Blog Posts - Dragonfly Pediatric Therapy, Inc.

the power of prayer

2/22/2018

You may wonder why on earth an OT would write about the power of prayer . . . well, because I believe in it and it is a HUGE part of my practice.

In a world that looks as if it has gone crazy, prayer has become more necessary than ever in my professional and Christian opinion.

In addition to studying and doing anything and everything I can to help my OT kids and their families soar, one of my greatest super powers is praying for each and every one of them in addition to the treatment that I provide each week.

When I can't seem to figure out what is next in helping a child to move to the next level of developmental advancement, I lean heavily on prayer to help me get to the bottom of what needs to be done and I'm here to say, it works. I have seen it time and time again.

Prayer is a bridge of hope when you feel frustrated about what to do in a situation that seems overwhelming. I tell my families and kids all the time that I am praying for them and some seem quite surprised by this and others seem comforted and that makes my heart sing.

So I challenge each and every one of you that are a part of the population of health care providers, throw some prayer into your expertise and I dare say, you WILL succeed and help the ones that need it the most.

Prayer and compassion are a winning combination not only in life, but in your practice so use it and pray without ceasing. You WILL see results!

A Team Approach

12/14/2017

As an OT, I realize that I cannot accomplish everything on my own for each of my OT kids and that's why a TEAM approach is critical to meet the kid's personal goals, the parent's goals for their child, as well and goals related to the classroom and daily living.

Now, in some cases this team involves a physical therapist and maybe even a speech therapist as well as doctors and counselors. However, in addition to these disciplines, there are a couple of others that I am referring to and I am very excited to be working with them.

My team consists of my nutrition coordinator, my horse owners, my nutritional store, my naturopathic doctor, my parents, and of course God.

I have talked a lot about the need for the blending of Western and Eastern medicine or practice in order to treat each individual in a way that will be the very best for them and the outcomes that everyone has in mind. Not one entity can accomplish this on their own and if they think they can, they are doing a HUGE injustice for the child or adult, depending on who you are treating.

Throwing pills at people is just masking the underlying cause of what is going on and in many cases, creates secondary side effects that seem to outweigh the very thing that was the problem in the first place.

In order to treat the whole person/child, one must start with nutrition because yes, this makes a huge difference as it is necessary to have a solid foundation in which to work off of. If you are putting junk in, junk will come out. In fact, a lot of the additives that are in foods can create 'syndrome' looking outcomes and if you change your eating habits, your 'syndromes' just might go away. An example of this was one of my OT kids who looked like he was on the rather severe side of the autism spectrum but with a lot of study, talking to folks, and faith, this kid's parents changed his diet and now you would be hard pressed to see him as autistic at all on most days. I applaud these folks and all of you parents out there that realize the importance of good nutrition.

The other thing that I feel is important is emotional health. This is the cornerstone of the whole person. If you see your child having a lot of anxiety for whatever reason, this can cause the over-release of cortisol and adrenaline into the system, which not only taxes the adrenal glands but can also decrease your immunity welcoming a lot of sickness. Many of the autoimmune system diseases that we are seeing these days can be linked backed to over-taxed adrenal glands, though there are other reasons to consider as well.

So, getting a good handle on your nutrition and emotional health is essential for your foundation of human-ness. I myself am gluten free, sugar free, and processed food free. If I get a hold of these foods, my gut kicks my tail and I find myself frequenting the bathroom as well as a very gassy and painful gut area. I have also added the Muse to my daily routine to help me decrease my anxiety and become more mindful. The Muse is a biofeedback system that can be found on Amazon. I highly recommend this daily for at least 5-12 minutes. I have been able to lower my blood pressure quite nicely since using it.

Going back to nutrition for a minute, did you know that the gut is the area of 70% of our immunity? This is why it is essential to take care of that gut, y'all. If that percentage of immunity is hanging out in there, you owe it to yourself and your children to change that nutrition for the better. Your quality of life will thank you.

