SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE!!!!

It is ages since I updated Kierans blog, now seems the opportune moment. Life has not been easy lately Kieran still fought me everytime Dore exercises were mantioned and we were still having battles trying to control what he eats during the day. Even a lock on the school lunch cuboard did not stop him getting at what he wasn't supposed too!!!!!

His last appointment at the dietitian was hopeful he has not put on any more weight since his last appointment. He had developed chest pains though and has been referred to the pediatritian as well as blood tests. Because of the problems with his attitude as well as his health issues I have had to put Dore on hold at present. I wasn't getting help from the rest of the family and I just could not cope with all the demands expected of me.

His school results at the end of year 3 show a huge improvement from the one's last year, he has certainly made strides in english, spelling and reading this year before Dore was put on hold. He has gained level 2 across the board. His progress was showing with the reading books he was bringing home and seeing as he was pre school at the beginning of year 3 and is now able to keep up with the rest of his peers it is news indeed.
He will still need help with his work in year 4 but at least we are now making strides in the right direction.

Kieran asked me today if he could start doing his Dore exercises again, I am willing but we will have to bring dad on board as well or else I can see us slipping back into the bad old ways again. We will see what happens tomorrow, wish me luck!!!! Ellie XXX

KIERAN AND WHEAT INTOLERENCE

Part of the problems I am now having with Kieran is his general attitude that mum is a meany not only do I instigate his Dore exercises but now to add insult to injury I have taken away his beloved ham sandwiches because he is now on a wheat free diet. Kieran has always had a weight problem and it did not matter how much I tried to curb his weight it wasn't working. We do not have sweets or chocolate in the house and he always eats what we eat, but every time he sees the dietition he has always gained extra pounds.
I began to notice over a period of time that Kieran would wake up looking his normal self but within a matter of hours he would look as though he had balloned in weight. I started to think maybe his problem was to do with an intolerence to something he was eating. Discussed it with the dietitian who said it could be a wheat intolerence, so we started a regime where we cut out all wheat from his diet. Within a week he had lost 6 pounds in weight and was looking better, we then started him back on wheat and suddenly overnight he had balloned again and put 3 pounds back on in 3 days.
So we now know to a certain degree that he is wheat intolerent and to just carry on with the regime. Not easy when your child constantly reminds you what he is now missing in his diet and how awful I am for depriving him of the foods he loves. So with everything else which is happening in this house nothing is really easy and can be a bit slapdash at times, but then I can't expect to be super woman.
My one thing that keeps me going is the realisation that as he improves with Dore so will his attitude and his ability to cope with things that are a mountain at the moment for him. Hopefully he will see the benefit of both and readjust to make his and my life easier.

KIERANS PROGRESS

We are over a year now into Kieran's Dore exercises and he can still be as obstinate now as he has always been over doing them. He is making progress at school with his reading and now keeps up with the rest of his peers within his group, but we still have a long way to go.
I went to see his teacher a couple of weeks ago and she is pleased with his progress, his motivation to learn at school has made a difference for him and his teachers. He is now back with the SENCO which is a relief because at one point Kieran was not considered priority enough for it.
His teacher did also point out that his mental maths really needed help as well, my face must have been a picture, because her manner became very sympathetic and supportive with what I was already doing for him. I could have actually cried with all the input I have with Kieran at the moment not only Dore, reading, spelling and now his wheat free diet as well (I will come to that in a minute) my first thought was where am I going to fit in his mental maths as well?. Problem was solved 2 days ago though through Dore, he has commenced Mental Exercises so a perfect way to get him to do his mental arithmatic and spellings all in one go.

