Success Stories

Stories of children on the CMF protocol and the changes it is making in their lives




MaKenna Neumann -- 7 ½ years



"MaKenna Neumann was born at full term in November 2007.  Her diagnosis of Down syndrome was at birth.  She was entirely breastfed the first two years of her life.  She did not at first breastfeed effectively until she had cranial sacral therapy to adjust the back of her head when she was a few weeks old.  Immediately following an adjustment by a cranial sacral therapist, she started to suckle so that she received enough milk to thrive.


MaKenna started on the CMF protocol when she was 4 ½ years old.  We started her on gingko biloba and within a few months of starting that herb, she was actually jumping off the ground. 

One of my friends from junior high school had seen the documentary for Changing Minds Foundation listed in a local film festival.  She sent me the information and I was so intrigued by what I saw online.  Our local Down Syndrome Support Group in Southeast Idaho brought Teresa, Joanne and Stacy to our small town of Pocatello, Idaho to educate the local families who wanted more for their children.  It was so much great information that those ladies shared with us that day and several families in our area are seeing great results with our children who are on the protocol.


MaKenna learned to swallow pills by first swallowing tic tacs, then swallowing M&Ms, then swallowing skittles, and then swallowing pills.  We did try the special straws and the special pill taking cups, etc, but none of that seemed to work for her.  In July 2013, she swallowed a souvenir flattened penny that her older brother had in his room.  She had to have that surgically removed.  We stopped with the supplements for a few months following that incident.


She has had Prozac in the past, we had it prescribed by a local psychologist.  However, she is not currently on it.  I wanted to wait until her thyroid treatment was determined.


One of the big pieces of the puzzle has been to get MaKenna’s thyroid treated.  She has had chronic constipation since birth and thyroid medication has helped ease that issue.  We are working on getting a cleaner diet for the whole family.  We do mainly gluten free but we are still working on eliminating dairy and soy from our diets.  The soybean oil is in a lot of processed foods that are convenient for our family at this point.  Focusing on more healthy food choices is our goal.


This school year, MaKenna was in the first grade and mostly included.  She was pulled out for speech therapy twice a week for 15 minutes.  She was not performing all of the school work that her classmates were doing at her desk on her own, but she would sit quietly at her desk and engage herself.  However, when the classroom was given more freedom, she used that opportunity to walk out of the school building.  This was a safety issue, so I began home schooling her.  She has done a great job at homeschool and I am planning on her returning to her school building to repeat first grade and to have more supervision.


Our family has two copies of the C677T MTHFR mutation.  From my limited understanding of this mutation, our family should avoid folic acid as much as we can.  Looking at some rice milks at the supermarket, shows that some of them are fortified with folic acid.  Many vitamins and health drinks are fortified as well.  Eliminating the folic acid helps our family with our detoxification pathways.


Currently, MaKenna takes 32.5 mg of nature-throid in the morning and 16.25 mg of nature-throid in the afternoon.  She takes the following in the evening:  500 mg liposomal Vitamin C, 500 mcg B12 spray, 160 mg Gingko biloba Ultra Gingko!, 100 mg ubiquinol, 400 iu Perfect E (Vitamin E), 1600 mcg Folinic Acid, 150 mcg Vitamin K2, 5,000 i.u. Vitamin D3, and a probiotic pill.


She has had a palatal expander installed for a year now.  So she has had issues taking large pills for the past year due to the expander being in the way.  It should be removed this summer.  It has really helped her face broaden and her sinuses open up.  She had compliance with putting the device in with lots of trinkets being offered to her by the orthodontic assistants.  They have done a great job.


She requires a reminder to go on the potty during the day, but she is dry all night long.  She has to be reminded to defecate in the toilet, she won’t usually do it on her own unless she is reminded.


She enjoys participating in ballet and girl scouts, and memorizing her bible verses for her AWANA class at church (www.awana.org).  She learns the bible verses to music and has a recorder that she plays the songs during her weekly bible verse time.  She has learned all of the books of the bible, in order.  MaKenna has started to learn to play the piano as well.  And her swimming is coming along with biweekly personal swimming lessons.  She can hit a ball (either left or right handed) and run the bases at t-ball.  Her hockey stick handling skills are very good.  Her favorite pastime is to jump on the trampoline with her 3 brothers.  She can also pedal a tricycle and a bicycle with training wheels.


The next steps for MaKenna will be to read fluently at grade level, tackle the first grade one more time and start Prozac again and start receiving B12 shots.  Thank you Changing Minds Foundation for our family’s wonderful dreams for MaKenna’s future!"


Maria (MaKenna's mom)







Alice -- age 14 months




"Alice was born January of 2013, and though her diagnosis was not known until she arrived, I immediately started learning everything I could to help support her mind and body to help her achieve her greatest potential. In my search, I was directed to the protocol for CMF, as well as all of the medical research that was behind it. I did a lot of homework, spoke to everyone I know in the medical community, and decided that the benefits were too compelling to ignore. 


I started Alice one supplement at a time, and at 4 months, added Prozac as well. At 14 months, she takes the full basic protocol plus a multivitamin tailored to kids with Down Syndrome. 


Alice is thriving, her muscle tone has radically improved since birth. She does a full roster of therapies and attends a The Rise School of Houston, a pre-k in Houston for kids with and without developmental delays. Alice is alert, focused, great at back and forth play, very verbal, curious, determined, and very lively. There are very few differences between her and any 14 month old, and I do believe the nutritional intervention and CMF protocol coupled with neurodevelopmental programs and therapies has given Alice an incredible head start. 


