Hadley's Story

(Consult your healthcare provider before trying any new treatments) HELP AUTISM NOW!

This helps autism. I am just going to say it because people need to hear it. I am not the first to say it, but I will be the one to say it the most. This needs to be protocol now.  

“What Is PEMF Therapy And How Does It Reduce the Symptoms of Autism? 

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy, particularly when applied to the head or brain, is known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). 

This therapy stimulates brain activity using electromagnetic fields. It is a non-invasive treatment that enhances neural communication, improves blood flow, and supports neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. 

These effects lead to improved focus, mood, and cognitive function, making PEMF a potential treatment for various neurological conditions, including autism and ASD. 

Some of the science-backed working mechanisms and benefits are given below.

• Improved Brain Blood Circulation

PEMF therapy enhances blood flow to the brain, which is particularly beneficial for individuals with autism. Many children with ASD show atypical brain activation patterns and reduced blood flow in certain areas. By improving cerebral circulation, PEMF enhances brain function, supports neuroplasticity, and addresses some of the neurological differences associated with autism spectrum disorders. This increased blood flow might help deliver essential nutrients and oxygen more efficiently to brain regions that are crucial for social interaction, communication, and sensory processing – areas often affected in individuals with ASD.

• Gene Expression and Inflammation Reduction

PEMF therapy has shown effectiveness in reducing inflammation and modifying gene expression, which can be beneficial for neurological conditions, including ASD.

A study on intervertebral disc cells found that PEMF therapy reduced the expression of genes associated with inflammation and degeneration. While this study focused on back problems, the findings suggest that PEMF could also reduce inflammation in the brain, which may help with ASD symptoms.” -PEMF Therapy for Autism [2022 Update] | Recovery Systems (recoverysystemssport.com)

 

 

(Consult your healthcare provider before trying any new treatments) 

 

I am the mother of a previously moderate/severe autistic daughter.  This story takes place in 2008 and forward. I hope what I write helps those searching for answers for their children. 

“Hadley doesn’t have enough language,” my mother reminded.  My mom was a special education teacher.  Hadley had just turned two.  She probably would eventually learn language I told myself.  I had been through this earlier with my oldest son.  Her older brother Caden was speech-delayed as a two-year-old as well, he eventually learned language, so I was not worried.  Jack and I had three children, Caden (9), Mae (6), and Hadley (2) and we lived in southern California.  We lived in a master-planned community called Coto De Caza.  We had lakes and numerous walking paths to various parks and swimming pools.  It was my hometown and this was the neighborhood I grew up in.  Jack asked me where I would like to live when we got married, and I said anywhere that is just like Coto De Caza. It proved to be somewhat hard to find a place just like it.  So, we settled there, in a small townhouse in Coto De Caza near a pool and a park.  While everything in my life had gone reasonably smooth up to that point, (other than the shock of having children of course), my life was about to get a crash course in health and nutrition.

“You need to have her tested by the Regional Center (California’s children’s services) to see if she qualifies for speech therapy.” My mom had worked in special education teaching kids to read for over 20 years.  She was trained to spot those who needed help early.

I thought, “Sure, free services couldn’t hurt, why not.”  I called the Regional Center of Orange County.  A very nice woman came to our house ready with toys and such that would help evaluate whether Hadley needed to be tested.  She set a date for Hadley to be tested. This was in November of 2008.  Hadley was 27 months old.   Hadley was tested and her scores came back very low.  I now started to worry a little.  She was testing low in all areas, but especially in communication and receptive language.  She was over 2 years old, and she was testing at a 1-year-old level.  But early intervention was the key I was told and things would be fine.  So, Hadley started their educational therapy at the end of 2008. 

The Regional Center sent over a very nice college-age student named Chelsea a few times a week and she started doing ABA therapy with Hadley.  Hadley was wary at first of this new person coming to visit her at home.  At first, she would hide.  Chelsea would coax her out by playing with blocks or play dough.  Eventually, Hadley knew the drill expected of her when Chelsea would come over. She needed to play her games and she would get rewards.  Chelsea had fun rewards for her to earn like princess stickers, and bubbles.  She needed to learn and communicate with us in order to be allowed to play with the fun toys we would put in front of her.  Sometimes, Chelsea and I would hold two ends of a blanket with her lying in the middle like a swing. She would have to respond with “more” or “the sign for more” for us to swing her.  She did not always enjoy this ABA therapy though.  Sometimes she was not in the mood to even communicate for rewards.  Her moods were hard to forecast. 

Little things would make Hadley frustrated or moody.  She did not like the family singing together.  Whenever we would sing, she would hold her hands over her ears and yell, “Stop!”  She did not like me playing dolls with her or interacting with her much.  Whenever I would try, she would say, “No!” She was affectionate when she wanted to be, but it was always according to her timetable or mood.

