Three Months Into the Son-Rise Program!!

I can't believe that we are already three months into Hayden's Son-Rise Program!!  Hayden is averaging about 40 hours a week of therapy.  I would like to work up to 60+ hours a week.  We really need help in on the weekends all day, afternoons or evenings during the week if anyone would like to help out.  You could watch Ruby so Brandon or I could work with Hayden.  If you can commit to at least four hours a week we would love to train you to work with Hayden.

The last 10 days have been kind of rough because of Hayden going through yeast die off.  Through all his hyperness and stimming we are still seeing some great results!!  The biggest would be Hayden's overall happiness.  My little man smiles and laughs all the time now.  I love seeing all of his facial expressions after only seeing blank ones for so long.

Hayden's speech is also blossoming.  He is talking in two word phrases consistently.  We are pushing him hard to get three word phrases and I would say he uses them 80% of the time.  He tells me if he is happy, sad, and mad.  He tells me he loves me.  The best though is that he calls me Mom all the time!!!!  I love hearing "Mommy," truly music to my ears :)  He is also calling everyone else by name.

Hayden's eye contact has also greatly improved.  We are continuing to work on improving his eye contact.  I can actually request eye contact from him and he gives it to me.  I love when our eyes connect. Every time he looks me in the eyes it is a huge celebration!!!

Hayden has also started drawing pictures of things besides shapes!!!  This is HUGE :)  He is drawing faces and animals.

I think the biggest change is that Hayden is so much more connected to us.  He is frequently in the same room with us (he use to always be off doing his own thing, in his own world).  He loves to snuggle, hug, and kiss.  He enjoys playing with his sister in a typical 4 year old way.  When one of us is away he asks for us.  This is my favorite part of the Son-Rise Program!!  When I am in the therapy room with Hayden I get to just enjoy him.  I don't worry about anything else.  I just get down on the floor and spend time with him.  I have always felt a strong connection to Hayden.  I knew in my heart that he was connected to me even though he couldn't express it.  Now I see it and feel the connection every single day :)

As Hayden grows and develops it blows my mind how much he reminds me of his Dad.  I use to always think that Hayden favored me.  We recently watched our wedding video which has pictures of us growing up in it.  Hayden looks just like his Daddy.  He may have my big, dark brown eyes but the rest is all Daddy.  Hayden also has Daddy's mannerisms as well.  I LOVE it!!  Brandon is a great man and I completely okay with Hayden taking after his dad with a little tweaking ;)


Hayden and Kit drawing faces :)

Hayden eating celery!!  HUGE for him :)  Don't mind naked Ruby she is toilet training.

The first smiley face that Hayden ever drew while working with Aunt Terri!!

Our Motto!!

 Below the Christmas tree in purple Hayden drew a penguin while working with Carleen!!

We played with the photo booth option on my computer tonight :)

 The kids as chipmunks!

 Bug eyes

Yeast, Yeast, Go AWAY and NEVER Come Back!!

As many of you know Hayden is a hot, yeasty mess on the inside.  He have been working hard to get rid of the yeast for the past two years.  It has gotten better.  It has gotten worse.  It has drove me crazy, Hayden crazy, and caused many hours of lack of sleep.  I am DONE with the yeast!!

I decided to go with a new treatment plan to rid Hayden's little body of yeast.  We are using the Candida Wellness Center out of Utah's treatment protocol.  We heard the founder speak at Autism One and have talked with several parents that have used this type of yeast treatment on their children.  There is a 95% success rate of curing yeast infections using this protocol.  Here is a link to the website http://www.thecandidayeastanswer.com.  We are using diet, bionic silver, and hard hitting probiotics to kill off Hayden's yeast.

I think it's working.  Hayden is some what of a hot mess.  He is stimming more, a little more withdrawn, not sleeping the best, and is getting agitated easier.  These are all signs of a yeast die off.  We are six days into the new yeast protocol.  We were told to expect 7-10 days of worsening symptoms.

Tonight Hayden pooped in the bathtub and put a whole roll of toilet paper in the bathtub.  He was also drinking the water.......YUCK!!!  I must say all my Son-Rise happiness went out the flipping window at this point.  Out of the tub and straight to the shower went my little Hayden.  YUCK....I mean YUCK!!  If any of you have cleaned toilet paper out of the bath tub you know this is not an easy process and then add poop on top of it.........AAAAAHHHHHHH!!  I could tell that Hayden has eaten raspberries by all the seeds left in the tub.  YUCK!!

I know this is only temporary and keep reminding myself that sometimes to move ahead you have to move backward first.  We got this!!  I will say that I am seeing an improvement in  Hayden's eye contact and speech.

At 3am last night Hayden came into our room and said, "Mommy my pants are wet."  I must say in all of my Son-Rise glory at 3am we celebrated :)  I celebrated that he told me he wet his pants and I am pretty sure that he was looking me in the eyes while saying it.  So I got up danced and cheered, helped him get cleaned up, got Hayden a snack, and we cuddled on the couch.

On a good note Hayden's speech therapist stop to see us today.  It was sure great to see her.  I wish Hayden would have shown off for her a little bit more, but that is what life with autism is like.  You want in one hand and shit in the other.

I must say that I love Hayden more than I ever thought I ever could love someone.  He is a pretty amazing little boy that I thank God for every day :)  

Amazing Day!!!

We had our outreach today from Son-Rise.  A Son-Rise certified facilitator came and worked with Hayden and answered our questions.  AMAZING!!!!

Seven out of nine of Hayden's team was here to observe and ask questions.  One of the nine was not here because she was watching Ruby :)  Truly blessed I must say!!

I learned a lot today and has hugely reassured that we are on the right track!!  Hayden did amazing with the facilitator.  When she went in the room with him he shut the door and was ready to get to work.  This truly blew my mind!!

Hayden did really good with her and had a great time working with her.  The facilitator worked with him for four hours total and answered our questions for two hours total.

I got some great feed back on using the developmental model and setting goals for Hayden.  Hayden is actually achieving goals that I didn't think that he was and has become flexible.  Someone smack me.......Hayden is flexible.  That is flexible in a behavior way and not in a physical way.  He has dropped his rigidity and need for the down to the second schedule.  AMAZING!! I use to never dare get off of his schedule or there would be HELL to pay.  I mean hours, upon hours, of tantrums.  Not anymore my son is flexible!!

He transitions from one task to another with ease, he only has a fit for a little bit when things don't go his way.  I am going to say it again....hell I might even rent out a billboard that screams, "My son is flexible." I am so proud....can't you tell :)

The funny thing is it took someone else saying it for me to realize it.  I had not clue that Hayden has lost his rigidity and need for things to be done the same way every time.  I tend to think that I am seeing things in Hayden that are not really happening because I want him to get better.  Yep, not the case!!!

Today when we were going over the developmental model I kept a little on the quiet side because I wanted to see what everyone else thought.  They said what I was thinking the majority of the time.  Hayden is well on his way to recovery!!!

I can honestly say that I feel so good about what we are doing.  I LOVE the Son-Rise program.  It has helped Brandon and I love, accept, and enjoy Hayden just the way he is.  I think I have more fun working with Hayden than what he does!!!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it :)

I am signed up and ready to go back to Son-Rise in April for more training and I am hoping to take the majority of Hayden's team with me :)  Be prepared team if you come with me I am making us all matching shirts!!!