Autism, ADD and ADHD are extremely sensitive topics today. However, no one can answer why it is all of a sudden so prevalent, or how to treat it. Sage Medical Laboratory may not have all the answers but at least we can give you some solutions.
A GLUTEN-FREE, CASEIN-FREE DIET IS NOT ENOUGH !!!!
If you suspect your child may have one of these problems, don't wait and hope your doctor will fix the problem. Test your child immediately for delayed food allergies, specifically the immune complex, the pathway that may cause the brain damage. The earlier the "harmful" food can be identified the better the results, and the more opportunity the child will have to develop normally.
Sage Medical Laboratory will identify all of the IgG and immnune complex reactions and help you develop the proper diet for your child.
After seeing Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr Daniel Dantini, a renowned researcher on delayed food allergies, decided to elaborate on his own theories. "Participating in research has kept me on the leading edge." Arthritis, University of Miami Grant, Food Additives and Hyperactivity, University of Pittsburgh, National Institute of Mental Health. Grant, Food Allergy, National Institute of Mental Health Dr Daniel C. Dantini
Jenny McCarthy on The View (9-25-07)
Jenny McCarthy talks about her son's autism.
Intestinal Pathology in Autism - Dr. Wakefield
This is the video that Dr Dantini referred to in his video about Autism. Description: Intestinal Pathology in Autism: State of the Science Andrew Wakefield, MD
This was Little Phil when he was around 3 1/2 years old. In his world of simple life is what it may seem to appear. On times he would be mellow and other times he would just go crazy as if he could not keep up with his own brain. He has told me many times, Mom my mind is going crazy. I was in denial when he was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, when His Grandmother had came to visit and noticed he had a problem of some sort. (she is a nurse and his grandfather is a surgeon) At first I took it as an insult and rebelled until i noticed I as a Mother became very exhausted with trying to keep up with him.
Phil had an infatuaion of Nature, he loved everything about it. No part of Nature scared him no matter how scary or big nature seemed to him. It is part of him.. Here is a beautiful Picture he took, it to this day amazes me.
Look close~ It was not only the beautiful colors of the flowers it was the butterfly that had caught his attention. So gentle and so very beautiful to him. The flying the butterfly did captured his wondering of where they come from and how they come from a caddipllar to such beauty. He could tell you exactly how with out any mistakes.
When i finally realised he was special, I started to study and take him in to the behavioral phsycologists. They sat me down to watch him and pointed things out that i never really noticed as patterns. i always thought he was just being a special boy, my Angel. Started with the colorful train, he was playing with. As soon as he turned his back the doctore rearranged one train so the colors would be different. He noticed it and did not like it one bit. Then I began to recognise how he wanted everything in twos.
example.. He loved sandwhiches.. but they had to be two meening cut in half, one in each hand.
As early as 9 months he would not allow you to mix his babyfood, or finger foods. Peas and carrots seperate or he would not eat them.
To this day at age 7 he remains the same. When we sit and eat he nust have a fork, and a spoon. He must sit in the same spot. He makes some exceptions when he is invited to sit on my lap after we are done eating but still talk amongst the family. The conversations he has with us blows my mind. He can tell me things I never knew and how he knows i have no idea. He can tell you how hot the sun is, how far away the moon is, how fast time travels, he can tell you what new planets have been discovered.
He will tell you about all the sharks in the sea and how many teeth they have and how long they have been on this earht. Dianasours, how many and what kind that use to walk the earth. i can go on and on about him.
I sat down with himthe other night at the dinner table with His dad sister and other brother and started asking him what 50 50 was all the way to 1000 1000 is and the answers came before I finished asking.
There is so much I can tell about little Phil and will try to keep updates on him. He is doing his first 1 Mile race on the forth of july and is very excited about it. So please encourage him, and thank you so much for all the support..
Phil age 3 1/2 with dad and brother willis
HIS NANA!! HE LOVES SO MUCH 3 YRS
Phil and his sister Christina age 5
PHIL AGE 7
Phil has grown to be his own person.. Trying to develop as much knowledge there is to know about science, world geography, math, Nature and so many other challenges I have never even thought of knowing! He continues to amaze me, his Father, Teachers and others.....
HIS FIRST 1 MILE RACE! WON 3RD PLACE.. Whispered in my ear, Mom Dad made me stop.. He was worried i could not breathe.. What a champ!
RAN INTO THE ARMS THAT IS HIS SECURITY BLANKET!
OCTOBER, 28TH 2007
Phil is 9 now, and still continues to show me what life is all about! He always has Willis by his side in everything he does.