During this time, the regional center caseworker assigned to Hadley also said she wanted to have her tested for Occupational Therapy.   I did not know what occupational therapy meant at first. I had to look it up. “Occupational therapists assist children and their caregivers to build skills that enable them to participate in meaningful occupations. Occupational therapists also address the psychosocial needs of children and youth to enable them to participate in meaningful life events. These occupations may include: normal growth and development, feeding, play, social skills, and education.” (Wikipedia).  So, we had her tested and something strange happened at that appointment.  I remember the therapist tester said, “Hadley doesn’t respond to her name.”   We sat behind Hadley as she played with some toys or blocks.  I called out her name.  She did not respond.  I said it again.  She did not respond.  I was a little more worried at this point.  We had been at this ABA therapy thing for a few months, and she still did not respond to her own name.  This was disheartening.  She qualified for OT services, and we started going to a clinic for those as well as another speech therapist clinic down the street. 

Over a couple months, Hadley did not seem to be learning language to me.  In fact, she seemed to be getting worse.  I saw a growing gap between her and the children we interacted with that were her age.  A little twinge of pain tugged at me every time a younger child would communicate with their parent in sentences or any words at all.  I couldn’t understand how my baby, who was perfectly normal at birth, was now struggling to learn. I couldn’t understand how I could not go anywhere without her buckled down in a stroller.  She had no fear of running away from me.  There was one way I could take her places, in a stroller with a sippy cup of milk.  Otherwise, I could look away for a second and she would be gone, and I would be searching the roads and parking lots until I would find her.  One day, we were at the park with a playgroup, and I was watching her go up and down the slide.  I looked away only for a few moments, looked back and she was not there anymore. I went closer to the slide looking in and around the tunnel portion. She was gone.  I looked all around turning 360 degrees. She was nowhere.   The park was down a small hill from a busy road.  I quickly ran up to the road fearful I might find her struck by a car in the street. She was not there either.  She had vanished. So many fears racing through my head at that moment.  I ran all over the park.  The immediate need to find my child before something disastrous happened was overwhelming.  Finally, I ran to the parking lot.  I found her sitting by a car wheel playing with the rocks on the road. 

She gradually seemed to have less and less of an attention span.  I would notice other children her age coming up to their parents and asking them for things, communicating with them, and understanding the parent’s instructions.  I felt this sad envy every time I saw that.  Her cousin Sarah was about a year younger and already talking and communicating with sentences.  For some reason, this discouraged me even more.  What happened to my happy little baby daughter who was developing fine? She would giggle when I would dance with her.  She used to look at cameras and smile. Now she would not look anyone in the eye, let alone a camera.  The only way she would communicate was to put our hands on the fridge or put our hands on the TV.  I asked her ABA therapist if she thought she was improving.  She gave a half-hearted “yeah.” 

Occupational therapy started and this was different because now I would leave Hadley at the clinic while they worked with her.  The clinic was set up somewhat like a gym with swings and sensory pools filled with items and balance beams.  Hadley loved to spin in the tire swing apparatus.  Her therapist said it helped her focus by spinning and swinging.  She would be more receptive after using the swing.  They taught her things like self-feeding and would work on her speech as well.

Speech therapy was at ACES.  We worked with a very hard-working therapist who wouldn’t let Hadley get away with doing ANYTHING without using some type of communication.  She would see whatever toy Hadley wanted to play with and then would not let her play with it without her using her words.  She had a lot of “parent-directed” toys that required the adult to do something for it to work, such as blowing a balloon and letting it go, or toys that needed the parent to turn them on.  Hadley was basically forced to communicate.  I knew these therapies were helping somewhat but it didn’t change the fact that Hadley didn’t seem to want to communicate. 

We continued these therapies for about six months.  Hadley was coming up on her 3^rd birthday which meant she would be assessed by the school district now and not the regional center.  I did not really see a difference in her ability to communicate.  I felt like we were not really getting anywhere.  What I also did not see coming was the idea that Hadley might be labeled Autistic.  I did not really have a clear understanding of what autism was.  I thought that the main characteristic of autism was that they were not affectionate to their parents or others.  Hadley was affectionate on occasions so for this reason, I did not connect the dots. 

She was assessed by the school district in June 2009.  At the IEP meeting after the assessment, they told me that Hadley qualified for services under the name of Autism.  I think I went into shock at the meeting, I started shaking and getting the chills, I started crying when I had to talk.   What in the world happened to my perfect little developing baby?  The rest of the meeting was kind of a blur.  They talked about goals that were aimed really low.  They wanted Hadley to be able to imitate stacking blocks by the next year.  I wanted her to do pertinent things like ask me to play dolls with her by tomorrow!  I am exaggerating a little bit, but I was not ready for this news.  And I did agree with them that Hadley was certainly delayed developmentally.   My mom looked over the assessment they gave us.  She had some other special education teachers she knew look over the IEP to get their feedback.  She didn’t want to tell me at the time, but her scores were so low the outlook of her progressing out of autism was very dim. 

