It used to be that parents just took the school's word for it. I still want to. I still want to believe that what is reported to me about my child's performance is true and accurate. Things are just not that simple anymore; and perhaps they never were.

In the public system, the teachers, the paraprofessionals, the case managers, and the service providers are all overwhelmed. I have lost belief that they are able to communicate effectively but I don't think its on purpose; its not even close.

I think I have a unique perspective on things. I am a parent of two children with developmental disabilities. I co-own a pediatric OT practice that primarily services school districts. I see this from a parent level, I see what the staff here go through to get their work done well, and I talk every day to at least one administrator who, believe it or not, is as frustrated as I am. I think sometimes the administrators in these school districts are viewed as evil. It really isn't true. Some of them are better at being diplomatic than others, but all of them are charged with a very difficult job.

It takes more time to communicate effectively than we allow ourselves. Its not the SPED directors that are evil, it's ineffective communication. In an attempt to teach myself about how my communication style is perceived, I attended two seminars done by Working in Sync International (http://www.workinginsync.com).

Email is easily misinterpreted. Almost no one answers their phone (including me:(). How do we do this better? How do we best use the time we have, realistically, to get our messages across? From my perspective, most of us are on the same team: that of our students, that of our kids.

How do you do it?

Allison Bembe, my wonderful practice partner, has the patience of a saint. I have affectionately labeled her, "The Great Compromiser". I could tell a number of stories about why I labeled her this, but I mention it for a more important reason. Allison works patiently with her students, with her staff, and with her team members to build bridges between opposites. Her ability to maintain her patience is paramount but, more importantly, its her faith in the good intentions of people that keeps her motivated.

The message I want to send is to be patient with others. Don't assume the worst. Have faith. Be sure you are taking responsiblity for being a good communicator.

~t

Labels: advocate, child development, communication, faith, Farm, New Hampshire, nutrition, occupational therapy, pediatric, school, Upper Valley, Vermont

On April 29th, Allison and I attended a conference entitled “Nutrition in Autism”. Elizabeth Stickland, MS, ES, LD presented it. She has a book called, Eating for Autism. I have a copy and picked it up at Border’s in West Lebanon.

Although the title of the conference suggested that it would be focused on autistic children, Elizabeth actually spoke to all children with a focus on those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and those with Attention Deficits (ADD, ADHD). The primary reason I wanted to share this conference was because a lot of what she said effects everyone including you and I.

What I will share comes directly from the conference and her book. I encourage anyone with children who have ASD, ADD/ADHD or other learning and/or behavioral issues to read Elizabeth’s book. It includes a reasonable step-by step process to work towards addressing nutritional problems and is written in understandable language with a glossary, just in case.

The conference was one of the more compelling seminars I have attended in recent history. Elizabeth herself was clearly knowledgeable and invested in her topic. She shared that her 21-year-old, Jackson, has ASD.

At the beginning of the conference she made a good point about food. Food isn’t just something enjoyable. Food is fuel. We don’t just eat because we like it. With fast and processed foods abundant, the nutritional value of what we eat has decreased over the years. Any child over the age of 2 should be taking a multi-vitamin, period.

Many of the kids we focused on at the conference were problem feeders; Elizabeth recommended a pill-swallowing cup called Oralflow. Here is the website: http://www.oralflo.com/. I ordered this cup for my son. I’ll let you know how it works. The site is actually pretty good. It has a video with real parents and real kids showing the use of the cup. I think even a typically functioning child can use help with swallowing pills.

I also ordered one of the three brands of vitamins she recommended, Kirkland. Kirkland is the Costco brand and are tested by two of the three independent labs that test dietary supplements. The children’s vitamins have no artificial color; if you research this topic further, you will learn that many children with ASD cannot digest artificial color.

What I liked most about this conference is that Elizabeth illustrated how the brain takes food that we digest and uses it to power our ability to remember, learn, pay attention, and focus. It also can have a significant effect on our mood, and behavior. She had a great illustration. I have done my best here to find one suitable for explaining what I learned. Hopefully as I explain, you will be able to refer back to the illustration. This is a typical brain cell.




1) The brain depends heavily on vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and calories found in food. If your child is deficient in one of these areas it compromises the brain’s neurotransmitter production, the synthesis of her brain’s myelin sheath (the fatty layer of insulation surrounding the axons of neurons increasing the speed at which electrical impulses can travel from neuron to neuron), glucose oxidization (the breakdown of glucose to produce ATP, which transports energy within cells) and her visual cognitive processing. If your child is consuming too much sugar and too much artificial additives, it can compromise your child’s brain function and cause behavior and learning problems.

2) Children need to consume zinc, selenium, magnesium, beta-carotene, vitamins A and E, and choline to help the liver detoxify of neurotoxins (i.e. mercury, lead, arsenic, pesticides and solvents). Most of us know that prolonged exposure to these neurotoxins can damage your child’s brain and central nervous system. It can contribute to attention deficit, hyperactivity, compulsive behavior, aggression, speech delays, and motor dysfunction, just to name a few.

3) The GI tract is dependant on amino acid and glutamine and needs a constant supply of vitamins and minerals for normal function. When nutritional deficiencies occur it can impair cellular growth in your child’s gastrointestinal tract. This compromises her ability to absorb nutrients she consumes in foods. This, in turn, causes other nutritional deficiencies that affect the brain.

4) Our immune system function is affected by lack of good nutrition as well as Erythropoiesis (the process of producing red blood cells). Red blood cells carry oxygen to our brains and throughout our bodies. Vitamins supporting this include iron, vitamin B6, copper, flolate, vitamin B12, and vitamins C and E. Deficiencies with these vitamins and minerals cause anemia, irritability, headaches, loss of appetite, lethargy, inattentiveness, and poor school performance.

Perhaps for some, this is a review. For me, it is one of those things where, yeah, I know the kids and I need to eat better. We all know that, don’t we? Did I fully understand what that specifically means to my child’s growing brain? Did I fully understand how it affects my son who is diagnosed with a regulatory disorder? I don’t think so. I don’t think we (collectively) on a day-to-day basis appreciate how serious of an issue this has become not just for children with developmental issues but also for us all.

I do need to close for now. Hopefully this will get you thinking. To be continued… ~t

Labels: advocate, child development, Farm, New Hampshire, nutrition, occupational therapy, pediatric, school, Upper Valley, Vermont