In order to address nutrition, I am currently working with my coordinator, who is also a life coach and a physical therapy assistant, as well as a place here in my town called Ruth's Nutrition. Ruth's Nutrition is the bomb and has a whole mess of healthy alternatives because although I believe in lean protein and plant based eating, not every person or child can tolerate this as they might have texture issues or other food related issues and its just not possible. Ruth's Nutrition is my bridge for this issue with my OT kids and I am thrilled to be working with them as well as my nutrition coordinator.

I get a lot of raised eyebrows when I talk about the next part of my team because a lot of folks don't get exposed to this let alone heard of this. My farm and ranch owners allow me the benefit of horse assisted therapy in the form of Hippotherapy, which is OT using a horse and this is my riding part as well as my horse assisted therapy, which is ground work with no riding.

Horses are preyed upon animals and when this is your mindset, you are given incredibly heightened senses because you have to be able to immediately decipher if a situation is going to eat you or kill you. It makes one a bit jumpy as you can imagine but not jumpy in a way you might think.

Horses have managed to survive in herds for thousands of years and because of their heightened sense of awareness, they feel everything. Given this, they are the best animals for the job of helping people and children. My ranch owner told me a story one time that she had a mom, dad, and child out at the ranch doing a guided family session where they stood in the arena with a few horses and a pony. The family seemed edgy each time they came. The horses would go up to the daughter but not really pay any mind to the mom and definitely not the dad. Here's the interesting part...the pony would go up to the man, turn his rump at him, and poop on his shoes. The man never moved, never wiped the poo from his shoe, he would just stand there. They would leave and then come back the week after for their next session. This happened a few more times with the same response from the man after getting pooped on, not moving or wiping his shoes off. On one visit the daughter timidly blurted out after getting pooped on maybe the 3rd or 4th visit, "The pony knows." To which the mother whipped around and scowled at the girl as if to tell her to shut up. This got the attention of the woman directing the session. Long story short, the dad was sexually abusing the daughter while the mom looked the other way and the horse knew that the man was bad. The authorities were called and the parents were arrested. The daughter went to live with extended family. This is a true story, people. Horses know. They might not understand sexual abuse, but they sense bad in people. As my ranch friend says, "They will either walk up to you or not. If you are bad, they might poop on your shoes." Horses know.

They also sense anxiety, anger, and depression to name a few, which is something you may not even realize that you had standing in an arena with a group of horses. If your try moving towards a horse and the horse moves away from you, it senses something uneasy in you. Horses are used in all kinds of psychological treatment and my ranch friend has a War Veterans program that she works on as well. Horses know, y'all, and they can heal. I know my time with them has healed me in many ways.

My Hippotherapy program utilizes the horse for its central nervous system organizing gait pattern, core strength, crossing the mid-line, confidence building, and a ton more therapeutic benefits that would take too long to list. Kids make such wonderful gains if you can add a horse to their OT sessions.

My team would not be complete without the addition of a fascinating woman who is a board certified naturopathic doctor. She embraces Eastern medicine practices and natural healing because after all, our bodies can heal themselves, we've just been convinced that this isn't possible in some cases, so not true. This brilliant woman is an honor to work with and I recommend her to my OT kid families often when Western medicine just isn't working on its own.

Family is also an important part of the team as the kids spend the most time with them. I tell my parents a lot to help their child perform the exercises that are sent home so gains can be made quicker. I have some of the most incredible families, y'all.

Finally, and yes, I'm unconventional and you don't have to agree with me, that's your choice . . . God and prayer. If you leave out nutrition, emotional health, OT/PT/ST, counseling, and any other healthcare provider and then leave out God, well, you're good as gone as far as I'm concerned.

The pentafecta of health is nutrition, emotional health, movement, being outside in the fresh air, and of course, God and prayer. Leaving any of this out will hold anyone back from a good quality of life and if you are holding it back from your kids, well, step back and reassess, okay?