I had many thoughts run through my mind that day.  I had this urge to find out all I could about autism and what I could do to help Hadley.  To me, I kind of sensed that her temper was on edge a lot of the time.  Her moods were hard to deal with.  I also knew that diet affected my moods and herbal supplements have helped my brain feel calm.  I thought there must be something I could do to help nutritionally with Hadley.  I looked up diets for Autism and immediately came across the gluten-free/casein-free diet which is basically wheat-free and dairy-free.  When I came across this, I thought about Hadley’s diet.  She liked to drink milk, a lot of milk.  In fact, milk was one of the main staples of her diet.  Taking away milk would be difficult but if it wasn’t available, she really didn’t have the communication skills to ask for it.  It was my other kids I had to convince.  

Meanwhile, my husband Jack was in the middle of switching jobs.  In fact, the day after Hadley was diagnosed with autism, he left on an airplane to start developing his new shipping business in Colorado.  I was now alone during the workweek to figure out this new challenge for our family. If there was any time in my life I wanted to just sit down and cry this was the time.  I really wanted to move to Colorado, but I realized that Colorado does not have as comprehensive of services for early childhood as the specialized autism program we qualified for in Coto de Caza.  In Coto de Caza, Hadley would receive 5 hours a day, 4 days a week, in a special education class specifically geared towards autism.  She would almost have one-on-one therapy in this class.  In Colorado, the best they could offer me was a large special education preschool class, 3 hours a day, 4 days a week, not specifically for autism.   So, Jack went up to start his business in Colorado and I decided to stay in Coto de Caza just to help Hadley stay in the best program possible.  We also had no idea if his new business would generate any income, but I tried not to think about that. Ummm… oh yeah, and just to make things extra chaotic, I decided to change our whole family’s diet to gluten-free/casein-free!  Talk about big changes all at once!   

The first day I took away the milk and wheat, Hadley said her first spontaneous, non-forced, words to me at the end of the day.  We were leaving a pool party and she said, “No, this way.”  I was like, “What?”  “Did she just try to communicate with me?”  This gave me two things: hope, that I really could make a difference by changing her diet and… guilt. Did I really cause her delayed development by feeding her too much milk?   All alone one night with my kids I did sit down and cry because I wanted to turn back time.   My husband was gone, my daughter had autism, and I had to figure out how to feed my family in a completely new and foreign way.  Luckily, my survival instincts kicked in and I thought, “You don’t have time to cry and it won’t do any good anyway, so just keep it together and do your best.”

First of all, nearly everything has wheat in it.  If it does not have wheat in it, it has milk.  And if it does not have those two things it usually has a lot of sugar, which probably we should stay away from as well.  What in the world were we going to eat?  Eggs?  What if she had an allergy to those as well?   There was a little girl Hadley’s age at church who went to the same speech therapist who was allergic to eggs.   I remember while grocery shopping one day I almost broke down crying because how was I to know what to buy?  There were lots of different gluten-free/milk-free options but everything seemed so expensive.  Jack was trying to get his new business running, which was not producing a profit at that moment and I was now trying to buy everything organic with unique ingredients.  I nearly tripled our grocery bill.   I needed some type of clear answer if she really was allergic to different foods or not. 

I remember I was at a specialty grocery store and a kind worker asked me if I needed help. I was so overwhelmed, and I told her my predicament almost in tears. She gave me the number of a doctor that specializes in a holistic approach to medicine that could test Hadley’s blood for allergies.  That calmed me down for the moment.  I decided to make an appointment.  She had a blood panel done and tested about 50 different foods.  The test was called Comprehensive Food Panel IgG ELISA.  The biggest allergens were milk and wheat.   Next were peanuts, oranges, pineapple, and watermelon.  I knew about oranges because every time I fed her orange juice, she would get a huge rash in her elbow and knee folds.    She was somewhat allergic to about 15 other fruits and vegetables, but not eggs, thank goodness.   These signs pointed somewhat to a citrus allergy.  Citrus however is one of those foods that help you fight off viruses.  If Hadley was allergic to citrus, then how could she be strengthened to fight off viruses?

 The Doctor also prescribed a lotion containing glutathione.  Glutathione is the thing in your body that gloms on to toxins and kills them and takes them out of the body. I was supposed to rub it on her back.  That seemed like worth a try. We only used this a few times though.

The same day that I found out about the GF/CF diet, I also was looking on the internet with my mom.  She opened a website that had blood samples of typical developing children and blood samples of children on the autism spectrum.  The samples of typical developing children showed red blood cells that were bouncing off one another, they had the theta-factor around each erythrocyte.  In other words, they were carrying oxygen and could flow through the veins easily.  The blood samples of the children on the autism spectrum showed erythrocytes that were clumped together, they couldn’t flow easily because they were all stuck together.  There was also a lack of oxygen on the surface of the red blood cells.   Now, I am not a doctor, I am just a mom, willing to try practically anything  to help her daughter have a healthy shot at life.   So, I researched how to get more oxygen into one’s blood.  I learned that people with more oxygen in their blood have a more alkaline blood pH rather than acidic.  So, eating foods that would promote an alkaline blood pH would seem to be the goal at this point.  Pretty simple right?  Well not exactly now that it seemed she could not tolerate various foods that would help alkalize her blood.  I bought some pH strips to test her urine on.  They came back acidic.

