on it as well for his learning, we feel this is able to be accomplished with the extra help we have in place at the school. The first couple of days after starting risperdal, he was tired and fell asleep in the afternoon. However, I don't know if it was the meds or spending the night at Gma's and staying up late and playing all day. Also hard to tell difference when there is so much excitement this time of year and way too many sweets anyway. I do know he has less meltdowns. But, then again, the week before starting the meds, we had noticed less of these...not sure why? Maybe he is learning to deal with things better...who knows? Almost a year ago he was on clonidine for a few days, but I quickly took him off of it. Again, didn't like the side effects and he was very sluggish and complained of his belly hurting. So, we have tried focalin xr, clonidine, straterra, and now risperdal all in about 1 1/2 years. We also did a hair analysis and a focus formula liquid by vitabase that he wouldn't take because of taste/texture. This is just tiresome! I know many of you have spent years trying to figure things out. Any suggestions?

After months of being away from the forum, I have came back with updates. When school started I gave my son's teacher a list of his symptoms or differences so she would know what was going on with him. She was very open to it and shared with his other teachers (music, pe, computers, speech) after asking me if it was ok. I of course said yes as I want everyone on the same page here. We also shared with administration and special education. I also talked to the special ed. distric school psychologist. (I am a teacher in the high school). So we got the ball rolling with testing by the school psychologist, social worker, occupational therapist, and speech therapist. By doing so, he is now getting extra help at school. I shared the info with my pediatrician who wouldn't change her original diagnosis of adhd, ocd, and tics disorder without a child psych. Even though insurance wouldn't cover, we decided to try it. My BF gave me the name of the office she uses for her autistic child. We went a couple of weeks ago and she diagnosed my son with PDD. When I asked about Aspergers, she told me he wasn't autistic, but really never answered my aspergers question. A friend (who has AS grandchildren) said she probably doesn't know for sure so is just lumping it in PDD. The child psych wants us to see a neuro now which again isn't covered by insurance. Again, she doesn't want to make that final Dx without another Dr. involved. She wanted to put him on 2 meds...risperdal and concerta. My husband and I don't want him on any stimulant as it makes his tics worse. He was on focalin xr before. So, we said no to concerta. We are reluctant with risperdal as it has so many side effects. However, we know he needs something. Plus, my BF son is on it and has done very well with it except for the weight gain. So we started it 2 weeks ago. I haven't really noticed many differences. However, there have been a few times, I expected a melt down and there wasn't. The day we forgot the meds, it was a bad meltdown. He is also ticcing a little again...smelling fingers and grunting. But, I expected that as we have had a few weeks with hardly any so I knew they would be coming back as they always do. The thing is this is all temporary as he is on the waiting list for The Autism Program in IL which covers all PDD. In the program they will do a complete eval or team approach. Again my BF used it with her high functioning autistic son. They give the Dx, support, and training. But, then you see your own Dr. or child psych. Again, I really don't want the meds, but we have to do something. I tried limiting certain foods, but it is almost impossible with all of his sensory and texture issues. I also tried a supplement, but he wouldnt take it because of the taste. We can't do this long trial and error thing with tests and supplements. He needs something now as he is in the 1st grade where alot of learning takes place. My mother in law is very much against meds as many of you on this forum are and wants us to do a complete elimination diet. But, when I looked at it, they eliminated milk products, sugar, fruit, and so on. So, what is a child to eat that has PB&J on wheat bread, fruit, and milk everyday for lunch? I guess I am just frustrated as I want to do a natural approach, but can't figure out a way to do it. I feel like I am apologizing for putting my child on meds. Are there any of you that have had any luck with meds? Or any specific supplement? (I've read the list of things that worked but again all trial and error). I like this forum because of all the experience you all have had and also because you all share so much information that I haven't gotten on other forums. But, then again I feel you are anti-meds. Please don't take anything offensive as I don't mean that. I'm just trying to get some answers on my continued path of this disorder...whatever it is.

