Neurodevelopmental approach (Part 1)

Responsible parenthood is what make parents to do their best for their children to thrive. Parenting, it self, is challenging. Parenting a child with special needs brings challenges that sometimes one can not even imagine. It is definitely more complicate that parenting typical kids and it gets multiplied when the child has multiple diagnoses. 

For me to get into that balance has taken years and it is not fully achieved. I wasn't fully adjusted to leave in other country, when my son was born. So many changes passed in my life too quick! I had to get adjusted to a whole new lifestyle shared with therapists, medical follow ups, and a whole new language related to the therapeutic field. Then, Autism came to our journey that truly made me tumbled. The grief I felt is hard to explain. I was sad, angry and scared. I usually don't show my emotions, so I know people around me didn't noticed much, except for my sister, my mom and my husband. It emotionally drained me. It was rough! But I was needing that time to grief.

Even in the worse moments that I felt down, I never stopped working with Tommy and searching for help. When his neck lost the cervical curve, I went to every single appointment twice a week for months after my full time job while my youngest was still a baby. The nutritionist ordered to change his diet and his new diet was in place in a week. Then, I began to formulate my ACTION PLAN to take be in charge of Tommy's intervention, which it took me two years because it required changed my worked schedule and worked it out around Francis going to school. This is when my emotional healing began.

Today, I has became the main provider for my son's therapeutic approaches and I am so glad that I have done it. The neurodevelpmental program is not just helping Tommy is also helping me. We are conquer every challenge together.  The neurodevelopment program is about "COMMITMENT" and it is not SELFISH as most traditional therapeutic approaches. I say selfish because in most traditional approaches there is a professional who is hired to work with the child, and this take away a lot of family time. A child with special need as any child, had more opportunity to grow and develop with stimulation from the family and not from professionals. The neurodevelopment program train the parents to be the main providers, so development can be nurture at home during the family routine, so everybody can be part of it.  I believe that it has been crucial for us as a family because it has allowed Francis to be part of this program. It is so cute to see him sometimes trying to help with the activities. The same program has bring them together because Francis model some of the activities for Tommy and it also has open a window for them to interact, something it didn't exist before. Tommy's over sensory stimulation didn't allow him to welcome his brother into his world. Today, it is a completely different story. One day, Tommy's feelings got hurt because Francis told him: 

"I don't want to play with you." It broke my heart to see Tommy sad for it, but Francis had a reason. I intervened and I told Tommy when he was pushing Francis that he was hurting Francis. It didn't took long for those two be happy again.

What is a neurodevelopmental program?
It is a program designed for a child to strength and nurture developmental growth in communications (speech and language), sensory processing, auditory processing, life skills fine and gross motor skills and academics. It also finds way of preventive care to avoid illness that can stop development. This is not “formula program” to match a label because it looks at the child as individual; therefore it identifies neurological differences  to work on and build a stronger neurodevelopment. 

I would like to share her successful story with the neurodevelopmental program by by Laura Gamroth:

"Today we are so grateful for the path we have chosen for our daughter. There are some areas that we still need to work on.  For example, although we are able to understand her and she often speaks in 6 or 7 word sentences, we are working on her articulation.  Physically she is doing very well and has always been either ahead of or at the early end on the Trisomy 21 milestone charts however it is noticeable in a group of her peers that she doesn't run as fast or  jump as far.  
On the other hand, academically, she is much more advanced than any four year old that I know.  Besides reading so well she is doing math at about a kindergarten level and is able to find all of the continents and many countries on a map.  She is able to communicate clearly and talk about everything from her recently conquered fear of heights to what happened today at preschool, what activities we did on a recent holiday and what her favorite clothing choices are.  She is able to read a menu in a restaurant, order and discuss her choices with the waitress unassisted.  Physically, she runs, jumps and her latest accomplishment is riding her tricycle.  Our daughter goes to a typical preschool and has taken swimming lessons independently.  She recently started playing T-ball and I'm sure the coach has no idea that she is sporting an extra chromosome!" Click here to read the full story.

I will also share the list of neurodevelopmentalists that has been putting together by Andy Durkin. Click here to see the full list in Andi's blog. 

