Where should parents look?

I was recently working with a child who had a speech delay. I loved how his mother was very keen on helping him progress and she was willing to try anything.

He already had a behavioural therapist, so I assumed he will see quick progress once we fix the diet.

That same day, we removed all the suspect foods in his eating routine. With the mother, I worked on cleaning out his diet to make sure he got the most nutrients without anything coming in the way. We cut out dairy to reduce mucus, we reduced gluten from wheat, and we eliminated all sugars, among a long list of other things.

Within a few days we started seeing results. The child’s attention span improved and he started picking up more words and repeating them. But then the progress slowed down.

I couldn’t seem to find what we were doing wrong.

I went through his diet with his mother over and over again, we made a few tweaks, but there was still a hiccup that I couldn’t figure out.

And then, in casual conversation, the mother talked about his behavioural therapy sessions and how he would get a treat every time he achieved.

What’s the treat, I asked?

Colour-coated chocolates.

Bingo!

Food colouring and sugar are some of the biggest culprits in brain-related problems. This child was doing so well at home but had been regressing every time he got a treat! We quickly changed the treats to non-food items (crayons, stickers, etc.) and things got much better.

That’s why I’m holding a HEALTHY PARENTING crash course for parents, therapists, teachers and carers. Sometimes, you think you’re doing everything right but it takes that one extra step to move your child forward. I can show you where to look.

l To join Alia’s Healthy Parenting Crash Course on March 2, email alia@aliaalmoayed.com or call Atik on 33252854. But you must hurry as slots are limited. For more info: https://aliaalmoayed.wordpress.com/events/