LIVE NOW - NO OPPORTUNITIES WASTED!!! LIVE in the NOW!

Every day more and more children in South Africa are born with Autism.



Cullen was born 15 September 2006...



Children with Autism dont show emotion, dont make eye contact, dont play, dont interact, often have problems with Speech and fine motor control...



Cullen continues to challenge himself and conquer all of this...



The Challenge - SPEECH and FINE MOTOR CO-ORDINATION, MORE PLAY, MORE INTERACTION...







Follow our journey, our challenge, our triumph, our lives...



Sunday 17 February 2013

Sometimes its REALLY NOT FUN...

This weekend we started with a new CANDIDA regime...to try rid my Horsie of his underlying Candida (THRUSH) systemic - meaning throughout his body (maybe even in his brain)...
WHY?
Because he is NOT sleeping...
He sleeps for a few hours say between 7-11pm and then wakes...almost impulsively as if he won some kind of jackpot or the lotto or something BIG (in that sort of category) and seems high and cant switch off til round 4am...yes 4am...so my MOM who is an absolute SAINT.. (mostly is my sanity keeper) ...takes care of our Horsie...
WHY? Because she is somewhat of an insomniac and as a grandmother has FAAAAR more patience than the average...and well because she is selfless, loving, kind and totally loves ME and HORSIE!!! (Cant think of any other reason why)

Anyway back to the no sleep and the medicine regime...
Now with this regime comes exacerbation of ANY behavioural issues you currently we are dealing with...for us its...SHRIEKING...
Horsie has been delivering EAR piercing HIGH HIGH decibel SHRIEKS and believe me when I say...it ain't OPERA or FUN on the ears..in fact I cant take it...there I said it...I CANT...

So this weekend with the new meds for candida its been particularly NERVE wrecking and tough...lots of tears...lots of shrieking...lots of acting out...biting of his own hands...lots of pinching and scratching....this behaviour is usually when he is in pain...and well he is...his bowel is under siege...

WE ARE KILLING off the yeast overgrowth and candida...and Horsie's body is NOT PLEASED...

Why are we doing this...AGAIN...to sleep...anyone who does not sleep or suffers from insomnia who perhaps has a few nights of terrible sleep can relate...its the most horrible LACK OF...a person can have...its devastating to your productivity to your focus to your mind...all of which we are trying to improve for Horsie...therefore counter productive...
ITS EXHAUSTING...
6 years of it....

Lets hope these symptoms die down soon...pardon he pun...
THIS IS REALLY IS NOT FUN!!!
;(

Monday 4 February 2013

WE CAN!!!

I began writing this blog for several reasons...
One of them was pure inspiration brought on by MS Stacey Vee (and her Lionhearts), another
was to hold some kind of record keeping of some of the stuff we get excited about or challenged on...another was I wanted a record for my boy, for my girl...to one day experience what I felt and how I dealt with things at times, the good, the bad and the precious and the not so precious.

Its been tough at times, very crazy schedules, working full time and having two babies in school, and life....
And I haven't quite got to the quota of blog posts I would've liked...but here I am...here WE are...on
the cusp of an ADVENTURE.

We have begun "home schooling" for our Horsie...yes WE CAN...




We did this set up in the December/January Holidays...as you can see...we are truely blessed because a few alterations here and there, a few additions, and some serious thought...went into making this space for our boy as calm, clear and educational as possible along with a conversion of his room into a therapy room kitted out with OT equipment... ready for some great leaps of focus and motor co-ordination. We got help from the Blue Suede Heaven Elvis supporters Club and 702...and this went a long way to ensuring Horsie got all he needs to move forward - to experience the skills he needs to survive in this world. Thats all a mother ever wants is to know...when I am NOT here...he can take care of himself...thats all I want...that is the peace I long for in my heart...and all this...takes me one step further to that dream...that peace.

The garden is now seriously overly CHILD friendly...but we wouldn't have it any other way. Ms Ladybug even wants to be "schooled" at home at times. She still loves her school of course...you cant fault her...it really didn't turn out too badly...even if its in our lounge...




Its alarmingly LOUD...but here is the sheer gorgeous amazing truth...that we may have made a good decision...

Our Horsie seems relaxed, focused....and LOOK...he stacked, stacking cups all on his own in his new classroom.

We are super proud...and really cant wait for more to happen...for more super hero behaviour from our boy..

He is indeed challenging AUTISM...

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