I urge anyone considering these options to do your homework, read the research, and make choices that you feel comfortable with. For us, there's no way I could ignore the benefits things like Gingko, EGCG and Prozac offer. Alice's progress is the best testimony I can offer. I can't wait to watch her grow and reach her full potential. "


Cara (Alice's mom)








Landon -- age 6 years



Landon is almost 6 years old, he is 38 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds.  We were first introduced to the Changing Minds Foundation in the fall of 2008, and have slowly implemented most of the protocol over the last few years.  Due to Landon’s medical history, down syndrome, a repaired esophagus that has no muscle movement [ea/tef], and a repaired heart [av canal/VSD], we have introduced new medications/supplements slowly and incrementally.  He is still entirely g-tube fed a soy pediatric drink and takes multiple medications daily to control his reflux and allergies. While we never approached this as a way to “cure” Landon’s down syndrome, we do feel that the protocol has helped maximize his potential.  We have only experienced positive side effects; his health, nor his sweet personality, have been negatively affected by any aspect of these supplements.  We closely monitor any and every change we observe, and he has numerous doctors and therapists that have helped guide and advise us throughout each phase of his development.  For us, we would not change anything, but from what we’ve observed, the earlier a child begins the protocol the better the result.


Landon attends the Rise School of Houston [M-F, 8:30-2:30, year-round curriculum], 1 ½ hours of private speech therapy weekly, one hr/week physical therapy, one hr/week occupational therapy, one hour weekly of preschool gymnastic [with typical 3-4 yr children, Cypress Academy Gymnastics], and attends Sunday School at our church with typical 3-4 year old children.  Currently, in addition to Landon’s medically required prescriptions, he is taking 120 mg of Gingko Biloba twice daily [once in the am, and once in the afternoon], one tsp of Body Bio Oil, one tsp of PC Oil every morning, one tablet of Tenex in the am and another half in the afternoon, 20 mg of Vyvanse every am, and 1.5 ml of Prozac once every evening.


When Landon started taking gingko biloba at 2 ½ years old, his retention and response to information improved, and his physical therapist noticed an improvement in muscle tone.  He first started Prozac on a very low dose, 0.7 ml, and during the first couple of months he was making significant progress in speech and walking, but it was hard to know if it was due to just time and therapy.  However, when we bumped him to 1 ml of Prozac, within the week he completed potty training on his own.  He had been making slow progress, but that week he just started staying dry and signing to go, he also made huge leaps in speech and signing soon after.  Within a few weeks, at age 3 ½ years old, he was entirely potty-trained (day and night), and his expressive and receptive language substantially improved.  The body oil seems to help his dry skin have fewer bumps, and his bowel movements are helped.  The PC oil is by nature hard to observe, but Landon seems to throw and grab things less often as a result.  His ADHD meds have changed a few times over the last two years, we started on Focalin and had no effect initially, then on a slightly higher dose [still low, though] it had an adverse effect – he was in fast forward and emotional.  He had a better response to Vyvanse, calmer, following directions better, and better organizational skills, but he also seemed more sensitive, and at moments sad.  Tenex seems to work well for him, he is more focused and his personality seems unfazed by the medication.  Recently, we also added a low dose of Vyvanse to his Tenex; this seems to be working, for now.  With the combination of medications, he is less impulsive, more organized and responsive, and still happy and outgoing.


Landon’s speech is still very delayed, the fact that he has been tube fed his entire life, hospitalized the first half of his first year and sporadically since, surely contributes to this.  He is extremely active, athletic, a great problem-solver, and quite coordinated.  Landon enjoys puzzles, riding his bike and motorized 4wheeler, and playing games on his iPad.  He is social, friendly, and compassionate.  As his parents, we firmly believe that the protocol has positively benefitted our son.  We feel that many children with DS could also further maximize their potential with the aids of medications and supplements; all of this is combined with education, therapy, and lots of love!


Melanie Duncan (Landon's mom)







Robin -- Age 14 years



Robin is now 14 years old. We started him on the CMF protocol 4 years ago, when I read about it on the awesome site by Miriam Kauk  "EINSTEIN SYNDROME".


Although we had been following a neurodevelopmental program since birth, as well as a nutritional protocol from International Nutrition which included Piracetam and Nutrivene D, once Rob got to be of school age, I felt that he could do even better academically. So I decided to give CMF a try!


Both my husband and myself were/are very pleased at Rob's gains in the last 4 years.


Physically:


-biking without training wheels

-batting and catching a ball

-riding a horse with voice and leg commands on his own

-balancing and using the monkey bars (brachiation ladder) unaided

-taking a more active part in contact sports (soccer, volleyball, softball)...but he would rather watch a      movie or play on his Xbox...ha!



Academically:


Rob has a full day of academics at our local school. Although he is not mainlined, I teach him myself but he is in daily contact with the rest of the student body. He participates in drama/music/art/sports with the rest of the school.



Reading:


Completed the second level of the Edmark reading program. Currently on the Reading Horizons protocol and doing well with minimal assistance.


Typing:


Type to learn 4. Has learned his hand positions and is gaining speed and accuracy.


Math:


Slow but steady. Is now on an online program called Destination math level 2.


Speech/cognition:


His speech and vocab. have increased dramatically. He uses and understands puns and jokes and turns of phrases which are appropriate for the most part, as well as amusing! Rob is able to follow simple instructions such as:


Call your gramma, ask her if she wants her laundry hauled to the laundromat. Then, if so, go fetch the wagon (he carries her laundry in a radio flyer), go to her house (about 5' away down the path), load it and bring it to the laundry room and unload it.


SelfHelp Skills:


I believe Rob is improving in his ability to process abstract concepts and ideas. He has also made marked improvements in his SELF HELP SKILLS: personal grooming, showering, dressing. Has learned how to handle buttons and jean clamps (hard for me sometimes!), still using VELCRO (awesome invention, who needs laces!) for shoes. I find that when he WANTS TO he can get himself outside at -20 degrees FULLY OUTFITTED FOR THE WEATHER, hat, gloves, packboots, snopants, etc. with hardly any help from anyone in the house....it's all about MOTIVATION...lol

I think there is a short clip of him making himself an omelette. Of course he would RATHER have mother do it!


General computer/software


Rob works on his laptop with minimum monitoring. It has proven to be a useful and practical tool for improving his learning skills.