PHIL AND WILLIS 10-28-07
Please do feel free to ask questions about him, or share your story..
THROUGH THE EYES OF MY AUTISTIC CHILD
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Category: Life
~THROUGH YOUR EYES MY AUTISTIC CHILD~
When I carried you I did not know Just how special you would be
Through your eyes, my Autistic child,,
You will always have that special part of me
The tears flowed when I first held you in my arms
That first glimpse that you took of me ,Changed my life for eternity~
You needed every second of me
As you grew older~ My heart grew Fonder… And my soul became wiser..
I cried when you made that first step
I thought you would soon Be walking away from me~
~Through your eyes my autistic child~
You taught me how to live~
You gave me so much strength
To accept things and life the way it is…
They told me you would be hard..
There fools, You bring meaning to me
Our hearts and hands will always remain…
If only they new, at that very second
The moment I gave life to you
If only they knew, Just how special you truly are…
You will forever be My main Little Man ~
You and I my Son, Have an understanding
I will forever fight the fight
I will forever focus on you as my main goal in life
I LOVE YOU
Mom
Written by Amy Anderson
Note to my readers…. When My son was born October 28 1998 I never knew he would be diagnosed with Autism… But who does…. He is a truly an amazing boy and wouldn't change a thing about him…. There have been many that have rejected, judged, turned thier noses up to him. Judging him, without asking questions. There have been those that have called him retarded, or titled him, if only they knew.. Just how intellagent Phil is. He ranks the smartest in his school. There are things you and i do not know that he knows. I Dedicate this one to My son, Philip L Anderson and the others out there who have autistic others in thier life…… I will never stop raising Awareness for him and other children along with teens and adults for ant cause that needs to be out there.
Autism screening urged by age 2 Oct. 29: Experts are urging all children to be screened for autism twice by age 2. MSNBC's Contessa Brewer reports.
MSNBC
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CHICAGO - The country's leading pediatricians group is making its strongest push yet to have all children screened for autism twice by age 2, warning of symptoms such as babies who don't babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don't point to toys.
The advice is meant to help both parents and doctors spot autism sooner. There is no cure for the disorder, but experts say that early therapy can lessen its severity.
Symptoms to watch for and the call for early screening come in two new reports. They are being released by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday at its annual meeting in San Francisco and will appear in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics and on the group's Web site.
The reports list numerous warning signs, such as a 4-month-old not smiling at the sound of Mom or Dad's voice, or the loss of language or social skills at any age.
Increasing worries Experts say one in 150 U.S. children have the troubling developmental disorder.
"Parents come into your office now saying 'I'm worried about autism.' Ten years ago, they didn't know what it was," said Dr. Chris Johnson of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She co-authored the reports.
The academy's renewed effort reflects growing awareness since its first autism guidelines in 2001. A 2006 policy statement urged autism screening for all children at their regular doctor visits at age 18 months and 24 months.
The authors caution that not all children who display a few of these symptoms are autistic and they said parents shouldn't overreact to quirky behavior.
Just because a child likes to line up toy cars or has temper tantrums "doesn't mean you need to have concern, if they're also interacting socially and also pretending with toys and communicating well," said co-author Dr. Scott Myers, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician in Danville, Pa.
"With awareness comes concern when there doesn't always need to be," he said. "These resources will help educate the reader as to which things you really need to be concerned about."
Another educational tool, a Web site that debuted in mid-October, offers dozens of video clips of autistic kids contrasted with unaffected children's behavior. That Web site is sponsored by two nonprofit advocacy groups: Autism Speaks and First Signs. They hope the site will promote early diagnosis and treatment to help children with autism lead more normal lives.
The two new reports say children with suspected autism should start treatment even before a formal diagnosis. They also warn parents about the special diets and alternative treatments endorsed by celebrities, saying there's no proof those work.
Therapy techniques Recommended treatment should include at least 25 hours a week of intensive behavior-based therapy, including educational activities and speech therapy, according to the reports. They list several specific approaches that have been shown to help.
For very young children, therapy typically involves fun activities, such as bouncing balls back and forth or sharing toys to develop social skills; there is repeated praise for eye contact and other behavior autistic children often avoid.
Mary Grace Mauney, an 18-year-old high school senior from Lilburn, Ga., has a mild form of autism that wasn't diagnosed until she was 9.
As a young girl, she didn't smile, spoke in a very formal manner and began to repeat the last word or syllable of her sentences. She was prone to intense tantrums, but only outside school. There, she excelled and was in gifted classes.
"I took her to a therapist and they said she was just very sensitive and very intense and very creative," said her mother, Maureen, 54.