The bumps in the route are higher and wholes deeper, but finding a balance is the key to succeed and overcome those challenges.

Understanding Autism (Part 2 The Environmental side of Autism)

A while ago, I wrote about the genetic side of Autism related to my son according to our family health history and scientist research. I will now post about the environment and its role in Autism. 

The environmental side of Autism

Do environmental factors can play a role in Autism? The answer is YES! According to the new studies both, shared and non-share environmental factors can play a role in a child developing Autism. Howsoever, they are not the cause of autism. This stills reminds unknown. Click here to read an article about the study.

Autism itself won't manifest until the genetic factors get in contact with the environmental factors If a child is genetically predisposed to have Autism, so a toxic environment is "the straw that brakes the camels back." I am just glad that now I have found a research that validates that shared environmental factors (chemical pollutants, particularly metals, pesticides,etc) and non-shared environmental factors (medications) play equal roles in Autism than genetic factors.  Conventional doctors cannot keep denying that some medications and chemicals can play a role in Autism. Therefore, EPIGENETIC IS REAL and it is not a scientist theory. 

The more I search, the more I get convinced that Autism is the result of our disconnection with mother nature, we have forgotten we are part of an eco-system. We keep contaminting our environment without remorse. Contaminating our environment is contaminating ourselves! People, like my son, who have compromised cells are not able to detox toxins properly, and this can lead to serious health issues. My son's compromised cells are very evident just because he has an extra chromosome that alters every single cell of his body; therefore, his health can deteriorated faster if his mitochondria function gets altered by toxic chemicals or drugs.

According to the National Autism Association: 
Based on parent reports – including parents representing the National Autism Association – sharp regression occurred in their children directly following immunizations.  While many parents can provide detailed accounts of regression in their children following vaccination, other parents have reported autism in their unvaccinated children. More sparsely, parents report swift regression following an illness, use of antibiotics, and random chemical exposure – such as carpet cleaning. Though published mainstream science fails to acknowledge a causal link to any of these specific exposures, it’s important that parental accounts be carefully considered.

I highlighted the lines above because it is where we are. Tommy's regressions began to manifest after an illness and the use of antibiotic, steroids and sedative. He never before had these medications. The changed was dramatic that I noticed right away in the hospital back in 2011,

Moving forward to protect my son from share and non-shared environmental factors: 

• Essential oils. I had my first encounter with essential oils while I was doing MendAbility, a home based therapy for Autism. Then, our new doctor has brought it up as a way to treat Tommy's internal inflammation. I am learning about this ancient medicine. Our modern medicine even has a bast scientist data to support their effectiveness, but they are not being used because they have been replaced by drugs. 
• Going Green. I am working in decreasing toxicity in our home because indoor environment is more contaminated that outdoors. An environmental doctor recommended to avoid plastic. I decided to dig dipper in the content of avoiding plastic and my foundlings truly have surpassed me. There are 7 types of plastics, which are used in food, cosmetics, etc. Type 1 and type 2 plastic are considered the safer plastics for using in food containers. So I looked into the compounds to make type 1 and 2 plastics, and they have a common ingredient, which is 'Polyester' (the same that it used to make fabrics). Then, I wanted to know what is used to make Polyester and I discovered one of the worse contaminates for the human body that can interfere with the proper function of the immune system, which is know as PETROLEUM. We also made a toxicity test and two chemicals found in plastic were found in Tommy's body. So BPA fee is not enough! To avoid plastic is not easy, so I am doing this slowly, but surely.

I have always thought that humans are getting disconnected from nature and this is what is causing our health decline and eventually our extinction. In my search for answers and ways to help my son I have found Dr. Shetreat-Klein and she has a lot to say about our connection with dirt and this brought to my mind these biblical passage:

"...for dust you are and to dust you will return." Genesis 13:9

According to the bible we are made by dust, and there is scientist data supporting we need "dirt" to be healthy. Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein explains why dirt is so import for our well being, specially for developing brains. There are many microorganism on the dirt that are crucial for our health and properly gut function. She released her book The Dirt Cure on January 26, 2016. She explains about how important is keep contact with nature, so get outside as much as you can. I has personally experience that Tommy feels better when he is sick if we spend time outside. Enjoy the video of Dr. Shetreat-Klein, who has a lot to say about "the Dirt Cure."

