Preston's 3 Month Assessment

If you haven't read the post about Dylan's progress, start with that one.  I went into more detail about what some of the tests mean, but didn't want to repeat the information again in this post.  It will make more sense that way.

We are thrilled with the progress Preston has made in just 3 months!  It's incredible! 

Primitive Reflexes
In primitive reflexes, Preston improved one level in three of the eight primitive reflexes that are tested at Brain Balance, two levels in one primitive reflex, and stayed the same in four primitive reflexes.  I actually was surprised that so many didn't move because we are so vigilant with exercises, but I know that in time they will move.  And if it's like most things with Preston, it will take a long time and then out of nowhere a huge leap in development will be seen.

During Brain Balance sessions, Preston spends half of his time in the sensory motor room and the other half in the cognitive room.  Most of his gains in these areas can be attributed to the time spent in the sessions.

Vision
From level 1 to level 7, with 15 being the goal in OPK.  Again, that is the test where black and white alternating lines move across the screen from left to right and their eye movements while watching the screen are tracked for one minute.  The results of this one actually surprised me because I feel like Preston still struggles so much with this exercise, but I'm super happy about his progress.  Moving 6 levels on anything in 3 months is AWESOME!

VOR is when you start out looking straight ahead at an object and then turn your head to the side but keep your eyes on the object.  You can see that Preston has moved from a level 9 to a level 13.  But...it's even cooler than that.  When he was first evaluated, he got to level 9 with help.  The person giving the test actually had to help him turn his head on the first evaluation because it's difficult for a lot of the younger kids to understand what is being asked of them.  So the first test was with someone physically turning his head while he tried to keep his eye on the object in front of him (I think it was just looking at himself in a mirror) and the second test was turning his head on his own.  That is so much bigger than 4 levels of improvement because the "control" part of the test is different.

Hearing

The next part of the test is hearing.  I can hardly type this part without getting emotional.  There are two parts they test.  One has more to do with their perception of sound and the other is auditory processing, which has to do with how they process the sound.  

When we started testing Preston to figure out why he was struggling developmentally, we learned that he had difficulties on both ends of communicating.  This website does a pretty good job of explaining the communication process.  The steps to communication are listed on nursing-help.com as follows: ideation (sender decides to share and develops an idea or selects information to share), encoding (putting meaning into symbolic forms - speaking, writing, or nonverbal behavior), transmission, receiving (receiver's senses of seeing and hearing are activated as the transmitted message is received), decoding of the message (the receiver defines words and interprets gestures during the transmission of speech) and response or feedback (sender must know that the message has been received and accurately interpreted.  

The purpose of the website is to increase communication skills, but it is helpful for me to use the information to explain Preston's challenges.  At 4 years old, he struggled with ideation (so coming up with a new idea - even when given a new toy or activity) was hard for him and the decoding stage of hearing was a challenge, which is what eventually lead to his diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder.  He could physically hear, but couldn't interpret what was being said or asked of him.  In other words, the problem with his hearing was with his brain, not his ears.  I found this article that breaks APD down in a way that's pretty easy to understand if you want more information.  

This is the part that makes me cry!  You have to know that Preston had already made significant progress in his auditory processing with the other therapies we had done with him the past few years.  But from his initial test in August to today, Preston went from level 11 to level 15 (100%) in his perception of sound.  And in auditory processing (the way he processes that sound in his brain) he went from age 4 to age 11.  In three months!  So my child who had a diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder and could not understand what I was asking him a few years ago, is now more than three years older than his chronological age for auditory processing.  Seriously!  It's INCREDIBLE!!  He was already doing so well compared to where he had been.  So well.  But in three months, he gained 7 years of ability in this area.  

Smell

His sense of smell has moved up 3 levels from 8 to 11, with the end goal being level 15.  He's definitely improved in this area.  He notices what I'm cooking, good smells, bad smells, etc.  He's even become a pickier eater (which I know doesn't sound like a good thing, but it is developmentally speaking).  

Touch

Preston's sense of touch on his arm went from a 4 year old level to a 7 year old level.  He's almost to his age level on that.  Amazing!  And his sense of touch on his legs improved from age 5 to age 9.  Again...incredible!  

Fine Motor

Preston went from age 2 to age 5 in fine motor skills.  Again, absolutely amazing!  He has struggled with fine motor skills for so long.  Everything has been a challenge.  It always felt like his hands were just randomly attached to the ends of his arms the way he moved them around and tried to maneuver things.  We still have a ways to go, but three years gain in three months is awesome!

Core Muscle Testing

All the core muscle testing is based on age.  You can see that he's made substantial gains in all the different core strength tests.  I can't imagine that the push-ups test is completely accurate.  It's quite possible that he is at a 5 year old level, but I don't think he was at age 4 before.  When we started the program, he would whine and complain about how hard push-ups on the wall were and would only do 2 or 3.  Now he is doing around 10 push-ups on his toes in one minute.  To me, that is much greater than a one year improvement in push-ups.

Spacial Awareness

Preston's maturity of balance and equilibrium is still at level 13, with 15 being the goal.  However, he has improved two years in his proprioception, from age 3 to age 5.  We still have a ways to go, but two years improvement in proprioception is awesome!

I explained a little bit about proprioception in my post on Dylan's 3 month assessment, but am including the link here as well.  If you don't know what proprioception is, this will give you a better idea.  

Synchronization
Preston is way above his age level on the balance beam.  He started out at age 10 and is now at age 16.

On gait and aerobics, which measure the bilateral coordination, he improved from age 4 to age 6.

On the interactive metronome, which measures processing, rhythm, timing and motor planning (again, read Dylan's post for more details) Preston improved from age 5 to age 7.

Academics

You can see from his scores how difficult learning is for Preston.  I was told he was pretty tired of testing by the time they got to the cognitive portion of the test.  The testing took close to 3 1/2 hours with only one short break after the sensory motor portion.  I'm guessing some of the results of the second test can be attributed to his desire to be done with testing.  I doubt his listening comprehension decreased from the 63rd percentile to the 27th percentile, although sometimes regression happens in certain areas before big leaps in development.  We have a long way to go with academics, but he will progress as primitive reflexes are integrated and his sensory motor skills continue to improve.  Again, it's a building block process with the cognitive being the third section of the pyramid.  So...it makes sense that his gains in this area were smaller.  However, I did want to point out one significant gain in ability - oral expression.  This shows his oral expression going from the 4th percentile to 37th percentile.  That's HUGE and one of the things we have noticed most.  He has so much to say and is able to express himself so much better now.  And discovering just what he has been thinking about now that he is better able to express himself has been the most joyful part of this whole process.