Spanish:


Rosetta stone Spanish 1. Does well with this software.


In a flash  (from the makers of IN A FLASH WORDS, IN A FLASH MATH, IN A FLASH ADDITION, ETC.)


For basic math, sight reading, auditory & visual sequencing skills.


Superduper publications


For speech/fluency/grammar and phonemics.  With min. Monitoring.



Robin is currently on the following CMF protocol items, as well as other vitamins from INTN:



FLUOXETINE        10mg


B12                      1,000mcg


GINKGO BILOBA        240mg


PC/LECITHIN         2,000


CURCUMIN             1,000


FOLINIC ACID         1,600


CHIA OIL OMEGAS      3.6.9


MAG/CAL/ZINC SUPPLEMENT


BIOFLAV


PRO DHA


D3                        


SENNA/PRUNE            2


 **  (See. Dr. Gominak's lectures on Vitamin D3 and its relationship to healing and sleep apnea)


                              http://ning.it/MxsWHC


Robin's favorite pet is an american short hair guinea pig named Reepacheep. (in photo with him above)


Thanks for letting us share. Thanks CMF...

Gri Buongiorne & Robin Dry Creek, Alaska.







Hartley -- 8 months


           (24 weeks)                            (5 months)                       (5 months)                         (8 months)


                   (6 months)                                              (8 months)                               (4 months)


"Hartley has been my biggest challenge since he was diagnosed with Trisomy 21 soon after birth last September. It was a daunting time for all who loved him. However, the challenge to beat the extra chromosome soon took over and at 8 months old Hartley is thriving! 


Hartley has been seeing a chiropractor since birth and I am sure his general health is partly due to this treatment. He is also on various supplements, namely: Nutrivene Complete in powder form, Gingko Biloba, longvida curcumin, vitamin d3 drops, omega fish oils and baby bio.  I also ensure he has Goji Berry Powder mixed into the food I prepare as well as avocados every week. He loves his food and has had no problems with eating off a spoon at all/swallowing. 


He has been sleeping soundly through the night from 6  months old and when awake is lively & focused. He loves his bathtime and kicks and splashes around. After his evening bath I always massage him with coconut oil. He attends weekly baby music groups and Baby Sensory Classes ( I would highly recommend the latter especially).


The only problem he has had is glue ear. I am starting Osteopathy to aid this. I am also looking into nutrition/hair analysis/NAET therapy/homeopathy as the next step towards his well being/development. 


Hartley was rolling at 4 months, he has good fine/gross  motor skills in line with other babies his age. He was sitting at 7 months but he is still working on this as he falls backwards still. It won't be long and I am sure he will be stronger to sit and play for longer durations of time. Hartley has always had good muscle tone (therefore his tongue remains inside his mouth)  and a healthy heart. I think the ears are the problem area but I am going to do my best to make that right for him. 


His brother Brandon 9 and sister Ava 4, adore their baby brother with all their hearts and are proud of his every achievement. The first time he rolled they cheered! When he held his drinking cup himself they cheered!


The little time the small man has been in our lives has expanded my inner self and determination to huge depths. He has shown us happiness, love and warmed my heart to the very core. Hartley has taught me so much in the 8 months he has been with us, more than I have ever learnt in my 37 previous years ."


Michelle Lovell (Hartley's mom)







Tristen -- 4 1/2 years



Tristen started the CMF protocol at 13 ½ months old. We started by giving him Ginkgo Biloba and then added Prozac (5 mg or 1.5 mL) at 14 months.  Gradually over the next several months we added the other elements of the protocol.  Before starting the protocol (at 13 1/2 months) he was a passive bystander - watching everyone and everything. He did not initiate play with toys (very poor fine motor skills). If I put him down on the floor, he would just stay in the same place until I returned (poor gross motor skills). He could roll over, but rarely did on his own. He did not creep or crawl. After starting the protocol . . . wow, what a difference! On the 5th day of Ginkgo Biloba we found him STANDING in his bed - he had pulled to stand all on his own (he had just had his annual evaluations with Early Intervention two weeks prior to starting the protocol and his gross motor skills were equivalent to a 6 month old in Locomotion). He also picked up a ball with both hands the first week on Ginkgo (his fine motor skills were equivalent to a 5 month old overall according to his EI evaluations at 13 months of age). He became a very active and motivated boy almost overnight. He began to creep and crawl. He started getting into everything! Pulling on cords, putting his fingers in outlets (I hadn't covered them yet . . . there wasn't a need to)! After starting Ginkgo Biloba and Prozac he went from not creeping, crawling or even sitting unassisted to doing all of those things and even pulling to stand and taking a few steps on his own in less than 3 months!  He quickly progressed from taking steps to walking independently by 19 months old (just 5 months after starting the protocol).  He was potty trained during day at 3 years old and completely potty trained day and night (wearing underwear) at 3 ½ years old. 


Fast forward to today - it is hard to believe that Tristen is 4 ½ years old this month!  He attends public preschool in a Blended classroom (10 typically developing children and 2 with special needs) and is making awesome progress. Here is a link to his Preschool Progress Note for the Fall Semester 2011 - we are VERY proud and encouraged by his continued progress!  Tristen has a Fall birthday so he still has another full year of preschool before moving on to Kindergarten.  He has developed into a verbal preschooler that now tries to ‘negotiate.’  For example, the other day I said, “Tristen we are going to eat lunch then get ready to take a nap.” He replied, “No, no, no, no, no – first play puzzle then eat – no nap!” (those are the exact words he used – including the words first and then).  This was a long sentence for him but he routinely uses 4 to 6 word sentences. Some examples of questions he consistently asks – What was that (sound he heard)!?!  Where’s daddy?  What is it (something he saw and didn’t know)? – his current favorite question, “Why?”


