Check out my blog about autism and leave me a comment. Also, I am getting back into making beaded jewelry to try and raise some money to publish an eBook about Biomedical Autism Interventions. Anyone who purchases jewelry from me will receive a free copy when it is complete. Thanks!
http://www.freewebs.com/twinsmominmn
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Biomedical Interventions for Autism
I was going to do entries on Chelation Therapy, and GFCF (Gluten-Free Casein-Free) Diet separately, but I think I will combine them instead since most of the information I have found combines both treatments. I personally feel very strongly against using any of these methods mainly because there are no studies or scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness in treating autism. The reason people use these methods is because they want to "cure" autism. First and foremost, there is no cure for autism. It is a lifelong disorder that affects the way the brain works. Acceptance and treatment are the solutions, not finding a cure.
Chelation Therapy is extremely controversial and dangerous. I think people are mislead by the information available about the therapy because the people providing the information are very deceiving and convincing. The advocates for Chelation believe that Thimerosal, which used to be a vaccine preservative until 2001, causes autism. Chelation is "the use of chelating agents to detoxify poisonous metal agents such as mercury, arsenic, and lead by converting them to a chemically inert form that can be excreted without further interaction with the body. Chelation is also used as an unscientific treatment for autism or other conditions. There are no peer-reviewed publications regarding the efficacy of chelation agents for the treatment of autism. In addition to being beneficial, some chelating agents can be dangerous. The U.S. CDC reports that use of Na2EDTA instead of CaEDTA has resulted in fatalities due to hypocalcemia."
I found a good article that explains why Chelation should NOT be used as a treatment for autism. It states that "Because of a temporal correlation between the first notable signs and symptoms of autism and the routine childhood vaccination schedule, many parents have become increasingly concerned regarding the possible etiologic role vaccines may play in the development of autism. In particular, some have suggested an association between the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine and autism. Our literature review found very few studies supporting this theory, with the overwhelming majority showing no causal association between the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine and autism. The vaccine preservative thimerosal has alternatively been hypothesized to have a possible causal role in autism. Again, no convincing evidence was found to support this claim, nor for the use of chelation therapy in autism. With decreasing uptake of immunizations in children and the inevitable occurrence of measles outbreaks, it is important that clinicians be aware of the literature concerning vaccinations and autism so that they may have informed discussions with parents and caregivers." I never even considered not vaccinating my girls.
One thing I found very interesting about Chelation is that there are very few books published about the therapy, but there are endless numbers of websites about it. I am considering writing a book about it. For now, though, I will move on to the topic of dietary interventions used as treatment for autism.
"The implementation of a GFCF diet involves removing all sources of gluten and casein from a person's diet. Gluten is found in all products containing wheat, rye, and barley and may sometimes contaminate oats grown nearby or processed on the same equipment as gluten-containing cereals. Casein is found in dairy products such as milk or cheese, but is also present in smaller amounts in many substitute dairy products such as vegetarian cheese substitutes, which use casein to provide texture. On a separate note, whey is a different milk protein from casein and can be included in this diet."
As far as the effectiveness of the diet, this statement was made: "Reports on the effectiveness of the GFCF diet come overwhelmingly from testimonials of individual parents or teachers. Reported results range from no discernible effect to claims of complete recovery following implementation of a gluten-free casein-free regimen. There have been insufficient adequately designed, large-scale controlled studies and clinical trials to state whether the GFCF diet is effective. A small single blind study has documented fewer autistic behaviors in children fed a gluten-free, casein-free diet, but noted no change in cognitive skills, linguistic ability or motor ability. This study has been criticized for its small size, single-blind design which may have skewed the results as effectiveness was determined in part by interviewing the parents, who knew whether their child was receiving the GFCF diet.sample. A 2006 double-blind short-term study found no significant differences in behavior between children on a gluten-free, casein-free diet and those on regular diets."
