Updates: Summer School, Lab Results, EEG, OT

Matthew started summer school this week (they call it Extended School Year). He'll be going to his usual preschool autism class for 20 hours/week for five weeks. In addition, he is a student in the PAC Beginning Hands-on Training and for that he stays an additional 2.5 hours per day (for 5 days)...we volunteered to do this as it helps train teachers.

We received the results of his Urine Toxic Metals test (we sent a sample to Doctor's Data). The heavy metals Matthew scored higher in are Nickle, Lead, and [the dreaded] Mercury. (A hair test a few months ago showed that he also has high Arsenic, Antimony, & Tin.) We go to see his DAN doctor in August...I think it might be time to start detox/chelation.

I am in the process of getting Matthew signed up for a 24 hour video EEG at Children's in DC. We need to do this to hopefully rule out seizures. He has staring spells which are common in kids with autism, but sometimes absence seizures/petit mals grow up to be grand mals and we need to know in order to control that. The worst part will be attaching the many leads to his scalp...from what I hear they attach them with a stinky cement and they're hard to remove. Matthew has sensitivity issues so I dread having to hold him down for 10 minutes while they put them on. He hates people touching his head so this will not be a fun experience for him.

Lastly, we got word from the Chesapeake Center that they hired a new occupational therapist and b/c we were at the top of the waiting list (we've been on it since last August) Matthew will start OT next week, for 1 hour per week. We will finally get that sensory diet we were promised by Early Intervention 11 months ago! :)