Sydney

6 years old

Sydney doesn"t talk and is not potty trained. She is on a special diet. She also has had chelation therapy from Dr. Mary Megson, a chelation specialist for children in Richmond, VA. Dr. Megson believes that the autism was caused by multiple doses of vaccinations. Sydney's onset of autism occurred at about 5 months of age. She contracted a condition called Tuberous Sclerosis which first appeared as hypopigmented spots on her skin and then she had an onset of seizures. Tuberous Sclerosis can either cause retardation or autism.

Her father, Dave, as well as other family members have ADD problems. Dave has been married before and has a son who is severely ADD.

The following is a journal of the two week treatment of this child with AIT, including some observations and an update from Sydneys' Mother, Sharon.

6/13/07 Wednesday Session #1 (CD #1)

Sydney couldn"t tolerate the headset. I stopped the CD and her mother, Sharon, and I wrapped her in a sheet in papoose style. Sharon had to straddle her while Sydney was lying on the floor of the treatment room. She bucked, kicked, and flailed her arms. She also tried to pull the headset off by using her hands and a strong jerking head movement. Sydney managed to get 28 minutes of the 30 minutes even though she screamed loudly nearly the entire session. She clearly enjoys music as exhibited by her choice of a musical toy that entertained her while sister, Nikki had her AIT session.

The problem is the headset

The drive down from Richmond in the family car, checking into a hotel and the difficult first session made me decide to cancel the second session for the day. The family enjoyed the indoor pool and Jacuzzi at Embassy Suites.

Sharon reported that Sydney slept through the night and didn't wake up even when her alarm clock went off at 6 AM.

6/14/07 Thursday Session #2 11 AM (CD #2) 11:00 AM

Sydney entered the treatment room with no complaints, but began whining when she saw the AIT equipment and the sheet we used the previous day to "papoose" her. She cried and screamed most of this session, but the crying was softer and her legs were still for the most part. Once again I had to hold the headset on her ears. I suggested that Sharon immediately give her a food reward and she chose a juice box.

6/14/07 Thursday Session #3 (CD #3) 5:00 PM - Breakthrough session

Sydney whimpered slightly upon entering the treatment room. She was papoosed again, but was much calmer. SHE DIDN'T CRY THE ENTIRE SESSION. I did massage her head during this session. She did make eye contact even though I was holding the headset and she saw me upside down.

Sydney only tried once to get the headset off. Most of the session I didn't have to hold the headset to her ears. Sometimes it appeared that she was humming to the music she was hearing.

After her session, she was able to sit quietly in Sharon's lap. Sydney loves music!! Immediately she looked for the drum machine she had played with the previous day. ( It was a surprise that she could sit so calmly after having to be completely still during her 30 minute session.

6/15/07 Friday Session # 4 (CD #4 ) 10:00 AM

Sharon commented that Sydney slept a straight 12 hours. She appeared a little sleepy this morning. Sydney cried softly the first 5 minutes of the session. I did not have to hold the headset on her ears. At times she seemed to be listening to the music as she moved her eyes thoughtfully. The last 2 minutes of the session she whined. I rubbed her temples throughout the entire session.

Aftter the session she immediately went for the drum machine. Sydney was very calm and sat quietly in the swing. She was reluctant to leave my house and the swing in the patio area even when her sister, Nikki's session was over.

 

6/15/07 Friday Session #5 2:00 PM(CD #5) (Papoosed in a sheet)

Cried 4 to 5 minutes and then suddenly stopped. Cried short intervals throughout the session. Sydney didn't try to take off the headset.

Sharon's parents stopped her hotel and her mother said that Sydney played with him more than ever before.

Sharon and Nikki went out together for about an hour while Sydney and Dad were together.

 

6/16/07 Saturday Session #6 2:00 PM (CD #6) (Papoosed)

The family went to the beach and I first discovered that Sydney received the AIT much better when she is tired out from physical exertion. It was decided that the 2:00 PM/ 6:00 PM was the best schedule for Sydney

6/16/07 Saturday Session #7 7:00PM (CD #7) (Papoosed)

Sydney seemed to tolerate this session without crying. I believe that her father's visit was a help to her today. She got a little restless about 2 minutes before the end of the session.