Parent Observations

I had a billion forms to fill out while the boys were testing.  It was like taking the ACT again, but with two other kids to watch during the process.  So stressful and time consuming!  It took me 3 1/2 hours.  

Three of the four forms are forms used by schools or clinicians to help determine a possible diagnosis for a child being evaluated for a specific disorder.  The other one is a test specific to Brain Balance and was much longer and more detailed than the other three.  The Brown's Scale is a test to screen for ADD/ADHD, GADS is a form to screen for asperger's, and GARS is a form to screen for autism.  I included these just so you can see how much improvement he has made with regard to behaviors at home observed by a parent.  It's pretty substantial.  

It's crazy when I look at pictures from this past August.  Preston has always been the child I have to watch the most for weight-gain, but with the chaos in our family as a result of a job change and move (which fell through and created even more chaos), he really chunked out this past summer.  The  physical differences alone are INSANE!  The recent picture is a little goofy, but I wanted to get a picture with his shirt off so the pictures would be similar.  Of course once his shirt was off, he decided to "flex" his muscles and the awkward pose is a result of his desire to show off his bulging muscles.  Gotta love it!  

It's strange to say he's a different kid, but in so many ways, he really is.  He's still my precious Preston, a boy without guile, filled with love and compassion for everyone.  But his ability to function well in the world has increased dramatically.  We've still got a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead of us, but I am so filled with hope for this boy and his future.  At one point, Marcos and I had no diagnosis and no direction as to why Preston had so many developmental delays.  We weren't sure if he would even be able to live on his own one day, if he would graduate from high school, or if he would be able to get a job.  We had so many questions and very few answers.  At the time, we grieved for Preston and the future every parent wants for their child.  We were grateful for the spirit entrusted to our care and knew he was unique and extraordinary in every sense of the word, but we had to let go of some of our expectations for his future.  I kept seeking answers.  They came little by little thanks to an all-knowing God who loves me perfectly and directs my life when I ask, wait patiently, and am willing to take action when answers come.  I never gave up hope, but I always worried how much progress Preston would make and what his future would like.  Today I can say that I finally feel confident that Preston's potential for growth is immeasurable.  It is not easy!!  The past three plus months have been incredibly challenging for our family.  It has required time and effort and going against the grain, which can feel lonely and isolating at time.  I have to shout it from the rooftops!  There is HOPE!!  A child with challenges can improve and make huge gains in development.  It's truly incredible!  We are so thrilled with Preston's progress and can't wait to see the changes that occur in the next three months of this journey.  

Dylan's 3 Month Assessment

The boys had their 3 month assessment this week.  We got the results today and are so excited about the progress they have made!

Brain Balance has a different approach than most because it starts learning over at the bottom of the developmental chain.  Most approaches look at cognitive on one side and behavior on the other.  Brain Balance takes more of a building block approach.  One area builds on the next.  You can see the pyramid in the results picture below.  At the bottom you have primitive reflexes, then sensory motor, then cognitive, and finally instruction.    

Primitive Reflexes
Primitive Reflexes (infant reflexes) are supposed to be present in infants, but be integrated by the age of 1.  A few examples of primitive reflexes are rooting, sucking, and the death grip (palmar grasp) infants have when you put your finger next to their hand.  Most people know about a few reflexes, but there are actually a number of infant reflexes that affect a lot of things if not properly integrated. These reflexes serve a purpose in a newborn.  They help the infant survive - in the womb, during the birthing process, to be able to eat, to help them learn to crawl and eventually walk, to catch themselves if they fall, etc.  But by the time a baby enters toddlerhood, the primitive reflexes should be fully integrated.  The old instinctive way should have been replaced with a new and better neural pathway.  However, for many children the primitive reflexes remain past a year.  There are many things that can cause this - maternal stress during pregnancy, premature or difficult labor, lack of movement during the first year of life (too many baby contraptions and not enough moving time on the floor or being carried by mom, etc.)  There is also a genetic factor that makes it more likely in some families than in others.  Here's the part that TOTALLY ANNOYS me!!  Pediatricians test for infant reflexes.  They want to make sure they are present because if they aren't, it means there is a problem.  But they don't test after a year to see if they are still present.  Honestly, if we could get pediatricians to understand this and change the way they test somewhat, we could probably do more for kids who now are red flagged for future problems (whether great or small).  That would give direction and real meaningful "early intervention" for parents who most likely haven't seen too many signs of problems yet (except in the most extreme cases).  Okay, rant over.  But really people.  This whole primitive reflexes thing is a big deal.   I'm going to do separate posts on some of the primitive reflexes because I think it's important that people understand what they are, ways to tell if your child might still have the reflex, and how that reflex may negatively impact them.  

Anyway, there are 8 primitive reflexes that they test for at Brain Balance.  For each of these reflexes, you are given a score of level 1-4, 4 meaning it hasn't been integrated at all (it's still at the level of a newborn) and 1 being it's almost gone, but there is still part of the reflex lingering.  Neither of my boys had any primitive reflexes that were fully integrated.  

You can see from the picture that Dylan had three out of 8 that hadn't integrated at all, which actually surprised everyone (including those testing him).  That's part of the reason we decided the home program would be good for him because the exercises we do at home (3 times a day) are geared toward helping integrate the primitive reflexes.  You can see from the dots that Dylan moved 1 level in 4 primitive reflexes, 2 levels in 2 primitive reflexes and stayed the same in the other two.  We have a long way to go before they are all integrated, but we are definitely making good progress.  

The next area of focus in the pyramid is sensory motor.  Dylan didn't have exposure to a lot of this because much of what they do takes place during the Brain Balance sessions.  But...he still made some significant gains in a couple of areas that are worth mentioning.  

Vision

His eyes didn't improve on the OPK (they actually went down, but I wonder if it was just a bad moment of the test because in my opinion he has improved quite a bit in this area).  It's basically black and white vertical lines that move from left to right.  You're supposed to track the lines with your eyes and they measure how many times your eyes move in a minute.  On VOR, however, he is at the highest level.  Wa-hoo!  This is when you are looking forward and turn your head to the side but keep your eyes on the object in front of you.  We already mentioned being able to cross his eyes in a previous post so I won't say too much more about that now.  Basically his eyes move more fluidly than they did before, which is super important.

Hearing

Dylan was already really good with skills related to hearing, but it's worth mentioning that he's at the top of where they would want him to be.  Basically with hearing there are steps to actually "hear" and "interpret" correctly.  Some have to do with your actual hearing, but a lot of them have to do with what's taking place in your brain.  I'll explain it a little more in Preston's progress report since he really struggled in this area.  