IT IS TIME TO DO SOMETHING!

Conclusion

Now, I have a better idea why AUTISM did strike my son. I know that there is enough genetic evolved in Tommy's autism diagnoses beyond his genetic compromise system due to Trisomy 21. There a lot of family members who health history is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. So I know that the possibilities Francis may be a carrier for Autism is there. Francis is 10 times more likely to develop Autism or my grand kids, Thinking in grand kids is crazy because Francis is 4 years old, but from now on, I will be more environmental conscious, keep learning about Autism and spreading the word. 

Doctors will listen to us, parents like me, because we won't stop fighting for our children. We are not laying, we are the ones suffering the monetary demand that  Autism brings, we are the ones raising a child without hope for a future. Non-shared environmental factors shouldn't be used undiscriminated, specially antibiotics. We won't stop racing our voices until something is done. Bacterias are become too resistant, so the market for antibiotics will be in jeopardy and pharmaceutical companies will be forced to substitute antibiotics to something else. I am already into the conquer of understanding essential oils. There is a lot of scientist data that support the benefits on this oils in treating infections and even cancer.

Unfortunately, I don't see nations across the globe working together in this matter in the near future. International Agricultural regulations and laws need to be implemented world wide, regulation of using certain medications and newborn screaning should be impleamented because everybody is genetically predipose to DNA mutations and some people has metabolic issues that make hard for their body to metabolize certain medications, which is what doctors called Side effects. 

To everyone out there, we cannot keep living isolated of the catastrophic effect that Autism is causing to the human race. The statistics are very alarming, 1 of every 100 kids are diagnosed with Autism world wide. This should be an international top priority because the future generations are in jeopardy, which is very possible we as humans may be in the first stage of extension. People are cluless how much Autism can affect a human being. Click Here and here, now you are a witness —and maybe soon, Autism will victimize someone close to you. 

Now, it is your choise to be part of the problem or become part of the solution by protecting our environment by just being more aware of what products you buy that can be toxic. If you are a farmer, PLEASE consider to avoid the use of PESTICIDES in your agricultural practice as well as GMO seeds. Today is my child, but tomorrow could be your child that can become as the kids you saw in the videos, AUTISM doesn't discriminate! 

Where Autism and Down Syndrome meet: Mitochondrial Dysfunction (Part 1)

Being a mom of a child with a genetic desoder, it is like being a soldier. I don't go to the battle feilds; howsoever, I have my own battles against insurance companies, doctors and a mainstream health care system that refuses to accept that genetic is complex, so the "one-fit-all" health policies may not be for everyone, specially for a child that has a GENETIC disorder. We, parents with a chid with Autism, have raised our voices to let people know what has happened to our kids after they have received a vaccine or a medication, and then, our kids suddenly regressed without an apparent reason. To any mom out there: You should know that there is a reason, your child may have MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION.  

MITOCHONDRIA DYSFUNCTION (PART 1)

What is 'mitochondria'?

Mitochondria is specialized structures unique to the cells. They are like batteries, that give energy to various functions of the cell and the organism as a whole. So without proper mitochondrial function we struggles with endurance and complete physical activities.

According to the the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, Depending on which cells are affected, symptoms may include loss of motor control, muscle weakness and pain, gastro-intestinal disorders and swallowing difficulties, poor growth, cardiac disease, liver disease, diabetes, respiratory complications, seizures, visual/hearing problems, lactic acidosis, developmental delays and susceptibility to infection

Can medications interfere with the mitochondria?
Yes! There actual a huge list of medications that can interfere with the mitochondria function. Click here to see the list that has been put out for the public by Mitoacion.org.

Scientist research have identified that kids with Autism alone or Down syndrome alone have issues with the mitochondria as an underline cause of many of the issues these kids face. Some drugs, but not all, have been identified to interfere with mitochondrial function. All the vaccines safety studies having conducted in patients without Down syndrome alone or Autism alone. How doctors can guarantee that vaccines are safe for a child with Autism or Down syndrome if there is not a vaccine safety study that includes these kids?