I am a teacher turned stay-at-home mom and felt it was important to teach Tristen to read from a young age.  Initially, I used the Your Baby Can Read program with Tristen starting at about 15 months old. I then used Signing Times videos, to not only teach sign so he could better communicate, but to also teach him to read (I made flash cards for the words on the videos and used them in the same fashion as the YBCR program). At last count, Tristen could read and comprehend more than 400 words (that is where I stopped counting . . .  he has learned MANY new words since the last time I counted). Currently, I use a variety of reading and math materials with Tristen – some are from my past ‘teacher toolbox’ and others are from The Learning Program (Match, Select, Name).


Tristen weighs 38 pounds and currently takes the following on a daily basis – 180 mg Ginkgo Biloba (3 times per day so 540 mg total daily), 8 mg Prozac, 10 mg Focalin XR, EGCG (200 mg total but it is split into 3 doses), Longvida Curcumin 1000 mg, a daily Probiotic, Vitaspectrum multivitamin (includes 400 mcg Folate and 50 mcg B12), 250 mcg additional Methylcobalamin B12, Klaire Labs Amino Acid Complete, Body Bio Balance oil and Phosphatidylcholine. He also takes Levothyroxine for his thyroid and Ranitidine for reflux.


I am very thankful to Teresa Cody for pulling the current research studies together and coming up with a list of herbals, supplements, and FDA approved medications that we can use “off label” now to improve our child’s cognition.  I am confident that even better treatments to improve cognition will become available in the coming years as more Ds research results in drug development to improve cognition in children with Down syndrome.




Gregory -- 18 months old



Our son Gregory presently is 18 months old and has Down Syndrome.  He is an amazing little guy!  He is totally blowing away his therapists, pediatricians and developmental specialists along with his other health care providers.  They just grin from ear to ear when they see him, their comments “Wow he looks great, I’ve never seen a baby with DS his age that looks this good!” Just recently he started talking, he is saying Mama, Dada, Ball, Bye, All Done, and Nana for Grandma.  He knows about 15 -20 different signs and can recognize WORDS without a picture, he signs the flash card words, “elephant and “arms up.” He is also very good at making animal sounds. He tries really hard to do the piggy sound, moos, roars and says BRRM, BRRM while pushing his little cars on the floor.  He loves books and has been turning pages  since he was about 6 months old. He began sitting up at 8 months, scootching/ crawling at 11 months.  At 16 months he started cruising along furniture and now is very close to walking.  He is taking steps while holding our hands and is climbing up on everything and is going up stairs.  He has a very good attention span, will sit on the floor and go from toy to toy playing for the longest time.  He is very engaged and his therapists love working with him because he never gets upset.  He loves to show off!  They say that he is very “Clever”.  He loves music and moves to the beat of songs when he hears them on TV or the radio.  Just the other day he began to exhibit Stranger Anxiety, a developmental milestone.  This past week he was evaluated by his developmental Pediatrician, and got raving remarks.  She said he is developing along quite typically and suggested that I start looking into preschools and kindergarten and also is recommending a fully inclusive classroom. 

I truly believe that Gregory is where he is today because of Changing Minds Foundation.  I don’t know how he would be otherwise, because, by the Grace of God, we found out about the CMF Protocol when he was 4 months old.  We started it slowly and gradually at 5 months of age, started with Ginkgo Biloba, then Vitamin B12, Folinic Acid, PC and Balance Oils.  Prozac was introduced at 10 1/2 months of age.  No side effects have been noted.  He takes all supplements and Prozac without difficulty.  I have also added other supplements to his protocol: Longvida Curcumin, EGCG, Rhodiola, Coconut oil, Milk Thistle, Vitamin D3, Cod Liver Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Vitaspectrum ( a multi vitamin/mineral), Probiotics and Colostrum. These additional supplements and others can be found on a blog made by a parent of a DS child.  www.dsdaytoday.blogspot.com

There is scientific rationale behind each supplement and medication on the CMF protocol. After thoroughly reading and studying this material and learning that DS is a biochemical/metabolic disorder, the decision to begin the protocol for our son was clear.  The chemical imbalances in the brain of DS individuals are the culprit for causing the life altering struggles with speech, learning and memory.  I want to do everything in my power as Gregory’s Mom to lessen or completely prevent these devastating problems.  Thank you Changing Minds Foundation!




Lily -- 2 Years Old (update)



Update May 2011

Wow it is hard to believe that Lily has been on the protocol for over a year. Since the last update Lily has done so much. She is now 21 months old and doing very well. At 21 months Lily weighs in at around 30 lbs and she is a statuesque 33.5 inches. Right after I wrote the last update, when Lily was 7.5 months she was able to sit without support. I had adjusted her dosages several times over the last year but she is currently taking 1tsp body bio oil, 1tsp PC, 120mgs ginkgo biloba in the morning and 120 mgs in the evening.  She also takes the recommended amount of b12 and folinic acid daily. Separate from the protocol I also add a daily children’s probiotic (we use culturelle for kids). When Lily was around 12 months we started seeking out a doctor to prescribe Prozac to Lily. After about 1.5- 2 months of searching we found what we were looking for and Lily started Prozac (4mgs daily). 


Now to get to all she has accomplished in the last 14 months. Right after Lily’s first birthday she began getting on all fours, within a week of the she started to crawl on her hands and knees (she never “army” crawled or made forward movements before that) After she started crawling she began taking Prozac (at 13.5 months) she started to go from laying to sitting, pulling to stand more often and cruising furniture all within a couple of weeks.  All through the holidays and in to the new year (between 15 and 17 months) Lily mastered cruising and in Late February/ early March Lily began walking from one object to another about 2-3 steps. During March and April Lily went from 2-3 steps to over 30 steps in a row without falling. I guess I could say she became a walker at 18 months and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.


Lily has also been doing very well cognitively; at her ECI evaluation (done at 13 months) she was “scored” at 16 months in the cognitive category. Lily has emerged in the last 6 months with more pretend play such as “feeding” a baby doll, hugging the baby doll and following simple directions like giving kisses, clapping when we ask her to, and when we ask her to go get a book, she goes to her bookshelf and brings back her book for us to read to her.