To all my sweet families and everyone else too, the most important thing you can do is listen to your heart and your gut, they tell you things that you need to know. God built us to be great, we just have to help the process, ya know?

Horses heal

11/17/2017

Ever since I was a child, I was always drawn to animals. My mom had a love affair with dogs so we always seemed to have one around. At one point, she started breeding Dachshunds to earn money for Christmas, she was quite the savvy stay at home mom and was always coming up with ways to help my father support the family.

Many years ago, while in Illinois where I lived until I was 13 years old, my dad and his brothers owned a farm. There were share croppers that would work the land but back then, a 20 minute drive seemed like an eternity so we never had any animals on the property much to my sadness because my parents reasoned that it was too far to care for them plus, we didn't have a lot of money starting out. However, there was one little nugget that I got to enjoy on the farmer's land next to ours, her name was Gold Dust and she was the most beautiful Palomino colored horse you have ever seen. Because of her, my love affair with horses took off and never went away.

One of the things I noticed and still remember years later, is how being with her made me feel. I can only describe it in simple words like calm, respectful, grateful, and happy but there are so many other feelings that she conjured up simply standing there in her presence that I don't think words can do justice to.

My desire, of course, was to own my own horse some day but dreams have a funny way of being strung on for reasons that I may not understand at the time, only to be relieved years and years later.

Fast forward to the present and I can only describe this to you in a spiritual way as I know that the good Lord above has led me on this path that I am on right now. It's not always been easy, but now I know without a doubt why He chose this route.

As a Pediatric Occupational Therapist of over 25 years, I have always been overjoyed seeing the many different therapies go in unheard of directions. I am so happy that SOMEBODY finally figured out that using animals around people and kids is some of the most 'healing-ist' stuff out there. I can attest to this as I use my dog Scout in therapy all of the time and that little fella can get kids to do stuff I would have never dreamed could be pulled out of them.

By the grace of God, I have run across several horsewomen over the last few years that I have connected on so many levels with and now I have the honor of offering Hippotherapy and Horse Assisted Therapy as part of my practice because y'all, horses heal and that book I have pictured up there is probably one of the most profound books I have ever read in my life and I thank Tim Hayes for taking the time to write it. If you think you know all about horses, well, test yourself reading his book and I'll bet you'll learn a thing or two. I know I did and I feel that his book answered and verified all of the thoughts I have always had about horses like:

1. They know more than you think

2. They only behave in the here and now and feed off of what you are giving off so if you are angry, they may not come up to you, but instead, walk away because you are freaking them out and they have to protect themselves

3. They are hypervigilent in order to survive as they have for thousands and thousands of years

4. Their eyes and ears can work separately from each other and boy can you tell a lot from their eyes, ears, and tail-you just have to watch

5. Their goal in life is to not be eaten so things like a bag blowing across their pasture will freak them the heck out because they go into, "Is that going to eat me," mode

6. Horses heal and that's all I need to say about that

7. No, you don't have to enjoy a horse by riding him/her, they are great to enjoy on the ground, in fact, that's what I prefer, just being with them

I am so honored that I have the opportunity to offer Hippotherapy and Horse Assisted Therapy to the kids that I get the privilege of working with everyday. In my quest to treat the whole child, I was divinely guided and I and thankful everyday!

Check Tim's book out y'all, it is something else.

OVER-ACCOMODATION

10/28/2017

Over the last year as an OT, I have seen a lot of parents over-adapting situations to accommodate their children and keep them happy but in doing so, they are creating a child that will never learn anything if he/she isn't allowed to fail, fall, get hurt, etc.

As the quote says, 'failure is a part of life,' and a vital one at that. The reason this has come to my attention is because I myself am guilty of over-accommodating at my clinic. If a parent or child complains of something such as, "These prizes stink. When are you going to get new ones," I would find myself running out that night to get 'better' prizes to accommodate the complaint. I also found myself 'hiding' things from kids that I knew they wanted but couldn't have when I really should have said, "No, you can't have that so chose something else."

