Jordan is coming along rather well. He has surprised me the last few days by doing some things that I had no idea was in his realm of things to attempt to do. Because of the negative reactions he has to some foods and drinks, I tend to be a little biased that he's not learning or grasping things. But that is truly not the case at all. He is maturing and understanding a lot more than I realize. I'm very proud of who he is becoming, despite some of the setbacks I have had.
Wednesday I gave Jordan the milk for calcium that I know his body needs because he's not really getting much from the foods he eats. Realizing that I still don't have this all together, that wasn't the best of ideas because Thursday morning he was not the calm little man I usually see. Because the milk was the only difference in his diet, I knew it was the culprit behind what I was seeing in him. I alerted the school and that day he was a little out of character, but not enough to send home. Friday was a different story. He absolutely could not control his actions and I was called to come pick him up. I know better than to add something that could potentially be a problem on the weekdays, I just really didn't think it through. My problem is once I find something is an issue, I don't consider there is another problem within that issue. For example: when he had an adverse reaction to the macaroni and cheese, I initially thought it was a problem with casein, but it also could have been a reaction to annatto which is a natural food coloring. Because I assumed it was the annatto due to him not having a problem with casein before, I went against my better judgement and gave him the milk. Big mistake. There is definitely a problem with casein and he needs to stay away from it.
Even though Jordan was still out of character over the weekend, I still saw some things that made me realize that his focus is indeed growing. A while ago I learned that when Jordan changes into his uniform he puts his pajamas in his drawer. But yesterday I saw when he went to go put them in they were folded, where before he just threw them in there. He also spent a lot of time in the living room with me and his father while the game was on. Usually he stays in the den watching the Chipmunks, but he actually sat and watched with us like he was interested in what was going on. He was also calm, no vocal stimming at all. It was pleasing to see his interest in it, if that's truly what it was. And even if it wasn't I hope he continues to share time with us. If all goes well this week I will give him the bone broth Friday I had purchased last year to help heal his gut. I intended to this past Friday but because of everything that went down I forgot. It's a good thing anyway because he was still recovering from issues the milk gave him as of Sunday afternoon, so I wouldn't have known which one made him act in such a way. I also have increased his diet slightly and he has enjoyed the change. I made him beef and broccoli over brown rice and started back up with the black beans which he asked for continuously before they were even done. He even had two bowls his first sitting. I'm really optimistic about him picking up weight and getting the nourishment he needs.
There is just one more thing that has me delighted today. I received Jordan's report card Friday but did not look at it until this morning. The changes are astounding. The CRI program isn't just gearing for children with Autism. So when he was in school that was specific to his disability, they were so lenient with him it was almost as if they were just giving him the grades they wanted him to have. But here at the new school, he was new last year and started off on a bad foot because of the negative behaviors that were still apparent in him. After implementing the new diet and seeing a change in those behaviors, I now see an improvement in his grades. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I couldn't see past the way he acted to see that he was doing better in a lot of ways. Those rare occasions where he would receive something that sets him off kept me from seeing what was really there. Another life lesson. In Ezra 4 the people of God stirred up in King Cyurs' heart to send the Jews to return to their land and rebuild His temple. But the enemy stepped in and rebuilding stopped and halted for 16 years. It always happens that when something positive comes into our lives, the enemy comes and turns things upside down a little, it overshadows all the good. Many times we give up and go back to what is/was familiar. While I had not given up on the diet, I did allow myself to be too consumed with what went wrong rather than what was going right.
James 4:7 (NKJV) "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." I will resist the devil and his misleading ways. Today I will stop focusing on the setbacks that occur and continue to move forward, positively, with His plan for us.
Jordan is coming along rather well. He has surprised me the last few days by doing some things that I had no idea was in his realm of things to attempt to do. Because of the negative reactions he has to some foods and drinks, I tend to be a little biased that he's not learning or grasping things. But that is truly not the case at all. He is maturing and understanding a lot more than I realize. I'm very proud of who he is becoming, despite some of the setbacks I have had.
Wednesday I gave Jordan the milk for calcium that I know his body needs because he's not really getting much from the foods he eats. Realizing that I still don't have this all together, that wasn't the best of ideas because Thursday morning he was not the calm little man I usually see. Because the milk was the only difference in his diet, I knew it was the culprit behind what I was seeing in him. I alerted the school and that day he was a little out of character, but not enough to send home. Friday was a different story. He absolutely could not control his actions and I was called to come pick him up. I know better than to add something that could potentially be a problem on the weekdays, I just really didn't think it through. My problem is once I find something is an issue, I don't consider there is another problem within that issue. For example: when he had an adverse reaction to the macaroni and cheese, I initially thought it was a problem with casein, but it also could have been a reaction to annatto which is a natural food coloring. Because I assumed it was the annatto due to him not having a problem with casein before, I went against my better judgement and gave him the milk. Big mistake. There is definitely a problem with casein and he needs to stay away from it.