When it comes to her speech, she is more delayed than I would like, but we are getting there. She tries to say several words, including Giraffe, yes, all done, happy and kitty. 

We are looking forward to the future and all that Lily has to offer this world! Not sure I care to know where she would be without the CMF protocol.



Update: 9-1-11

Lily will be 2 in just two weeks.  She is now just about 31 lbs and nearly 35 inches tall (growing like a weed) Lily is now almost running and she takes any opportunity to get away and do something sneaky. Her favorite place to go is her brother’s room.  Lily has several signs that she uses on a consistent basis and she is beginning to make the sounds that go with those signs.  She is not completely understandable right now but she is getting there.  I just love that she wants to try to talk. She is probably the most social child I have ever been around.  Lily loves books and stacking blocks. She also loves to put coins in her pink pig.  These are all fine motor tasks that I was worried about her being able to achieve.  In November Lily will be released from the ECI program because she no longer qualifies for PT. She has met all her goals according to them and they cannot keep her. I am thrilled!  I know that she still needs to learn to jump and climb stairs, but I can help her with that.  Right now we love life and Lily. I could not be more thrilled with her development and progress. She has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.  I will update again before the end of the year.


Jill (Lily's Mom)



    Jett  -- 16 months old




When we found out that our sweet two-week-old baby, Jett Lukas, definitely had T21, I was devastated. Between the diagnosis and struggles with breastfeeding, I cried for about three weeks straight. But when he was three months old, I discovered the CMF website. What a revelation! 


Finally, I found what I was looking for: real answers to treat and possibly cure my baby. Jett has been taking ginkgo consistently since he was 4 months old. (It took me a month to work up the courage to give it to him.) I slowly introduced all items of the CMF protocol, introducing Prozac last at 12 months old. At 16 months, he's on all of the protocol for a child his age, but we have just recently stopped Prozac.


I am quite pleased with the results. At 5 months, Jett first rolled over and was on target as far as milestones. He drank from a straw at almost 6 months, the day before his heart surgery. Because of surgery, his physical progress took a major set back. So, with a lot of neurodevelopmental therapy, he was army crawling by 10 months, creeping and pulling himself to stand at 13 months and beginning to cruise at 14 months.


Cognitively, he's been going strong. He randomly said clear words and phrases off and on starting with "Daddy" at 6 months. (And said "okay", "alright", "go' boy", "oh boy", and "hey" all the time.) At 8 months, he spoke his first word of intention: "water." At 10 months, he used, "ilk" (for milk) regularly.


He consistently uses his potty for "number two" since at least 10 months old and has been letting us know when he needs to go since he was at least 6 months old.


At 11 months, he had his first speech evaluation with Renee Hill of Talk Tools. She was amazed! She said that she had to evaluate him using the typical scale, not the one for children with DS. She said he was on par and above the typical child. He has no tongue protrusion, great lip closure, strong jaw muscles, etc. She said it was the easiest evaluation she'd ever done and had the least amount of suggestions.


She was blown away by his cognitive ability. She was showing me how to teach him to blow and pop bubbles. She said it may only take me a day to teach him although it takes most kids with DS much longer. Then she said, "Oh, well, he just got it! That took two minutes." She then spent the last hour of the evaluation asking me what all I was doing with him. She was very interested in the CMF protocol. She commented that even with great oral motor skills, our children can't communicate very well without cognitive ability.


At 15 months, he first enjoyed cruising around the bathtub, nested cups together and putting items into boxes. He just turned 16 months old and he interactively enjoys books with you by pointing to pictures and text (with his thumb) and having you name objects and reread text. (His favorite book at the moment is Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee.) Although he's not talking, he babbles all the time and tries out about 3-4 new words a week.


He is alert and curious. He can play ball with you, open drawers and take out the contents, can follow simple, one-step directions (no kick, sit up, get ball, come here, let go, etc.)


At his last meeting with Jett's neurodevelopmentalist, Kay Ness of SENC, she said he had gained 12 months of improvement in the 3 months since she had seen last evaluated him.


I think the great research and suggestions provided by the CMF have been instrumental to his success. The elements of the protocol work together very well (along with the additional items Jett gets) to provide him with the tools he needs to generate new brain cells, to fortify his short-term memory, to transfer memories to long-term storage and to prevent degeneration. So when I do therapy with Jett, I feel confident that he is actually learning, retaining and building on his knowledge. I can see him playing with more creativity and independence every day. It's a joy to witness his daily progress. I am grateful for Teresa Cody's hard work and determination in helping our children through CMF. I am happy to share with you what is working so well for Jett and wish you equal success with your loved one!


Jett's supplement list:


(For his most up-to-date list, see Jett's Complete Protocol. I've blogged about a lot of these items so, I've included the link to those pages as well.)


-A multivitamin targeted for DS 

-Gingko Biloba Jett gets more than the minimum of ginkgo with 120 mg split up into three doses. I feel this has been vital to his cognitive development. For an infant Jett's age, 30% of his sleep should be in REM. Ginkgo helps restore REM sleep. Lowered REM shows up in patients with IQs under 70. On ginkgo, Jett's REM is 22.3%. This number is amazing! His doctor said in the eleven years he's been doing sleep studies, he has never seen a person with DS with REM as high as Jett's. I have the complete sleep study results & explanation on these blog posts: Jett's Sleep Study: Mommy's Nightmare and Sleep Study: The Results.)

-Longvida Curcumin  Has been taking since 8 months old. I have seen great results in his verbal ability on LC.

-TriEnza Enzymes

-B12 I've also noticed this does a lot to help stimulate Jett's appetite, so I give him more than the minimum dose.

-Folinic Acid 

-BodyBio PC So important as building block for the brain!

-BodyBio Balanced Oil, sunflower/flax mix or hemp oil (it has the same fat ratio)

-Vitamin D 3

-Probiotics

-Fermented cod liver oil and butter oil

-EGCG (green tea extract) I've seen a lot of improvement with his short-term memory since this was added to the mix.