Smell

Dylan's sense of smell remained the same.  There are 15 levels and he's at a level 14.  So he's fine, but he could improve one more level with smells.  Again, he didn't receive as much sensory motor stuff because he was only doing the home program so the lack of improvement makes sense.  

Touch

Dylan's sense of touch didn't improve.  In fact, it went down a level on the arms.  This is one area that we feel needs some work.  Dylan was the hyper-sensitive child who hated tags on his clothing, the line on his sock being off at all, shoes that were too tight, etc.  He has gotten more tolerant of these things over time, but it's still an area where he needs improvement.  His sense of touch is definitely off and it affects him in more ways than we know I'm sure.  

Fine Motor

Dylan's fine motor skills were at age 7 and didn't improve.  It's amazing to get the results of some of these tests and realize how many things your child struggles with that he is compensating for somehow.  In general, Dylan functions well in the world, but it is now clear to us that in many ways he has had to adapt the way he does things.  So when he says he hates writing, he really does.  His cognitive ability to read and write is high, but his ability to physically write well is much lower.  

Core Muscle Testing

Dylan was doing pretty well with his core muscle strength on the first test, but made significant improvements in three of the six areas.  He went from age 9 to age 11 in lateral core, from age 5 to age 9 in brachiation (4 years...that's HUGE!!), from age 6 to age 10 in sit-ups.

Spatial Awareness:

Dylan's balance and equilibrium are pretty good.  He still needs to come up a couple levels in PRNG (I can't remember how they test that now that I'm typing this...).  Proprioception needs some work.  The test for proprioception is scored by age, rather than level.  He was at a 5 year old level before and now is at a 6 year old level.  Most people don't even know about proprioception.  Proprioception is the 6th sense.  It's basically the ability to sense yourself in your environment, to know where your limbs are in relation to the rest of your body and other objects that surround you. 

This is a good link that explains proprioception a little bit better. http://www.spdaustralia.com.au/the-proprioceptive-system/  On SPD Australia's site, it states, 

"Proprioception is the process by which the body can vary muscle contraction in immediate response to incoming information regarding external forces, by utilizing stretch receptors in the muscles to keep track of the joint position in the body.

Proprioception and kinesthesia, the sensation of joint motion and acceleration, are the sensory feedback mechanisms for motor control and posture. These mechanisms along with the vestibular system, a fluid filled network within the inner ear that can feel the pull of gravity and helps the body keep oriented and balanced, are unconsciously utilized by the brain to provide a constant influx of sensory information. The brain can then send out immediate and unconscious adjustments to the muscles and joints in order to achieve movement and balance."

SPD Australia gives a good example that is pretty easy to understand.  They use the example of moving your finger.  In a normal person, everything works together well and you effortlessly move your finger once you make a decision to do so.  In someone with poor proprioception, they actually have to compensate for the lack of proprioception.  Instead of it being an automatic and effortless process, they need to think about the movement in order to make it happen.  They concentrate on moving their finger, and may even have to look at their finger to make it move the way they want it to.  So basically this 6th sense isn't as strong as it should be for a child of Dylan's age.  

Synchronization:

As far as balance is concerned, Dylan is doing excellent.  The balance beam test is graded by age.  He was at age 13 when he started the test and is now at age 15 as far as his balance is concerned.  He's also at age 15 for his bilateral coordination.  So basically he can move forward and back, sideways, etc. on a balance beam without falling off or losing his balance.  They have you look at the ceiling sometimes, throw a bean bag from one hand to the other while walking, etc. to change the level of difficulty. 

The interactive metronome is an exercise that has them clap, slap their leg, or tap their foot forward or backwards to the rhythm.  Dylan improved one year, but is still only at age 7 for this.  The Brain Balance employee who discussed our results with us described it as a movie you are streaming online.  You know how once in awhile the sound is not in sync with the way their mouths are moving.  It pretty much makes you nuts to watch a movie like that!  Well, this is kind of like that. He's just a tiny bit behind when anticipating the timing of the next beat.  

Academics:
I debated even including this part for a couple of reasons.  First, people tend to be quick to judge a book by its cover in all things "school" related.  It's one of the quickest way to throw a label on someone.  Second, I didn't know whether or not Dylan would mind others seeing these "official results."  He tends to be very hard on himself even though he's a very capable and pretty gifted kid.  He has never struggled with learning.  NEVER!  His struggles are more related to behavior and attitude most of the time so we've been very careful not to push him academically beyond his desire to learn and grow.  And he has blossomed with skill development as a result. Third, some of the results may be due to the fact that we homeschool our kids.  For example, Dylan has always been at grade level with math, but has never been in a timed test for math.  I know they work on timed tests a lot with basic math skills in school and that is something we've chosen not to do with our kids.  I care much more that my kids LOVE learning and understand the overall concept being taught than that they are fast or at the "top of their class" so to speak.

That being said, I chose to include the results of the cognitive portion because he has made some pretty significant jumps in his cognitive testing and I thought that was worth including here.

We were so happy to see Dylan's progress.  There are several areas that need more attention, but overall for how much effort we have put in, he has made some amazing gains in his progress.  He, however, saw the test and was immediately discouraged that everything wasn't 100% yet.  And that is why we still have work to do. :) 

Absence

For the handful of people following our progress, I'm sure my lack of posts has been frustrating.  Want to know the brutal truth?  Brain growing is filled with lots of ups and downs.  LOTS!  We are only partway through this journey, but I already know this will be worth it in the end.  But the day-to-day stuff can be very trying, both physically and emotionally.  I feel lonely and isolated much of the time.  People don't know how exactly to include us, since so much of life includes screen time and food that's outside of our dietary restrictions.  Plus, we're super busy so actually fitting anything extra in is really difficult right now, even if it's something we'd really like to do.

I have two younger kids who I worry are being neglected in this whole process.  It's hard to spread time evenly between children anyway, but with exercises three times a day, schoolwork, Brain Balance sessions, and the extra time required to shop and cook, my time is so limited.  The behavior of my younger kids slips and I wonder if it is developmentally appropriate, if they are reacting to this process, or if we are going to have to start exercises with the younger kids at some point because it seems we are part of the 38% that has a genetic predisposition to a brain imbalance (although environmental factors are always involved). 

