As told to: Mr. Paulo P. Mamangun, Jr. Chairman/CEO of Viviendo Philippines, Inc.

Autism, F.A.S.T. Protocol, Virgin Coconut Oil

As told by Rosemarie Ponce Rosales, Bookkeeper – PCA, Mandaue City

Autism is a developmental disability that affects brain functions especially in areas of the brain that control social ability and communication skills. Boys are most likely to develop autism, and those afflicted with it are usually diagnosed before the age of 3.

My son Homer Ponce Rosales was diagnosed last March 13, 2002 with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. He was 3 yrs 11 mos and 23 days that time. My primary concern at that time was his speech delay. He was almost 4 yrs but I had never heard him call me “Mama” (the sweetest word a mother could hear from her child). His hyperactivity bothered me very much. He was so hyperactive that once he gets out of our house he would not come back because he never knew how to return home. We would get frantic searching for him under the scorching heat of the sun, or during heavy downpour and on instances even during nighttime.

He would enter our neighbors’ houses without their permission and destroy all their belongings – computers, aquarium, vases, TV, stereo and the like. He would lock himself up in our neighbors’ cabinets, refrigerators and bedrooms and for sometime, remain inside unnoticed. My neighbors would get their surprise on seeing my son inside their rooms. When he got to like something he saw, – he would bring it with him without their knowledge. We would open our door to the irritated rap of our neighbors who would either be looking for their lost things or would be informing us of the damage that Homer had done to their place. He had no fear of danger. He could hardly communicate. He never complained of hunger. He never played with other kids. He would, instead, always harm them by pelting them with stones or by striking them with hard objects.

We hardly ever brought him to public places because of his behavioral problems. He was so distractive in church service, in restaurants and department stores. “Oh my God! What kind of a child do I have?” I would. often ask myself. One can just imagine the pains and heartaches that my family went through with his autism. And in one instance, a vehicle almost hit him as he ran out of the house, crossing the street ignorant of the danger that he put himself into. And at that very moment, my heart stopped beating.

A well known Child Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician here in Cebu City recommended my son to a special educational program to address impairments in communication, socialization and adaptation. My son received different kinds of intervention through a home-based rehabilitation program, home-room program from various special schools in Cebu . Their approaches were more on behavioral therapy.

Then God guided me to PRIME Center Foundation, Mandaue City (just a walking distance from my office) PRIME means Pediatric Rehabilitation through Integrated intensive interactive programs for Multiple intelligence and Emotional

quotient). Mr. Roni Romeo Ocubillo, OTRP who introduced me to Gluten and Casein Free Diet, is the founder of this special school. His approach was supported by his study that certain foods seem to be affecting the developing brains of some children causing autistic behaviors. This is not because of allergens but because many of these children are unable to properly break down certain proteins. Researchers in England , Norway and the University of Florida have found peptides (breakdown products of proteins) with opiate activity in the urine of a considerable percentage of autistic children. Opiates induce drugged effect that result into abnormal brain function. The two main offenders seem to be gluten (the protein in wheat, oats, rye and barley) and casein (milk protein). In certain children, intake of these foods actually damages their developing brain resulting into autistic behavior.

He told me that autism seems to be an immune system dysfunction. It is also possible that a leaky-gut syndrome, caused by gluten intolerance, allows other foods to pass through the intestinal screen and into the bloodstream which transports them to the brain. This affects the normal brain function manifesting in autistic behavior. For children who respond to this diet, allergens seem to place further stress on the immune system, and have after been shown to worsen behavior and impede development.

Candida and other yeasts live in our bodies in small amounts. It was considered that in individuals with improperly functioning immune systems, Candida could flourish and damage the intestinal wall that may result into the leaky-gut syndrome. And this may lead to a host of problems, such as fatigue, sugar cravings, headaches, and behavioral abnormalities. So do Candida and/or other yeast cause autism? However, early antibiotic use may actually be the triggering factor for children predisposed to autism. It has been hypothesized that the Candida may be responsible for aggravating gut permeability (the leaky-gut syndrome), which might let the gluten and casein proteins into the bloodstream before they are broken down. Candida may in part be responsible for autistic behaviors. Many parents of children with ADD or ADHD as well as those with autism report that treatment for Candida does improve their children’s behavior and concentration.