-Evening Primrose Oil  

-Floradix (nonconstipating iron supplement)




         Tyler -- 14 years old




My son Tyler is 14 years old. He has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and Autism, along with Hirschsprungs. Four years ago this summer, he had a dental procedure. He was given demerol. He was not to be given any meds but lidocaine, because we had already experienced respiratory distress with these meds when he had his tonsils removed. Due to the loss of oxygen, he suffered frontal lobe damage. This is when we received the autism diagnosis. (He always had AU but had been in intervention since birth so symptoms were slight). His brain healed 6 months after the injury per MRI, but his skills did not come back. (He lost all communication skills, signs, verbal, pointing). He has been in intense speech, OT, ABA for years now. With only glimmers of improvement. One day he may communicate and can't the next. One day he will know his colors, but won't the next.

He has been on part of the CMF protocol since 2/26/11. He gets 240mg Ginkgo Biloba and 400mcg Folinic Acid. I am adding elements of the protocol slowly, due to his Hirschsprungs.

Tyler is now making 5 word requests without prompts!  He is writing his name consistently, he knows his colors, and he counts to 20. He is playing games and pretending. His gross motor skills have improved so much! He looks like a pro on the soccer field. He has always been on skills in special olympics, and he is now on the soccer team. He put together a 24 piece jigsaw puzzle that he had never seen before all by himself!  He has a personality now where he hasn't had one since the regression. We have been dragging him threw life since the regression. Now he is in our world and is so happy because he can communicate!  He has never been potty trained. He goes on schedule. Last week at school he told his teacher he needed to poop!  Remember he has hirschsprungs!  We have been told by DS clinic, AU clinic, Pedi surgeon that this would NEVER happen.

I wish that 4 years ago when I was first shown the CMF protocol,  I would have started it. His teacher and therapist are very impressed. We have not seen this much improvement in such a short amount of time.


Thank you all,

Gerrie

Tyler's mom


"I wanted to tell you that Tuesday and Wednesday, during our P.E. time, after we walk the track, the boys play on the red "pillow" that is used for pole vaulting.....anyway, sometimes the boys wrestle and Tyler just hangs at the end.  NO, this week he has joined in the play wrestling with them.  It is fun to watch his progress."

Tyler's Teacher



"There is this girl at special olympics that is always hugging and hanging all over Ty, which he hates.  He will take it for awhile then push or hit her.  Last night, when she got there, he ran to her and gave her a hug.  HE HUGGED her!!!"

Gerrie


"Had the best day!  Tyler put a 24 piece jigsaw puzzle together by himself, with no help.  It was a new puzzle he had never done!  He sang 3 songs all the way through:  Row Row Row Your Boat, I love you, and Skitereminky Dink.  Played Duck Duck Goose, London Bridge, hide and seek, he counted to 20.  He is no longer spending his day stemming.  He hasn't played since the regression.  When we would try he would tantrum.  We have added 120mg of ginkgo at noon.  We are so happy!  My 12 year old son, his brother, is thrilled!"

Gerrie


"Tyler has Hirschsprungs too.  He has never initiated going to the bathroom.  Today at school they were outside playing kickball.  Tyler actually told his teacher he had to go to the bathroom and he made it there in time. The school is very impressed!"

Gerrie 






Grace -- 8 1/2 years old



Grace  is an 8 1/2 year old who lives in New Zealand with her family.  Her mother, Christine, found Changing Minds Foundation online one day by accident.  She was searching for a toilet training method to help her train Grace, because at age 8, she was still not using the bathroom by herself.  This is a big issue for many children with DS and can be quite frustrating for parents.  Since beginning the protocol, Grace has had many changes in her life.  Her mother wrote an article about it for her local DS association newsletter. 


Click Here to read Grace's Story










   Parker -- 18 months old



Parker started the CMF protocol at 14months after having open heart surgery. Parker had always done very well meeting developmental milestones (sat up at 7months, started army crawling at 12months, was very verbal; had consonants early, said “hi” “mama” dada” by 12 months, could wave “hi” and “bye” by 12months) but once he turned a year things started to slow down, his “locomotion” was one area that he had always struggled with and certainly was delayed. When we first found out about Parker’s diagnosis of Down syndrome so many friends told us about Teresa and the CMF protocol. One of our dearest friends was a personal friend of Teresa’s and it seemed at every turn God pointed us to the CMF protocol. We started speaking to other parents on the protocol and their response was truly amazing. They had seen such significant changes in their kids! We then took the information to Parker’s Dr’s and they were in support as well.


We started the protocol one piece at a time. We started with Body Bio oil, then Ginkgo Biloba, PC, B12, Folinic Acid, and finally Prozac. We started with half the recommended dose of each item and over the course of a few days to one week we added more of each item. We continued to build and add another item weekly until we

had Parker on all the pieces. We believed this would give us the best way to measure the “differences” and to not upset Parker’s stomach. We knew by going slowly we could track any negative reactions as well. We noticed an almost immediate reaction after starting the ginkgo. Parker had always been very verbal, but his “chatting” became more deliberate and the most exciting change we noticed was his immediate ability to “imitate.” Our daughter was playing “indian” with him one day and he immediately imitated her! In the past it had taken us many, many, many times to get him to imitate! Sometimes he would imitate our actions, others he would not. Now, he almost always imitates our actions! Parker’s physical strength changed too. He had begun to pull up

on things before we started the protocol, but he couldn’t seem to figure out how to pull correctly. After starting the protocol he immediately started pulling up and more exciting he started climbing stairs! One day it was two stairs, then the whole flight! He had been self-feeding with the pincher grasp before starting the protocol, but after we began the protocol his accuracy immediately increased.