I typed an entire post a couple weeks ago about some pretty rough days with Dylan, but didn't publish it.  He tends to be more reactive and impulsive in nature and those moments can be pretty big in a 10-year-old boy whose brain is going back through stages typical of a toddler.  I've struggled a lot with how much to share publicly because as much as I want to document this process, part of my job is to protect my children.  People can be very judgmental, quick to label, and slow to forget negative behavior.  Human nature is to remember the bad and forget the good.  After much pondering, I have chosen to turn to a smaller group for support during trying times rather than document the details for the rest of the world to scrutinize.  Suffice it to say, it has been very difficult dealing with the bad behavior element of the program.  And of course with two kids, even when one is having an awesome breakthrough, the other one may be struggling so much that it's hard to even want to celebrate the good.  A couple of times I've been on the verge of a complete breakdown.  I've needed help.  I've needed a break.  And yet the times when I most need a break, my kids are so difficult that I don't even dare ask.  It's an exhausting place to be!  Some moments I just don't want to be THE PERSON who has to deal with anything and everything when no one else can.  I don't want to be the only one who can calm a meltdown or talk things through with an explosive personality.  So...survival mode.  That's where I've been.  That, and the fact that I had to gear up to make it through Halloween and Thanksgiving, no easy task when your kids are gluten, dairy, soy and peanut free at the moment.  So a lot of extra time was spent coming up with activities we could do to take the focus off of food and to plan and prepare food that would allow my kids to still enjoy the holidays. 

To make matters worse, there are all sorts of folks with good intentions who insist on making sure you KNOW your child is acting up.  This has maybe been the most difficult part for me.  Rarely is a child JUST acting up at school or at church.  Usually the bad behavior is pretty widespread.  If it's relatively new or isolated behavior and you know there's a lot going on at the time, maybe, just maybe you can ignore it.  Maybe, just maybe, you can give me the benefit of the doubt and not assume I am the worst parent ever because I don't have four perfect children sporting their latest trophy, designer clothes, and sparkling smiles.  Yep, I know he/she is having a hard time listening and behaving, is talking back, and struggling to deal with life.  We all are right now!  Whether in the program or not, our family is experiencing this program together and it's taking its toll on everyone.  I know in general things look fine on the outside, but the Brain Balance program is pretty major.  I mean, really.  Kids often start this program with one or more major diagnoses: autism, asberger's disease, ADD, ADHD, OCD, ODD, dyslexia, dyscalcula, dyspraxia, sensory processing disorder, auditory processing disorder, etc.  And when all is said and done, they may not even fall on the autism spectrum anymore, find many of their disabling symptoms have fallen away, or no longer qualify for an IEP because they have improved so much.  Imagine what that feels like.  Just imagine.  Years of developmental milestones that were never reached coming and going as if in fast forward mode as your brain attempts to catch up a lagging hemisphere, as well as get rid of retained primitive reflexes that cause all sorts of problems.  Yeah, it's life changing.  But it is NOT EASY!!  Nothing worthwhile ever is it seems.

Hopefully that helps explain the lack of posts.  No, I did not stop blogging.  No, we did not stop Brain Balance or fall off the gluten free, dairy free wagon over the holidays.  But yes, it's been a rough few weeks. 

After a post that was way too long and negative, I have some good news.  Wait for it.  Wait for it.  ;)  Dylan and Preston have their 3 month reassessment at Brain Balance tomorrow so we should have some official testing results to post within the week.  I am so excited....and nervous!  But mostly excited.  I know they have made progress and I can't wait to see how far they've come and also to get a feel for how much more work we have ahead of us.  I need a little boost in motivation right now and I know this will help.   

Our Budding Artist

I'm not sure I can accurately express what the pictures above mean to me.  Preston was not a toddler who colored with crayons.  EVER.  The other kids would bring their pictures home with scribbles or neatly colored hair, but Preston's was blank with his name written at the top by the adult helping him that day.  Every. Single. Time.  It happened at church.  It happened in preschool.  It was just a reality.  We had bigger fish to fry at the time.  He wasn't talking.  He couldn't dress himself.  He didn't even try.  He couldn't follow one-step directions, let alone two or three-step directions.  So I didn't think much of his lack of artistic ability.  He never even held onto a crayon or marker until about age 4.  A couple months after he went through the Sensory Learning program (just before he turned 5) he brought me a paper from Primary.  It had two big circles, each with two smaller circles, and what clearly looked like sticks for hands and legs.  It was very basic and so light you could barely see the drawing itself (because his fine motor skills were so poor at the time) but I could tell he was actually trying to draw a picture of himself and of me.  I started to bawl like a baby!  He was a little nervous at my reaction.  "What's wrong, Mom?"  I just replied, "Nothing.  I'm just really, really happy.  Sometimes moms cry when they're really happy."  He looked at me like I was completely crazy and I put him in his carseat.  Then I went into the church to show my husband (who had to stay late for a meeting).  I could not believe it!  It shocked me!  Since then, I have realized Preston's love for art and creativity, but lack of ability due to struggles with his fine motor skills.  For awhile he would finish his drawings and then continue to fill an entire paper with every color of the rainbow surrounding the picture he had colored.  I think something from the lights really triggered a greater awareness of colors for him and it's almost like he thought and saw in color in a way I cannot comprehend.  

Last week, Preston brought me the drawing pictured at the top of this post.  He's a big fan of minions so it didn't surprise me that he had drawn minions, although I was quite surprised at how much more accurate his drawings are becoming.  I wish I had a "before" and "after" picture, but all his older drawings are safely tucked away in a box in the attic, and I'm not sure I could find one that would accurately portray the improvement he has made anyway.  Not only could I tell he had drawn three minions, (instead of having to ask him what he had drawn) but he had included other details in the picture.  He has NEVER done that. EVER!!  He has never drawn people and included a sky or sun or flowers.  So when I saw an entire picture surrounding his minion drawings, I about fell over.  Then he proceeded to tell me all about the picture.  "Do you know what this is, Mom?  It's a picture of three minions who are friends who were hiking through the jungle and saw 10 monkeys climbing a great, big tree.  They waved to a lizard sitting on a rock in the middle of the ocean.  It was funny to see a squirrel swimming in the water.  It was a sunny day and they saw a flower while they were walking on the grass."  Holy Moly!  He just told me an entire store about his drawing.  And it was cute.  And creative.  And not something he'd seen in a television show or movie.  AMAZING!  He went downstairs for a few minutes and came back with tape and asked me if he could put the picture on my bedroom door.  And so began the art door in my bedroom.  I noticed his name at the top of the paper and then realized what he had done.  He went downstairs and wrote his name and two of his friends' names on the picture.  He named the minions.  Then he told me he was the middle one because he was the tallest.  He spelled correctly and legibly.  His brain thought through multiple steps to draw a picture, create a story, and then relay it to me.  For those who have children who are neurotypical and are used to young children coloring pictures or telling stories, this may seem like a strange mom "bragging" about her kid's random artwork, but to those who understand all the neurological gaps in his development, I tell you this is HUGE!  The skills required for his brain to complete so many operations at once are a great big deal!  It's another really amazing leap for Preston.  And it comes at a really good time because we have had several REALLY  HARD weeks in a row.  It was all I could do to hold on for dear life and continue with all the steps required each day.  