The study became the basis for the administration of Nystatin – an anti fungal drug known to fight Candida, to all autistic children under the PRIME center. It was likewise administered to Homer. But Nystatin is very expensive – 12 ml cost P300.00. Supporting Homer’s special school is quite a burden to us. We were paying a hefty amount of P2,500.00/mo for tuition fee alone excluding other miscellaneous expenses. He had been with PRIME since November 12, 2002 and up to the present. And how about my other children? They also need financial support for their education, their needs and wants. Families of people with autism can experience high levels of stress because of the child’s challenging behavior and the financial demands.

Speaking of my other 2 kids, it was so hard for us to be strict with Homer’s diet. My two sons who were 10 yrs and 11 yrs that time were really affected. They were deprived of birthdays. We always celebrate their birthdays with cake and

ice cream. We limit ourselves eating outside like McDo and Jollibee. We avoid parties. These are all for Homer’s sake. My son’s favorite foods are spaghetti, oatmeal and champorado. These are all prohibited including milk. He got skinny and his weight went down to 13 kgs. At the age of 6 yrs. he was supposed to weigh almost 20 kgs. But one thing has improved – his behavior. His hyperactivity lessened and he has a little focus and can talk a little with sense. Example when ask, “What are you doing Homer?” He answered: “Safeguard, wash.”

With gluten and casein free diet therapy, for almost 10 months, I thought my son was on his way to improvement. From one-on-one sessions, he was transferred to a mainstream section. His behavior improved, he was manageable, and he started to learn to socialize with other kids. He could read and write a little and could talk a little. I was really very happy and satisfied with his progress. We did not care if we were deeply indebted for expenses on his therapy as our loans kept piling up, as long as we could see progress in my son‘s behavior.

And just as we saw progress in Homer’s situation, another blow struck us. Homer was diagnosed to have pneumonia. He was hospitalized for 15 days and was advised to rest. He was absent from his therapy sessions for a month. During his confinement at the hospital, I could still remember that the nurses and doctors had a hard time putting in his IV. He was very strong. We arrived at the hospital almost 11:00 pm but his IV was successfully attached to him almost 5:00 am the following day. When he felt the pain, instead of calling Mama, he shouted: “Help Barney! Mickey Mouse help! Superman, Batman!” My goodness… what a child I have. He would not eat. He asked for his spaghetti and wanted to drink beverage prohibited in his diet. I was so anxious with his health. I called PRIME and asked their permission to allow Homer to let him eat those foods for the sake of his health. He couldn’t also take his medicines orally because he didn’t like the taste. It was a struggle for me at the hospital taking care of him. He got his medicines mostly antibiotics through his IV.

When he went back to his school, all the staff including Mr. Roni Ocubillo, the Director of PRIME Center was so disappointed and frustrated with his behavior. He was back to zero. His autism was so prevalent again. He was very hyperactive again. Mr. Roni Ocubillo told me that it was due to the antibiotics that were administered to him while he was in the hospital. I was so depressed again with this development. It was a choice between his health and behavior. I don’t remember anymore how many times I cried that time. But still I didn’t lose hope. I prayed hard to God for His guidance. I have strong faith that God has His purpose for giving me this special child.

And yes! My prayers were answered when Virgin Coconut Oil was introduced to our office. I work for the Philippine Coconut Authority where VCO is being promoted as a cure-all.

I started taking VCO regularly. I felt a lot of improvement in health condition. I noticed that I was having lesser asthma attacks. I tried to administer it to my son. I struggled five (5) months before he took his first teaspoon and this was in June 1, 2004 . I gave him 10 ml then I increased it to 20 ml 3 times a day. At times I would give him 30 ml. After 2 months, I noticed a dramatic improvement especially as regards his speech. He started speaking (our dialect) – Cebuano. Usually, autistics can speak and understand only English. Pronouns are very hard for them. His characteristics of being an echolalia and ritualistic are gone.