We know now that non-share environmental factors have 50% responsibility in causing Autism. But more studies need to be done with a population with a compromise immune system and vaccines, because vaccines are in the non-share environmental factors category. We know that the in resent years Mitochondria Autims has been identified a s subtype of Autism. The kids with mitochondrial Autism are the ones began to show signs after an infection. medication has interact with their immune system.

Even when there is not a vaccine study proven the connection with the mitochondrial dysfunction, it is scientifly proven that mercury and aluminum can damage the mitochondria, which are key ingredients in vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies may claim that the dosage of mercury and aluminum are very minimum in the vaccines, but what happen if the child has an underline issue with the mast cells. If the child has an issue with the mast cells the child can have an allergic reaction to Mercury or Aluminum, which means that the mast cells attack the allergens. This can produce an anaphylactic or sensitivity reaction. An anaphylactic reaction is life treating. But what happen if the child has a sensitivity reaction to Mercury or Aluminum. The allergic reaction will be slowy and progressive rather than quick and instant like the anaphylactic reaction. A sensitivity to an allergen can even take up to 6 months to manifest because the allergen is still inside the body. The slow reaction can cause internal inflammation, which includes the brain. The inflammation in the brain ins known as ENCEPHALITIS that has also been linked to Autism. Inflammation is the underline cause of many health issue. Therefore, If the patient already has  a disrupted methylation cycle will result that toxins from mercury or other heavy metals won't be efficiently be detoxed, so this toxic chemicals can contribute to mitochondrial toxicity that impterrup the normal mitochondrial function, which result in the inability of the patient to function. This also raise other question, if the child has methylation issues then, Could the child has a MTHFR mutation? So vaccines may not directly cause Autism, but it may contribute to it. 

There is other underline consequesnse that may happen to some kids, but the medical community or the media don't talk much about this.  It can happened that the viruses in the vaccines can infect the gut, which it has happened in some patients. One thing to remember, One of the big manifestation of Autism is GUT ISSUES. We should always remember that genetic is not a cookie cutter, so there is a lot of genetic information merged in a human being which is different from person to person, so following "common sense", every human body react differently to medications/vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies know this!

My kids have all their vaccines, Francis had a vaccine reaction at 3 month old. So I began to delay his vaccines, and he never had another reaction again. Tommy has all his vaccines as well, we didn't noticed any reaction when he was given the vaccines, but we did see it when he was in antibiotic during in 2011 when he got hospitalized due to RSV. Yes, there are certain antibiotics, steroids and sedative that interfere with mitochondria dysfunion.

I am not against vaccines, but they should be used with caution and Parents should be a lot more educated about underline issues as the ones I have explained above. Instead of making this a big controversy, every family should be giving the option of genetic testing to check if a newborn has healthy cells with an apropiate methylation cycle to detox toxins from mercury, aluminum or any other allergen before a newborn is vaccinated. This options is not giving to parents by Medical professionals or even the GOVERNMENT. WHY?

Here is what the court says about a case  that was proven to cause Autism due to inflammation in brain caused by a vaccine:

"...The doctors conceded that the child was healthy and developing normally until her 18-month well-baby visit, when she received vaccinations against nine different diseases all at once (two contained thimerosal).  

Days later, the girl began spiraling downward into a cascade of illnesses and setbacks that, within months, presented as symptoms of autism, including: No response to verbal direction; loss of language skills; no eye contact; loss of “relatedness;” insomnia; incessant screaming; arching; and “watching the florescent lights repeatedly during examination.” 

Seven months after vaccination, the patient was diagnosed by Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, a leading neurologist at the Kennedy Krieger Children’s Hospital Neurology Clinic, with “regressive encephalopathy (brain disease) with features consistent with autistic spectrum disorder, following normal development.” The girl also met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) official criteria for autism. 

In its written concession, the government said the child had a pre-existing mitochondrial disorder that was “aggravated” by her shots, and which ultimately resulted in an ASD diagnosis..." Click here to read the full article.