The second picture is a pumpkin he drew for Halloween.  Nothing special, except that he drew it without my knowledge and taped it to what has now become his art door. 

The third picture he brought home from church today.  It's a picture of him washing windows (I know it resembles a monkey bird, but it's Preston).  See the window on the one side and the bucket and squeegee on the other side?  So cute!  I'm guessing they had a lesson about serving others or helping your mom and dad because he also brought home four hearts.  He kept telling me, "I can't tell you what those hearts are for, Mom.  You'll have to wait and see."  But he came in and asked me for stuff to wash the windows and proceeded to do so (no they're not perfect and yes he used a TON of Windex, but it was so cute how much he cared about following through with his assignment from church).  After lunch and afternoon exercises, he headed out back to rake leaves and again mentioned something about hearts and not being able to tell me about them.  I was just glowing!  Seriously!  How sweet is this child!  First of all, he understood the lesson.  Second, he thought of something he wanted to help with, drew it, and came home and followed through on it.  Third, he was actually excited to serve.  Can you see how HUGE this is for him?  He has NEVER done anything like that before.  EVER!  And he even attempted to keep it secret.  His 007 skills are a bit lacking, but he didn't flat out tell me what he was doing and that's something.  It was totally ADORABLE!!  I could just squeeze him!    

I included the last picture because Dylan has been coloring Pokemon pictures lately so when I saw this coloring page with Pokemon written on it, I thought for sure Dylan had written it.  Nope!  It was Preston.  His handwriting has improved a ton.  Yes, he still uses upper and lower case letters randomly throughout words, and I'm sure he was looking at a card or something else to get the correct spelling from, but still.  The fact that I could mistake his handwriting for Dylan's is crazy.  Now to Dylan's credit, his handwriting is much better than this, but because Preston's used to be so difficult to decipher, it took me a minute to realize Preston had written it.  Also, we have tried every pencil grip in the universe (and I am not exaggerating here) to try to help him learn to grip a pencil correctly.  He just could not do it.  He still gripped a marker more or less like a baby.  It's gradually become more of a pencil grip with ALL his fingers resting on the pencil, and now I think he's dropped the pinkie.  It's still not perfect, but it's looking more and more like a regular pencil grip.  And that is not because we've been working on it more.  The work has been done - over and over and over.  But as his ability and strength increase and some of his primitive reflexes start to recede, he is able to do things he couldn't do before.  

I had forgotten what "normal" looked like from the time Dylan was a toddler and preschooler to the time Preston reached that age.  I knew he was behind and struggling, but we were dealing with so many challenges that it was easy to overlook obvious ones.  When my 2 year old daughter (who is now 4) started trying to put her clothes and shoes on by herself one day and could hold a crayon correctly to scribble, I realized that these steps are supposed to occur naturally.  She was doing things that Preston could not do as a 5 year old (and hadn't really attempted on his own).  I realized that you are not supposed to have to work with a child for hours and hours for them to kind of sort of catch onto the concept of a new skill like that.  It's supposed to develop naturally.  For him, understanding was always a challenge so his auditory processing skills needed to improve, but fine motor skills are a big deal.  They affect so much of what an individual is able to do.  Although I don't know exactly where he's at with fine motor skills right now, Preston's drawing and writing skills are definitely improving.  Yay to progress!

Roller Coaster

We got home from Brain Balance this evening, I started dinner, and Marcos came in to tell me he had just received a call from a friend that had extra tickets to go to Frightmares and wanted to know if he and the boys would like to go.  Dylan had been invited by another friend to go to a corn maze so he wasn't around. I knew Dylan would LOVE it and would be disappointed he had missed it, but I wasn't sure how Preston would do.  Should they go?  I figured worst case, Marcos could take him on simple rides or just walk around the park with him.  They ate quickly, threw on a hoodie and were off on their adventure.

Marcos called me a half hour later to tell me they had just ridden the white roller coaster...and Preston liked it.  What?  Are you serious?  There are no words to describe how shocked - and thrilled - I was at that moment.  No words.  Like butterflies in my stomach, nervous but giddy, type of thrilled.  A pinch me I must be dreaming kind of thrilled.  Really?  He rode the white roller coaster?  I mean, this is the child who would not ride on the carousel at the zoo because going around in a circle and up and down at the same time was too scary.  He could sit on the peacock bench that is stationary if an adult sat next to him with their arm around him the whole time, but even that was pushing it.    

When Marcos got home, he described the experience in greater detail.  They stood in line for a ride and Preston expressed his concern, "Papi, I don't think I want to ride on this.  It looks too scary.  I'm a little nervous about it."  Marcos encouraged him, "You can do it.  This one just goes up and then down and then up again.  It tickles your stomach like an elevator."  "Okay, Papi."  He was reluctant, but willing to try something new.  That's HUGE!  He didn't FREAK out!!  And after EVERY SINGLE RIDE finished, he exited and said in a shocked and excited voice, "I liked it!  I liked it, Papi!  I really, really liked it!  I wasn't even scared!"

Not only did he enjoy himself, but the other dad (who knows Preston VERY well) commented on the changes he could see in Preston.  He could not believe the way Preston was interacting with the other kids, and the confidence he had when talking (he's usually very nervous around adults).  I guess he looked over at Marcos and said, "What is going on with Preston?  Who is this kid?  This cannot be the same child who was too shy and nervous to even say hi to me.  Now he's relaying every detail about his day, the thrill of the roller coasters, and what he wants for Christmas?"

Yeah...there are no words.  It's incredible!  I can't believe it!  I honestly cannot believe it!

You can tell he's nervous to be on the ride 

Goofy 7-year-old smile

Primary Program

We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  This past Sunday was our ward's Primary program for sacrament meeting.  Once a year the children 3-11 years old put on a program for the congregation.  They have speaking parts and sing songs they have been learning throughout the year.

