9 year old boy diagnosed with ASD

We started the ConfidentCalmKids programme in September 2017 and did it every week for 14 weeks. We noticed a difference from the first week. Week on week the difference was unbelievable. Our son eats, sleeps and behaves so much better. It has changed our lives. We would highly recommend the ConfidentCalmKids programme to any parents who has a child with ASD/ADHD. We have now started on level 2 of the ConfidentCalmKids programme.

Mum Kerrie, Mallow, Cork

6 year old boy diagnosed with ASD

My son Fawaz was diagnosed with ASD, with low communication, couldn’t construct a statement, no eye contact, he couldn’t express his feelings or ask for what he wants. We can tell what he likes or not, he would throw his words at us and we would have to arrange them like a jigsaw. He also struggles with frustration and stress, anything that moved around the house without telling him, would affect him. We would have to tell him things and give him time to process the words.

Ever since he started the ConfidentCalmKids programme, he has been joining his words more and making conversation, he gives me feedback from school, which he never did before the programme. He is playing more with his bother, while before he would play on his own. His lifestyle has improved and I am delighted about his progress.

I am super delighted with the outcome from level 1 of the ConfindentCalmKids programme, I can’t wait to start level 2 of the programme with him. I am so happy with the outcome, I am going to start Fawaz’s younger brother on the programme also.

Michael is very professional about handling and communicating with kids, friendly and mindful. I definitely recommend this programme to other parents.

Mum Tinuola, Glanmire, Cork

6 year old boy diagnosed with ASD

I would highly recommend the ConfidentCalmKids Autism intervention programme. My son James is 6 and we heard about the programme through a friend. From the 1st week we started to notice changes in James and his behaviour. As he progressed through the programme, he became more calm within himself. His speech became more fluent and his understanding and reasoning grew week by week. School and clubs, etc started to notice the positive changes in James, so we are delighted.

James has become more confident in social situations and meltdowns etc, have lessened. All in all, James is more relaxed and content in himself. The highlight of James weeks is heading down to Ladysbridge for his brain training as he calls it. We were so impressed with Michael and the programme, and the benefits James has achieved from level 1 of the programme, we are now on level 2 of the programme with Michael.

Mum Lisa, Cork

11 year old boy diagnosed with ASD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Auditory Processing Disorder and Anxiety

My son recently completed the ConfidentCalmKids programme level 1, with Michael. I was delighted with the results and I would definitely recommend the programme to other parents. Joey looked forward to his weekly sessions and was very comfortable and relaxed with Michael.

The main changes that I noticed:

• Leaving the house is a lot easier
• Joey can go to shops and knows what he wants to buy
• He is chatting alot more and having conversations
• Alot more understanding of situations and accepting of them
• My wall planners are gone, I still have to plan ahead and make sure he knows what is happening everyday, but he doesn’t need the planners anymore
• He is listening more in school and remembering what the teacher said
• Getting along better socially with his friends and making more of an effort
• Less time spent on Xbox
• I have play dates organised for everday over the mid term, this would not have been possible 12 months ago
• He is planning ahead organising go-karting with his friends in a few weeks, he would never have planned anything or asked for a trip out before
• Little bit more confident in himself
• He can see when other children are being mean to him, before I would have had to tell him
• Playing a bit more sport with school

Mum Rose, Cork

8 year old boy diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

My son Fionn is eight years of age. Fionn was diagnosed with Autism at age two. His symptoms of anxiety began around three and a half years which gradually got to a point where I had to remove him from school and home school him. Fionn at this point toe walked, self harmed – biting his knee and his wrist, had Pica and was all the time sick or constipated or both. When I started to home school him 80 percent of these stopped, what stayed with Fionn was his anxiety of babies and toddlers crying which was very hard to live with as children, toddlers and babies are every where. Fionn would hit other kids as a result of this anxiety of noise, he said it really hurt his ears.

I tried several therapies all which helped a little but his sensitivity to noise was at 90 per cent continually. Fionn started at age eight on the ConfidentCalmKids Autism Intervention Cork programme  and  he completed the level 1 of the program. The change in him is huge, it was the last piece of the puzzle for him. He is still challenged by everyday life with Autism but his sensitivity to noise is gone from 90 per cent I would say to 10 per cent. It has given Fionn a quality of life to enjoy other children and events in life, family and friends,  I could never take him too before. Reasoning with Fionn is there now, which was never there before, he would just lash out and run because the noise hurt him so much. As a result of his anxiety being lowered he can now enjoy foods he could never eat before because of  constipation. I am now happy and  Fionn is happy to go back into school confident that he can cope.