ACTION PLAN
There ere are possibilities that my son may have mitochondrial dysfunction, MHTFR mutation, as well as some degree of Encephalitis; which has empowered me to find the help he needs. Howsoever, my new battle has been getting a doctor who specialized in mitochondrial dysnfuntion, which there are not many doctors trained in this field or doctors who are willing to treat kids with Down syndrome. So I have not stopped searching for a doctor and I found a local functional doctor who truly knows about human biochemistry, so we have been working on shifting and balancing Tommy's biochemistry to support his mitochondria and his entire body. The improvement is huge because  Tommy's gut is beginning to heal and it stated to happened in just two months working with our new doctor. After 5 years working so hard in healing his gut, our hard work is being rewarded! It feels great!

I talk to our new doctor about my concern of Tommy possible having a MHTFR mutation (I think I may have it, too).  He believe the problem is not the genetic, the issue is environmental factors which is "the straw that breaks the camel's back."I think in the same way because I have experienced since 2011.

• Decreasing toxins level in our home.Tommy's toxicity test showed that he has high levels of two chemicals found in plastics. Therefore, I am beginning to put in boxes all toys made by polyester and plastic (Polyester is a synthetic fabric made with plastic).  I already replace most of plastic kitchen utensils with stainless steel, bamboo and ceramic. I am also avoiding the use of harmful cleaning products or any conventional product because it you read the label and they ingredients have a weird sciencitc name, them it is scienteti, harmful and a chemical. 
• Purify in the air. I am getting plans to purify the air, which includes essential oils.
• Avoiding mainstream medications such tylenol, antibiotics, etc. to the maximum extent possible. Even our pediatrician has told me to not give tylenol to the boys, hah!. We use mainly homeopathic medicines and I am glad Walgreens is selling them.
• Reducing internal inflammation with essential oils and pharmaceutical grade supplements. Thyme is a great oil supported by a sciecist study. To confirm if Tommy has encephalitis (brain inflammation), spinal fluid samples should be taken and I don't want him to go though this medical procedure. Our doctor give me order for blood work so we can confirm inflammation in his body with a less invite testing.
• Healing the gut, healing the brain. We have made big progress on it. He is giving signs that his guts is starting to heal and his broken lining is getting repaired because his body is producing his own good flora/microbine.  

Please send prayers in Tommy's way because this is a long journey with a lot of bumps, so I need the strength, the time and the money to keep going with my long list of intervesnions that are not covered by insurance. Regardless the bumps, my action plan is working in my son's benefit.

What Will Life Be Like for Your Child with Down Syndrome?

Thanks to many parents that have been before me, parenting a child with Down syndrome, we can stand by our kids today and raising them in our homes. The loves for these amazing humans give us the courage to fight for them to have a place in this society. Today, we are changing people minds, including doctors. There are still many doctors that need to learn how to give the news to expectant parents about their child's  genetic disorder. Howsoever, some doctors are going beyond the norm and respect the lives of individuals of Down syndrome.

The first thing, we all do as soon as we get the positive results for Trisomy 21 is going online and absorb all the information available possible. I did it! I don't regret. Howsoever, I wish when the news was giving to me that the doctor  would give me a beautiful welcome pack with real stories of kids with Trisomy 21 as well as a list of Parents support group because the true experts in this matter  are the parents. Today, our local Down syndrome has make this possible for new expectant parents and Tommy was in the cover of the firts welcome pack distributed in the metropolitan area in 2009.

More and more Doctors are understanding that individuals with Down syndrome are not a second category citizens, that they have the same rights to enjoy life as everybody else. One doctor who truly understand this is Dr. Linda Crnic. She devoted all her knowledge on pediatrics and psychiatry for the benefit of improving lives of kids with Down syndrome, which gave her a good international reputation for her research in Down syndrome. Unfortunately, her life got short due to a tragedy biking accident on September 11, 2004. Howsoever, her input and passion to improve the quality of life of kids with Down syndrome staid to inspired others, which made possible the creation of Linda Crnic Institute for Down syndrome in 2008. The institute is part of School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Currently, the Linda Crnic Institute for Down syndrome is the top leading research organization dedicate to Down syndrome. Dr. Tom Blumenthal is continuing Dr. Crnic legacy and he is working really to improve cognition and health issue in kids with Down syndrome. 

