Then when and why

About a year ago when we were first started with the early developmental program in our state, we were assigned a SC (service coordinator). Our SC was a go getter, she made sure all ducks were in a row and that Connor got every service he needed. She got more hours if needed. She pulled in dietitians, psychologist, local playgroups, and instructed me on how to get services once he turned 3 and the program ended.

As you could imagine SC, in order to get all the above accomplished, was a tad overbearing. She has a teen aged son that had some form of developmental delay and had been in this field for a long time. The result being if you had been to the moon, she had been there twice. If you knew of a treatment, well she may have helped event it, and how nice that the information of said treatment had got around to the lay folk who were not as educated.

My husband loathed her with his very core. I didn't mind her, she had helped tremendously and she was no worse than hubby's first stepmother, AKA Mother-in-law from hell. Unfortunately this was the person to first bring up Wilbarder's brushing protocol.

For those who do not know about the brushing protocol the information about it and the creator can be found here.


When she introduced the idea to us I knew immediately she was not giving it a glowing endorsement as far as hubby was concerned. She describe it as being a very bothersome thing that had to be done every 2 hours and something that her son still liked. I could see the pictures popping up in his head of a grown boy rubbing himself raw all day, every day and having no interest in anything else.


That is in fact what he is afraid will happen. He believes the males in his family have addictive personalities and he may very well be right as one brother is an alcoholic, another addicted to pain medication, and he himself spends way too much time on computer games.

However I am told by the "experts" that the amount of brushing is decreased until it is no longer used at all and the gains are maintained. I am wrestling with either building up a good defense to go back and plead my case with hubby, or else waiting awhile before trying to introduce it again.


I don't care for the idea of chucking the treatment all together. I don't know that it would be paramount to Connor's development, but as I saw a positive effect and it can't cause him harm, I am inclined to believe it should be tried. To say the least I have conflicting thoughts. I wont do it and hide from hubby, I haven't hid anything from him in our 15+ years.


I guess the question I have to answer is; do you ask someone who has only asked not to try one thing, because of personal believes, to change their minds, when the results are not proven?