The true test to his changes came when we returned to therapy after being off for 7 weeks after surgery. All of his therapists could not believe the differences! His PT could not understand how he had met all of his short term goals in 7 weeks when he had physical restrictions from his heart surgery! She wanted to know what had happened! He could pull to stand, cruise the area while standing, climb the stairs, and crawl on all fours! His verbal changes were even apparent, his communication seemed more “with it” and just in general he is more “engaged” in conversation. He responds appropriately and is constantly aware of kids, adults and those around him. He is eliciting their response which is not something he did prior to the CMF protocol.


Many will say, “How do you know it is the CMF protocol that made the difference and not his repaired heart?” Well, in Parker’s case, his heart was not affecting his physical development. He was rare and blessed to have no symptoms from his heart defect, he was on no medicines, and had no restrictions. Others will say, “Well, you were working him with home and had lots of therapy weekly, so maybe that made the difference.” We believe that therapy and the other support activities we do at home for Parker certainly help, but remember before we started the CMF protocol he had NO therapy for 7 weeks. We were restricted on lifting him from his arms/chest, so that simply cannot be a contributing factor. These changes occurred as a direct result from the CMF protocol.


Today at 18 months, 20lbs, Parker is beginning to practice “letting go” while standing and he is constantly climbing, creeping with amazing speed, and standing, cruising everywhere. He can walk with assistance. He has added many new words and daily we see new gains. He has been on the full CMF protocol for one month (remember we started slow) and we look forward to seeing more changes. He currently takes 120mg of gingkgo, 1.25ml of Prozac, and all other items as prescribed by the dosage chart based on his weight. Our only regret is we didn’t start sooner. In hindsight, we wished we had started before surgery, stopped for the recommended time, and then resumed. Children that started earlier than Parker have made more gains and stayed closer to

the “typical” milestones. That being said, we know that God has the perfect plan and we trust in His divine plan for Parker’s life. We were very blessed to have supportive Drs and had no issues getting an RX for the Prozac. We have been meticulous about documenting everything and are more than willing to share with new parents. In the beginning it was hard to figure out how to get the supplements and such into his food (and get him to swallow them all), but we have a good system now and are happy to share! Parker has had no ill effects from the CMF protocol. It has not upset his stomach, caused “irrational” behavior, nor affected his sleep patterns.


We are so grateful to Teresa and humbled by her unwavering desire to continue to fight for our kids. We are inspired by her unwavering strength to continue to “spread the word” even when many were critical of her efforts. Today we stand as an advocate for the CMF protocol and know this is a way to give Parker independence and freedom that all of our children truly desire and deserve!

Lara

Parker's mom



    Alex  -- 2 years old


Alex currently weighs 22 lbs and is approximately 24 inches tall. He takes everything on the CMF protocol except the Focalin. Alex started the protocol (minus prozac) at 2 months of age. At 8 months we began giving him prozac. In regards to progress it's hard to tell because he has always been on the protocol. Last week he received his biannual evaluation back from his speech therapist where she noted his progress as excellent and above expectations. She also commented that she needs to do more monitoring of him than working with him. Alex usually masters his exercises within the same session.


Alex turned 2 on 9/06 and started walking on his own at 19 months. As of today he is into everything! He climbs up and down stairs, signs to communicate, and last week moved a trunk next to our kitchen table & used it to climb onto a chair so he could get on top of the kitchen table! Great problem solving skills! We also started potty training him a month ago and he used the potty everytime we put him on it the first week. He can also show you all his bodyparts.

Millicent

Alex's Mom



Nicholas -- 20 months old



We started Nicholas on Ginkgo the last week of May 2010.  We then added the PC and Balance Oil a week later, and finally the B-12 and Folinic Acid the following week.  We have been on the protocol since June 7th of 2010 (about 5 ½ months).


We have seen huge improvements in Nicholas.  The first thing we noticed was the presence of his opinion.    WOW!  Nicholas didn’t have the desire before to let us know what he wanted whether it was food, diaper change, or even to play.  That has really changed now.  He is very focused on what is going on around him and wants to be involved.


Before the protocol, Nicholas could sit but only if we sat him up.  Nicholas now sits up alone and is now even pulling to stand on furniture or his crib.


Nicholas has low tone and had a difficult time bringing his hands together before.  He is now clapping his hands, picking up and throwing toys, and lifting objects over his head during play time.


Nicholas has also started communicating with us.  He definitely knows the word no and how to use it.  Nicholas does not say no, but does shake his head to let us know how he feels about something.  He loves to play in the tub and will shake his head to let us know he is not finished playing.  If he is on the floor playing and we pick him up, he will shake his head to let us know to put him down.   Nicholas will also wave bye bye when he hears the words.  Verbally, he says Dada and understands he is calling for his Dad.  He also says Mamá (in Spanish) for Mom. Yeah! He will also repeat NaNa which he uses for his sitter.  Nicholas will repeat sounds that we make and focus on words we are saying. 


Nicholas started crawling (not commando style) about a month ago.  During his first couple of days, he would stay in a general area.  Now, he will crawl out of his room and into every room of the house especially his older brother’s room.


Nicholas has become very social and has developed a little personality that we had not seen before.  We are having so much fun with our little one and are ecstatic with the protocol and the advances Nicholas has made. 


Nicholas weighs 24lbs and he is on the following items of the protocol:


Ginkgo   120 mg; PC  1 tsp.; Balance Oil  1 tsp.; B-12  250mg; Folinic Acid 200mcg


There is so much more and I could go on for hours! 