To give you just a little bit of background, Preston is 7.  This is Preston's 4th year in Primary.  Every year they have had to have a teacher specifically assigned to sit next to Preston.  Sometimes he didn't follow what was going on and just needed help to figure out what he was supposed to do, other times he had a complete meltdown.  He always struggled to sit still.  He would have his head under the seat or be halfway falling off his chair.  One year he was struggling so much that I opted not to have him participate.  It was a sad year for me.  Dylan was 8.  Preston was 5.  Dylan and his dad had gone on a trip to Argentina so that Dylan could meet extended family and learn more about the culture and language.  Dylan ended up being out of town during the program that year and Preston couldn't handle it.  I had two kids in Primary and neither participated that year.  It was hard.  I knew nobody could handle him.  I was dealing with major fits and meltdowns at home that required me to physically carry him to his room to calm himself and decompress several times a day.  Knowing this, I chose not to have him participate.  But the day of the program, I stayed home.  The reality of watching so many "normal" kids not struggling through every step of their lives was just to much for me to deal with that day.  Other years, he was able to get through the program with an adult at his side, but did not open his mouth to sing one word and got really nervous during his little speaking line.  He prepares, practices, knows it by heart, but when he gets in front of people, especially with a microphone, he freezes.  He clenches his teeth, mutters the words with his body turned as far away as possible and just gets it over with quickly.  That's what the other years looked like.  I have to say that as difficult as dealing with a "different" child has been, Preston has been a true delight.  Although he never sang, the kid loves music.  He swayed and moved with the music and always struck a pose at the perfect moment.  He feels through music and it's very obvious in his actions.  Though quite distracting, it was definitely one of those moments where I smile and think to myself, "Yep, that's my kid.  He literally does not know he's misbehaving right now.  He's so unaware of the world that surrounds him that he does not see, hear or feel anything but this music.  But yes, he's a complete distraction as he jams out to church music in front of the entire congregation."

Back to Sunday.  The program started with a song.  I looked up and saw Dylan singing and was quite pleased, turned my head to the left and found my spunky little 4 year old smiling and waving to everyone with all the charm of a princess, then turned my head again to find Preston.  He was toward the top on the right.  I did a double take.  He was singing.  Every. Single. Word.  And...he was holding still and looking at the choir director.  Tears just started pouring down my face.  No way this is happening!  Now, was it perfect?  No!  He ended up chatting with the boy sitting next to him way more than he should have.  He also ended up dancing to the music more than once.  A couple times he even struck a pose when the music changed suddenly or he really liked the beat.  And at the end of a song that ended with the words "Holy Ghost" he put his hands up to his mouth like his teeth were chattering and said, "oooo" in a scary voice as he was sitting down.  It doesn't help that it's almost Halloween. :/  I never know whether to laugh, cry, hide, or just smile and say, "Yep, he's mine" at moments like those.  But overall, he was amazing.

When it was his turn, he stood up and confidently said his part.  No mumbling.  No turning his shoulders away from the congregation.  No running away.  No breathing or yelling something completely unrelated into the microphone.  He just said his part without any help and went and sat back down.  We are blessed with an amazing community of friends and family that love and support us.  They have watched Preston grow and develop as we have sought treatment and worked with him every step of the way.  So it should not have surprised me that after he said his part, several people turned to look at me and give me a happy, proud, or shocked look.  I was already emotional (surprise, surprise), but seeing the reaction in my friends and family as they, too, publicly witnessed Preston's progress made me sob.  Seriously!  There was an audible gasp followed by free flowing tears.  Yep, I did the ugly cry.  For real.  In public.

Just a quick side note on the chatting with his neighbor part.  I don't think anyone could have predicted that.  They weren't friends.  They barely knew each other.  In fact, after the practice the day before, Preston informed me that the boy sitting next to him didn't like him or want to be his friend. I didn't think much of it at the time. But Preston came home Sunday afternoon and told me they talked and worked it out and that they are friends now and had planned a playdate at his house the following day.  Oh boy!  Kids and their big plans.  Words cannot describe what this chatty little moment means to me as his mom.  Preston has always played well with others, but would get nervous and anxious at first and struggle to know how to make friends.  Once he made a friend, he was usually a good playmate, but the initial part of relationships was always difficult for him.  Now it seems he has complete confidence in his ability to interact with his peers.  It's incredible!

This blog post would not be complete without discussing Dylan.  Dylan is 10.  He's supposed to be old enough to hold still and sing.  He should be setting an example and leading.  It's expected of the older kids, just as moving and waving and talking too loudly is expected of the youngest class (that would be our Marissa).  Dylan has never created problems during a Primary program.  But he would forget to stand up because he wasn't paying attention, move around a lot, and often space off.  And he rarely sang.  I'm not sure if the singing part was because he was daydreaming or if it was an "I'm too cool to sing in front of others" thing.  But it was night and day watching him two days ago.  He stood up at the right time and held still during every song.  He watched the chorister the ENTIRE time and sang every single word.  I caught his eye only a couple of times because he was watching the chorister so intently, but I subtly gave him a thumbs up sign so he would know I saw him and was proud of him.  He smiled slightly, kind of nodded his appreciation of my compliment, and got right back to business.  It was so mature.  SO MATURE!  I loved seeing that from him!

I know this blog is about Dylan and Preston and their experiences during Brain Balance, but I want to mention my little Marissa while I'm talking about the Primary program.  She's a doll!  She's cute and girlie, but totally tough.  She's feisty, but loving.  Probably like me.  And my great grandma come to think of it.  She sang, waved to everyone, kept changing locations when she stood up to sing, needed a potty break part way through the program, and turned on the charm as needed.  The day before she came home and told me that they helped her with her part during the practice and they did it wrong.  I'm guessing she must have hesitated so they whispered something in her ear.  She was so frustrated so I attempted to help her problem solve.  "But Mom, they think I don't know what to say.  But I do!"  I said, "Just stand up and say your part and they won't think they need to help you."  "Yes they will," came the reply.  "Well, just tell them that you know your part and don't need help."  Of course I didn't think that through at all.  There was no time to tell them she knew her part before she actually got up there.  I was just trying to help her have confidence to start speaking when it was her turn.  She waited in line for her turn to speak, stepped up to the stool in front of the microphone, looked up at the leader helping the kids with their speaking parts, put her hands up as if to gesture and push her away, and whispered loudly, "I don't need any help!"  Then she stepped onto the stool, took a deep breath and spoke clearly into the microphone, "I can show love for my family by giving them hugs and kisses."  Then she stepped down and sauntered back to her seat.  (And yes, she is the one who decided what to say.  I could not even attempt to give her a suggestion because she had her mind made up already when we were practicing at home.  "No, Mom!  I am going to say hugs and kisses!")