So, I had a come to Jesus with myself and I am not going to do this anymore because I am adding to the problem I speak of today. Now, this isn't to say that I will put your child in harms way such as having peanuts in the clinic if I know your child is allergic or any other danger but, I will tell them to get over it if the prizes aren't good because that's just life and you'll have to wait . . . oh no, not wait.

Kids need to be told no, they need to fall and get hurt, they need to have their heart broken once, they need to get their feelings hurt, etc., etc. I know this may make me sound horrible but the only way they will know what it feels like is if it happens to them and then the success will be what they learn from it. The world cannot possibly accommodate every human being on the planet, that would be called heaven and we don't have that here on Earth.

It would be if a brain surgeon tried to explain brain surgery to you . . . you'd nod your head as a courtesy but inside you would be thinking, "What in the heck is he talking about?" The only way you would know what it 'feels' like would be to do it. Only then would it make sense to you on a cellular level and the experience would cause you to learn. Make sense?

A broken heart will make you stronger.
A fall will give you a bloody knee but I'll bet you won't do that dumb wheelie on your bike the same way you did this time because it made you scrap your knee.
If the prize box doesn't have the prize you want, then you have to learn patience for when it is refilled.
If another kid hurts your feelings, you will feel it yes and it will stink, but if you have learned anything from this then you wouldn't do that to someone else because you remember how it felt.
If they don't make a good grade on their test, well, they need to study harder.

I could go on and on but my point is failure is absolutely necessary for everyone even kids with special needs. If you want these kids to try and be an active part of society, then they have to fail. Now, I'm not talking about taking their wheelchair away or any other cruel action . . . use your common sense here . . . you know what I mean . . . within reason as a teaching tool.

I have 5 kids of my own and I've seen all of the various failings they have had happen to them, some done to themselves, and some done to them. It stinks I know and it breaks my heart but I know that this is the way of life and the value of the failure comes when they've learned something to tuck into their little coconuts sitting on top of their shoulders.

Hang in their y'all, you are doing a good job, just let them fail some.

the importance of what you are putting in your mouth/body

10/12/2017

I know we all get so sick of hearing about what we are eating and how it is affecting our bodies. Believe me, I hate that I can't devour Mexican food and margaritas to my hearts content.

Now, consider what our kids are eating and it will make your cringe. The food people out there are literally altering our genetic make-up with the additives they feel are necessary to help them make more money, which in turn is causing syndromes and diseases such as autism, genetic disorder (I have never seen such an increase in my 25 years of practice), ADHD, childhood diabetes, obesity, and many more. It's out of control, y'all. It really is.

Now, on top of the alterations in our genetics, I have never seen such an increase in digestive issue such as leaky gut, IBS, colitis, Crone's disease, Celiac disease, etc. I too suffer from this very thing and it has taken me the last 10 years to get it figured out by reading, studying, experimenting, and suffering.

I discovered that I am gluten intolerant and yes, this is a real thing, dairy sensitive, sugar sensitive as it causes an out of control internal inflammatory craziness in my system and every joint hurts like fire, as well as simple carbohydrates. If I veer off of my nutritional path, I pay for it the next day with cramping, bloating, and frequent bathroom visits. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

What we put in our mouth and bodies can also affect our brain output and mental stamina. There are actually certain foods that cause an opiate affect in the brain. That's crazy!! Here is link to an article on this subject.

http://www.nourishingplot.com/2014/01/31/foods-that-cause-opiate-effect-in-the-brain/

Our bodies were designed to fix themselves and no, medication can't fix everything although I know in some cases it is necessary but so many doctors are taking the easy way out by throwing pills at every ailment we complain about. Be the detective for yourself and look at your diet first. I guarantee that this is the underlying issue 90% of the time.

Its time to take care of our bodies, its the only one we have and don't you want a better quality of life for yourself and your children?

