GF Month of May - Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

May is Gluten Free Awareness Month. I decided to try a gluten free diet again for the month as part of the Gluten Free Challenge. I learned about the challenge through the blog, Suddenly Gluten Free, where Oakland Press food editor Alissa Malerman shares recipes and news of new products. May 22 & 23 are the official "challenge" days, although some people are going GF for the whole month of May.

I've eaten a lot more salad in the 4+ days of May. I hope to lose some weight. I need to lose a lot. When I went GFCF with my daughter nine years ago, I lost weight without trying, without portion control, without counting points, without effort. I simply removed gluten and casein from my diet. I lasted four four months and never felt better, except I craved a bun on a burger, cheese on a burger, and pizza. This time, I'm removing gluten and reducing casein, but not eliminating casein.

A few weeks ago, when I spent a lot of time in the waiting room at the auto dealership, I had the opportunity to read quite a few magazines.

In one of them (I do not remember which one), I found a recipe for Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette. The recipe reminded me of a salad I enjoyed many times at a restaurant in Long Beach, California. It's one I'd never tried to make at home.

I copied the list of ingredients onto a sticky note supplied by the dealership w/ the dealership logo printed on each page. They happen to be gluten free, perfect for my GF Challenge month:

Orange Balsamic Viniagrette

1/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup EVOO

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper to taste

I drizzled it on a salad of romaine (spinach would have been better), orange segments, almonds. Yummy! Raspberries and maybe strawberries would be a nice addition, too.

Regular Moms vs Special Needs Moms

Regular Moms vs Special Needs Moms

Thanks, Heather, for sharing this with me.

Thanks, Dawn, for sharing a peek into our lives.

Skating makes her smile!

As the skills on the ice become more complex, I am amazed to watch my daughter try what Coach shows her. Would I be as brave? I don't know. I've never been on ice skates. I'd like to try. My girl adores being on the ice on skates. Being able to skate can turn a bad day into a good one for her. Skating calms her, centers her, excites her. I'd like to find the thing that does for me what skating does for my daughter.

Motor planning is challenging for her, and sometimes I can see the wheels turning in her head as she thinks through all the steps involved in a new movement or skill.

Yes, her posture needs some work. And Coach has been trying to get her to hold her arms up for a year. Recently, she told Coach that holding up her arms is easier. We theorize that she needed time to develop some abdominal strength in order to hold her arms out more easily.

She has begun to experiment with her body using some of the new skills. Coach taught her to slalom a couple of weeks ago, and I see my girl leaning this way and that on the ice, using that new skill for fun.

Look at my girl *smile*

Motor planning in action

Same move, with a tweak...
Coach suggested she bend her knees until the turn, and then stand up straight and cross her arms. I think I can see the wheels turning in my girl's head as she thinks through the different steps:

My girl does not like this exercise, and wants to "be done".

Yet, she is resilient and perserveres. :)

Today's session ended abruptly with a fall after my girl caught a toe pick on the ice. She landed hard on her knee. On the drive home, she asked for a wheelchair. She is fine, tonight, no wheelchair necessary.

Dr. Jim: Red Flags, Green Flags, Which do you follow?

Here is a copy of The Red flags-Green flags idea you can share with others. Dr. Jim


RED FLAGS - GREEN FLAGS
Which do you follow?

Parents frequently tell me about the ‘red flags’ that professionals claim to see in their child.
‘Red flags’ are signs of autistic-like or delayed behavior---such as severe language delay, lining up cars, flicking his hands, isolating himself, not talking to others, repeating actions or communications and many more ‘suspicious’ behaviors.

Seldom do people stop and ask: Does the child show as many positive social behaviors as the ‘red flags’ that appear? The diagnosis of autism, PDD or Asperger’s is often based on these ‘red flags’ without accounting for two critical things; ‘green flags ‘ developmentally correct behavior that is not autistic-like, and recent changes showing productive social and communicative behavior.

These ‘green flags” and recent changes show that for some children, autistic behavior is a developmental matter more than a long-term disorder.

Some professionals seek out negative signs, focus on the obvious differences and ignore positive ones that I call “green flags.” This results in unreliable and invalid assessment and treatment.

A green flag is a behavior that shows the child is developing in skills that show he is not autistic or delayed all the time. It also suggests that he is even developing out of autistic habits.

Common green flags include playing with others, initiating or responding to others’ contacts, playing functionally and not repeatedly, communicating to others more than to himself, showing more interest in people, using language socially, occasionally having reciprocal conversations, cooperating, showing empathy and many other skills that can be built into the effective social life that defines success in autism.

A global ‘green flag’ occurs when the child is showing fewer ‘red flags’ over time or when they are less autistic-like in certain environments. It is now clear that autistic behavior is not everywhere and with everyone. Autistic behavior varies as the child’s environments vary.

WHY ARE RED AND GREEN FLAGS IMPORTANT?