I met friends at church that were trying special diets for their kids who were also on the spectrum. One introduced me to enzymes.  She was giving her son some enzymes to help him digest his food and to combat too much yeast in the body.  I talked with her about the dietary changes she made and the progress she saw in her son.  I decided to give the enzymes she suggested a try.  I noticed a change in her bowel movements.  And I noticed she was able to focus more during her various therapies. I bought some books to read, Enzymes for Autism, Nourishing Hope, A Child’s Journey Out of Autism.  All were very good reads and very informative on simple dietary changes that help children be able to have healthier bodies and digestive function. “Nourishing Hope for Autism,” by Julie Matthews, a certified nutrition consultant, is an amazingly informative book!  If you read one book, read that one.

In the book “Nourishing Hope for Autism,” Matthews explains and simplifies methylation, transsulfuration, and sulfation; biochemical processes that happen during digestion.  She talks about how these processes are impaired in autistic children, citing numerous studies. When these processes are impaired, this creates toxic loads in our children. (Matthews, 2008) This gave me hope like the book implies, if we can figure out what nutrient deficiencies are causing the blockage in the detoxification process, we can heal the pathways of brain development. What was the blockage? How would her blood start flowing better if her biochemical processes were malfunctioning as well?

     Maybe,  Addie wasn’t getting enough of whatever it was that helped her digest food.  The nutrients, the food, nothing was processed enough to be where it needed to be. There was a roadblock somewhere. What was it? What helps digest food and makes it bioavailable? Looking up what helps digestion became my focus for a time. What digests fats that help make up brain tissue?

Bile. What makes bile? Taurine, the amino acid helps stimulate the production of bile salts. What are natural sources of taurine? Shellfish, liver, eggs, seaweed, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, dairy, salmon, beef jerky, and lamb are all good sources of taurine according to betterme.world.  Taurine also is reported to be beneficial to those who are pre-diabetic or have seizures. Taurine is one of those really really essential amino acids.

 “Sulfate is the beginning of the digestive process…If you don’t have enough sulfate to kick off Gastrin, you will not have enough Hydrochloric acid to break down your food properly. “ (Matthews 2008) Sulfate is made from Methylation and Transsulfuration. So many things need to be in place for these processes, it’s no wonder I kept finding evidence that epsom salt baths (Magnesium Sulfate) were helping kids.  

There was so much I wanted to learn about digestion and how to make it easier for Hadley.  You need the omega- 3 fats to create brain cells.  I learned that you need bile to digest fats.  You need the amino acid taurine and vitamin B-5 to make bile.   The body was a complex machine I was trying to learn more about.  There was also a problem with foods that contain something called phenols.  Apparently, phenols are a big problem for kids with ADHD and ASD.  Many children on the spectrum can’t process phenols and so they interfere with their ability to be calm.  Unfortunately, phenols are also compounds that detoxify the body and typically come from antioxidants.  They need more sulfate to be able to process the phenols.  One book suggested using Epsom Salt baths (magnesium sulfate) to help with the process.  The first time I gave Hadley an Epsom salt bath I found that her stool was very darkly colored after this bath and that she was finally processing all these darkly pigmented foods I had been feeding her.  There are also popular diets out there called the Fein-gold diet, the Specific –Carbohydrate Diet, and various others trying to help with these digestive issues.  But the problem I found though is it is extremely difficult to control what your child eats not only because they can be picky, but because we live in a social world where there will be food available to them that is not on the diet you think would be beneficial to them. 

The frustration with finding a healthy diet for Hadley was weighing on my mind.  I knew when she was about 9 months old, she had had a yeast rash from eating some frosting.  I wondered if she had a yeast problem that was causing all these allergies.  Yeast tends to grow in an acidic environment and crowds out the healthy flora that is supposed to be in the gut.  I found some good pro-biotics online from a company.   I saw a good change in alertness and attentiveness with this, but was it helping enough? Were these changes enough? How was I to know exactly what nutrients were missing?

 In the summer of 2009, we vacationed at my grandmother’s home in Grand Junction.  My mom helped me research programs in Colorado that treated children on the spectrum.  We came across The Children’s Center where we made an appointment to see one of the psychologists there.  She diagnosed Hadley as being PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified).  It seemed that the diet change was helping Hadley improve.  I didn’t want her to plateau though.  I wanted her to be able to continue improving so she could catch up with her peers.  We also visited a school for Autism Spectrum children.  The tuition seemed astronomical at $25,000 a year plus there was a two-year waiting list.  While we were there, I remember that the only thing Hadley wanted to do was lay near the door and watch it open and close.  Although the diet was helping because she was improving, she needed more than just a diet change it seemed.