6/17/07 Sunday Session #8 6:00 PM (Father's Day) (CD # 8 )

Today went to Buckroe Beach and for the first time in her life she had a swim at the beach. In the past she has been afraid to do so. Also another first is the fact that Sydney watched a cartoon on television with her dad, Dave.

I have discovered that Sydney attends to the therapy after she is physically tired out.

Sydney had a very good session!! No crying! Sydney was very playful. She said, "Mama" very clearly while looking at Sharon. She laughed out loud several times. She also stretched out her arms to Sharon and as Sharon leaned over her, Sydney hugged her mother very affectionately for a long time until Sharon broke the hold.

Session #9 Sunday, June 17, 2007 at 6 PM (Still papoosed)

When Sydney arrived for this session she was visibly tired after having had a swimming session with the family at the indoor pool at the Hampton Embassy Suites.

Very good session! Once again no crying! I tried the tapping Codices of Body Talk. This seemed to be very soothing. Sharon took some pictures of Sydney laughing during the AIT session. The flash of the camera didn't startle her at all. Her legs were very active and I did some foot reflexolgy.

This also seemed to be enjoyable to Sydney. When the session was over, she was wasn't anxious to leave the treatment room as she did in the first several sessions. Eye contact continues to improve!

Goal: Sydney will be able to sit in the treatment chair without being restrained.

6/18/07 Monday Session #10 (CD #10) 2 PM

Sydney appeared tired from a morning at the beach. The temperature today is in the low to mid 90's with high humidity. Sharon reported that Sydney clearly said "Nikki" and maybe "swim" which was not definite.

I allowed Sydney to play the drum machine a few seconds prior to treatment. She whined a little, but willingly allowed me to put on the headset. The pillows and sheet were already on the floor.

We were able to open the sheet and allow Sydney to be unwrapped for the first time since treatment began. Sydney hugged her mother and it sounded to me like she said "I love you." She laughed out loud several times and seemed very happy until about the last 2 minutes when she cried. The music playing at that time was a piano/trumpet duet.

Sydney sat on the coach in my den and very nicely played the drum machine. She discovered that she could press the buttons of the drum machine with her feet. She attempted to stand on the couch and dance to the music. The couch was too soft for her to maintain balance.

During the time that I was treating her sister, Nikki, she walked over to my business partner, Conrad Sugar and sat on his lap and "invited" him to play the drum machine with her.

6/18/07 Monday Session #11 ( CD # 11) 6 PM

Sydney arrived looking very tired. She had just had her afternoon swim in the pool as has become the daily routine. Sharon reported that she was sitting poolside and talking to another women when Sydney came over to her and began jabbering. Then unassisted, she walked over to the Jacuzzi and got in by herself. Her self-confidence is growing daily.

The session can best be described as a funfilled event. Sydney had loud outbursts of laughter. She played a teasing game of trying to take off her diaper while diverting out attention by smiling and gigling. This give and take carried on for at least four exchanges.

There was no cyring, but much vocalization which I believe was Sydney's attempt at singing. True to form she became restless at the last two minutes of the treatment.

Sydney now heads for the couch in the den while she plays the drum machine. When she got off the couch she was patient enough for Sharon to read the summary of each of her treatment sessions. The new trick of playing the drum machine with her feet was carried out in the kitchen. I took hold of her hands and we actually "danced" to the music. Sharon had the camcorder running and took some very good footage.

Sydney generally seems happier and willing to learn new things. She is beginng to develop a "personality" exhibiting an interplay with the people around her.

6/19/07 Tuesday Session #12 (CD #12) 2 PM

Sidney seemed very tired today. The heat index was 100 degrees. Perhaps this made her a little cranky. She cried off and on throughout the session. The routine of looking for the drum machine continued as soon as she left the treatment room. Sydney is beginning to be able to sit for a while and entertain herself.