When a child is seen as a list of Red flags, people often attend more to negative behaviors and less to positive ones that a can be built socially. Attending to red flags can result in increasing them.

Focusing on red flags often frightens parents into a state where all they see is negative things. Red flags depress parents and a depressed parent often gives up or gives up opportunities to help the child themselves. They give professionals many tasks that only they as parents can do at home in their daily interactions.

Red flags can get parents into a habit of getting rid of behaviors rather than building positive behaviors (Green flags)

Focusing on “green flags” gives parents hope and motivation based on clear evidence. “Green flags” show how the child is developing and where support is immediately needed. They give the parents a place to start to have successes. We find that when parents and professionals respond to the ‘green flags’ they get more of them. Often the most effective beginning goal for a child is to have him do more of their green flags and do them in interactions with people who are matching, balancing and responding to them. Parents will even find that there are ‘red flag” and ‘green flag” people, that is ones who their child does poorly or well with.

Discuss the “green flags’ with your family and others so everyone is supporting your child’s progress rather than focusing on his problems. Use the red flag-green flag approach in your IEP plans with the school. Specify the value of including green flags in the goals so the child has some success to encourage him through the difficult goals.

KEEP A PARALLEL LIST OF RED FLAGS AND GREEN FLAGS
Use the list to have a balanced view of your child. The list will show you what behaviors (Green flags) you should respond to and build into your interactions and which behaviors (Red flags) you should ignore so you don’t inadvertently develop them.

MY CHILD’S RED FLAGS AND GREEN FLAGS

A red flag is a sign of problems.

A green flag is a strength or progress.

RED FLAGS GREEN FLAGS

INTERACTIVE BEHAVIORS

LEARNING ON HIS OWN-COGNITIVE.

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

SOCIAL LANGUAGE

CONVERSATION

CIVIL BEHAVIOR

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

HOUSEHOLD ACTIVITIES

MEDICAL ISSUES

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

FRIENDSHIPS

OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL CONCERNS

Please see the ARM for many developmental steps.

See other maps or assessments or program plans.


Copyright 2010 James MacDonald
http://www.communicatingpartners.com/

"The Accidental Teacher" by Annie Lubliner Lehmann, free, online

From today's Detroit Free Press

"Annie Lubliner Lehmann's book, "The Accidental Teacher" (University of Michigan Press, $16.95), is a memoir of her family's experiences raising a severely autistic son in West Bloomfield. U-M is trying its first Open Text Project with the memoir, which allows people to read it for free online and comment on it paragraph by paragraph."

Check it out at

www.press.umich.edu/autismmemoir

http://umpress.digress.it/the-accidental-teacher/the-accidental-teacher-table-of-contents/

Baseball and Figure Skating

Busy sports day in my family yesterday.

My homeschooler got some inexpensive ice time to practice the skills she's been learning.

And my son had a baseball game.

Here's my boy making contact with the ball at bat:

She tries some one-foot glides and a little slalom practice on her own:

And then I asked her (and asked and asked and asked) to practice the dreaded backwards skating. So, I made her. And you can see the anxiety rise inside her. She hasn't made the disovery that she's quite capable of skating backwards:

I needed a "no whine zone" sign for that!

Introducing Whole Foods Cooking, by Rich & Sue Gregg, a TOS Crew Review

I should know more about whole foods cooking. Between my homeschooler and me, we have a long list of food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances. Cooking with whole foods often means fewer ingredients, simpler recipes, which increases the likelihood that I can make one dish or meal for all of us.

Introducing Whole Foods Cooking for Health and Hospitality by Rich & Sue Gregg, from Sue Gregg Cookbooks, ($17.00) is much more than a cookbook. It is a teaching cookbook accompanied by a CD with PowerPoint photographs and illustrations of information and recipes. The book contains "Recipes & Nutrition Basics", which are an education into how to shift your cooking toward more nutritious, healthful foods.

How does a mom begin to do that for her family?

The Greggs' motto is

"One recipe at a time."

I'm hungry for new recipes that are gluten free, casein free, soy free, pineapple free, sunflower free, peanut and tree nut free, for starters. We rotate eggs in recipes and don't serve my child with allergies egg dishes, although she occasionally eats a baked good with egg as an ingredient. I have sensitivies to some of the foods on that list, plus tuna and the nightshade family.

I'm tired of making separate meals for those of us with allergies. Our home feels like a restaurant most nights, with all of us eating something different. I need more recipes that all of us can enjoy together.

I'm partial to recipes that have already been tested with a gazillion substitutions so that I don't have to experiment and make a flop that I have to throw in the trash. I've done that enough, and it's costly to my pocketbook and my confidence in trying to modify recipes.

In this particular cookbook, the Greggs use a lot of ingredients that we avoid, from sour cream and yogurt to parmesean cheese to pineapple. Mrs. Gregg knew that we have a lot of sensitivities when she sent me the book, and her hope was that she could add a handful of new-to-us recipes for my house.