Ok, after looking closer at my husbands medical insurance policy that covers my children, I am very upset. I knew his insurance wasn't worth much, but now even more so. They do not cover any childhood disorders, alternative therapies, or mental disorders as they call them. I already knew adhd wasn't covered and neither are the meds. But, nothing else that goes with it is either. Allergy testing is covered if it is medically necessary and it doesn't require a referral. But, the allergist only does the needles in the back...ouch! So now what? I can't afford to pay for the testing of all of this. I'm looking into possibly getting another policy just on my son, but then it will have a period before coverage can begin. Plus, it will be another expense we really can't afford. I'm really getting more and more upset about this whole thing. Plus, today he started a clearing his throat tic again. I'm sure it has something to do with seasonal allergies as this has been bothering him this week. It is about to drive me nuts! I have to go to another room. However, I did have the psychologist (I think) that my ds ped. dr. recommended return my message today. I was very surprised it was the dr. himself and he was very thorough answering my questions. His special area is adhd and ocd which his ped. dr. diagnosed him as. I asked about alternative therapies and he said he does alphastem (not sure of spelling) and neurofeedback. Plus, he explained a little about each. Has anyone had any luck with either? The problem is again insurance won't cover. He is suppose to be sending me his price list and available services. My friend also told me about The Autism Program (TAP) of Illinois. Has anyone dealt with this group before? My friend said this is where she finally got a diagnosis and help with her DS. I have a call into them as well. I feel like we are caught here. Any suggestions?

"But it's still not clear-cut and people can be diagnosed with more then one." I totally agree this is not clear cut. I think my whole issue on knowing what it is called is to have peace of mind. When I say my child has ADHD people are like oh I know a lot of kids with that. But, when I add in OCD and tics disorder they think he is totally messed up. I guess it is a perception thing. Plus, yes he is getting ready to start 1st grade and I want the right help for him. If he is truly asbergers it is treated differently in the classroom than ADHD. I just keep feeling my ped. dr. doesn't have enough expertise in this area to determine. She did the initial and I was glad to know yes, he really is different and it isn't just me thinking so. With my list of symptoms I forgot about intolerance to pain. Ever since he was little, a spot of blood or a scratch would send him into hysterics. This was often since he also got bloody noses a lot, especially with seasonal allergies. If he falls today it is a big deal and everyone knows he was hurt, even though it might be minor. He doesn’t mind gentle massage but only for a short time. He is also very lovable and likes to give kisses and hugs to me. He doesn't have any close friends. When he was at daycare as a toddler he had friends there. But since starting school he doesn't. He tells me he plays by himself often because the other boys won't play with him. To make things worse, we live in the country and he doesn't have any other boys nearby. He likes my BF son who is autistic. I see some similarities between them, but my son isn't anywhere as bad. I plan on talking to my BF about all of this more as well since she has been down this road. However, she medicates and I really am trying to find alternatives and get mine off of the medicine.

Everytime I have gotten on the computer lately I keep coming back to this site to learn more. Yes, I hyperfocus on whatever I am interested in at a given time whether it be this, nutrition, birthday parties, scrapbooking, cake decorating, photography,etc. However, I have learned a lot about a lot of different categories over the years. Anyhow, I just want to find out what is going on with my son and help him. I have posted a few topics here in the last few days and am trying to set up appointments with dr.'s But, as I read more and more on this site, I get even more confused. I know he is suffering from tics. But, the adhd and ocd is confusing me. I read about asbergers and wonder if my son is truly asbergers and not adhd or ocd. From what I understand ocd people have rituals or do things a certain # of times. My son really doesn't do this. He is definately inflexible and hates change, but not ritualistic. Also on the website http://newideas.net/aspergers-syndrome they say some really interesting things about asbergers that makes me think. Here they are: "Mostly symptoms include deficiencies in social skills, and interest in and need for routine, sameness and habit, which often leads to difficulty with change, along with preoccupations and obsessions." "They are often unaware of proper body distance and are usually "in the face" of the person with whom they are speaking." "They also take things very literally, which can lead to disagreements, misunderstandings and fights with their family and peers. And their facial affect, or expression, often appears flat.""Sensory overload issues are a main characteristic of these children, as they are often sensitive to sound, taste, smell, light and/or touch. Their sensory issues might determine some of their unique behaviors, such as eating only crunchy foods because they like the texture, or becoming anxious and frustrated in a room with certain lighting or acoustics." "Asperger's kids sometimes seem to lack empathy, and their interactions often appear one-sided. This leads to the inability to form proper friendships, and often invites bullying and teasing. Many Asperger's children are isolated and friendless." Of course there is much more on the site, but these are the things that really relate to my son. Is there anyone who can give me an idea of the difference of these kids? Why would a dr. diagnose one over the other? My son definately has the sensory issues described above. Loud noises or babies crying really upset him, but loud music is fine. Texture is huge with foods and he does like things crunchy. He throws up easily when things aren't right. Also throws up when he smells things that aren't to his liking. Clothes have to be comfy for him to wear them. Socks & shoes have to be just right. Has a hard time looking people in the eye even when you tell him to. Hyperfocuses on what he is interested in at the time (woops, guess that is from me). Gets angered easily and frustrated when things don't go as he thinks they should. So, much that he gets so mad and clenches his fists, screams and will even hit sometimes. So can anyone help with this Anyway, can anyone help me understand this more thoroughly or direct me to a website that shows the differences in these disorders? Thanks