6/19/07 Tuesday Session # 13 (CD # 13) 6 PM

Sharon said Sydney was very independent about going into the pool by herself.

Tonight we switched the order of treatment. Nikki went first and Sydney sat on the couch beside Sharon and played the drum machine allowing Sharon to read the manual from the DAN Conference. I made the comment to Sydney "you're so cute" and most appropriately she smiled and posed as if to say I know I'm cute. I am seeing more and more of this appropriate behavior. I truly believe she is starting to understand a lot of language.

After her treatment I asked Sydney to open the kitchen door and she put her hand on the knob. She left her hand in place as I placed my hand over hers to turn the knob.

Also Sydney is beginning to babble a lot and I believe it is the beginning of her ability to talk. At times she exhibits appropriate head gestures to accompany the babbling.

There was a lot of crying again for this session, but there were times when she also smiled and laughed. I still believe that having to lie still for 30 minutes is the problem and not the music.

6/20/07 Wednesday Session # 14 (CD # 14) 2:00 PM

Sharon took the girls to Ross' and walked through the book section. Sydney spotted a Barney book and said "book" and "Barney." Sharon reported that Sydney was so excited about seeing Barney. Sharon bought her the Barney book and read it to her while she waited for her sister's treatment.

I tried to hold Sydney on my lap for the session, but she is not ready for this yet. We are still wrapping her papoose style. She cried throughout the session, but for very short periods of time. Often she goes from a cry to a laugh instantly. I still believe it is the fact that she has to lie still that makes her cry. She is just fine as soon as she can stand up.

When her session is over, she immediately looks for the drum machine.

6/20/07 Wednesday Session # 15 (CD # 15) 6:00 PM

Sharon remembered that she had a plastic drumstick in the car. In the past tapping on Sydney with this stick soothed her. It is indeed a strange phenonmenon, but this technique helped Sydney get through this session a lot easier.

Once again Sydney played with the drum machine. Sharon noticed that the drum machine had a pair of plastic drumsticks affixed to the back of it. I planned to use one or both of them on the next day's treatment.

6/21/07 Thursday Session #16 (CD #16) 2:00 PM

The weather today was perfect so the Hughes family went to Buckroe Beach this morning before the treatment. Sydney arrived in a very good mood.

Sharon and I played with her while Nikki had her treatment first. There had been no time for lunch before arriving, so I had no way of knowing whether Sydney was hungry or not. She was thirsty and drank some of her mother's iced tea and then water.

We both used the drumsticks to tap on Sydney during her session. The third drumstick went into Sydney's mouth. Throughout the session she giggled often and did not cry at all.

6/21/07 Thursday Session #17 (CD # 17) 6:00 PM

Nikki took the first session again tonight. Sharon, Sydney, and I played out on the patio. Sydney took on a game of teasing me. I would call her over to the swing, she would touch the edge of the swing and then quickly return to her mother's lap. Sydney clearly knew what she was doing.

Sydney's session was again a laughing, happy one. We used all three of the drumsticks again and Sydney seemed to really enjoy her session.

Sydney is beginning to learn how to hold a drumstick and tried to hit the drum pads with a drumstick. With a little practice, she will easily be able to play specific rhyrhms.

 

Sharon, I suggest that you try to teach Sydney how to hold one drumstick with the dominant hand and then teach her to use the other hand. Eventually I believe that she will be able to hold both sticks and play the drum machine. I would love to have pictures of this when she is able to play the drums.

Remember to not let Sydney wear headsets again for at least three months.

6/22/07 Friday Session #18 (CD #18) 10:00 AM

Sydney was told that she would be going home to see daddy this afternoon. Sharon said that she was excited. Sydney seems to be understanding a lot of conversation in the last few days.

Nikki had the 1^st session today. Sharon, Sydney, and I sat outside and talked. Sydney walked up the backdoor steps and opened the storm door. She kept looking back as if to ask permission to go into the house. After we both told her it was okay to open the door she did so.

