HANDLE, Cranio, Enhansa

If anyone asked me what my three biggest "wow"s would be with Michael, these would have to be them. We have done so many things with him that have been miraculous (Tomatis, diet, etc.), but these are current and making a huge impact on him now.

We had Michael's HANDLE followup this afternoon. It is so remarkable for me to think back where he was last year when we started, and compare that child to the Michael we have now. Today he was interacting, asking questions, being polite, so many wonderful things. Last year he was shy, acting out, impatient. He still has a long way to go, but I am just so thrilled with his progress.

I think the biggest things he has gained from HANDLE have to be better vision, self-confidence and body awareness. He has always struggled with getting his eyes to work together, making distance reading and close work like writing extremely difficult for him. Now, when his schoolwork comes home I can actually read it! And, no more throwing pencils to get out of writing! Also, he really seems to have a much better idea of where his body is in space, letting him freely jump, run, and just be kid. I love it!

I think the CST works so well with HANDLE. As his therapist has been working on his frontal lobe and the two hemispheres of his brain working together, we are seeing huge gains in self control, expression, curiosity, and pretend play. I'm not 100% sure what to attribute to HANDLE and what to CST, but together, they make a whole new kid.

Underlying all these gains has to be the enhansa. Now that Michael is free of the chronic candida infection, his tummy problems are gone and so is his OCD and most of his aggression. I can see every day that as his body heals, his brain does too. It is hard to understand how yeast can do so much damage, but boy do I believe it! Plus, the anti-oxidants have to really help in reducing inflammation and just making him healthier.

So, after much introspection on the way home, I have to rave about my favorite three 'wow's -- at least for today!

Our first 'good' haircut!!!

Michael has always hated having his hair cut. I know there are a lot of sensory issues involved, in addition to having to trust a stranger with sharp objects. I definitely can't blame him for hating it.

We have always taken him to the same place for his haircuts, so he knows them and they know him. They know not to use clippers, and to be slow and quiet. They always let Michael sit on Steve's lap so he can hold him still and try to keep him calm.

This time was totally different. Michael sat in the chair by himself. He didn't scream, squirm, or cry. He actually talked with the stylist while she was cutting his hair!!!! Steve could barely keep his jaw off the floor, and even the stylists noticed the difference.

The only thing we've added since his last haircut is HANDLE. It is a wonderful set of activities that make all the sense in the world, once you think about it. The whole process is so gentle and easy, it's hard to believe it can make such a difference. Looking at my smiling child with a great haircut has reinforced my belief!