- J
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Our son Aidan was diagnosis with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of 2. At 18 months Aidan showed some developmental delays, but he had 5 words and a few mannerisms, like waving good bye and blowing kisses. Aidan was a happy, silly little boy with bright eyes and a smile that you could feel in your heart. Just before Aidan’s second birthday we noticed he seemed disconnected. His eye contact diminished and he started spending more time alone. Within a month he had lost all of his words and when asked to wave goodbye or blow a kiss he would just stare off into space. It was as if he was trapped in an invisible bubble and he could no longer see or hear the world around him.
As Aidan got older he grew frustrated with his non verbal world. He would cry, scream and run to hide when he could not communicate his feelings, wants or needs. We began to work with an Ipad as a communication device, this alleviated some of his frustrations, but he was still limited to the buttons on the screen. As he grew older, it was clear he felt lost and misunderstood. Communication was not the only concern. Aidan had no sense of danger. He would climb and jump from any height. He would bolt into the street without a concern for cars. He would escape from the house through any unlocked window or door and run until he was caught or found. Over the years we have done everything we can to keep Aidan safe. He wears a LoJack anklet, so the police can track him when he runs away. We got him a service dog who he is tethered to in public to keep him from bolting and is also trained in search and rescue. Over the years Aidan has become aggressive and self injurious from his frustration. He has several specialists and is on way too much medication. As parents we were forced to make the impossible decision of choosing the dangerous self injurious behavior, which could lead to brain damage or the dangerous side effects of the harmful medications to help manage his behavior. Life has been a challenge.
Last fall I met a woman who’s non verbal, autistic son began speaking after a therapy she started in California. I met this little boy and was amazed that he was ever diagnosed with Autism. He was quiet and a bit shy, but he looked like a typical child to me. His Mom told me that before the therapy he only had a handful of words that he would never say on his own, but could repeat. She couldn’t take him into public places because he would meltdown and fall to the floor from over stimulation of the sights and sounds around him. When I met this child he had a conversation with me. He didn’t stim at all. His mother told me he stopped the stimming in California during the treatments. I was blown away!
The therapy called MRT (magnetic resonance treatment). The military has been treating its soldiers suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries with MRT for more than 10 years. The treatment is fairly new with autistic children, but it is making a dramatic difference in the lives of families living with autism. MRT is unique because the treatment starts with an EEG. The doctors study the results of the EEG to find abnormalities in the brainwave activity. A treatment plan is then created based on the findings. Each treatment is custom fit to each individual.
Last December, I maxed out a credit card and jumped on a plane to California with my two boys and Mr. Goffrey, Aidan’s service dog. Both boys responded to the treatment, so we set up a fund raising page and raised money to return for more treatment. On our last visit we stayed for 5 weeks. Treatments were 6 days a week, Monday – Saturday. The doctor asked what we would like to achieve from the treatments. What would we consider our number one goal. I immediately responded that I would like to see a decrease in Aidan’s aggression. Taking care of an aggressive child takes an enormous amount of patience. It is difficult to find people qualified and willing to take care of an aggressive child, so I spend a lot of time with Aidan, especially during school breaks. It is so hard to be patient when you don’t get a break. Aidan’s aggression has isolated him from other children. The school is afraid he will injure another child, so they keep him separate from the other kids by putting him in a very small, private classroom with just him, Goffrey, his one on one aide and a dog handler. His aggression has taken away his ability to be a child.
After just 2 weeks of treatment I started to notice a decrease in Aidan’s aggression. He was thinking before he reacted. He wasn’t just blowing up, but appeared to be taking time to weigh his options before he reacted. I also started to notice an increase in his awareness. It was as if he was seeing the world for the first time. He would smile when he saw a plane over head. Tracking it until it was out of sight. Planes were something he never noticed before. In the past, even when I tried to point them out he could never seem to see past my hand pointing to the object. Now Aidan was hearing and seeing them before me! On one of our last days in California we went to Sea World. For the first time ever, Aidan saw the animals behind the glass. He watched them intently. We went to the dolphin show and his face lit up as he watched the large animals jump and splash. It was clear to me that we had burst the invisible bubble. Aidan could see the world again and he seemed happy and comfortable in it. It has been more than 4 weeks now since Aidan has had a major melt down. Before the MRT he was have 3-4/day. We have met our original goal. Aidan’s aggression has greatly decreased and we feel blessed to have our happy little boy back.
We are so grateful to all of the people who donated time and money to make this treatment possible. If we never make it back to California that will not change. While we were away, I closed the fundraising page because we did not need any more money for the boy’s summer treatments. However, my inbox was flooded with people who wanted to help. I have decided to open up another page in hopes to get Aidan back to The Brain Treatment Center for more MRT. We have no expectations. If it doesn’t work out, we are still over the moon about the results from this last visit. Aidan’s doctor at the center, Dr. Lee, was surprised by how quickly Aidan responded to the treatments. Each EEG showed a significant increase in alpha brain wave activity (the brain waves associated with a healthy ”awake” brain). Aidan showed no alpha activity in his first EEG. He was living in theta (the brainwaves shown when you are just waking up or are “half asleep”). Our stay was relatively short when compared to the other children receiving treatment here. Most of the patients stay for a minimum of 2-3 month at a time. Many come 2- 3 times a year. Each time making even more progress. Dr. Lee believes that Aidan future's with MRT holds a great deal of promise. Although she cannot guarantee it, she believes that speech is still a possibility.