Homer turned 7 yrs last March 20, 2005. He has gained weight, now at 22 kgs. He can read very well and write clearly. He can relate stories and can express his feelings and ideas and has plenty of friends in the neighborhood, in church and in school. He asks permission when going to our neighbors’ houses and he can now find his way back home.

The big, step was made when I attempted to enroll him at a regular school. I did not inform the school authorities that he was a special child with, probably, special needs and I was enrolling him in Kinder 2 level. They were confused saying that he was 7 years old and should be in Grade 1. Besides, they said, he can read very well and got high scores in the written exam that he was required to take to be admitted. When I told them later that he was an autistic child, they could hardly believe it.

Likewise, the principal was very impressed because he could read very well. He got a score of 61 out of 65 items in the written exam that he answered independently. But Prime Center wanted to have him in Kinder 2 level for his transition phase. They wanted to be sure. Up till PRIME decided otherwise, Homer attended his therapy sessions in the morning and regular class in the afternoon. This went on up to the First Periodical Exam in September 2005. And now he belongs to the mainstream regular pupils of San Lorenzo Ruiz School , Lapu-Lapu City . For three grading periods now, he has remained in the top 5 of his class. He has managed to maintain straight As in his report card on character building and has earned an average of 89.46% in his academic standing

He now enjoys the company of his brothers. We now enjoy going to the malls, parks and restaurants. I no longer have to hold on to him. When my hands are full when we go to market, either he just trails me from behind or holds on to my clothes. He is now a typical child, very different from what he was 3 years ago.

This improvement in Homer’s condition prompted me to share my knowledge about the Virgin Coconut Oil with Mr. Roni Ocubillo. At first, he was very skeptic about it. I gave him clippings from newspapers, magazines I collated about VCO. When DA Carlos B. Carpio went to our Regional Office here in Cebu , he shared the book of Dr. Bruce Fife entitled “The Healing Miracles of Virgin Coconut Oil”. That was when I realized that VCO killed the candida in my son’s digestive tract. My only purpose in getting him to take the oil is for his immune system to improve. I never realized that his autism would vanish and be cured with the help of Virgin Coconut Oil. What an amazing miracle! Mr. Roni Ocubillo made a research about the oil and as of this writing everyone in

Prime Center Foundation is drinking VCO regularly. It became a substitute for the Nystatin. Proper diet plus VCO makes one healthy, strong and resistant to a great number of diseases.

VCO and Gluten and Casein Free Diet are only some of the components of the F.A.S.T. protocol conceptualized by Mr. Roni Ocubillo and used by PRIME in the rehabilitation process. F.A.S.T. stands for Functional Area Specialization Treatment. F.A.S.T is a holistic approach combining treatment stimulations and applications. Part of its stimulation is the sensory integration treatment which helped address the children’s behavioral and sensory deficits. Other parts of this protocol stimulate other functional area.

And as he was undergoing that transition phase, we all had to sacrifice bringing him to the two schools and fetching him when classes were over. This was likewise financially draining for us. The transition phase from mainstream rehab into regular school began in June 2005 and ended in September of the same year. Homer said good-bye to PRIME topped by a letter to everyone and a gift of 140 mL of virgin coconut oil which I myself made.

Homer, now is very talkative, a far cry from when he was a three years old. His vocabulary, particularly in Cebuano has become very wide for a boy who underwent the ordeal of not being in control of oneself for several years. Homer has taken hold of himself so much so that he can bravely say: I am no longer autistic!

A miracle indeed has happened to my son. A wonderful gift from God. I woke up to the reality that God has His ways of testing our faith in Him and in His creatures. When all seemed to be just a hairline from hopelessness and despair came a gift from Him who made the Tree of Life. I shall forever be grateful for the emergence of virgin coconut oil, a product from this Tree of Life.

I would like to thank God for Dr. Bruce Fife’s and all his colleagues’ efforts in sharing this miracle oil to all the people in this world through his book, “The Healing Miracles of Virgin Coconut Oil”. I was so blessed that my family became one of its beneficiaries. I’m a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo ( Church of Christ ) and I’ve been sharing this miraculous oil with all the brethrens I can reach. And there are so many testimonies I have received since I introduced the oil to them.