This update was written on Tuesday, November 27, 2001

First here is how I started:

This past year (October 2000 to October 2001) has gone by so fast its hard to believe that our one year anniversary on the Gluten free, Casein free, Dye free diet has come and gone already! Last month marked our one-year point when I first started gathering the information on our family’s newest challenge. I spent two months of solid studying, reading, looking up, and a lot of praying that I could some how pull this off for Matthew. Everyone that knows me knows how much I hate cooking. Every time I try I manage to mess the instructions up! "So why should this new GFCF Diet be any different I thought?" I was scared out of my wits that I would have nothing for Matthew to eat, but there was one driving force that kept me going. It was the sole instinct that I knew this would work, it had to work, and I just couldn't stay locked up with all Matthew’s head banging, screaming, and crying, forever!

            After getting the approval from a special doctor that I felt comfortable with she handed me a paper with www.gfcfdiet.com  and a list of vitamins that I could start. I first went to the local health food store. They were very helpful but I would later find out that the Internet has the best places to shop for great products. We have a Wild Oats where we live that also has most everything. When I can't make it to Wild Oats, Kroger's does have lots to choose from since they expanded and added more health food aisle in the past few months.

     In the beginning of this diet I was trying to make different recipes from the cookbooks I read, but most failed Matthew’s approval.  Then I started buying Mrs. Roben’s mixes.  All I have to do is add the wet items, that shouldn't be too hard I figured!  At first it was a little tricky to get just the right texture but after a few tries I did it!  I was on my way, I made/make Chocolate Chip cookies, Brownies, Cupcakes, and Pizza dough.  I was unable to master making homemade bread no matter what I did.  I had the best doorstoppers in town!  I started to build a brick wall with all my failures, so I  finally gave up.  Then last night out of determination and frustration I was set to make a loaf of bread and have it eatable.  The first mix was to easy but of course I managed to really mess it up, only because I didn't let it cook long enough.  Then today, November 12, 2001, I managed to have really great tasting bread from the bread machine!  I was so shocked I just about fell over when Matthew wanted 4 pieces for dinner with jelly on them!  I can't wait to make breads and rolls.  I still hate cooking but to see Matthew really enjoying new items, it makes it all worth the effort!

Now for Matthew's big update:    

    Four weeks ago after an IEP meeting with Matthew’s teachers we all agreed to work together to get Matthew potty trained, little did I realize what I was in for.  The next day Matthew started coming home from school in his Blues Clues “big boy” underwear.  It was on a Thursday, then again on Friday.  I was so impressed with how well he did that on Saturday I was determined to get him trained this time.  As with the last attempts it was not going well.  On Sunday night he had not gone in the potty yet he was having accident after accident.  I was frustrated and when Monday came and he wanted to try wearing his new “big boy” underwear to school I said yes.  So off we went to school he was proud to be a big boy yet I could feel his stress building up.  He did not want to go in the potty, not for fear of sitting on the potty, he just didn’t want to go in the potty.  I dropped him off at school, said a little prayer that he would be ok and I headed home.  I wasn’t even half way home and I get a call that Matthew is crying because he said his stomach hurts.  I knew what it was.  He did not want to have an accident and he was not ready to use the potty yet.  I picked him up and headed home with him realizing that I had to do something to get him past the fear of going in the potty.  When we got home I told Matthew that the pull-ups that he was so comfortable with are now in the garbage.  He watched me throw them all away. I could see the fear and the sadness like losing his best friend.  I was sad but I knew this was the only way.  After Matthew had his moments of screaming we went to the bathroom and I told him we weren’t leaving until he goes in the potty.  He thought he would hold it all day and get the pull-ups that night but I quickly informed him that there are no more at night. I placed piddle pads under the sheets of Matthew's bed, and he knew I meant business this time.  Monday was a very long day of screaming crying and head banging on both our parts, but once he finally gave in and crossed over that threshold he was so proud!  The next day I called and told the school that Matthew will be staying home to continue working on his IEP goal.  Matthew did battle again the next day as we stayed in the bathroom only to come out and eat meals.  By Wednesday morning he had done it, he was on his way to full potty training!  We are so proud of him as he has really been doing great each day gets easier for him to be careful and not have accidents.  The nights are still hard because I get up and take him about 1 am so that he stays dry.  It has been a blessing having that burden lifted!

     Matthew’s communication skills have soared in the past 6 months.  I feel a lot of it has to do with adding the Cod Liver Oil to his list of vitamins.  He clearly understands when you tell him what is going to be done.  When Matthew starts complaining and screaming I can tell him firmly what needs to be done and discipline him accordingly.  He still doesn’t come home and tell me whole stories about his day or what the teachers have told him to do but he has gotten better about answering questions like what or where did you go today i.e.; gym, music, library or other activities.  Matthew can make complete sentences and some times they are so cute because he really tries to get the words all in there.  He has some years to catch up with but I believe he will fully catch up.  The GFCF Diet, vitamins, speech therapy, and a great classroom of teacher’s he has a chance most kids with autism don’t.  I am so blessed to be able to provide all this for him. My hope is that more people will see the small miracles as I have and find the right pieces of the puzzle that fits there child for recovery.  I know Matthew is not cured of Autism that will always be with him.   I can say he is recovering, because we are treating the Autism not fixing it.  If we take away any of the pieces then his Autism characteristics come back to remind you that they are still there!

    As of today Matthew is reading words at the same pace his kindergarten classmates are.  He is able to follow directions for the task at hand.  There was talk that because he is fully included in his kindergarten class with little to no help with his aide that he may not need the aide anymore and he could be released fully main stream.  As with all kids we have ups and downs.  When Matthew has his downs, he really has them bad, usually that means there has been an infraction in the diet or something is amiss.  Last week was a reminder of why he has the aide.  We have not figured out why but Matthew was just out of sync all week at school and at home.  One of the days last week his aide had to take him back to the transition class but before they got there Matthew had a meltdown so bad that he banged his head hard and left a mark on his hard head.  I knew why he was mad that day but he can usually readjust for these changes.  I later realized I had changed his Jelly and backed off his vitamins.  After adding the vitamins back and going back to his regular jelly we had a great weekend and so far a happy week at school.  Its little things like that, that can really puzzle you why and then you have to find the pieces for that puzzle and fit them back into place.  It can be so frustrating at times but no one ever said this was going to be easy, did they?

    Hope you enjoyed the story about Matthew. I am sure it leaves you with lots of questions.  I would be happy to answer them.  Please send me an email or leave any comments in our home guest book.  I enjoy hearing from other people, it makes putting all these hours into Matthews web site worth it.

Have a great day!