But, the side to side quick movements? Also, this is the only type of strange movement I have ever had. Can a tic be just one thing? With my son, it has been numerous things. I guess I should ask my eye dr. about this.

Sorry! If I would have typed in the right search term on the internet I would have found this. On henryfordhealth.org they refer to this as Nystagmus. The website says "Nystagmus refers to rapid involuntary movements of the eyes that may be from side to side (horizontal nystagmus), up and down (vertical nystagmus) or rotary. Depending on the cause, these movements may be in both eyes or in just one eye. The term "dancing eyes" has been used in regional dialect to describe nystagmus." "The involuntary eye movements of nystagmus are caused by abnormal function in the areas of the brain that control eye movements. The exact nature of these disorders is poorly understood. Nystagmus may be either congenital (present at birth) or may be acquired (caused by disease or injury later in life)."

Ok, I have to ask this about myself. Every since I can remember I have had a quick eye movement from side to side and even rolling my eyes. My dad has always rolled his eyes and my moms eyes go back and forth. Wouldn't you know I do both. Students are constantly telling me to quit moving my eyes. But, I don't even notice it. They especially do this when I am thinking. It is just me. Is this a neurological issue or an eye disorder or something. I once had a student tell me I was tourettes because of it. I quickly blew her off and told her it wasn't. I still don't believe it is, but it makes one think "what is it?" My DH and I have been racking our brains to think of anyone in the family that has had tics, but don't know of anyone except for our son.

Ok, I just returned from my trip to St. Louis. I was able to go to a Trader Joes and a Whole Foods store. They're awesome!!! I didn't buy a whole lot as I had a 2 hour home, but it was cool looking through everything. Now, my wheels are really spinning. Thanks for giving me the info on those stores. Also, I watched my son closely yesterday to see when he was ticcing. He did pretty much all day long. But, after supper it was all the time. Now I don't know if this was due to his meds wearing off or if it was in fact something he ate. He pretty much only ate pickles and corn as he didn't like the other food I was having. No I didn't starve him. When he was hungry later I fixed him some meat. Anyhow, now I want to watch this closer and get him checked for allergies.

Thanks again for responding. I have tomorrow without kids and husband as kids will be gone with my parents and husband has something going on. So, I think I will make the trip to St. Louis and look for somethings. Also, just spend a day for me. I have so much to do at home, but think this would help me as I never have time for this. My DH asked today if I was going with him tomorrow and I said no I think I am going to spend the day doing things for me...add in a little shopping and scrapbooking and you have the perfect day! Well at least less stressful. I went to the grocery store today and stocked up on fruits and vegetables. I didn't buy any other snacks. I realized my snack bin which I think is pretty healthy isn't as good as I thought. Raisins, crackers, granola & fruit bars, and graham cracker sticks. I can say it isn't as bad as many households across America, but almost all of them contain food coloring. I even noticed our bread contains high fructose syrup... I would have never thought that as it is Whole Wheat. It was a struggle switching from white to wheat, but we did it. Still not the best as it is Sara Lee soft & smooth. Now, I have to find something else. Everyone who comes to my house and my students already say I'm mean to my kids because I won't regularly give them junk food. But, it will be better for everyones health and sure can't hurt me trying to lose weight either.