My children have amazing teachers, leaders and music instructors.  They were prepared by the very best.  But I was still worried.  You can only do so much with the material you are given.  But they were AMAZING!  I can see the growth already, and we are barely scratching the surface with the changes we are witnessing.  It's surreal.  I feel like I'm living in a dream - and not just because I'm completely exhausted.  ;)  It's one of the most taxing experiences of my life (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) but it's happening.  We're in the middle of this process...of change.  There really is hope for children with a myriad of challenges, disabilities or diagnoses.  I just want to shout it from the rooftop!  Don't give up!  You can do this!  There is hope!  The brain is absolutely fascinating.  You don't just get what you get and pray you end up with a good one.  The brain is pliable.  It can change.  It does change.  And A LOT of things affect it...for better or worse.  It's so crazy being in the middle of such an intense process.  I feel like we're in a cocoon.  We're kind of in our own little sheltered world right now, with very few people able to see the day to day effort we put forth.  My scientific-minded Dylan would tell you butterflies do not spin cocoons, they shed their skin and form a chrysalis.  So I guess my little caterpillars are in the process of forming a chrysalis.  It's hard work!  So, so hard!  But it's life-changing!  The movements of a caterpillar creating its chrysalis are barely noticeable, but with each movement something is happening.  My boys are creating the environment where an incredible transformation will take place.  And the hope is that when they emerge, not only will they be breathtaking, they will have wings to fly.

Dylan's Core Strength

Dylan has come a long way with his core strength and balance.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Brain Balance, core strength is important for pretty much everything.  I think we often forget that in our world of technology and flash cards.  But moving matters and core strength is a way big deal when it comes to the brain.  So, we work on core strength A LOT!  We do other exercises as well -  eye exercises and exercises to inhibit primitive reflexes - but we also do pushups and sit-ups.  It's amazing how quickly kids can change just from working on core exercises three times a day.  Dylan loves doing headstands, but his balance wasn't great before we started this program.  He has improved so much!  He can now do a headstand for much longer than he's ever been able to in the past.  He still needs some work, but he's getting there.  Also, Dylan has been wanting to learn to do a backflip forever, but he always gets nervous.  Well, after trying and trying, he finally got his courage up and did it.  Now he's on fire!  It's amazing how much more you can do as your core strength increases!

Bad Behavior!

I wasn't going to bring up the bad behavior again, but for the purposes of documentation, I'm going to briefly discuss the difficulty we are experiencing. 

The past 2 weeks plus have been SO HARD!!  I'm talking explosive, angry, defiant moments from both kids.  Yelling, slamming doors, "fine then," "I don't have to," "You can't make me!" type of stuff.  All! Day! Long!  Preston usually does well in his BB sessions, but he often acts shy or digs his heels in right before he goes back.  The past couple times, I've had to literally pick him up and drag him into the room to get him to start on time.  He's usually fine a minute or two later.  Kind of like leaving a toddler with separation anxiety with the babysitter.  They scream for a minute and then they're fine.  I've been doing my best to figure out what more we can let go of to make brain balance our number one priority.  Preston's schedule is taxing for him.  We tested him last spring to get a new IEP in place so he currently goes to tutoring for reading 4 mornings a week.  And it is A LOT on top of home exercises three times a day, sessions at Brain Balance, core school subjects at home, etc.  We may try to alter the schedule and see if tutoring can be put on hold until after he finishes Brain Balance.  I've been close to a breakdown a couple of times the last two weeks.  Literally.  Learned through my own momentary health crisis that I can't just put myself completely on hold while I try to get through this process.  

The behavior has been so bad that I decided to keep the kids home from the first hour of church last week, knowing the chances of a meltdown from someone was very high.  That is not something I EVER do!  

Home exercises were getting to be excruciatingly painful to get through.  Preston would drag his feet (a common occurrence for that one), Dylan would get mad because they are doing exercises together and he did not want to be slowed down, a fight would ensue, I would spend most of the time trying to pull things back together.  Meanwhile, the baby/toddler around these parts would be walking/falling/climbing on children who are supposed to be doing exercises.  And the poor neglected 4 year old would start whining knowing she wouldn't get attention from me any other way.  Yep!  A mom could lose her mind!  To cut down on the insanity, we are attempting to do exercises when both my husband and I are around (whenever possible) or when the baby is napping so we don't have to contend with the little man.  Also, I finally decided it was worth it to let Dylan proceed at a normal pace and work with Preston more slowly.  I have even found that doing exercises separately is worthwhile.  Although it does take more time overall, it makes for moments of peace in our home.  I really hope in time we can get back to exercises together, but for now, desperate times call for desperate measures.  

Dylan's behavior has been somewhat better the past couple of days, but Preston is still struggling.  We'll see if this means Dylan has made it over a developmental hill of some sort or if is more of a temporary break.   

Monkey Bars

I wanted to share this awesome milestone on the blog.  Preston was able to do the monkey bars with one hand in front of the other for the first time last Saturday.  He learned monkey bars last year, but always had to put one hand on the bar and then move the other hand to that same bar.  And he never makes it all the way across.  You can tell it's still difficult for him.  He needs a lot more practice, but this is so exciting!  My husband and I both got teary-eyed watching him!  He couldn't believe he made it across!  Then he did it three or four more times.  So AMAZING!  I thought I would share something good today since this has been such a HARD week!  I need to remind myself of the positives that I can see  so I don't focus so much on the whining, meltdowns, and talking back I'm experiencing right now.

Observations

Here are a few of the things I have noticed that I feel are worth mentioning.

Preston

• He now likes pickles and olives.  He wouldn't touch them before.
• He loves guacamole.  It's his new favorite food.  I'm not sure he had ever eaten an avocado before.  He always thought they looked disgusting and wouldn't even try them until now.
• He is asking a MILLION questions.  It's like he can't shut his brain off.  He talks and talks and talks.  When I ask him to do something he says, "Okay, mom.  But can I just ask you a question first?" That happens like 100 times a day.  
• He copies others (mainly what they say, but also what they do)
• He thinks EVERYTHING is funny.
• He is still VERY loving to his baby brother!  He holds him and kisses him and just wants to be around him, but he is almost too rough and too loving with him now.  He was like that a little bit before, but now "loving aggressive" behavior is magnified.  I have to watch him around the baby the way I would need to watch a toddler.  
• His new favorite phrase is "But that's not fair!"  It's annoying, but I still smile when I hear him and realize he has NEVER said that before.  He also says flat out tells me "No!" says "I'm not doing that!" "I don't have to!" and "You can't make me!"  He's defiant, but he's making progress.  Wa-hoo!!
• He has slimmed down physically quite a bit.  He seems to be able to feel when he is full more than he could before.  He will say, "No thanks.  I'm full" and that did not happen much before he started Brain Balance.
• He's also much stronger than he used to be.  His muscle tone is becoming more pronounced.  
• Above all, he seems to have so much more energy.  He can walk and hike and run way longer than he used to without complaining or seeming taxed at all.  
• Preston used to lick things.  It was one of the more obvious ways we could see the sensory issues he had.  I haven't seen him lick anything lately.  But, I've noticed he has been chewing on his clothing lately.  A LOT!  I'm not sure if that's an improvement or just switching one need for another, but it's something I've noticed.  
• He is so chatty!  He won't stop talking for anything.  It's so fun to hear what he's thinking.  The other day he was playing in the sand box.  He came in and said, "Mom, what would happen if we ran out of sand?"  I replied, "We would probably get some more."  He continued, "Where would we get it?  From the desert?  Or maybe from the beach.  Yeah, I think that's what we would have to do.  We would have to go to the beach and bring some sand home with us."  I wish I could write down EVERYTHING he says because it is just so fascinating to see how his mind works.  
• He is also getting to be more and more independent.  Not only can he do more for himself, but he WANTS to do more for himself.  That part is so great!  It's been tough having 4 kids, but only one is really independent in most things.  I feel like I have had two toddler/preschoolers and a baby and just one child.  It's starting to feel more and more like Preston is a kid, not a toddler or preschooler than needs help with everything.  