Chelation Therapy is extremely controversial and dangerous. I think people are mislead by the information available about the therapy because the people providing the information are very deceiving and convincing. The advocates for Chelation believe that Thimerosal, which used to be a vaccine preservative until 2001, causes autism. Chelation is "the use of chelating agents to detoxify poisonous metal agents such as mercury, arsenic, and lead by converting them to a chemically inert form that can be excreted without further interaction with the body. Chelation is also used as an unscientific treatment for autism or other conditions. There are no peer-reviewed publications regarding the efficacy of chelation agents for the treatment of autism. In addition to being beneficial, some chelating agents can be dangerous. The U.S. CDC reports that use of Na2EDTA instead of CaEDTA has resulted in fatalities due to hypocalcemia."
I found a good article that explains why Chelation should NOT be used as a treatment for autism. It states that "Because of a temporal correlation between the first notable signs and symptoms of autism and the routine childhood vaccination schedule, many parents have become increasingly concerned regarding the possible etiologic role vaccines may play in the development of autism. In particular, some have suggested an association between the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine and autism. Our literature review found very few studies supporting this theory, with the overwhelming majority showing no causal association between the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine and autism. The vaccine preservative thimerosal has alternatively been hypothesized to have a possible causal role in autism. Again, no convincing evidence was found to support this claim, nor for the use of chelation therapy in autism. With decreasing uptake of immunizations in children and the inevitable occurrence of measles outbreaks, it is important that clinicians be aware of the literature concerning vaccinations and autism so that they may have informed discussions with parents and caregivers." I never even considered not vaccinating my girls.
One thing I found very interesting about Chelation is that there are very few books published about the therapy, but there are endless numbers of websites about it. I am considering writing a book about it. For now, though, I will move on to the topic of dietary interventions used as treatment for autism.
"The implementation of a GFCF diet involves removing all sources of gluten and casein from a person's diet. Gluten is found in all products containing wheat, rye, and barley and may sometimes contaminate oats grown nearby or processed on the same equipment as gluten-containing cereals. Casein is found in dairy products such as milk or cheese, but is also present in smaller amounts in many substitute dairy products such as vegetarian cheese substitutes, which use casein to provide texture. On a separate note, whey is a different milk protein from casein and can be included in this diet."
As far as the effectiveness of the diet, this statement was made: "Reports on the effectiveness of the GFCF diet come overwhelmingly from testimonials of individual parents or teachers. Reported results range from no discernible effect to claims of complete recovery following implementation of a gluten-free casein-free regimen. There have been insufficient adequately designed, large-scale controlled studies and clinical trials to state whether the GFCF diet is effective. A small single blind study has documented fewer autistic behaviors in children fed a gluten-free, casein-free diet, but noted no change in cognitive skills, linguistic ability or motor ability. This study has been criticized for its small size, single-blind design which may have skewed the results as effectiveness was determined in part by interviewing the parents, who knew whether their child was receiving the GFCF diet.sample. A 2006 double-blind short-term study found no significant differences in behavior between children on a gluten-free, casein-free diet and those on regular diets."
As far as the safety of the diet, this statement was made: "it appears that a casein-free diet may contribute to calcium and vitamin D deficiencies that lead to decreased bone development and increased risk of broken bones."
Not something I want to try on my kids!
Well, I haven't gotten any feedback from this blog yet except for a couple votes in my poll so I am going to post mainly on my other blog at http://autism-blog.com/blog/twinsmominmn
Thanks!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Vitamins and Minerals
The problems and issues addressed by vitamin and mineral supplements include malabsorption (intestinal disorders and chronic gastrointestinal inflammation may reduce the absorption of essential nutrients and cause disruptions in immune and general metabolic functions that are dependent upon these essential vitamins) problems and nutritional deficiencies;low levels of vitamins A, B1, B3, and B5, as well as biotin, selenium, zinc, and magnesium;an elevated serum copper to plasma zinc ratio (benefit arise by avoiding copper and taking extra zinc to boost the immune system); and low calcium.
Vitamin B has been used with magnesium to decrease behavioral problems, improve eye contact, increase attention span, and help improve learning.Cod liver oil supplements (rich in vitamins A and D) have resulted in improved eye contact and behavior of children with autism.Vitamin C helps in brain function and deficiency symptoms like depression and confusion. Increasing vitamin C has been shown in a clinical trial to improve symptom severity in children with ASD.