    Meanwhile, in September 2009, I would take Hadley for walks around the neighborhood parks.  One evening after dinner, I took my kids to the park by myself.  I noticed a woman there with her almost two-year-old son.  She was trying to get him to interact with my children.  She also was trying to have him not run away.  She sat him on her lap and began blowing bubbles trying to get him to imitate her.   I was a little bold, but I said, “Is your son autistic?”  She said, “Yes.”  I talked with her for as much as I could before her son ran away again.  I told her about Hadley and all the things I was doing to try and help her.  I invited her to my house, which was not far away, to show her all the supplements we were taking.  Pro-biotics, Himalayan salt, taurine, enzymes all seemed to be making a big impact.  I think I even gave her some Epsom salts to try a bath on her son.   I gave her my phone number and email address but never heard back from her after that night.

I learned about Hyperbaric Oxygen chambers.  They force more oxygen into the bloodstream through pressure.  They have shown good success rates with helping kids on the spectrum.  Kids have started talking after using these machines.  Forcing more oxygen into the blood seemed to be the perfect solution.  Oxygen makes the blood less acidic, a more alkaline environment killing off yeast and fungus.  More oxygen means the blood will be able to clean the body better thus detoxifying her body.  So, I ventured out to try one of these machines.  

 I went to a showroom-type place where they sell the machines and let you try them out.  Hadley and I got inside.  The man helping us was outside controlling the dive or the pressure that we would experience.  I suddenly felt a lot of pressure on my body.  I had to clear my ears or else they would pop.  I noticed Hadley had a little bit of a runny nose.  I wondered if she would be able to clear her ears.  I asked her if she was okay.  She was not letting me know.   I remember she got stung by a bee at the park the other day and it did not even phase her.  Her sensory system was a little off and I knew she did not sense painful things sometimes.   I was getting scared. What if her eardrums popped?  Anxiety gripped me and I quickly signaled for the man to let us out.  I was a little disappointed this machine was so intimidating for us to use and that it cost an arm and a leg at about $10,000.  On the drive home though, Hadley seemed extra alert and attentive to my questions, so I was somewhat encouraged all in all. Let me elaborate on Himalayan salt for a moment.

I came across pink Himalayan salt.  This salt has many minerals in it including iron which give it a “pink” color.  WATER & SALT: THE ESSENCE OF LIFE By Peter Ferreira and Dr. Barbara Hendel is a book I recommend for understanding the role of salt in our bodies.  Pink Himalayan salt helps balance the body's pH and replenishes electrolytes helping the overall energy of the body.  I saw a significant die-off and regression when I gave Hadley this salt, which helped me know that it was working.  Later, I noticed an increase in her ability to pay attention and learn. Was this helping her blood?

I also put Hadley on SCD which is the specific carbohydrate diet. This was extremely difficult. Luckily Hadley was too young to request different food but basically it was a lot of meat, broth, vegetables, nut butters, eggs, and legumes. I made beet pancakes at one point, which did not go over well with my other kids. I would also make her sippy cups of organic pear juice mixed with water and sugar-free plant-milk and then any supplement I was trying to get her to take such as pro-biotics or enzymes.

Hadley was making quick progress at Pre-school after all my efforts with the dietary changes.  They moved her up from the more severe class to the higher-functioning program.  I was so thrilled!  I knew we were getting somewhere.   I also wanted to move to Colorado so that I could get my family together and not feel like a single mom anymore.  In November of 2009, I finally felt like Colorado’s programs for special needs could handle my daughter’s case and having our family all in one place would be beneficial to all of us.  My other two children were constantly complaining about the things I made for breakfast.  They did not like such great recipes as bean flour/beet pancakes, or cilantro/honey/beans pie.  (Cilantro is a natural chelator, it removes heavy metals)  I did not really either, but I was trying to get our family healthy.  The diet was wearing me out.  I knew that it would not be a long-term solution.  It was too hard and frustrating to control everything she ate, and I was spending too much time cooking things she would not eat.  I had faith that there would be something out there, that God would lead me to something that would change things.  I did not know what, but I still thought there would be an easier solution to getting more oxygen in her blood.   I thought about food-grade hydrogen peroxide, but it seemed too dangerous.  Accidental overdose can kill people. I was nervous to even have it in my house.  There had to be something that would be safe for me to share with other parents of Autistic children. Thankfully, my faith that God would lead me to something safer kept me from trying things that seemed dangerous.