ASSESSMENT AT KENILWORTH

Tuesday 28th October Kieran and I made a journey to Kenilworth for his first assessment since Dore went down. We stayed with another Dore mum and all travelled up for both boys assessments, met another Dore mum who also posts on the MyDore forum, her daughter was having her final assessment to finish.
Fun was had by all, met Wynford Dore and his daughter Susie, they made us feel so much at home while we were there. Kierans assessment shows he is progressing well, his eyes need more tweeking than his balance. So we continue as before with his exercises at home and I must admit the assessment was beneficial in helping to motivate Kieran to continue, we haven't had any melt down sessions since we got back when exercises are mentioned.
Also seeing Harry doing his has helped as well, it was Harry that instructed Kieran in doing his while we were there, he is Kierans hero now.

KIERAN & FOOTBALL

A very good week I think for my Dore children, Kieran played football today and scored 5 goals against a visiting team, won them all their matches. 3 of his goals were the only ones scored in one of the matches.

The coaches want him in the A team not for his goal scoring abilities but for being a goalkeeper, no one can get past him when he is in goal. One of the opposing team set up a cracker of a goal which he hit so hard everyone moved away all except Kieran who happened to be in goal at the time and just hit it away from the goal mouth denying them that goal.

Shaun has to now talk to Kieran to see whather he would be willing to move to the A team as a goalie, difficult choice when you are an all rounder for a 7 year old. His one main fault is listening to what he is being told, sounds familiar doesn't it, but as we know Dore will sort that bit out as he progresses.

It was only last season that he was constantly falling over when running and the amount of times they had to take him out of the match because he did not have the stamina to keep pace. Just shows how much Dore has changed him so far.

Not so good for his efforts within school he is 1 1/2 years behind with reading and writing, I asked for a dyslexia test. Heard back from his teacher who had a word with the SENCO result is he is not considered a priority for testing and there will be no extra help at school either for his reading and writing. So in other words it is now up to us parents to help him. I have been in this position before with his sister Leila and it is all too familiar. Unless they are at least 2 years behind, which if history repeats itself should be by next year, he will continue to struggle.

Our saving grace is we have Dore or else I would be in dispair like I was with Leila at the same stage 4 years ago. In the end it will be the efforts of us parents and Dore that will get Kieran through this. All I can say is thank god for Dore!!!! Ellie XXX

Responsibility Board

I have finally decided to purchase a "responsibility board" to try and help Kieran to stay motivated. I had a constant battle to get him to do his exercises from day 1 and it does get stressful at times. In the end it is so easy not to do them as the thought of the whinging and crying puts you off.
We have had good results with it, he now has a reason to concentrate on his exercises as we decide on what reward he will get at the end of the month. It not only encourages him to do his exercises but also make his bed, feed the animals and keep his room tidy.
I also brought his dad in on this as it was usually all left to me to do his exercises, the same scenario happened with Leila. If i left it to my husband to instigate the exercises, they would not get done.
Since purchasing the board I have been able to mark some of his exercises easy as he is now concenrating more and doing them properly for a change. Hubbies help takes the stress off me as Kieran does not play his dad up as much as he does me. Only time will tell if it continues to work, but it is worth a try and we are getting good results so far.

A GLIMPSE OF KIERAN'S FUTURE POTENTIAL

The Dore assessments may not be available at the moment but we carry on regardless with his exercises and he is still continuing to reap the benefits.
Kieran is never really known for coming out with mature and sensiable statements usually it is screaming and having melt downs about the most trivial things. But today he excelled himself much to my and his siblings surprise.Discussing the topic of songs while travelling in the car with all three children, I mentioned Celine Dyon and the film Titanic, this voice from the back of the car said quite seriously "mum you would have thought that those on the ship would have seen the iceburg coming" One thing Kieran has never seen the film and according to Kieran they have not discussed it at school. Somewhere or other he has heard about it and remembered the name of the ship and what happened.
He has also been known to give his sister Leila a geneal knowledge session and where he gets his information from amazes me, I did not know giant squid can be found in China? Just now and again he shows a side that has a lot of potential there it is just tapping into it and bringing it out, all part of the benefit of the Dore programme I feel.
As a footnote he has also gone up a level in reading books since the half term holiday.