Pediatricians should send such children for "early intervention as soon as you even think there's a problem," Johnson said.
Dr. Ruby Roy, a pediatrician with Loyola University Medical Center, who treats at least 20 autistic children, applauded the reports.
"This is a disorder that is often missed, especially when it's mild, and the mild kids are the ones ... who can be helped the most," Roy said.
Dr. Dirk Steinert, who treats children and adults at Columbia St. Mary's clinic in suburban Milwaukee, said the push for early autism screening is important — but that it's tough to squeeze it into a child's regular wellness checkup.
Some pediatricians have tried scheduling a visit just to check for developmental problems, when children are 2½. The problem is that insurance doesn't always cover these extra visits, Steinert said.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees - this is why early diagnosis is so crucial. By learning the signs, a child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention programs.
Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development."
The five disorders under PDD are:
Autistic Disorder
Asperger's Disorder
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
Rett's Disorder
PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
Each of these disorders has specific diagnostic criteria which been outlined in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).
Prevalence of Autism
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 150 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2007). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise.
Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. At this rate, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.
Autism knows no racial, ethnic, social boundaries, family income, lifestyle, or educational levels and can affect any family, and any child.
And although the overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.
Autism Source is the Autism Society of America's on-line referral database of autism related services and supports. Autism Source is free, searchable by location or service type, and provides resource listings throughout the United States. Listings include: many types of service providers, ASA Chapters, support groups, medical professionals, educational facilities, legal services, government agencies, research centers, and more.
Click here to go the Autism Source search page to find autism resources.
Autism Source was created in 2004 and is now the most comprehensive database of its kind. At ASA, we feel obligated to offer only credible and reliable resources to our constituents, therefore we have employed our nationwide network of chapters and collaborated with many other autism organizations and professionals throughout the US to share resources. It is because of these collaborative relationships that Autism Source is kept current with comprehensive resource listings that continue to grow.
ASA thanks the collaborators who've made Autism Source possible:
CREATIVE CORNER
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Category: Blogging
CREATIVE CORNER
What Is Autism?
By Dilon Stutesman, age 6
You can't shut the autism off, I've tried. It just goes really, really fast! It attacks me first.
It's when your brain is different from other people. It's about people who are kinda different from you and think about things different. I try to find out how to control the autism, but I can't find that part out yet. People give me a headache because they do things I don't know, and most of the times they are loud, and I learn things different, and I need to be alone.
Things people find funny scare me. I get scared a lot. Most of the times I kind of want to do fun stuff, but I have to keep it a secret in my mind and I can't do anything about it because I kind of have to do stuff I don't want to do. But my mind says to do it. But most of the time, I can't control my mind, and people have to help me control it. They have to help me do good stuff instead of the bad stuff.
Autism can be actually good instead of bad. You have to do what the autism says to do in my mind.
Brother of Gold
By Ross Treuhaft, age 17
Wow, it can't be A baby brother for me Friend, companion guaranteed We'll spend nights hiding out Share secrets about Everything brothers do and nothing without We'll play catch with a ball Climb a tree and then fall We'll take on the world, like it's nothing at all Everything will be right I can't help but excite The notion that fun will take off like a flight
And then the day came When I heard it proclaimed That your life would be different than previously aimed There will be no games, or funny names You will be unlike any brother, you... will...almost...be...lame But life must go by I am sure I will try For I know my brother won't...want me to cry
We still can play ball, or climb up a tree Or stay up all night watching TV But forever I hold A place in my heart For the brother of gold A true piece of art
I Live with Autism
By Rick and Rhonda Brown for Scott Brown, age 16
When I was born into this world I was a happy, healthy child
I ate and played just like a normal child My parents took very good care of me
By the time I reached 18 months old My life started changing
I was having a hard time being normal I wasn't able to understand the outside world anymore
I was unable to talk to express my feelings I was unable to socialize and get along with others
I cannot read But I am able to draw and write
My parents took me to places where I could get help They did everything they could for me
It was very hard on all of us I just changed in front of their eyes
My parents never gave up on me They were always there protecting me from the outside world
My parents accepted me even though I wasn't normal The outside world didn't understand me
One day my mommy took me to a doctor He told her that I would never get better
My mommy had another nervous breakdown But she never gave up on me
By the time I reached school age My parents sent me to school
When my mommy picked me up from the first day of school She was told that I wasn't like the other kids
The teacher was very negative about me She didn't even want me in her classroom
The principal told my parents that I was retarded Just by looking at me
My parents were deeply hurt But my parents didn't listen to the negative responses
My parents ended up taking me out of her classroom for the school year It was very hard on all of us
My parents didn't give up They took me to a professional
I was only five years old at the time My mommy and daddy got the news
I have AUTISM and ADHD It has been a real rough road for all of us
A few years later My parents needed help with me
They tried foster care But one day they got the news
Children's Services showed up at my parents' door And told them what happened to me
I was still in the foster home Before they told my parents
Another child that was placed In the foster home
Had touched me And I was not protected
My parents were very upset And demanded me back home for good
I only feel protected when I am with my parents The outside world doesn't understand me
My parents never gave up on me I will always love them for that
I am sixteen years old now I am able to talk
I may not be like a normal human being But I am human
I will always need my parents My parents accept me for having AUTISM
We have proven the outside world that things do get better and not worse Never give up on a human being
The Gift
By Taryn Saturn, age 18
My parents gave me a gift, That did not satisfy me. It came with no receipt So I could not return it.