I looked at the counting rules but it doesn't apply to the lab that completed our tests. However, it was interesting to read. As far as the booklet that came with our test, it pretty much says my son is messed up. It says the hair tissue analysis indicates impaired sugar and carbohydrate tolerance, protein synthesis, digestion, immune system, and kidney and liver. It also says there is a decreased cell permeability and chronic adrenal problems. A lot of it points to impaired adrenal glands. The dr. told us that many times minerals won't show up on a test, but will on a later retest because of flushing them out of the system. However, again I am skeptical. Is this just a way to run more test and get more $. The one thing I can say is this chiro actually seems like she cares. She has 4 or 5 kids of her own and has had issues with the youngest so seemed like she understood where I was coming from. She was also very patient and didn't rush us out.

I have another post going but this one is more about the testing than anything. The chiro explained everything to me and gave me the lab results. BTW the sample was sent to ARL or Analytical research labs in phoenix. He was low on all minerals except manganese in his last hair sample. Calcium was near the amount considered good by this lab. But, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, chromium, selenium, and phosphorus show low. As far as toxic metals, aluminum was high with only trace amounts of mercury, arsenic and lead. So, for anyone that has had success with hair samples, can you comment on this? I have heard they are unreliable so not sure it really tells me anything other than he is mineral deficient. The four-low of calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium says it is often associated with chronic fatigue and allergies. He also shows a low sodium/potassium ratio. He is due to have another follow up test but I haven't scheduled it because of the expense and he has been off the supplements for a while.

I will check that thread and I found a neurologist and allergist at our facility 45 minutes away. I'm going to try to look into that more. Also, need to check insurance and if they will cover. This site is really helpful and so addictive. I really need to get something else done today. However, I have another question. I see many talk about waxing and waning and tics coming and going. I have to say my ds seems to tic all the time. Since 1 year ago, we haven't been without a tic and have had usually more than 1 tic at a time. Some days are better than others especially since starting the meds.

Thanks Bonnie for your input. How do you know what to give him? How much? Did you have him tested for these minerals to see if he was low. I believe in giving them things they need and not sure how to find this out. Also when I read your statement "tough, I'm the parent and you're the kid and I know what's best for you" I think to myself I don't know what is best. I know he needs meds or supplements to help him. But, I don't really know what it is doing to his little body. Even though there are known side effects, I don't know what will happen to him. I'm just having a hard time coping with all of this and the uncertainty. I thought in a years time we would have this figured out. However, I'm seeing this is going to take a long time and a lot of dedication. I'm not one that likes to play the "wait and see" game. I would rather run some tests and give me some clue as to where to start. I have gotten a lot of great info from this post already. But, where to start? Ok, diet is a must which I think I can do. But, then what? Allergy testing, supplementation or something else? If you do it all at once, how do you know what really worked? Or, is it truly a combination of all the things? Sorry for all the questions, but I am a thinker and think everything through before making decisions. As you can imagine decision making isn't usually quick for me on important issues.

Oh, I just thought of one more thing. He sees a speech teacher at school because of his th and l sounds. She has been working with him on stimulation of certain mouth parts. This is probably part of that sensory too, isn't it? Again, didn't see the connection. Now I have my homework to do as I need to find those reports she sent home. Also, putting a call in today to dr. for past records. Want to see if there is a connection that I just purely missed. I have a file for him, but somehow that stuff didn't make it there.

Pat, Thanks for the advice. I always knew my son had issues with textures and also with certain touches. For instance he add a fit about socks and tennis shoes and they had to be just right. He also used to have a thing about his bedding. Plus, he is a picky eater because of textures and has been since he was a toddler. I contributed all of this to his ocd and not sensory issues. I looked at a book given to me by a friend who is an OT. I found a few things that were my son, but it didn't seem to fit him. I'm not much of a book reader, but will look into getting Out of Sync as it could possibly help my BF son with autism as well. I also looked online for the nearest whole foods or trader joes and found some in the St. Louis area. When I go for a real shopping spree this is usually where I go. So, next time I'm there I will have to look into those as well. However, they are about 1 1/2 - 2 hours for me.