If you don't know where to start, click on the tab on my website that says 'The Importance of Good Nutrition' and there you will find a checklist. Fill it out and get it back to me. I can help!

The Importance of Nature

8/30/2017

When I say the word 'nature,' what do you think of?

I think of Colorado, Arizona, and Utah which were my stomping grounds every year with my family from the time I was 6 months old and later, I had the honor of living in Colorado for a time and was a junky fisherwoman.

For me, nature cleanses my soul and helps me to remember that I am as much a part of my planet as my planet is a part of me. We are of the Earth. We are 70% water and our planet is equal to that in its water measurement as well.

The Earth was made for us to enjoy, live off of, fish off of, eat off of, and become ourselves again.

With all of this technology, the stress of our jobs, etc. we become so far removed from our very selves and nature has a way of helping us feel whole again.

Just a 20 minute hike in the woods being surrounded by trees, oxygen, birds, etc. can help us swing back to being whole again.

For children, nature is a healer. Here are 5 reasons to get your kids OUTSIDE!!

1. It helps improve their resilience to stress. Now a days, our kids seem to have more stress than ever with the increasing demands of school, sports, etc.

2. It helps to decrease symptoms of ADHD and depression.

3. It helps to increase creativity and cognitive function.

4. Being outside increases physical activity which in turn, helps to prevent obesity.

5. It helps develop their respect and responsibility for our planet.

As of today, we only have one Earth and it was given to us to love, respect, take care of, and enjoy. Its good, y'all, so enjoy it with your kids.

Get outside!!!

The dragonfly approach

8/20/2017

I have been working my tail off at the clinic for the last 20 years but especially the last 6 months and now, finally, all of the pieces that I feel are absolutely necessary to treat the whole child are in place.

Now, the book that I have written has been turned into the publisher and I want all of y'all to say some big prayers as this book NEEDS to be published. It is God driven and written from what I call 'the trifecta of understanding.' What this means is I live with special needs of my own, I bore two children with special needs of their own that I successfully treated, and I have worked with special needs for 25 years as an OT. I believe I have earned the honor of writing a book given this type of cellularly felt knowledge of understanding. Wouldn't you agree?

'The Dragonfly Approach' is what I myself deem the absolute justice you can do for each of your pediatric kids because it is based on knowledge, understanding, and treatment of the whole child, not his/her parts. It is a wholistic, healthy, spiritual, feelings, and OT treatment type approach.

'The Approach' includes:

-Testing and recognizing the presence of retained reflexes. This is the most important piece of the puzzle and must be addressed or your child will have no foundation to work off of! I am floored at the number of therapists that are not looking at this at all and they wonder why some of the goals that everyone has set for the child are not being met and everyone is so dang frustrated.

-Treating these retained reflexes with exercises and cold laser with harmonic frequency practice. If you don't know what this is, look it up on line. This type of treatment acts as the needles of acupuncture but works twice as fast. It also utilizes cell energy, regeneration, the meridians, and acupoints of the human body. I also give daily exercises for home to each of my families to help integrate these retained reflexes faster so we can work on higher centers in the brain.

-Nutrition is imperative for a healthy gut and a healthy body and brain. If you are putting processed, poisoned foods into your body and the bodies of your kids, stop right now because you are damaging them and yourselves. I am now an advocate of Juice Plus+ and all of the research and hard work they are putting into the importance of plant based whole foods that is our body's fuel and if you want your body to work for you, you better take care of it. Did you know that 70% of the bodies immune system resides in the intestines? Leaky gut is real and when I don't eat properly, my leaky gut kicks my tail.

-Sensory integration issues are the direct result of retained reflexes. This type of sensory integrating therapy needs to go hand in hand with intense retained reflex integrating exercises. I do both at the same time.

-Get your kids a DEVELOPMENTAL eye exam if they are struggling with reading or school in general. This is different from a regular eye doctor. Your child has to have good eye development if he/she is to be able to do well in school.