Keeping Hadley away from sweets during Christmas would be hard.  In fact, controlling Hadley’s diet so the blood would be more alkaline and able to flow freely was nearly impossible! I did not want to take her to any social functions where food not on her diet would be offered but she also needed social interaction.  I did notice that Hadley was progressing faster than her schoolmates at the autism preschool and was able to move up to a higher-functioning program.  It seemed though that I was getting just “little bites” of success only leaving me hungry and impatient for more progress I could be observing.  I did want her to go to social things and interact with other kids, but I feared what foods might be there that would disrupt any progress she was making. 

One day I took Hadley out in the stroller for a walk to the park while the other kids were at school.  I remember seeing a father and his two-year-old son at the park we were passing.  I wanted to go to a park that was further away because I wanted to get more exercise, but something kept nagging me.  I kept getting the thought that Hadley needed to go and play with that little boy.  I ignored it, but it would not go away. So, I turned around walked back to the park we passed and introduced myself to the man and his son.  It turns out it was the same little boy I had met earlier that was learning to blow bubbles with his mom at the park one evening.  We exchanged phone numbers and addresses because I wanted to tell them about all the things that were helping Hadley.  They had our family over for dinner at their house one evening and we found strength in each other’s stories.  We also commented to each other how it was strange to know about so many autism cases in our small community. We often saw much older children at our park clearly with severe autism.  At least now I had the support of someone going through the same struggles.

I had the idea for a while that a therapy dog might help Hadley start communicating more.  She might feel more comfortable interacting with a pet.  In January 2010, my mom found a clipping in the penny saver advertising standard poodle puppies.  We called and asked if we could come to look at the litter.  So, for my birthday we went to Lake Elsinore and picked out two white standard poodle puppies, a girl and a boy. Why did I get two? I am not sure. Why did I think I could afford two? I do not know.  I did not realize that having two would make it harder not easier.  We named them Daisy and Hugo.  Thus, I was thrust into the world of dog ownership.  It was raining the first week I brought them home. This made the first week even more difficult because they were not house-trained, and I could not just leave them outside. My kids really did enjoy them though!   I do recommend Standard poodles as a breed.  They are very gentle and love attention.  They do need a lot of grooming, but their hair does not shed so it is good for people with allergies. Daisy (she is 13 years old as I am writing this) has never bitten anyone...ever... even other dogs (except for her big brother Hugo when they were play-fighting).   She even likes to play with cats.  She has however caught a duck in her mouth once but didn't kill it.  The breed was meant for duck hunting.   

I thought we would be moving to a big home in Colorado before the dogs got too big, but they grew rather fast. Pretty soon I was living with three children, one with special needs, and two crazy large poodle puppies all in a small-town house with just a patio.  I really didn’t want to leave the services we were getting, let alone my hometown with all my friends and family, but we had to move somewhere larger.  I needed to be in the same state as my husband!

In August of 2010, I finally took a leap of faith and moved to a nice neighborhood in Colorado. We needed to celebrate Hadley’s fourth birthday.  Hadley’s birthday cake was a stack of gluten-free pancakes with strawberries in between with no sugar.  Fortunately, she was too young to think this wasn’t normal. School started right away in Colorado.  Hadley was in a very nice preschool that had a mix of special needs children and typical developing children. This seemed ideal because now she had examples of typical behaving children that she could pattern herself after and see what typical social interaction was like.  Hadley and I went to tour the school beforehand. The room had just received new carpet though and the fumes were kind of giving me a headache.  I was a little worried that this would decrease the oxygen in Hadley’s blood.  I voiced my concern to Hadley’s new teacher. She didn’t think it wasn’t a big deal and kind of looked at me like I was overreacting.  "Oh well," I thought, “hopefully they will keep the windows open or something."  By this point, I was researching essential oils.  They seemed to have an effect but I wasn’t confident they were enough. 

We enjoyed living in a larger home with a backyard for the poodles to run and play.  I continued to pray that God would lead me to something that would help Hadley’s blood.  I was hoping this move to Colorado was a good decision and not one I would regret.  A few months went by and we moved to a smaller house seemed like a better fit for our family of five.  (I kind of went overboard with renting such a large place at first) We still had a large yard for our poodles to run though! 

We had been in Colorado for about six months. During Christmas 2010, I was at a party at my in-law’s house when I met one of my husband's uncles.  I told him all about my journey with Hadley and all the dietary supplements I was giving her and how much progress she was making. He told me how he was using a machine that separates his red blood cells and gets them to flow better through his veins.   I stopped right there and looked at him. I was so astonished, I said, “That is exactly what I am looking for.”  Apparently, he had been using it for his kidneys so that he would not have to go on dialysis.  The machine was called the BEMER 3000.  It was a pulsed electromagnetic field.  The same type of technology is used in astronaut suits.  Basically, it uses the iron or minerals in the blood to help “unstick” the red blood cells and get them to bounce off one another and freely move through all the veins.  He told me we could come by and try the machine.  I went by one day and both Hadley and I tried the machine on level one.  You lay on the mat for 8 minutes while it sends a magnetic field around your body.  You cannot feel anything.  At the end of the eight minutes, you tend to feel more relaxed.  Some even fall asleep.  Hadley seemed calmer after she tried the machine. 

