Free Presentation for parents, teachers and caregivers
“Practical Solutions to Manage Sensory Integration Issues”
February 21st, Thursday 7:00-8:00
Time for individual questions and sharing afterward
presented by:
Catherine M Whiting, MS, OTR/L
13881 John Street NE
Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110
directions: www.CatherineWhiting.com
No children, please
RSVP preferred.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Help with Kitchen Cross-Contamination
Tips below were listed on the Gluten-Free Forum website. Since we haven't been able to have detailed discussions about cross-contamination, you may find these ideas informative.
Here are cross-contamination potential issues:
1. Replace toaster/toaster oven. Never use the same toaster/oven that gluten products have been used in.
2. Replace all cutting boards. Old boards may be kept separate for use with gluten foods.
3. Replace wooden or Teflon cooking utensils. Old utensils may be kept separate for use with gluten foods.
4. Replace porous pots/pans/skillets. Teflon and cast iron are porous and retain gluten from past cooking.
5. Replace pans with seams. Past gluten products can easily be retained in the seam.
6.Never wash gluten and gluten-free dishes in the same dish water.
7.Use disposable rags/sponges if your kitchen is not totally gluten-free.
8. Many issues one forgets to look at: can openers colanders pets (food, licking) stamps, envelopes stamp hinges (for collectors) lipstick toothpaste
9. Very important: silver drawer: there are always crumbs there.
10. shared tables, like at work. I frequently sit down to have lunch & find someone else's sandwich crumbs all over.
11. Perhaps remembering to wash your hands before eating finger food. I know our moms always told us to do this, but it's easy to forget. There are so many potential contaminants in the house, especially for those of us with pets or kids, that you might not even realize you've touched something that's potentially dangerous.
12. bulk bins at the grocery: it has one of the most cross-contaminated potential. One has to ask the owners to put some aside when they have a new bag.
13. At school: Gym class was held in the multi-purpose room (lunchroom) where kids had just eaten breakfast. Custodians swept the floor after breakfast, but didn't wash it. My son crawled around on the floor during gym class, wiggled his loose teeth...gluten. Kids met for chess club in the library during lunch, so they ate their lunch in the library. Crumbs on the carpet get on little fingers. Kids eat snacks in the hallways. Crumbs get tracked into the classroom. Five year olds spent a lot of time crawling on the floor. Some brands of play "clay" (ex. Rose Art) contain gluten. Some finger paints also do. Check out all art supplies used in the art room and in the classroom.
14. the conveyor belts at the checkout counters in supermarkets: for ex.: leaking flour bags, etc
Ideas from others: I have color-coded all the gluten-free stuff and have separate drawers and cupboard areas for my pans, cooking utensils, plastic ware, etc. I also have a separate storage area for my pasta, flours, etc. I know that I am lucky to have a kitchen that allows this. I gather that some people just make their entire kitchen gluten-free, and I would like to do that, so I wouldn't always be having to clean the buttons on the microwave and the handle of the refrigerator, but I think they'd really revolt. So I just try to be super-careful, and never lay anything down on a counter without a paper towel or a plate under it, even on the counter that is the gluten-free area.
Information can be found on http://www.celiac.com/ under the Gluten-Free Forum
Here are cross-contamination potential issues:
1. Replace toaster/toaster oven. Never use the same toaster/oven that gluten products have been used in.
2. Replace all cutting boards. Old boards may be kept separate for use with gluten foods.
3. Replace wooden or Teflon cooking utensils. Old utensils may be kept separate for use with gluten foods.
4. Replace porous pots/pans/skillets. Teflon and cast iron are porous and retain gluten from past cooking.
5. Replace pans with seams. Past gluten products can easily be retained in the seam.
6.Never wash gluten and gluten-free dishes in the same dish water.
7.Use disposable rags/sponges if your kitchen is not totally gluten-free.
