Language & Communication When we first started, Divit had no functional speech. He was mostly non-verbal in a communicative sense, with a lot of play scripting but no meaningful expression. Around 15 to 20 days into the protocol, he began speaking in short sentences — 2 to 4 words — such as "I want tablet," "I want TV," "I want phone." These were things he was naturally motivated by, so those were his first functional phrases. Six months on, his communication has grown significantly. He is now having more functional conversations. He thinks before he speaks. He asks for water, asks for food, tells us he is hungry, tells us he wants to go outside. He has become far more expressive overall, and alongside this, his cognition, memory, and sleep have all noticeably improved. His sentences have also become longer and more contextual. He now says things like "I want to sit on the sofa," "I want to watch TV," and "I want to go in the car." He is connecting words meaningfully — for example, if we say "let's go out," he responds with "jacket," understanding that going out means he needs to put one on. That kind of associative thinking and contextual language use is a big step forward. Reading Another milestone that emerged during this protocol is that Divit has started to read. He can now recognise and read 3 to 4 letter words, and his overall word recognition and identification have improved considerably. School vs. Home At school, Divit is almost entirely non-verbal at this stage — he does not speak in the school environment yet. He does, however, communicate between school and home. At home, he is calm and expressive. This gap between his home and school communication is something we are actively working on. Die-offs & Reactions Over these six months, I do not recall any severe die-off episodes, which has been a relief. Diet We follow a GFCF diet. However, since we are based in India, avoiding rice entirely is not practical. My approach is to soak the rice for two hours before cooking, and I have not noticed any negative reactions from including it. I also give him homemade yogurt made with A2 milk. I am aware it may not be the ideal option, but as a full-time working mother, I have to be realistic about what I can manage. Importantly, I have not seen any regressions, die-offs, or negative reactions from the yogurt either. Progress has been consistent and steady. I am also giving some superfoods like broccoli sprouts, wild blueberry powder etc. Cognitive Gains One of the most encouraging developments is that Divit has started using manipulation as a social tool — if he wants something or does not like a situation, he will try to divert our attention or work around it to get what he wants. While it can be challenging, it is actually a significant cognitive milestone. It shows he is thinking strategically and understanding cause and effect in social interactions. We also continue to do occupational therapy activities at home regularly. Current Challenges That said, he is not yet fully conversational and his social skills are still developing. Managing him in public settings remains challenging at times — though he does not elope and is not hyperactive, he still relies on his phone in environments like restaurants to self-regulate. His sensory issues have reduced somewhat, but there is still a considerable way to go. The main challenges right now are sensory-related — particularly auditory seeking and proprioceptive input. He clearly communicates that he wants to climb and jump, which reflects his need for proprioceptive input.