I was recommended the book, "The Late Talker" by Mailyn C. Agin, MD, Lisa F. Geng, and Malcom J. Nicholl when we took our son to Melmed Center for his initial visit with a developmental pediatrician. I finally began reading it ... yes, it took me over a month to even crack it open (denial?) and I came to the Nutritional Interventions chapter.
I keep hearing and reading about a gluten/casein free diet for autism and I just have not been able to wrap my brain around that. My little one is a very picky eater as it is and if I had to take away the few things he does eat, I don't know what he would be left with. But the idea of Omega-3's having an effect on speech and communication was intriguing to me and I had already been giving Dom vitamin supplements, including a fish oil supplement, per the recommendations of the developmental pediatrician. However, when I began comparing the amount of DHA in the Gummi's versus the ProEFA that was discussed in the book, I knew it was no where near the therapeutic levels of the ProEFA. In the book, ProEFA was the ratio of Omega-3's that had the most effect on children with both apraxia and autism.
So, a week or so ago I took the plunge and ordered a bottle of ProEFA from
Professional Supplement Center-Free Shipping, Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
and I started my 2 1/2 year old taking the fish oil capsules yesterday, August 25. The only way I could manage to get him to take them, because they really do smell and taste like fish, with a lemony coating, is to get applesauce, hide the capsule in the applesauce (whole), and spoon-feed him the applesauce. Since he "gulps" down the applesauce without chewing, he swallowed them. I think it would work with yogurt or pudding, or other soft foods that are not chewed but simply swallowed down, that a child likes. I went with no-sugar added applesauce.
Currently my little boy has therapies three days a week, in home; speech, occupational, and developmental. He has made slow progress since November 2010, when therapies (speech, developmental) began, but is very far behind his peers in speech and communication.
On Day 2, I have not seen a change in speech since beginning the ProEFA.
I will be keeping a daily log to see if there has been a change and share my experiences with other parents who may be considering trying this product to help their child.
dg
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