8. Many issues one forgets to look at: can openers colanders pets (food, licking) stamps, envelopes stamp hinges (for collectors) lipstick toothpaste
9. Very important: silver drawer: there are always crumbs there.
10. shared tables, like at work. I frequently sit down to have lunch & find someone else's sandwich crumbs all over.
11. Perhaps remembering to wash your hands before eating finger food. I know our moms always told us to do this, but it's easy to forget. There are so many potential contaminants in the house, especially for those of us with pets or kids, that you might not even realize you've touched something that's potentially dangerous.
12. bulk bins at the grocery: it has one of the most cross-contaminated potential. One has to ask the owners to put some aside when they have a new bag.
13. At school: Gym class was held in the multi-purpose room (lunchroom) where kids had just eaten breakfast. Custodians swept the floor after breakfast, but didn't wash it. My son crawled around on the floor during gym class, wiggled his loose teeth...gluten. Kids met for chess club in the library during lunch, so they ate their lunch in the library. Crumbs on the carpet get on little fingers. Kids eat snacks in the hallways. Crumbs get tracked into the classroom. Five year olds spent a lot of time crawling on the floor. Some brands of play "clay" (ex. Rose Art) contain gluten. Some finger paints also do. Check out all art supplies used in the art room and in the classroom.
14. the conveyor belts at the checkout counters in supermarkets: for ex.: leaking flour bags, etc
- Don't use the same cloth to wipe both 'gluten' work tops and the 'gluten free' area. Use separate cloth kitchen towels [or disposable ones] for your gluten-free area in kitchen.
- Rinse off ordinary breadcrumbs or ordinary flour sauce before putting items in dishwasher.
- Gluten crumbs on the floor [crawling toddlers, pets transfer]
- Can opener [have a separate one for gluten-free]
Ideas from others: I have color-coded all the gluten-free stuff and have separate drawers and cupboard areas for my pans, cooking utensils, plastic ware, etc. I also have a separate storage area for my pasta, flours, etc. I know that I am lucky to have a kitchen that allows this. I gather that some people just make their entire kitchen gluten-free, and I would like to do that, so I wouldn't always be having to clean the buttons on the microwave and the handle of the refrigerator, but I think they'd really revolt. So I just try to be super-careful, and never lay anything down on a counter without a paper towel or a plate under it, even on the counter that is the gluten-free area.
Information can be found on http://www.celiac.com/ under the Gluten-Free Forum
Friday, January 25, 2008
Interesting Reading
Both Discovery Magazine and Harvard Magazine (an alumni publication) published excellent articles focusing on Autism during the month of January. I hope you take time to read them!
Autism: It's Not Just in the Head
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/apr/autism-it2019s-not-just-in-the-head
A Spectrum of Disorders
http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/01/a-spectrum-of-disorders.html
Autism: It's Not Just in the Head
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/apr/autism-it2019s-not-just-in-the-head
A Spectrum of Disorders
http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/01/a-spectrum-of-disorders.html
Meeting Notes January 23rd
Hello Moms!
Here are the notes from our last meeting!
Introduction to Vitamin Supplement and Nutritional Therapy:
Why?
· Children with Autism will very often eat only a narrow range of foods.
· Children are not taking in the necessary nutrients to maintain normal cell function.
· They have abnormal cell function and consequent inadequate digestion.
· Poor cell function and digestion interferes with absorption of nutrients.
· Even if a child with Autism eats ‘normally’, abnormalities in cellular biochemistry prevents proper utilization of nutrients.
Whether Autism-associated deficiencies are a cause or a result of abnormal metabolism, it is not clear, but in either case, the foundation of an appropriate treatment strategy is to re-supply the nutrients that the child’s body needs to perform more normally.
Vitamins and minerals as co-enzymes are essential to drive biochemical reactions forward in cellular metabolism.
Studies and ‘Proof’:
Typically children with Autism have long standing vitamin and mineral deficiencies, the vast majority show enormous benefits from vitamin/mineral/nutrient therapy. If they were not using supplements before, the reaction is sometimes dramatic, taking the form of greater eye contact, better behavior and sleeping patterns and improved sensory processing within a few weeks of starting a supplement program.