The BTC is holding a special $7,000 for one month of treatment. This is $5,000 off the regular rate. The offer ends October 31st. Although we would not be able to make it back to California until the winter the center is giving us the opportunity to pay in advance, so we can take advantage of the savings. If you have already donated, thank you. We do not expect another donation. Please help us by sharing this link with your FaceBook friends and anyone else who may be interested in hearing our story.
Thank you again for all of your love and support!
The Glynn Family
As Aidan got older he grew frustrated with his non verbal world. He would cry, scream and run to hide when he could not communicate his feelings, wants or needs. We began to work with an Ipad as a communication device, this alleviated some of his frustrations, but he was still limited to the buttons on the screen. As he grew older, it was clear he felt lost and misunderstood. Communication was not the only concern. Aidan had no sense of danger. He would climb and jump from any height. He would bolt into the street without a concern for cars. He would escape from the house through any unlocked window or door and run until he was caught or found. Over the years we have done everything we can to keep Aidan safe. He wears a LoJack anklet, so the police can track him when he runs away. We got him a service dog who he is tethered to in public to keep him from bolting and is also trained in search and rescue. Over the years Aidan has become aggressive and self injurious from his frustration. He has several specialists and is on way too much medication. As parents we were forced to make the impossible decision of choosing the dangerous self injurious behavior, which could lead to brain damage or the dangerous side effects of the harmful medications to help manage his behavior. Life has been a challenge.
Last fall I met a woman who’s non verbal, autistic son began speaking after a therapy she started in California. I met this little boy and was amazed that he was ever diagnosed with Autism. He was quiet and a bit shy, but he looked like a typical child to me. His Mom told me that before the therapy he only had a handful of words that he would never say on his own, but could repeat. She couldn’t take him into public places because he would meltdown and fall to the floor from over stimulation of the sights and sounds around him. When I met this child he had a conversation with me. He didn’t stim at all. His mother told me he stopped the stimming in California during the treatments. I was blown away!
The therapy called MRT (magnetic resonance treatment). The military has been treating its soldiers suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries with MRT for more than 10 years. The treatment is fairly new with autistic children, but it is making a dramatic difference in the lives of families living with autism. MRT is unique because the treatment starts with an EEG. The doctors study the results of the EEG to find abnormalities in the brainwave activity. A treatment plan is then created based on the findings. Each treatment is custom fit to each individual.
Last December, I maxed out a credit card and jumped on a plane to California with my two boys and Mr. Goffrey, Aidan’s service dog. Both boys responded to the treatment, so we set up a fund raising page and raised money to return for more treatment. On our last visit we stayed for 5 weeks. Treatments were 6 days a week, Monday – Saturday. The doctor asked what we would like to achieve from the treatments. What would we consider our number one goal. I immediately responded that I would like to see a decrease in Aidan’s aggression. Taking care of an aggressive child takes an enormous amount of patience. It is difficult to find people qualified and willing to take care of an aggressive child, so I spend a lot of time with Aidan, especially during school breaks. It is so hard to be patient when you don’t get a break. Aidan’s aggression has isolated him from other children. The school is afraid he will injure another child, so they keep him separate from the other kids by putting him in a very small, private classroom with just him, Goffrey, his one on one aide and a dog handler. His aggression has taken away his ability to be a child.
After just 2 weeks of treatment I started to notice a decrease in Aidan’s aggression. He was thinking before he reacted. He wasn’t just blowing up, but appeared to be taking time to weigh his options before he reacted. I also started to notice an increase in his awareness. It was as if he was seeing the world for the first time. He would smile when he saw a plane over head. Tracking it until it was out of sight. Planes were something he never noticed before. In the past, even when I tried to point them out he could never seem to see past my hand pointing to the object. Now Aidan was hearing and seeing them before me! On one of our last days in California we went to Sea World. For the first time ever, Aidan saw the animals behind the glass. He watched them intently. We went to the dolphin show and his face lit up as he watched the large animals jump and splash. It was clear to me that we had burst the invisible bubble. Aidan could see the world again and he seemed happy and comfortable in it. It has been more than 4 weeks now since Aidan has had a major melt down. Before the MRT he was have 3-4/day. We have met our original goal. Aidan’s aggression has greatly decreased and we feel blessed to have our happy little boy back.
We are so grateful to all of the people who donated time and money to make this treatment possible. If we never make it back to California that will not change. While we were away, I closed the fundraising page because we did not need any more money for the boy’s summer treatments. However, my inbox was flooded with people who wanted to help. I have decided to open up another page in hopes to get Aidan back to The Brain Treatment Center for more MRT. We have no expectations. If it doesn’t work out, we are still over the moon about the results from this last visit. Aidan’s doctor at the center, Dr. Lee, was surprised by how quickly Aidan responded to the treatments. Each EEG showed a significant increase in alpha brain wave activity (the brain waves associated with a healthy ”awake” brain). Aidan showed no alpha activity in his first EEG. He was living in theta (the brainwaves shown when you are just waking up or are “half asleep”). Our stay was relatively short when compared to the other children receiving treatment here. Most of the patients stay for a minimum of 2-3 month at a time. Many come 2- 3 times a year. Each time making even more progress. Dr. Lee believes that Aidan future's with MRT holds a great deal of promise. Although she cannot guarantee it, she believes that speech is still a possibility.
The BTC is holding a special $7,000 for one month of treatment. This is $5,000 off the regular rate. The offer ends October 31st. Although we would not be able to make it back to California until the winter the center is giving us the opportunity to pay in advance, so we can take advantage of the savings. If you have already donated, thank you. We do not expect another donation. Please help us by sharing this link with your FaceBook friends and anyone else who may be interested in hearing our story.
Thank you again for all of your love and support!
The Glynn Family
Organizer and beneficiary
Ailbe Glynn
Beneficiary