That is about it for info on vitamin and mineral treatments for now, but I may do more research on this topic and either add to this post or make a separate one with more detailed research results.
Coming up in my next post: Dietary Interventions
Vitamin B has been used with magnesium to decrease behavioral problems, improve eye contact, increase attention span, and help improve learning.Cod liver oil supplements (rich in vitamins A and D) have resulted in improved eye contact and behavior of children with autism.Vitamin C helps in brain function and deficiency symptoms like depression and confusion. Increasing vitamin C has been shown in a clinical trial to improve symptom severity in children with ASD.
That is about it for info on vitamin and mineral treatments for now, but I may do more research on this topic and either add to this post or make a separate one with more detailed research results.
Coming up in my next post: Dietary Interventions
Sunday, June 29, 2008
First Treatment Method: Medications
I would like to start by stating that I personally am against using medication to treat autism unless the person is so severe that he/she cannot function without it (unable to care for self by eating, bathing, etc.).
The Autism Society of America lists several drugs that have been used to treat autism. The behaviors being addressed by medication includehyperactivity, impulsivity, attention difficulties, and anxiety.
The drugsclomipramine (Anafranil), fluvoxamine (Luvox) and fluoxetine (Prozac) have all been used to treatdepression, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and anxiety. These behaviors are sometimes present in people with autism. It is believed these drugs can potentially reverse some of the symptoms of serotonin dysregulation in autism.
Some other drugs that have not been studied as much as the last three are believed to possibly play a role in treating behavioral symptoms and includeElavil, Wellbutrin, Valium, Ativan and Xanax.
Anti-psychotic medications originally designed to treat schizophreniahave been found to decrease hyperactivity, stereotypical behaviors, withdrawal, and aggression in individuals with autism. The main four that have been approved by the FDAare Clozapine (Clozaril), Risperidone (Risperdal), Olanzapine (Zyprexa) and Quetiapine (Seroquel). Risperidone has been approved specifically to treat Autism.
A few other drugs have been shown to increase focus and decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity in autism, especially in children who are not as severe as others. They includeRitalin, Adderall and Dexedrine.
In closing,"Increased use of medications to treat autism spectrum disorders has highlighted the need for more studies of these drugs in children. The National Institute of Mental Health has established a network of Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPPs) that combines expertise in psychopharmacology and psychiatry."
Coming up in my next blog: Vitamin and Mineral treatments
The Autism Society of America lists several drugs that have been used to treat autism. The behaviors being addressed by medication includehyperactivity, impulsivity, attention difficulties, and anxiety.
The drugsclomipramine (Anafranil), fluvoxamine (Luvox) and fluoxetine (Prozac) have all been used to treatdepression, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and anxiety. These behaviors are sometimes present in people with autism. It is believed these drugs can potentially reverse some of the symptoms of serotonin dysregulation in autism.
Some other drugs that have not been studied as much as the last three are believed to possibly play a role in treating behavioral symptoms and includeElavil, Wellbutrin, Valium, Ativan and Xanax.
Anti-psychotic medications originally designed to treat schizophreniahave been found to decrease hyperactivity, stereotypical behaviors, withdrawal, and aggression in individuals with autism. The main four that have been approved by the FDAare Clozapine (Clozaril), Risperidone (Risperdal), Olanzapine (Zyprexa) and Quetiapine (Seroquel). Risperidone has been approved specifically to treat Autism.
A few other drugs have been shown to increase focus and decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity in autism, especially in children who are not as severe as others. They includeRitalin, Adderall and Dexedrine.
In closing,"Increased use of medications to treat autism spectrum disorders has highlighted the need for more studies of these drugs in children. The National Institute of Mental Health has established a network of Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPPs) that combines expertise in psychopharmacology and psychiatry."