This is not the "miracle cookbook" for GFCFers. It isn't meant to be that. If you are looking for a lot of GFCF recipes, this is not the cookbook for you, UNLESS you are looking for information about whole foods cooking. The cookbook is a nice resource to have because it contains as much (more, probably) information about whole foods cooking and making recipes healthier as it contains recipes.

"Introducing Whole Foods Cooking," is a teaching cookbook, one that will ease newbies into cooking healthier meals.

The entire family gave a thumbs up to the baked salmon with lemon. ;) It's simple to make and easier to clean up than my standard salmon recipe. We all enjoy a GFCF version of blender batter waffles, too.


A 38 page preview of this cookbook is available HERE.

To read my Crewmates' reviews of this and other Sue Gregg cookbooks, please click HERE.

As part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew of reviewers, I was given complimentary copy of "Introducing Whole Foods Cooking" by Sue Gregg. I received no financial compensation for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Watchin' some baseball!

I finally got to watch my son play some baseball last night! My son was the starting pitcher, and he did a fine job! He was not happy with his batting/hitting; he struck out twice, and managed a double on the next at-bat while I was watching. He's a good little hitter! I'm so proud of him!

Light Speed "history of the U.S. AP* Exam Prep" from cerebellum corporation, a TOS Crew Review

Advanced placement exam prep for under $15 is something that catches my attention, even though I don't have a child old enough to be prepping for AP exams.

Light Speed's history of the U.S. AP* Exam Prep is the product that caught my attention. Packaged as a DVD + digital workbook, this resource is designed to help students 9th grade and higher pass the AP U.S. History exam. "This video tutorial provides a speedy and thorough of pivotal events in U.S. History. The program covers the diverse motives of colonists through Vietnam, with emphasis on the period from 1790 to 1914."

Priced at $14.98 (as I type this the DVD is $3.74 off, on sale for $11.24), the DVD is approximately 73 minutes in length and is fast paced, packed with information, presented to viewers by young adults who are attractive and engaging. The digital workbook provides 23 pages that includes handouts, viewing worksheets, activities, worksheets, and a check your knowledge section of questions and answers. The DVD covers taking the test, writing the essay, and "30 in 30", which covers 30 topics in 30 minutes.

The DVD is so fast paced, I would have to view it several times if I were seriously prepping for the exam. "Rapid fire" is the style as the young people on the video share tips, facts, and information. If I were exam prepping for real, I'd use the pause button quite a bit on the video player.

The DVD is NOT closed captioned. (I called the company to confirm that information. The rep was friendly and helpful and she told me that captioning the videos is being considered. I told her I vote to caption them. *smile* She offered to send me more info on the videos and made sure I had no other questions before we ended our phone conversation. The staff seems to be very thorough with callers.)

I don't have a child old enough to take the AP tests. I absolutely would try this video with my children as a method to prepare for an exam. The price is reasonable, and the information is consistent with what I heard on an audio CD from a homeschool convention about successful standardized test taking. The video component combined with the workbook is an attractive combination to me. When I was preparing to take grad school entrance exams (back in the dark ages), the prep materials were thick, boring books. Video prep is engaging and fun compared to the prep books of old, and I am able to remember facts from the video (when I struggled to remember anything from those old grad prep books). If your student likes a multi-media presentation, video learning may be the way to prep for the AP exams.

I wanted to know who provided the information for the videos (there is a large selection available, and are not limited to AP exam prep). Do they know what they are talking about? I located the information on the web site: "Each Cerebellum title is written by an academic team comprised of professors from leading universities, including Yale, University of Virginia, George Washington University and Georgetown University, to name a few."

The Crew reviewed a variety of products from cerebellum CORPORATION. (I happened to receive the history of the U.S. product). To read my Crewmates' reviews of cerebellum CORPORATION, please stand by for a link.

As part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew of reviewers, I was given a complimentary copy of Light Speed's Home Video Learning "history of the U.S. AP* Exam Prep". I am not compensated for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

"...When the message is social in nature..."

In my experience, Dr Rosenberger's words (boldface emphasis mine) apply to the entire autism spectrum, not only Asperger Syndrome:

"One of the most helpful insights for a family can be understanding how a child with Asperger syndrome is limited in his or her comprehension of language. While atypical responses from Asperger kids can be frustrating, they are easier for a parent to tolerate when he or she understands that Asperger kids really don't interpret language in the same way. Though many parents insist that their child understands every word they say, with children on the autism spectrum this is frequently not the case, especially when the message is social in nature. This can be hard for some parents to accept, but once they do, the end result is less frustration all around."

Peter B. Rosenberger, M.D.

p xiii

from the Foreward

of

The Best Kind of Different

Our Family's Journey with Asperger's Syndrome

by

Sondra Schilling

Introduction by

Curt Schilling