-Aquatic therapy is a piece that I feel is imperative for certain types of children. The hydrostatic pressure is like a big water hug and feels so good to those sweet children. Now, not all clinics can provide this and if this is so, get your child into a pool and just play! It'll do them good.

-Hippotherapy is my latest and greatest medium that I have had the honor and privilege to add to 'The Approach.' The movement of the horse is rhythmic when it is walking. This rhythm is key in aiding the reorganization of the brain-body maps located in our brains. There is a whole bunch of literature and teaching on rhythmic movement therapy and the cool thing about the horse is, its doing it with just the ease of walking around a corral. There are a ton more benefits of horse assisted therapy and can be easily Googled and read about.

-Therapeutic Listening is a program that I love and use with just about every child on caseload. This therapy utilizes the vestibular system located in the ear and through modified music, can do wonderful things to the brain and its organization or re-organization. Vital Links is my go to program.

-Brain Beat is a program that utilizes the visual system, the motor system, the auditory system, and our inner timing. This program helps with timing, sequencing, and attention by helping the synapsis of the brain run in a more organized and fluid way.

-Biofeedback is one of the most awesome thing I use right now. I actually had a child who is so 'busy' and has never been able to feel what a calm state is until he worked on biofeedback. I got tearful when he looked at me and said, "I have never felt like this before, Ms. Sharon . . . never this calm." Holy cow!

-Yoga is one of the most powerful tools for getting in tune with our bodies. My OT kids absolutely love their yoga classes that I teach each Saturday morning and during their OT sessions. There are loads of benefits to yoga. I have also added a meditation and centering piece so these sweet kids can enter into a self-induced stated of calm. When was the last time you or your kids were calm? Sleeping doesn't count.

-Essential oils are Mother Nature's gift to us. For years I thought they were hooey, but boy was I wrong. I am a wholesaler for the Plant Therapy company and these folks do not have a pyramid scheme to support so their prices are incredibly affordable and their oils are 100% pure and wonderful.

Now, folks, I realize that not every clinic you are attending can offer all of these things and I'm not saying that my approach is the end all of approaches, but I can say that I am seeing things in these kids that are incredible. I have families in tears thanking me for bringing their child out of themselves and into a world that is easier for them to be a part of because of the skills they are accomplishing.

I have a huge beef with docs throwing meds at these tiny kids before the root of the problem is discovered. That's wrong y'all. Throwing pills at a little kid is like putting a band-aid on a pussy, oozing, bloody sore and expecting it to get well. It ain't gonna happen.

In my opinion, the marrying of Western and Eastern medicine is a necessary and vital thing for our human race. Pills are not always the answer but the natural ways of Eastern medicine can compliment the Western beliefs and pills should only be used as THE VERY LAST RESORT.

I realize the benefits of penicillin, antibiotics, depression meds, certain cancer drugs, etc. but getting to the root of certain issues can not only save a child, or yourself for that matter, a lot of added side affects from that pill that can sometimes outweigh the very need of those pills in the first place. Wouldn't you agree?

Before we run to pills, lets take the Eastern philosophy and practice into consideration first. Lets look at what the child's birth looked like. Were they born by C-section? Did the mom get a virus at a critical time of pregnancy? Was their undiagnosed diabetes, etc.? These things can cause retained reflexes which are located in the most primitive area of our brain called the brain stem.

If we start our investigation of each child at the brain stem level and not at the top more complex of the brain for the answers, loads of information can be learned and help start a good strong foundation of recovery.

I pray that my book gets published as I feel 150% sure every parent with or without kids with special needs will learn and feel empowered to ask the questions that need to be asked of every healthcare worker on your team. Trust yourselves parents for you are driven by 'intuitive neurons' and they are whispering to you when you feel something isn't quite right either about your child or anything else in your world for that matter.

Love y'all!!

Say no to soy!

