Dr. Marion Blank has written a terrific piece for the Huffington Post regarding the 60 minutes segment on APPs for autism and the current ways in which language is taught. For anyone with even a passing interest in language or autism, I encourage the reading of it.
An update on Emma, her diet, her progress:
Emma ate about three tablespoons of chicken and brown rice two nights ago and tasted the pumpkin mousse I made. I will attempt to make coconut milk whipped cream this evening in preparation for our Thanksgiving feast. I want to have several things Emma might like, so I am planning to prepare Maple Syrup glazed Turkey, roasted carrots and sweet potatoes and some kind of desert she might enjoy (she didn’t love the pumpkin mousse or pumpkin scones, so I’ll try some other recipes) as well as things the rest of us will enjoy – we are having between 12 – 15 people, many of whom are bringing things! I am thinking of writing a cookbook entitled All The Delicious Things I’ve Made That Emma Won’t Eat.
I worried the other day (someone pointed out that I am always worrying about something – I blame my mother for this – she is a known worrier, plus I’m a New Yorker so there’s no hope for me) that Emma is just as rigid now as she was before the diet. Instead of only eating six things, all of which were dairy or wheat, she now eats six other things, but as Richard pointed out, at least they aren’t dairy and wheat. I think my expectations were high (they tend to be) when we began the diet; I had read in many cases the child, once off dairy and wheat, expanded their diet dramatically. Don’t get me wrong, it is wonderful to see Emma eating brown rice and roasted chicken. In fact it’s a huge achievement on her part. I’m taking a deep breath now and will bask in the glow of brown rice and chicken.
Okay. Now that I am filled with gratitude, to continue –
To date we have seen no identifiable cognitive or behavioral progress as a result of this diet. We see her doctor in another three weeks. I am still hopeful we might see something by then.
We received a report from her school that Emma threw a chair across the room on at least two occasions and pulled one of the TAs hair. Obviously this is not good news.
Another deep breath, focusing on the joys of brown rice and roasted chicken.
For more on Emma’s journey through a childhood of autism, go to: www.Emma’s Hope Book.com
Emma's Hope Book 