Immediately she went for the couch where I had left the drum machine. I demonstrated to Sydney how to hold a drumstick and beat on one of the sound pads. She was able to do successfully. This will be good for her eye-hand coordination. She had so much fun I believe that she was over stimulated by the time her session began. She cried and continued to move her arms. After several minutes of tapping her hands with the drumsticks she calmed down. I suggested that she take the first session and allow her to play later.

6/22/07 Friday Session # 19 (CD # 19 2:00AM

Sydney again had the second session today. We tried to keep her as calm as possible. After I set the equipment properly for Nikki, Sharon and I took Sydney for a walk around my backyard. The wind was blowing and Sydney really seemed to notice how good it felt against her skin. Sharon and I sat in the swing, but it was obvious that Sydney wanted to play her drum machine.

It is very clear that Sydney is understanding oral instructions. Once again she walked up to my backdoor porch. She opened the storm door and waited and looked at Sharon and me as if to say come and open this door for me because it is harder to turn. She also appeared to be waiting for permission from me to enter my house. After I told her that she could go in, she turned the doorknob easily and went directly to the couch to play her drum machine.

This session was very stressful. I believe that Sydney was anxious to go home and see her father and was therefore very restless. Also Sydney recognized that there were gaps of silence in the CD's as each new piece of music was introduced. She has successfully learned that silence meant her listening session was over and would reach up and remove the headphones.

Findings and Observations of Sydney's Growth

• Sydney has grown both emotionally and physically in her controled response to music.
  
  
• She has grown in her tolerance for touch and the ability to signal "more" or "no more" in response to touch without violence.
  
  
• Eventially she has initiated touch toward her mother and a relative stranger. Equally important, sometimes she touched in passing persons in the room without premediatation, a very normal response.
  
  
• As her responses to music grew, the rhythm machine and kazoos became very important as a follow-up activity to the AIT sessions.
  
  
• I recommend such equipment as a major part of either a late portion of a treatment session, or (better yet) a reward after a session. It was at this time after the sessions that her growth seemed clearest. Mrs. Soles will say to Sydney, "Sydney you were so good while listening to your special music, you may play the drum machine and dance with me. You may also play the kazoo."
  
  
• Sydney looks upon music and instruments as a reward for completing her sessions.
  
  
• She really enjoys the freedom to make music on the drum machine.
  
  
• Rhythm is very important to Sydney. Perhaps she will become a drummer.
  
  
• Sydney most definitely has showed me that music is the road to her recovery.
  
  
• The muscles in her face are more relaxed and she has become prettier during the course of the treatment.
  
  
• Sydney now looks at an object, rather than staring emptily at something.

At Sydney's last session she touched a balloon on my porch and said the word, "balloon." I believe that this process of "touch and speak" will continue to grow.

Update On Sydney - From Sharon

6/26/07 Tuesday

Yesterday Sydney said "Mom" and "blue" (Sharon believes that blue is Sydney's favorite color) while reading to her. Sydney seemed very proud of herself. She also took the vacuum cleaner out of Sharon's hands and did some vacuuming herself while it was on!! She always ran away from it in the past. She also did not run from the hair dryer. When the girls returned home, Sydney was a little fussy . Sharon asked her "Would you like to go swing? She looked straight at Sharon and screamed with excitement and ran to the back door without hesitations!!

Update On Sydney

2/5/08 Friday

• Vocabulary increase to 100 words from virtually nil, and shows a growing interest in the ABC's.  (Sydney's only word was “mama” when she came to me in June, 2007.) Most dramatically she is beginning to understand the concepts of direction and distance, such as “up” and “down.”
  
  
• Growth of interaction - she will sometimes answer questions and understands simple directions that are given to her.
   
• Increased awareness of and reaction to her surroundings:
  • Cause and Effect - she seems to understand why something happens
  • Increased recall and recognition of the past.
    

• Increased Autonomy
  • Development of basic superego when getting a midnight shack, she took only those foods she was allowed on her special diet.
  • She didn't return food to refrigerator.
  • Sydney has developed some personal rules, but social rules are still beyond her.
    
    
• Development of an INTERACTIVE style of play since she has come to recognize that others live on the same basis as she.