8/4/2017

Children and Soy:
(An article taken from shirley-wellness-cafe.com)

A word of caution considering all of soy's health benefits, it is tempting for new and expectant mothers to see soy-based infant formula as a "miracle food" and to stock their pantries sky-high with the stuff. Well, hold on there mama. That most vulnerable member of the population, an infant unable to breastfeed, stands at great risk of developing a serious thyroid disorder due to a diet based entirely on soy formula. That disorder is hypothyroidism, or an under-active thyroid and it is a common cause of fatigue, depression, obesity, constipation, extreme sensitivity to cold and a number of other symptoms, most so common that the disorder can go undiagnosed for years.

The Deadly Influence of Infant Soy Formula Elaine Hollingsworth - "By far the worst calls are from women whose children have been fed soy formula. They tell me heartbreaking stories about baby girls who show signs of early maturation, such as underarm odor, breast development, body hair and even menstruation as early as two, three and four years of age! The risk appears to be greatest in girls who ingest soy formula for nine months or more. In baby boys, 12 months of soy feeding can lead to gross effects by the age of 11 or 12. Breasts can appear and testicles do not develop. Several women have rung asking what to do for these pathetic boys, who refuse to participate in sports, fearing shower-room ridicule, and who will be dependent upon thyroid drugs for life."

"I can't help, and I don't think anyone can. Nature did not intend infants to be fed hormones, and life-threatening consequences occur when they are. Of course, these horrible problems do not occur with every soy-fed baby, but is it worth taking such a chance? Your child will not thank you, and you may never have grandchildren. Drinking soy milk during pregnancy can cause a failure to produce breast milk, which can lead to feeding the baby soy formula. By far the worst cases of soy damage are reported to us by women who have drunk soy milk while pregnant, and then fed their babies soy formula. This is a deadly combination. These women cannot restrain their tears when describing the dreadful health problems their children have." They keep repeating to me, "I didn't know, I just didn't know, the doctor told me to drink it for my bones and give him soy formula."

Premature, early puberty related to soy products Elaine Hollingsworth, director of the Hippocrates Health Center of Australia and author of Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry, writes about the terrible effects of soy products on children:
"I am not exaggerating when I say that HUNDREDS of people have rung me during the past year to tell me about dreadful health problems that started after taking up the soy habit. Serious thyroid malfunctioning is one of the most common complaints. This is not surprising, since it has been known for years that isoflavones in soy can depress thyroid function, causing autoimmune thyroid disease and even cancer. It is a medically recognised fact that our body absorbs significant amounts of what we put on our skin. With Certified Organic food rapidly becoming the nutrition of choice by the health conscious amongst us, why would you accept any less."

Soy and Diabetes in Children"A few reports from the late 1970s and early 1980s suggested that a soy-based diet impaired infants' immune functions. About 15% of infants in the US, or roughly 750,000 children, consume soy-based formula each year." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 21, 2002;99:7616-7621
Dr. Mercola - "Soy formula is one of the worst foods that you could feed your child. Not only does it have profoundly adverse hormonal effects as discussed above, but it also has over 1000% more aluminum than conventional milk based formulas."

Contrary to popular belief that soy is a health food, evidence reveals that soy consumption has been linked to numerous disorders, including infertility, increased cancer and infantile leukemia, Type1 diabetes, and precocious puberty in children have been fed soy formula. (early maturation, such as breast development and menstruation as early as 6 years of age). Scientists have known for years that the isoflavones in soy products can depress thyroid function and cause goiters in otherwise healthy children and adults. A combined research team of Cornell University Medical College and Long Island Community Hospital medical experts have found that children who develop Type1 diabetes are twice as likely to have been fed soy formulas as those fed all other foods This confirms concerns based on animal studies raised in the 1980's and 1990s by Health Canada researcher Dr Fraser Scott and led to the American Academy of Pediatrics issuing their warning to pediatricians against any use of soy based formulas.

The absolute hands down importance of integrating retained reflexes!