"The avowed purposes of the Crnic Institute are to “eradicate the medical and cognitive ill effects associated with Down syndrome by the year 2017” and “to significantly improve the lives of all people with Down syndrome and their families and their communities.” Our intention is to accomplish those goals, but when exploring the unknown, one never knows what lies ahead. Explorers can’t promise anything, except that we will do everything we can to accomplish the mission. It is time for research to start benefitting people with Down syndrome, and there is reason to believe we can accomplish this..."

If you are expectant mom or dad, I want you to know that there is hope and science has the clue in how improve our kids outcomes and quality of life. I want to share with you:

"What Will Life Be Like for Your Child with Down Syndrome?by Linda Crnic Institute for Down syndrome* 

• The life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome is 60 years of age.

• Most individuals with Down syndrome finish high school, and many complete a transition to work program or go on to attend community college. Some individuals with Down syndrome complete a four year college and the occasional individual with Down syndrome attends graduate school. 

• Self-advocates with Down syndrome describe their life and their achievements using power point or speak from notes.

• Work placements for individuals with Down syndrome are less likely to include sheltered workshops and more likely to be in contact with the community.

• Many adults with Down syndrome live independently, either in group homes, with roommates or with their spouse.

• Experts in education for individuals with Down syndrome stress inclusion with typical peers beginning in preschool, and continuing through elementary school, middle school and high school. The performance of both typical children and children with Down syndrome improves with inclusion.

• Children and youth with Down syndrome should be offered the opportunity to participate in sports, dance, theater, music and art. Participation will help these individuals to develop friendships and self-confidence.

• As parents, you will need to be strong advocates for your child with Down syndrome to ensure that he/she will be able to reach his/her potential.

• As parents, you will love your son or daughter with Down syndrome and you will be proud of them. You will feel that your outlook on life will be more positive because of them. You will feel that your typical children have a good relationship with their sibling with Down syndrome.

• Your typical children will love their sibling with Down syndrome and will be proud of them. They will think that they are better people because of their sibling with Down syndrome. They will be committed to their sibling with Down syndrome and remain a part of their life through adulthood.

• Your child with Down syndrome will be happy with his/her life, like who they are, and like the way they look. They will love their parents and their siblings. They will make friends easily. They will have similar hopes and dreams to those of your typical children.

• Your child with Down syndrome will look more like their parents and siblings than like other children with Down syndrome.

• Each individual with Down syndrome is unique and has particular strengths and talents.

To see what life is like for individuals with Down syndrome, please check out the following links to websites:

• Karen Gaffney Foundation

• Self-Advocate Council (SAC), National Down Syndrome Congress

• Self-Advocates and National Down Syndrome Society

• Suj's Site..."

I highlighted the bullet point above because the unawareness that exist world wide about the possibilities that some kids with Down syndrome can achieve educational standards as their typical peers. The key is to find the proper treatments that can facilitate physical, emotional and cognitive growth. Howsoever, there are not proper treatments developed for our kids yet.  

Due to son's coexistent conditions, things are harder than just having Down syndrome alone. But I won't stop fighting for giving him the opportunity to reach his true potential because he is my son first and the labels are second. Nobody can give me a lecture about Down syndrome or Autism because I live it 24/7 all year around. Parents should know that there is more that neuroscience can do for our kids and we need to work together, doctors and parents, for a better outcome and quality of life of all kids with Down syndrome. The work we have ahead of us as parents is enormously, but not impossible. We will keep breaking the paradigms that surround our kids.

Can kids with Down beat standardized tests?

Back in May, I posted "Unlocking the true potential of Kids with T21" where I showed Professor Michael Leon's conference where he explained how challenges due to neurological disorders and genetic disorders –including Down syndrome– can be reversed or very much emulated by a sensory enrichment environment. Scientist has known this forever, but there is not enough effort put it into developing proper interventions for our kids. Howsoever, the love for our kids has brought moms, like me, to dig into scientist research and now things that seemed impossible 30 years ago are becoming the norm for some kids with Down syndrome, whose parents have discovered that there is a better way to treat our kids. 

