BRAIN BALANCE WORKS!

How do I know you ask?  How did I know before I moved across the country? How do I know after only being here for one week?  All good questions.  Here are the answers:

Mom's just know stuff.  Good answer huh?  But it is true.  :)  I had read about Brain Balance and thought it sounded interesting.  I had researched about Brain Balance and thought the research and science made sense.  But, It wasn't until I read and talked to other MOTHERS (parents) of children who had been in the program did I really believe.  In my opinion, there is a time and a place for science, studies, research, data (obviously) - but in NO way do I think that decisions about what is best for your children or family should be made solely on those items.   In fact, our decision to move across the country and split our family up for a period of 6 months was not based on cold hard facts and evidence because there really wasn't any.  It was based on inspiration, faith,  and us just knowing that this was the right thing for our boys. 

For the three weeks before we left, we started doing the reflex exercises (to get rid of the primitive reflexes they still have that should have gone away on their own around age one) and already saw some changes.  Things that anyone else wouldn't even notice at all, I (mothers) noticed.  I even wondered if I was crazy!  Some of these changes were exactly in line with what we had been told we could see.  However, I didn't really expect to see anything that soon.  These things made me realize even more that we were on the right track.  Also, the list of many blessings I posted previously just confirmed over and over that there was a plan for us.

So  - now we are to the good part!  If any of you have a child on the spectrum, you know that the tiniest little change or improvement can be HUGE.  We have seen little things continually over the last 3 1/2 years.  Our boys have improved so much, however, it has been slow.  Because I feel like this program is addressing the root of the problem I feel/know that the changes will be coming a lot quicker and I can't wait!  We have seen some great changes in Brody and he is doing great!  However, because Wyatt has a much greater imbalance than Brody, the changes are more noticeable and will become more dramatic.  So - I will go over the Brody and Hazel updates below, but here is what we have seen in Wyatt in the last 2 days: (Everything else I think has been previously listed)

1. Yesterday We went to do the blood work and he was way better than usual.  He still cried and struggled, but the girl was able to get the blood relatively quickly without too much trouble. 
2. As we drove around all day, Wyatt didn't try to get out of his seat ONCE!  Usually just driving to the mailbox and back he is out of his chair climbing around the car.  He sat so nicely it almost scared me!  Also, since we have moved here, he hasn't EVER tried to climb out of the golf cart. 
3. When we went into stores he sat in the carts and didn't try to run away - this is amazing!
4. When we got home, we made him turkey burgers that we made into patties as opposed to the frozen patties we used to buy.  Usually a new food that looks different AT ALL takes a lot of time and reinforcement to get him to even look at or take a bite of.  This time was different.  He immediately started eating it and ate the whole thing!  In fact, before the night was over he had a total of three.  He just kept saying "hamburger". 
5. Today when I got to Brain Balance with him, he was hanging around the lobby waiting to go in.  He came over to the bench and sat by me and said "tickle" which he does a lot and it is very cute.  So I tickled for about 2 seconds and he said "all done".  These things have happened before.  But then, he laid on his back on the bench and said "shoes off" and then said" Peek a boo" (wasn't perfect, but I could tell what he was saying).  I have never heard him try to say that!   He took his shoes off because I play Peek a boo by putting the kids' feet over my eyes and then open their legs and say Peek a boo and they think it is really funny.  So we played peek a boo and he loved it and kept trying to say it better. 
6. Next, when Paige was doing exercises with him he did something really cute.  We just found out yesterday that when doing exercises, or anything for that matter, that we should not count with numbers.  Since numbers stimulate the left brain (which we DON'T want to do at all right now) we are supposed to count in colors because they are right brain.  So instead of saying 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 we say Red, green, blue, orange, yellow.  Interesting isn't it?  Anyways.  So today Paige was doing one of the exercises with him and he just started counting in colors!  He said "purple, white, brown, red, blue, green," etc.  It was so cute that he knew to do that after only a couple times AND that he was using colors that we had NOT used!  
7. Then, when I got back from Brain Balance with Brody at about 6, Wyatt really wanted to go in the cart.  He came and got in the front seat with me before I even had a chance to get out.  He grabbed his seat belt and said "seat belts, so we can be safe". (again, not perfect articulation, but very close!) It was so so cute!  (For those of you that don't know, that is something that Dora the Explorer always says) I just LOVE that he is somewhat communicating and using spontaneous language!
8. Hazel came out to go on the ride with us but Brody didn't want to and was in the house.  Wyatt kept saying "Brody" which is so awesome that he wanted his brother to come.  He then said "Paige".  So cute!  Brody really didn't want to go so I just took Wyatt and Hazel to get the mail.  The whole time Wyatt kept saying "Brody, Brody".  So I went back to the house and picked up Brody and Paige and we all got in the cart and Wyatt said "park".  It was just so amazing that he told me that he wanted Brody and Paige to come and that he wanted to go to the park.  So - we went to the park - and then.....
9. While we were at the park, Wyatt went down the slide and then I said "I'm gonna get you" and I chased him around back to the stairs, across the bridge and back to the slide.  He then went down the slide and wanted me to go down so I did.  Then the process started again (which anything done over and over in a repetitive manner stimulates the left brain so we had to stop after a few times...)  So I started chasing him again back to the stairs and he did the most amazing thing.  He actually turned around and looked at me as I was chasing him and started smiling and giggling and running faster.  He was really interacting with me and actually playing "chase!"  THEN - He looked at me and said "I'm gonna get you". (not perfectly, but very close!)  I couldn't believe that he was using a little sentence and actually understanding what was going on.  So each time we would go down the slide and start chasing, if I didn't say anything then he would say "I'm gonna get you" - AMAZING.
10. The last thing I can think of right now is that he has just been overall more social and more interactive with us.  He keeps asking for tickles and hugs and kisses and for us to swing him.  He has even been asking Hazel to tickle him! 

All of these things are directly related to what we are doing at Brain Balance - no doubt.  To see such HUGE gains in such a short time is crazy!   We are so excited about what is to come over the next few months (and years) and we know this is still going to be a long journey.  But I truly and honestly believe that we are on the right path and at the beginning of what could be the home stretch.

This is my latest post yet (1:30 am) because I was up making SCD waffles and pancakes, etc.  I have SO much more information to share plus the updates of Hazel and Brody and they are really good ones too!   But I must get some sleep so I am afraid this post will have to be continued.......