Testing for nutritional deficiencies includes: CBC (Complete blood count), Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Fasting Amino Acid Analysis (plasma), Organic Acid Analysis (OAT-Urine), Fatty Acid Analysis (plasma), IgG 90 food sensitivity test (serum), Red Blood cell essential minerals (whole blood) and Metallothionein dysfunction.
DAN! Study; ‘Nutritional Status of Autistic Children’ reported by Dr. Woody McGinnis, MD, October 2001. www.autism.com/mcginnis
Dr. William Shaw, ‘Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD’. 1998
Dr. William Shaw and Dr. William Walsh completed a number of studies about maldigestion and malabsorption.
__________________________________________________
In future discussions we will review the following:
Vitamins:
· Vitamin A
· Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
· Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
· Vitamin B3 (niacin)
· Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
· Vitamin B12
· Vitamin C
· Vitamin D
· Vitamin E
· Folic Acid
· Vitamin K
Minerals:
· Zinc
· Magnesium
· Calcium
· Selenium
· Molybdenum
Omega Fatty Acids:
· EPA
· DHA
· ALA
Essential Amino Acids:
· Taurine
· Glutamine
· Arginine
Also Creatine, Carnitine and Coenzyme Q10
Lastly, we will talk about the use of digestive enzymes, probiotics and immunity enhancers TMG and DMG (trimethylglycine and dimethylglycine). Once finished with the evaluation of the vitamins and supplements we will talk about the daunting task of finding supplements that your child will tolerate, dosing and ‘tricks’ to add these vitamins and minerals to your child’s daily routine.
Resources and Reading:
Changing the Course of Autism, by Dr. Bryan Jepson, MD, 2007
Children with Starving Brains, by Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless, 2003
Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Conditions, by Karen DelFelice, 2003
Here are the notes from our last meeting!
Introduction to Vitamin Supplement and Nutritional Therapy:
Why?
· Children with Autism will very often eat only a narrow range of foods.
· Children are not taking in the necessary nutrients to maintain normal cell function.
· They have abnormal cell function and consequent inadequate digestion.
· Poor cell function and digestion interferes with absorption of nutrients.
· Even if a child with Autism eats ‘normally’, abnormalities in cellular biochemistry prevents proper utilization of nutrients.
Whether Autism-associated deficiencies are a cause or a result of abnormal metabolism, it is not clear, but in either case, the foundation of an appropriate treatment strategy is to re-supply the nutrients that the child’s body needs to perform more normally.
Vitamins and minerals as co-enzymes are essential to drive biochemical reactions forward in cellular metabolism.
Studies and ‘Proof’:
Typically children with Autism have long standing vitamin and mineral deficiencies, the vast majority show enormous benefits from vitamin/mineral/nutrient therapy. If they were not using supplements before, the reaction is sometimes dramatic, taking the form of greater eye contact, better behavior and sleeping patterns and improved sensory processing within a few weeks of starting a supplement program.
Testing for nutritional deficiencies includes: CBC (Complete blood count), Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Fasting Amino Acid Analysis (plasma), Organic Acid Analysis (OAT-Urine), Fatty Acid Analysis (plasma), IgG 90 food sensitivity test (serum), Red Blood cell essential minerals (whole blood) and Metallothionein dysfunction.
DAN! Study; ‘Nutritional Status of Autistic Children’ reported by Dr. Woody McGinnis, MD, October 2001. www.autism.com/mcginnis
Dr. William Shaw, ‘Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD’. 1998
Dr. William Shaw and Dr. William Walsh completed a number of studies about maldigestion and malabsorption.