Can kids with Down beat standardized tests? 
Yes! It can be possible. I want to share Jett's story. Jett was born with Down syndrome. He faced heart surgery. He used to also have autistic behaviors. Howsoever, his family decided they will fight for Jett and today, Jett is a 4 year old who is changing the way people think about people with Down syndrome. Jett's mom is an amazing person. She was the first one who give me support to keep going in my journey with Tommy's Autism diagnosis. Here is what Jett's moms have to share:


"We had his parent/teacher meeting tonight and she said that all the kids love Jett and she has to tell them that he only has two sides so only two kids and play with him at a time. (She even told me that the mom before us had just said that her son talks about Jett all the time!) She also had the results from the standardized test called the... Peabody?? Anyway, when the range was like 4-11, he got scores like 26! 

She said she'd never had a kid as advanced as Jett and wanted to know how to best challenge him and keep him interested.

I volunteer in her class from time to time to work with the kids that need it and she said she's learned a lot from me. She went on to say that if/when I started a school, she would love to work there!

She wondered if Jett would benefit much from kindergarten since there's not much time to play (!?!) and it's a lot of sitting with instruction about things that he already knows.
Well, I guess I'd better get my school going then!

This is not the first time that I have heard about this. It is possible that some kids with Down syndrome reach normal IQ. I has known about a non-verbal girl with Down syndrome who IQ is 100. I also knew about a young man who graduated from college and got a regular job as any other young man of his age. This would never be considered as possible 30 years ago. But the parents who has the courage to think out of the box and brake paradigms in these harsh society are making a huge difference in the quality of life of their children's with Down syndrome. 

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!

Consider to donate to Down Syndrome Options

Please consider to donate to Down Syndrome Options for the organizers of Down Syndrome Track to travel to the AutismOne Conference in Chicago. These are the moms who have empowered me in my journey with my son. See below the message of the President of Down syndrome Options:

Chicago or Bust!

Would you like to Skype or chat on the phone with me?

Or with Kristen Morrison of Naturally Better Kids?

Geralyn Spiesz of the Down Syndrome Action Plan?

Leslie Bewer Boswell, thyroid wellness advocate? 

or Jane Winans, mom to Lydia?

Then simply donate to help me and the rest of the Down Syndrome OPTIONs team travel to Chicago! 

We have spent countless hours organizing the Down syndrome track at the AutismOne conference, often digging into our own pockets to make this important event possible. Check out these other fun rewards!

Our loved ones with Down syndrome need more options to thrive...
...OPTIONs needs your support to carry this message forward to parents, teachers, physicians and the community! 

Thanks so much for your consideration!

Andi Durkin

President, Down Syndrome OPTIONs

Unlocking the true potential of Kids with T21

We live a in paradigmatic society that resist to change. But mom's like me, who believe that the true potential of our kids with Down syndrome hasn't been unlocked yet, have broken and will continue breaking the paradigms that surround our kids with Down syndrome. Our loves for them has brought to us an unbreakable faith and a strong believe that have taking us to deeply dig into scientist researches and we have discovered a lot information that has been kept away from us. The more we look for answers to our questions, the more we realize that there is a lot more than it can be done for our kids.

Michael Leon, UCI professor of neurobiology and behavior, explains how challenges due to neurological disorders and genetic disorders –including Down syndrome– can be reversed or very much emulated by a sensory enrichment environment. Guess what! Scientists have known this for a long time. But enough effort hasn't been put it in developing proper interventions for our kids. Why? Because we live in a paradigmatic society. See the video below where Professor Leon talks about sensory enrichment environment to reverse neurological disorders:  

A good living example of what a sensory enrichment environment can do for kids with Down syndrome is Pablo Pineda. His mom truly believed that her son was more capable of his Down syndrome label. Pablo Pineda is a proven example of what Prof. Leon explains in his presentation about sensory enrichment environment. Here is Pablo's short biography:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pablo Pineda in 2010

Pablo Pineda (born 1974) is a Spanish actor who received the Silver Shell award at the 2009 San Sebastián International Film Festival for his performance in the film Yo Tambien.^[1] In the film he plays the role of a university graduate with Down syndrome, which is quite similar to his real life.