Elizabeth 

Nickolas' mom

       


   Here are some Testimonies from many of the students that

   Joanne Mothes tutors:







Mac -- 6 Years Old



This is 6 year old Mac .  His mother, Lexy, found out about CMF from google.  She came to the conference this past July with her mother and they were both very excited to get back home and start Mac on the protocol.  They have seen some major changes in Mac and are excited to share this information with the DS community in their town.  According to Lexy, Mac went from using 1 word to communicate before the protocol, to using 3 and 4 word sentences. Mac is keeping up with his first grade classmates in learning his spelling words - 6 words a week!  Last year it took him 2 weeks to learn  one sight word!!  He is acknowledging when people speak and saying hi, asking questions and initiating conversation. "He is engaged now, has better eye contact, he is just here with us!" says his mom.  He is playing and interacting with his friends at school, a skill he used to have and lost during his regression the last 2 years. Mac can dress and undress himself, which he could not do before the protocol. His language continues to improve.  He is saying words and phrases that he has never said before.....like "It's Griffin's turn", "Mom, put me to bed please", "Turn computer off", or when choosing something he says "How about that one".  Mac takes Prozac (started June 1st, 5mg), Ginkgo Biloba (started Aug. 1st, 160mg), and Body Bio Balanced Oil (started end of Aug. 1tsp).  They will be adding the PC soon.  Mac is 43" tall and weighs 48 lbs.


Video of Mac reading a book !!


News Coverage of Mac and CMF








  John -- 5 year old boy on protocol since 9 mos. old



John Michael  was born on 3-20-2005, six weeks early and diagnosed

with Down syndrome.  This is the little boy from the CMF video, who at age two, was working with Joanne Mothes on letters and word recognition.  He began the protocol at 9 months of age, the first person to start the protocol that young.  Now we have many babies as young as 1 month that start most of the items on the protocol.  John is now 5 years old and an amazing little boy!  He sings, he works puzzles, he kicks a ball and he speaks in complete sentences with proper syntax.  To read John's full story, please click on the link below:


John's Success Story


John's Puzzle Video


John's Singing and Kicking a Ball Video






          


Katie -- 2nd grader on the protocol        



We can't be more thrilled at how our daughter, Katie, has responded to the protocol!

 

In May, 2009, Katie was declining academically in second grade and her negative behaviors were increasing in both frequency and severity.  As parents and teachers we tried everything to help Katie improve in any way possible.  This was very difficult given Katie has ranked within the upper 5% of children with DS in most areas.  Her private therapists and pediatrician also noted the increase in difficulties with her.

 

Thankfully, the  Changing Minds DVD was loaned to us from a therapist via another DS parent.  Following this, I traveled to Columbus, Ohio to meet with parents of other children on the protocol and was thrilled to hear their successes.

 

In July, 2009 we started Katie on the protocol.  Beginning the first 2 weeks with just the minerals: (based on her weight 62lbs)

Gingko Biloba (3x60mg pill)

B12/B6 1 pill

folic acid (400 mcg)

multivitamin and extra Vit. C

Currently taking synthroid due to hyperthyroidism

We saw NO side effects at all.

 

2 weeks later, we added:

Prozac (5 mg)

phosphatidylcholine 2 pills/day

body bio balanced oil 4 pills/day

 

Prior to school starting, we began Ritalin due to indications for behavior (7.5 mg/ 2x day)

 

Miracle Changes:


We didn't tell anyone about Katie's protocol other than her physician. 

On her first week of school - she did GREAT.  The first night we did homework - she took 3 full pages of homework to her desk and insisted on doing it all by herself.  After a little time, we helped her, without a struggle (typical for all last year) and she finished all 3 pages in 20 minutes - record time with a smile on her face!  We couldn't believe it!  One month into school, the principal called me and asked what was going on with Katie - she was like a new kid!  All the teachers and aides also saw a huge improvement in Katie and truly couldn't believe it!  Even Katie's pediatrician noticed a remarkable change in her behavior and calmness just 3 months into the protocol!

 

Since then, just a few setbacks.   Bad behavior was seen around January, 2010 and we figured out that she'd gained 10% of her body weight and we never increased the med's.  After 1 month of increased Ritalin and Prozac (1/2 tabs each) she was back on track.  Noted increased behavior problems 2 weeks ago and increased Ritalin by 1/2 tab again and within days back on track and doing well in school.

 

Overall - Katie has improved by nearly a year and a half of second grade schooling from last year.  She now is playing at other friend's houses - which she could never do prior to the protocol.  She's also continuing dance and cheerleading with typical girls all because of the protocol!  We can't say enough good things about it!

 

We're more than happy to share Katie's story with anyone interested in listening.  Even Katie's little friend with DS, Ellie, has now been on the protocol after seeing Katie's positive changes and she's making great strides too.

 

Julia -- Katie's mom


Watch Katie's video


News Coverage of Katie and CMF




 

 Meet Lily -- 7 months old (on protocol for 4 months)


 


 

Lily started the Protocol on January 27, 2010.

She started out taking 1 tsp. Body Bio Balance Oil, 1 tsp. PC and the recommended amount of Ginkgo for her weight at the time. On February 27, I started giving her 60 mg Ginkgo and she has been taking that for the last two months, along with the PC and the Oil.


So far she can roll from her back to her tummy (she started that about a month and a half ago) and from her tummy to her back  (started about 2 weeks ago) She is now 7 months old and she has started playing with her feet (because she wants to and not because I put them in her hands) She has been sleeping through the night for the last several months with no problem. (I heard that sleep can be hard for kids with DS)


She went to the Doctor recently and she weighs 19 lbs 5 oz. and she is 26.5 inches long (Big girl).  I really think she got a great head start on growth because she didn't have any heart problems to deal with. She can push up with her hands flat on the ground while on her tummy, and she loves to be on her tummy. She has started to reach for toys while on her tummy, and holding herself up with the other arm. When I feed her she gets distracted by anything that walks by, especially her brother.  I am just glad that she is interested in the world around her. In the last couple of weeks she has started making the funniest sounds with her lips. She will spit and do raspberries and I just love it! She likes to sing along with the music playing in the car and she is rarely content to just sit alone and play.  She smiles at everything!  She loves to hold her toys and now she has started mouthing them. 


Since she started solid food, she has struggled a bit.  However, in the last couple of weeks she has started opening her mouth when the food comes her way and she keeps her tongue in her mouth while she swallows her food. 

 

Jill -- Lily's mom