7/2/2017

Primitive reflexes were set in place at the brain stem level to assist with the birthing process of babies. Their job is to help the baby with early development as a launching pad for gradual more complex development and a vaginal birth launches these reflexes properly most of the time. There are several reasons that it is believed they get stuck and don't integrate like they are supposed to.

1. A stressful pregnancy

2. The mom eating the byproduct that have made their way into our foods such as the hormones, GMO'S, nitrates, etc.

3. Being exposed to the waves that come off of our computers, microwaves, and cell phones

4. A C-section instead of a vaginal birth (if you can have a vaginal birth, PLEASE do so!!!!)

And a few other thoughts about why this happen. Retained reflexes are most likely the basis for sensory integration issues, ADHD looking behavior, vision issues, posture, muscle tone, sleep issues, and many more areas of disturbance in the proper development.

I tell my parents in my OT practice that retained reflexes are like the reins on a horse, when they are pulled, what does the horse do? He/she stops or slows way down and these retained reflexes are the reins on your child which prevent proper development.

In practice, I work from the bottom of the brain to the top. What that means is, I start from the primitive brain stem where those pesky retained reflexes lie because if you start at the top or the middle of the brain for treatment, you will be like the child who builds a fantastic sandcastle too close to the incoming waves, sure, you may have a castle for a few minutes but the tide/waves will come in and wash it all away. Or building a house with no foundation, it just doesn't work, y'all, it just doesn't!

THERAPISTS HAVE TO START FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BRAIN AND WORK UP!

If you are in an OT practice that has not tested or treated for retained reflexes in your child, the gains expected will not be met successfully because you don't have a solid basis for which higher functions will be able to launch from. Does that make sense?

Below is a chart of just a few of the 70 primary reflexes that if retained, will explain what can happen to your child's development.

If your therapist needs some advice on this, I'm your girl, have them call me. I am not a therapist who keeps information to herself to get ahead, I am here to help anyone that needs me.

If you would like more information, just Google "retained reflexes" as there is a ton of information out there on this subject.

If you need an OT that will help your child soar, call me, I am here to help, y'all.

questions to ask your occupational therapist even before your first visit

4/10/2017

This past weekend I had the honor of having a Charity Rummage Sale here at my clinic. All of my OT kids got to vote, with an official ballot and everything, on what charity we would donate the money to. These precious kids chose Both Hands Foundation, which is a wonderful organization that helps families adopt children.

In the process of the sale, I found myself on the phone with my rummage sale helper/friend's aunt who lives in Kentucky and has a 3 year old that she feels is having some issues but doesn't know exactly what to do about it or the questions to ask.

It dawned on me, after she asked me to move to Kentucky to help her son, that many families are not equipped with the questions to ask your newly discovered OT, whether recommended, referred to, etc. So, I decided to equip y'all with some questions to ask your OT even before the first visit.

1. Do you test for retained reflexes? (These are reflexes that should have integrated between 4-7 months old and if they are still present after that, they can cause a lot of issues in children)

2. How do you treat these retained reflexes if you were to find them in my child?

3. Have you been trained in sensory integration?

4. Do you test for general visual tracking, convergence, double vision, and visual perception? How? And if not, can you recommend a place that will?

5. Will you provide us with a home exercise program to work on daily?

6. Am I allowed to sit in on therapy so I can observe and learn? (And yes, you should be able to on occasion unless it is enormously distracting and your child isn't making gains)

7. What is your experience with autism, Asperger's, genetic disorders, ADHD, ADD, auditory processing, executive dysfunction, etc.?

8. If my child is involved in other therapies, will you be contacting and consulting with each other for a more whole child, team approach?

9. What areas will your evaluation assess? (They should assess every area, head to toe so as not to miss a thing)

This is your child's therapy and you HAVE TO OWN IT! Most importantly, you have to ask the right questions so you can have the best therapy possible. ASK QUESTIONS!! It is your right as your child's parent.

P.S.-YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH with the exercises that your OT or any other therapist gives you once you have made your decision on the right therapist. That's your child's right!