Dylan

• Dylan seems much more mature in so many ways.  Many times when I tell him no, he will start to say, "But mom..." and catch himself and say (after a sigh) "Okay, mom. Maybe tomorrow."  (Not always.  Sometimes he's even worse, but we have seen a jump in maturity.)
• He is enjoying soccer more and his skills have improved as well.  He was good before, but he is much faster and his skills are tighter now.  
• Overall he is calmer.  
• He is often sad and overwhelmed, but he isn't losing his temper as much like he used to.
• Dylan used to put his shirts in his mouth and chew on them all the time.  We haven't observed this behavior in weeks.  
• Dylan would kind of jump and dart when he was going somewhere in a hurry.  Almost like jump, flap his arms once, and then dash away quickly.  I think it's a pretty typical ADD type behavior.  We have never had Dylan tested, but my guess is he would be classified as having ADD or ADHD if we were to have him evaluated.  This behavior seems to be diminishing.  I've observed it randomly here and there, but it used to happen several times a day.  
• Dylan still doesn't want to eat tomatoes, but he'll eat them in things.  He's eating guacamole with tomatoes in it and loving it.  
• His impulse control and delayed gratification seem to take one step forward and three steps back. When he decides he wants something, it's ALL he can talk about.  And when he has to wait for something he wants, the emotional meltdowns start.  For example, he earned some money and wanted to buy a kendama online with his money.  I told him we were taking a break from spending, but we would look at allowing him to make a purchase  next month if his behavior is good.  Oh, the meltdown!!  All control lost!!  

We're definitely seeing progress, but we're still very much on a roller coaster ride.  Not from day to day or week to week, but moment to moment.  We have some awesome ups every day, but plenty of downs as well.  I'm trying my best to be calm, consistent, and loving.  This is crazy hard!  My stress level has been so high!  Life is just super busy!  But although the program is difficult for me, I know it's even more so for my boys.  They're changing!  It's AMAZING, but it's a lot for them as well.  Imagine going through so many developmental stages at once.  It's exhausting just thinking about it!  So...we're doing our best to let go of the things that don't matter right now and focus on what does.  Never easy, but necessary.  

Preston's Eyes

It's been a crazy hectic week so I'm just getting around to posting this now, but Preston SHOCKED us all when he was able to cross his eyes the day after Dylan.  I seriously could not believe it!  Pretty awesome!! The progress he is making is remarkable.  When I look back and think of things he can do now that he couldn't do 5 weeks ago, I can't believe it.  It feels like FOREVER, but it's only been a little over a month.  Crazy!!

Major Milestone

Eye tracking is one of many things they assess at the Brain Balance centers. I was quite surprised when we got the results of the eye tracking for both Dylan and Preston. Preston's eye tracking was practically non-existent and Dylan's eyes weren't much better. Even the results of the reading test where they track their eye movement while they read were much worse than I thought. Dylan is actually a really good reader so to see the computer results of the infrared scan of his eyes while reading was surprising. They didn't track from left to right and then down to the left. They kept backtracking a bit and then skipped back halfway before moving down a line and finally over to the left to start reading on the next line.

As part of the home exercises for Brain Balance, Dylan and Preston do eye exercises three times a day. Preston's eyes lose focus quickly and I have to remind him to track the item he is following quite often. Dylan can focus much better, but still loses his tracking here and there. The thing they both struggle with is alignment. Don't ask me all the specifics, but basically they need to be able to go cross-eyed and see double when tracking an item from far away in towards their nose. I was SHOCKED when I realized neither of my boys could cross their eyes. Like at all.  I thought everyone could do that. It was so weird especially watching Dylan try and having neither eye move much at all. I tried it on Marissa (my 4 year old) and she can do it perfectly. The other strange thing is that Dylan was convinced he was tracking it well. He did not believe me when I told him he wasn't following the pencil.  We have worked on it three times a day, six days a week since August 25 (our official start date). A few weeks into the program, Dylan's right eye (the one that corresponds to his left brain - his stronger hemisphere) started tracking the item better during alignment. Then 2-3 weeks ago, I actually let Dylan cover his right eye and just track with his left eye so he could try to feel what it should be doing. He could track it when the right eye was covered. So once in awhile before we started, we warmed up with just his left eye tracking. After that his left eye started moving a little bit during alignment. It wasn't tracking it correctly, but it was moving. And sometimes the eyes were working together, although they were bouncing from side to side and up and down trying to follow the pencil.  

This morning my husband was working on morning exercises with the boys and yelled out, "You did it right! Hey Hon, Dylan just did the eye exercises!" I thought it was awesome, but probably a one-time thing showing his eyes were getting stronger and he was making some progress. He did it again and sure enough, Dylan followed. I had to go see for myself! Even with me standing there as a bit of a distraction, he could track the item (the piece of chalk Marcos was holding). Let's just say, there was much jumping around and tears of joy this morning. And Dylan (who often complains about Brain Balance and the diet, screen time restrictions, and home exercises) told me he was glad he was doing Brain Balance and could tell it was helping him. I kept worrying that he wouldn't be able to cross his eyes again, but both this afternoon and this evening, he crossed his eyes during exercises. I'm sure there is always a chance he could regress while another part of his brain is developing (we've witnessed that before) but I'm confident this is for real and was a MAJOR MILESTONE for Dylan today. Yay!

 I managed to get a couple pictures of his eyes. I sure wish I had video of them before so you could really SEE the difference. It's a HUGE transformation in ability! At first his eyes barely moved. A few weeks later, one eye tracked correctly but the other held still. A couple weeks later, they both started moving but they were ALL OVER THE PLACE (seriously picture the little ball in a pin ball machine bouncing here, there and everywhere with no rhyme or reason). And finally crossing both eyes and tracking the item from start to finish.  I'm not sure I can even attempt to convey the emotion we felt. Overjoyed! Ecstatic! Grateful! Overwhelmed!  It's absolutely AMAZING!!