The next day I felt a detoxification reaction.  I felt completely groggy like I was sick.  Toxin’s die-off gases were being released into my blood creating less oxygen in my blood for the time being.  I also noticed a day or two later, that an eczema patch I had had on my leg for about 3 months was now completely gone.  This machine was definitely doing something. 

For my birthday, Jack surprised me by buying the machine.  It cost more than Jack’s car at $4,000 but through a miracle we were able to afford it.   I started Hadley on a program of 8 min twice a day at level one.  We stopped being so strict with her diet. She was able to start having a little milk and bread here and there. I gradually increased the levels each week until we got to level 10.  Hadley was so much calmer.   She used the machine for 3 months twice a day eight minutes at a time.  Something was changing. She used the mat from late January to the beginning of May so about 3 months.   I knew that Hadley’s success with this new therapy had to be shared. 

 In May, I headed down to California with Hadley for my cousin’s wedding.  I brought the BEMER 3000 and was able to share it with my friend who had a little boy with autism that I met at the park. Fast forward 8 years later and He is a typical 6^th grader who loves basketball and socializing with friends

 In a few months, she would be headed to kindergarten.  I was still a little worried about her ability to pay attention in kindergarten and participate but she definitely was changing.  Here are some blog entries I wrote around that time:

Friday, March 18, 2011 (Hadley is 4 years old)

Progress with the BEMER!

Well, Hadley has shown tremendous growth in the past month. Plus considering she is totally off the diet except for some probiotics I still give her every morning. On Feb. 22, she gave her first talk in Primary (Sunday School) in front of all the kids and she did awesome. We are in a new ward and I haven't needed to tell anyone about her previous diagnosis. She did just as well as the other kids her age and we were so proud of her. Hadley can now write her name and her preschool teacher says she is making strides with her social goals as well. We asked her yesterday who her friend is at preschool, and she said "Grace." I was shocked on so many levels. First of all, she hardly ever answers hard questions, second of all she has typically a bad memory, and third of all she usually plays by herself at school. So, I am thrilled with this progress she is making! Yesterday we had friends over, and I told Hadley to take the girls to her room to show them her Barbies and she did, and apparently, they had fun playing. I think she is acting more and more typical each day. So, it has been about 2 months of using the BEMER and the progress has been gradual, but the progress definitely is there, and I am excited about it! I am so thankful for this miracle!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 (Hadley is 5 ½ years old)

Hadley in Public School

Hadley has been going to Kindergarten since August and is doing great! She doesn't need an aide and is learning how to read. Yesterday she sounded out her first word to me and to her teacher! I asked her what she does at school, and she said, "I sit at my desk and do my work and write letters on papers." Right now, we have three neighborhood kids over that she is playing barbies with. I can't believe how far she has come!

I lent out my BEMER mat to a few other children on the spectrum.  All showed rapid gains in development after using the mat.  I would like to open a place where kids on the spectrum can use the mats but alas, I am not a doctor and worry that I may be in over my head.  I know that using the machine needs to be under the care of a physician for kids on the spectrum.  There are contraindications for using a PEMF device. You can buy a PEMF device without a prescription so anyone can use one if they really want to.  Maybe I just need a lawyer, not a doctor!  Here are the safety warning from the BEMER website:

“Contraindications

As stated in the user manual, the BEMER device has the following absolute contraindications:

• Immunosuppressive therapy in consequence of transplantation
• Immunosuppressive therapy in consequence of allogenic cellular transplantations or bone marrow stem cell transplantation.
• Other conditions often requiring immunosuppressive therapy, e. g. autoimmune diseases or dermatological diseases are not contraindications to the use of BEMER therapy. BEMER therapy application has to be cleared by physician in charge
• Do not use the device if you have a diagnosed Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
• All active medical implants that are intended to administer medication (medication pumps) are an absolute contraindication and prohibit the use of BEMER therapy
• Active medical implants that lead to stimulation (e.g. pacemakers, defibrillators, brain stimulators, muscle stimulators) represent a relative contraindication. The adjuvant application of the BEMER therapy must be discussed with the patient’s attending physician

Warnings and Safety Instructions

With the following conditions, it is strongly recommended that you consult a doctor prior to the use of the BEMER therapy:

• Do not use on head and face
• Fever of unknown origin
• Infectious diseases
• Caution should be used for patients with severe cardiac rhythm disorders
• Severe psychoses
• Non-controlled seizure disorders (e.g. epilepsy)
• Long-term use of β-receptor antagonists (Beta-Blockers), corticoid agents (corticosteroids), coumarin derivatives (Warfarin / Coumadin)
• For users suffering from tumor diseases or other serious diseases that require ongoing medical treatment and/or medication, the complementary application of BEMER therapy has to be discussed with the treating doctor.