__________________________________________________
In future discussions we will review the following:
Vitamins:
· Vitamin A
· Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
· Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
· Vitamin B3 (niacin)
· Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
· Vitamin B12
· Vitamin C
· Vitamin D
· Vitamin E
· Folic Acid
· Vitamin K
Minerals:
· Zinc
· Magnesium
· Calcium
· Selenium
· Molybdenum
Omega Fatty Acids:
· EPA
· DHA
· ALA
Essential Amino Acids:
· Taurine
· Glutamine
· Arginine
Also Creatine, Carnitine and Coenzyme Q10
Lastly, we will talk about the use of digestive enzymes, probiotics and immunity enhancers TMG and DMG (trimethylglycine and dimethylglycine). Once finished with the evaluation of the vitamins and supplements we will talk about the daunting task of finding supplements that your child will tolerate, dosing and ‘tricks’ to add these vitamins and minerals to your child’s daily routine.
Resources and Reading:
Changing the Course of Autism, by Dr. Bryan Jepson, MD, 2007
Children with Starving Brains, by Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless, 2003
Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Conditions, by Karen DelFelice, 2003
Monday, January 7, 2008
Free Autism Seminar in February
Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008
"The ABC's of Functional Lab Testing for Children with ASD".
Presented by Dr. Hatha Gbedawo, ND
Location: Hannah S. Grunbaum Conference Center
1625 19th Ave. Seattle
Call Linda Brozanic for info. or to register. 1-800-288-0383
Sponsored by Great Plains Lab, Inc.
"The ABC's of Functional Lab Testing for Children with ASD".
Presented by Dr. Hatha Gbedawo, ND
Location: Hannah S. Grunbaum Conference Center
1625 19th Ave. Seattle
Call Linda Brozanic for info. or to register. 1-800-288-0383
Sponsored by Great Plains Lab, Inc.
Meeting Notes - 11/7
Introduction to Dietary Intervention for Autism:
Food Allergies, Intolerance and Food as a Neuro-toxin.
Why Eliminate Foods?
- The Science of food and drink; every molecule can have an effect on our bodies.
- We now know through scientific evidence that food and chemicals entering the body have a direct impact on mood, our neurological state and our brain.
- Food and behavior is a well documented relationship.
- Proven connections with neurological function and consumption of food additives, dyes, nitrates and preservatives as manifested in skin reactions, rhinitis, migraines, severe psychiatric problems, Gastro-Intestinal malfunction, hyperactivity, sleep problems and mood in children.
Intolerances and Sentivities vs. Allergies:
True Allergies:
- The bodies immune system produces a substance called IgE antibodies.
- The body releases histamine.
- Well known symptoms: rashes, sneezing, mucus production usually immediately following exposure.
Intolereance and Sensitivity:
- The body reacts by producing IgG antibodies.
- Antibodies are produced when ‘unidentified particles’ or chemicals leak through the gut (GI system) and continue to ‘wander-around’ the bloodstream.
- Symptoms show up as changes in behavior rather than a histiminal reaction.
- Delayed and cumulative.
Food Allergies, Intolerance and Food as a Neuro-toxin.
Why Eliminate Foods?
- The Science of food and drink; every molecule can have an effect on our bodies.
- We now know through scientific evidence that food and chemicals entering the body have a direct impact on mood, our neurological state and our brain.
- Food and behavior is a well documented relationship.
- Proven connections with neurological function and consumption of food additives, dyes, nitrates and preservatives as manifested in skin reactions, rhinitis, migraines, severe psychiatric problems, Gastro-Intestinal malfunction, hyperactivity, sleep problems and mood in children.
Intolerances and Sentivities vs. Allergies:
True Allergies:
- The bodies immune system produces a substance called IgE antibodies.
- The body releases histamine.
- Well known symptoms: rashes, sneezing, mucus production usually immediately following exposure.
Intolereance and Sensitivity:
- The body reacts by producing IgG antibodies.
- Antibodies are produced when ‘unidentified particles’ or chemicals leak through the gut (GI system) and continue to ‘wander-around’ the bloodstream.
- Symptoms show up as changes in behavior rather than a histiminal reaction.
- Delayed and cumulative.
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