Mum Jan, Cork

7 year old boy diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Before my son started the ConfidentCalmKids program, his meltdowns were very bad if he didn’t get his own way, and would get angry. He also wouldn’t go to bed unless there was someone in the room with him. He would not go outdoors much to play also.

Since he started the program with Michael, it is only occasionally he has a meltdown, he is less argumentative or demanding, he is able to control his anger better. He accepts when you say no, it means no! He goes into bed himself and stays there all night. He also expresses his feelings better to us . And also goes playing outside more now . My son really enjoyed the sessions with Michael and I would recommend this program to any parent . Michael is very professional and friendly, and will help your child like he did mine, in any way he can .

Mum Gillian, Cork

11 year old boy diagnosed with High functioning Autism

Before commencing the ConfidentCalmKids Program my son found concentration on any task particularly difficult.  He also struggled with communicating his thoughts and feelings and physical feelings accurately to me. I noticed a gradual subtle improvement in all these areas. He accepts our restrictions on technology time which he would have resisted prior to this. He reads books more now and creates various movable intricate items from random lego which he would have previously restricted himself to the plans with the set.

His theory of mind has improved. He is eating very well consistently and sleeping soundly and for longer rather waking at the dawn following a sound nights sleep.  His physical pinching and hitting himself has reduced in occurrences also. He communicates his thoughts and feelings to us more often also. In conclusion, the program has shown to assist the existing structures we have in place between home and school and in my opinion is a complimentary therapy option to assist in reducing anxiety in my child diagnosed with  High functioning Autism.

Mum Marnie, Cork

7 year old boy Diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder

My 7 year old son has Sensory Processing disorder, for him this means he is easily overwhelmed by Noises, Smells and Touch. He also struggles with Proprioception, Vestibular and Interoception. Also as part of SPD he has Oral Sensory Defensiveness which means he only eats certain foods, usually foods that are white in colour. He gets really anxious around changes in routines and the unknown.

I became aware about the ConfidentCalmKids Program through my GP. I spoke to Michael on the phone, he emailed me information and I met with him in person before starting my son on the program. There was never any question unanswered, Michael was courteous, professional and friendly.

Through the three modalities within the program my son became more calm within himself, could transition between tasks easier, he even began to eat more food plus he tried new foods. He became more confident within himself and in social circumstances, asking children to play where he wouldn’t have done that in the past. He began to verbalise his thoughts and explain his feelings more, there were less meltdowns.

Michael is a real advocate for what he does, he believes in the holistic approach and this resonates in the way he treats his clients. When my son first started with the program he did a session of Brain training, then he incorporated Kinesiology and Primitive Reflexes. These were all simple non-evasive sessions, this was very important as my son gets overwhelmed by light touch, but he never once had a meltdown at a session or after.

Michael was amazing with my son from the first day that they met and as the sessions progressed, my son became more and more open, friendly and chatty with Michael. I know when I first heard that little sensors would have to go on my son’s head for the brain training, I was thinking oh I don’t know, my son doesn’t like anyone touching his head (hates getting his hair cut or washed), but I thought what have we to lose. After my first face to face meeting with Michael he gave me a few sensors to take home and show my son. I let my son touch them and that stood to him as he knew what was going to happen ahead of time, so it omitted some of the anxiety of a new situation and environment. Michael always explained to my son what he was going to do to him before he did anything which was really wonderful.

Michael is such a kind person and from day one he treated my son with the upmost respect. My son was happy to go every week and never once did he not want to go, that is testament to Michaels approach.

I would highly recommend the ConfidentCalmKids program to anyone who maybe wants to try an alternative type of therapy for children who are struggling with anxiety, sensory issues, have low concentration levels and poor social skills.

Mum Carol, Cork

14 year old boy diagnosed with Aspergers

Since beginning the ConfidentCalmKids program with Michael, my son has improved in areas that he previously had significant difficulties, such as communication, concentration and dealing with frustration and stress. He has always been very slow at copying things down off the board in school and has now made noticeable progress here. We have also noticed him having more confidence in himself. He has really enjoyed each session and comes away feeling very relaxed and happy.

Mum Noelle, Cork