Precautions

• If you experience adverse reactions, stop using BEMER devices and consult your doctor to clear any further applications of BEMER.
• Prescribed medications may only be altered after consulting the treating physician.
• In users who regularly take blood thinning or clotting inhibitor medications, close monitoring of the clotting factors by the treating medical doctor are strongly recommended prior to starting BEMER therapy. BEMER therapy may intensify or weaken you the effect of such drugs.
• Stimulation should not be applied over the carotid sinus nerves, particularly in patients with a known sensitivity to the carotid sinus reflex.
• Stimulation should not be applied over the neck or mouth, trans-thoracically (through the chest), or trans-cerebrally (through the head), or over infected or inflamed areas.
• The BEMER device is not intended to be used for use by people under 18 years
• Keep out of reach of children
• BEMER therapy is an important complementary therapy option and is not intended to replace other treatments.
• Some patients may experience skin irritation or hypersensitivity due to the electromagnetic stimulation.
• Caution should be used over the menstruating or pregnant uterus.
• Caution should be used over areas of the skin which lack normal sensation

Product Safety (bemergroup.com)”

Like a glass of water getting filled drip by drip, Hadley’s progress was almost imperceptible. It is only over time that one can notice her whole life doing a 180-degree turn.

Around the time Hadley was in fifth grade in 2016, the school district wanted to evaluate her again.  This was about five years after she had started the PEMF therapy. They wanted to know if her IEP (Individual Education Program) should still be categorized under Autism.  After all the tests and surveys, they determined that she no longer would receive services under the reason of “autism” but now, it was just under the term “specific learning disability.”  I knew she was doing well but she kept improving! We put her in volleyball lessons and electric guitar lessons. She continued to progress.

As Hadley enters junior high school, the new psychologists at the school are discussing her IEP with me. Her grades are high enough that she has graduated out of her specific learning disability diagnosis. They discuss just having speech services now because I tell them she is an introvert.  They are completely shocked that she was ever autistic.

Ten years after starting the PEMF therapy, this is a journal entry from August 2021… “Hadley is going into tenth grade now. She is a typical moody teenager.  She has graduated out of all of her IEPs the last of which was just speech.  She is almost 15 years old and loves drawing digital art, running on the cross-country team, and playing her electric guitar.  She has come a long way from being non-verbal and not knowing her name. She jokes with me; she sends me funny Instagram posts.  She wants to go into film production as a career.  

During Hadley's senior year, the school psychologists wonder why Hadley has an IEP at all.  I have to tell them that she was diagnosed with moderate/severe autism at age three, was non-verbal, and would run away from me everywhere we went.  I tell them our story and they are completely shocked. I don't want to cancel services just in case she could benefit more from them. 

It is July 2024, and I have told Hadley finally her whole story. I told her that she was once severely autistic. She is completely shocked and I tell her how we recovered her with the PEMF device.  She tells me that she wondered why she was in special education services and received special treatment in class at about age 10 and on. We both laugh and think about how we can share this with people.  So far, this blog seems to be our best effort.

I often come across children who never receive intervention in a bio-medical sense.  I have offered my machine to anyone who believes it could help their child. I often think if people just knew about this machine and tried it, it could make a big difference in the lives of many of these children. I have called many autism research groups but they wouldn’t take me seriously. 

I don’t really know what else to say. This machine changed the trajectory of my daughter’s life.  She once was severely developmentally delayed and now she jokes around with me and has great communication skills.  She has a best friend that she invites everywhere. She was asked to the homecoming dance her senior year and had a great time.  They did a day date and an evening dance, so it was all day! She is still an introvert but then again so am I.  I hope this gives hope to many people out there who are in the same situation.  Hadley was on the gluten-free/casein-free/sugar-free diet for about a year with probiotics and magnesium sulfate baths before we found the BEMER.  I think the combination of making sure there are essential minerals in your child's blood as well as the pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is what will help unlock the major sensory and attention span disorders we see in today's toxic world. I believe if doctors knew what a difference it made in my daughter’s life, they would be willing to recommend it.  All the children that have used the mat have had dramatic improvement. Improvement that gets them off the radar of the autism professionals. They do so well, no one understands that they were once severely autistic. But the improvement is also slow, so it’s almost invisible to people. It’s almost as if they can’t see the huge miracle that is right in front of their eyes. The control for this science experiment is the fact that there are children and even adults that never get any biomedical help. They are still running away, being aggressive, not communicating, not sleeping, and have poor hygiene and health.  I know that this is not necessarily a bullet-proof double-blind study but the success I have seen needs to be shared. We need to save our children from this epidemic. I have seen it reported that 1 out of 34 children are autistic now. Genetic diseases do not become epidemics. We need solutions. This is my humble offering to humanity to proclaim that I have confidence in PEMF devices. They are expensive but they are worth it. Children on the spectrum need minerals and nutrition and they need PEMF therapy. Find a doctor who has one of these devices! This needs to be autism protocol now!