Coming up in my next blog: Vitamin and Mineral treatments
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Characteristics and Statistics of Autism
So, alot of people think that autism is a bad thing to be diagnosed with and that somehow the people affected by it need to be cured. Autism is not deadly. The Autism Society of America states that "Autism is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes". There is no "cure" for autism. People diagnosed with autism do not need to be cured; they need to be treated and helped. They do not need medication to lead a "normal" life (unless they cannot function without it, but that usually means there are other disorders or problems as well). The current statistics state that 1 in 150 children is autistic, or almost 1 in 94 boys. The main characteristics are:
I would also like to point out that autism is not a physical disorder. It is "a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others". It isn't like cerebral palsy or down syndrome, where there are physical symptoms. My daughter looks like all the other children at school or the playground. Nobody ever asks me if she is autistic, but I tell people everywhere we go to make them more aware of this fact.
I will begin to address treatment options in my next blog and discuss which ones I have chosen to try and my opinions and thoughts on the options I have chosen not to try.
- Lack of or delay in spoken language
- Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
- Little or no eye contact
- Lack of interest in peer relationships
- Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
- Persistent fixation on parts of objects
- Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
- Difficulty in expressing needs, using gestures or pointing instead of words
- Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
- Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason; showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
- Preference to being alone; aloof manner
- Tantrums
- Difficulty in mixing with others
- Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled
- Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
- Sustained odd play
- Spinning objects
- Obsessive attachment to objects
- Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain
- No real fears of danger
- Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
- Uneven gross/fine motor skills
- Non-responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing tests in normal range
I would also like to point out that autism is not a physical disorder. It is "a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others". It isn't like cerebral palsy or down syndrome, where there are physical symptoms. My daughter looks like all the other children at school or the playground. Nobody ever asks me if she is autistic, but I tell people everywhere we go to make them more aware of this fact.
I will begin to address treatment options in my next blog and discuss which ones I have chosen to try and my opinions and thoughts on the options I have chosen not to try.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Beginning Post
I have been wanting to provide people with information about autism spectrum disorder for a long time now, and I finally decided to try this method. My wonderful, beautiful daughter was diagnosed a month before she turned 2. She does not fit the typical stereotypes of autism and what people think autistic people are supposed to look or act like. I have heard and read about several different theories on the causes of autism, as well as what treatments are available. The aim of my blog is going to be to try and provide correct and relevant information about the information I have read about and received feedback about.
The Autism Society of America has a very nice statement on their website about what it is like to live with autism: "Though there is no single known cause or cure, autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention can lead to significantly improved outcomes. With the right services and supports, people with autism can live full, healthy and meaningful lives."
I was fortunate enough to have had the diagnosis for my daughter very early. She started attending the Early Childhood Special Ed program through our school district when she was 27 months old. She began receiving SSI (Social Security Supplemental Security Income) payments at the same time. She began receiving private Occupational and Speech Therapy twice a week when she was 3. She stopped receiving Occupational Therapy after 14 months. Alot of autistic children have sensory issues with sound, touch, sight, etc. My daughter's main sensory issues are sound (things get too loud) and being cold (she wants to wear pants and long sleeves so she doesn't get cold). She may not ever need to receive Occupational Therapy again, but she may later in life.
The main autistic characteristics my daughter displays are social and speech impairments, which I will go into detail about later. For now, feel free to leave me a comment and ask a question or just leave feedback. Thanks!
The Autism Society of America has a very nice statement on their website about what it is like to live with autism: "Though there is no single known cause or cure, autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention can lead to significantly improved outcomes. With the right services and supports, people with autism can live full, healthy and meaningful lives."
I was fortunate enough to have had the diagnosis for my daughter very early. She started attending the Early Childhood Special Ed program through our school district when she was 27 months old. She began receiving SSI (Social Security Supplemental Security Income) payments at the same time. She began receiving private Occupational and Speech Therapy twice a week when she was 3. She stopped receiving Occupational Therapy after 14 months. Alot of autistic children have sensory issues with sound, touch, sight, etc. My daughter's main sensory issues are sound (things get too loud) and being cold (she wants to wear pants and long sleeves so she doesn't get cold). She may not ever need to receive Occupational Therapy again, but she may later in life.
The main autistic characteristics my daughter displays are social and speech impairments, which I will go into detail about later. For now, feel free to leave me a comment and ask a question or just leave feedback. Thanks!
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