Pineda lives in Málaga and has worked at the municipality.^[2] He holds a diploma in Teaching and a BA in Educational psychology. He was the first student with Down syndrome in Europe to obtain a university degree.^[3] In the future he wants to make his career in teaching, instead of acting.^[4][5] Upon his arrival back to Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, the mayor of the city, welcomed him with the "Shield of the City" award on behalf of the city council.^[6] At the time he was promoting his film and giving lectures on incapacity and education, as he has been doing for many years.

Pineda currently works with the Adecco Foundation in Spain, giving presentations at conferences on the labour-integration plan that the foundation is carrying out with him.^[3] Pablo has recently talked in Colombia (Bogota, Medellin), demonstrating the social inclusion of people with disabilities.

Pineda also collaborates with the "Lo que de verdad importa" Foundation.

Pablo Pinda is a person with Down syndrome who has obtained two bachelors degree. The universtiy's curriculum was not modified for him. So he obtained his diplomas as you and me. He didn't study acting, but he won an international award for his performance in the movie "Me too." He is busy traveling to different countries as a motivational speaker. He has gotten beyond of what this paradigmatic society could ever imaging because he has lived in a enriched environment nurture by his family, Pablo even mentioned this in his interviews to 20Minutes.com. Click here for the complete interview in Spanish. Bellow there is a translation of some questions of the interview:

Pablo Pineda: "My environment has stimulated me, I am not exceptional"
Perhaps there are people who think that "Pablo has studied a career because the Down syndrome didn't affect him much".  The little or much does not matter. What affects is what surrounds that child. The family is essential. 
Your family is different? Parents of children with Down often treating them always as a child. My mother also behaves like that with me. But it is more pronounced with Down syndrome. We are overprotected and we are treated between cottons. Even some parents prefer that we do not go to school. My family treats me as a child and not as a Down syndrome. My parents have always demanded that I go out, make friends, that I don't stay at home. They ARGUED that I attended school. My advice is to stimulate the child a lot and trust in his/her potential...
Does the integration is that all people with Down syndrome can reach the university as you? I don't like the word "integration." It is a bit fascistic if you are imperfect, so you have to adapt to the society that is perfect. I opted for the "normalization." Means the opposite, the  society has to adapt to the difference. In such standardization there is no place for a disease (disability)...

Trailer of the Movie "Me Too"

Message from Pablo Pineda to Enterprises

When I promised to my son that I will never let him down –he was an unborn baby— I truly meant it.  God is in my side, guiding me and giving me the strength to get to the bottom line of many things that have been kept away from us. I know that my battle to go against this paradigmatic society is not going to be easy. But I am not along. My love for my son has kept me looking for a doctor who will be go beyond of what most doctors do. I found him, he specializes in Environmental Medicine, a medicine practice that is based in human biology and chemistry and their interaction with environmental factors. For my surprised, this type of medicine practice works to find the underline causes of developmental delays (brain inflammation, interrupted methylation cycle, side effect to medications, etc.) regardless if the person has a genetic disorder. There is a small group of moms that have discovered that their kids illnesses and cognitive decline due to Down syndrome can be prevented or slow down if the underline causes are detected earlier. Living in a global world has brought us together, now we are united and we won't stop until we change people's mind, so our kids can get the the right medical treatments.

Mother's day is coming up, the best mother day's gift I can receive is your signature in the petition of *Down Syndrome Options: Click here! So the health care guidance for our kids can be revised and preventive care can be included. If this petition gets over 2,000 signatures, more stories as Pablo Pineda's will become public. There are stories of kids with Down syndrome that are unknown, people need to see it to believe it.  These kids are doing exceptional due to their moms chose a different path to stimulate them and they are doing many things as their neuro-typical peers. But we won't be able to make these stories public without your support. Please sign the petition and pass it along to a friend or relative who may be interested in supporting us!

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!

_______________

*The Mission of Down Syndrome Options is to increase awareness and educate parents and doctors on options for individuals with Down syndrome to help improve speech and learning as well as physical, emotional, social and intellectual growth and development. These options first, do no harm and second, look to epigenetic, neurological, biomedical, nutritional and environmental interventions which are supported by scientific information, clinical experience and parent observations