I thought as time passed, I'd grow to want it. But as time passed, The desire drifted.
I don't know how to play with it. It can't speak, It can't play.
I'm not the only one Who received a gift like mine. But mine's the only one That doesn't properly work. Everyone got theirs the same way I did, And waited anxiously for 9 months to receive it.
But I'm the only one, who asks God, "Why did mine malfunction?"
I haven't developed the loving relationship, That everyone else seems to have.
I feel as though I've been teased by this gift, Because I cannot relate to it The other people can relate to theirs. "Why is mine broken?" I cry to my parents. "Why is mine so different?" I could not understand.
After 14 years my gift was sent away, Sent to a place to get fixed, to work better. My parents gave me a gift. I was given a little sister, A little sister who is mentally handicapped.
The Asperger Train
By Kristin Piaquadio
My son built a train track not so long ago It wraps around his entire room It's painted red and shines with gold I helped him surround the tracks With a landscape of green Most of the time when the train is running It stays hidden in the tunnels he added Every few moments it comes out Then returns back into the tunnel More than once the train has broke down Sometimes inside the tunnel He won't let me remove the tunnel to fix it I must slide my fingers through the entrance And with my little flashlight and short fingers, I get it going again He will never part from this train and its tracks It has become part of him Something I reluctantly accept
Panel: Judy Van de Water, Ph.D., S. Jill James, Ph.D.
Affiliation: UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute
Date: November 2, 2006
Length: 26:50
Synopsis: A short panel discussion where each of the panel members offer their thoughts on what exactly clinicians, scientists, and researchers should be investigating when it comes to environmental toxicology in children.
Clinical Clues to Environmental Triggers: Lessons from the PANDAS Subgroup
Presenter: Susan Swedo, M.D.
Affiliation: UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute
Date: November 2, 2006
Length: 49:41
Synopsis: Dr. Swedo discusses the PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections) subgroup on the spectrum to discuss possible environmental triggers to autism.
Implications of a Redox Imbalance and Oxidative Stress in Autism
Presenter: S. Jill James, Ph.D.
Affiliation: UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute
Date: November 2, 2006
Length: 47:21
Synopsis: An overview of some biochemical research reviewing three interdependent pathways of folate, methionine, and glutathione metabolism that was found to be abnormal in many children on the autistic spectrum.
The "Three Strikes" Hypothesis: How Genes, Environment and Bad Timing May Converge to Disrupt Neural Development and Function
Presenter: Mady Hornig, M.D., M.A.
Affiliation: Columbia University
Date: November 2, 2006
Length: 54:56
Synopsis: Dr. Hornig discusses a hypothesis that certain genetic factors create a susceptibility to other environmental and temporal factors that could possibly lead to abnormalities in neural development.
Could the Brain Be Downstream? A Whole-Body Systems Approach to Autism
Presenter: Martha Herbert, M.D., Ph.D.
Affiliation: Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital
Date: November 2, 2006
Length: 48:30
Synopsis: A presentation that discusses how autism may less be a disorder that affects the brain, but one that affects the body that affects the brain and how researchers may want to take a step back and consider the whole body when researching what might be causing autism.
Breaking Self Perpetuating Cycles of Disruption in Autism: Assessing and Addressing Toxic Load Issues
Presenter: John Green, M.D.
Affiliation: Clinician
Date: November 2, 2006
Length: 53:06
Synopsis: Dr. Green provides an in-depth look at the many toxins found in the environment and how a build-up of these in a body could be a primary factor in the pathogenesis of autism in children.
Priming for Prevention: The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative
Presenter: Elise Miller, M.Ed.
Affiliation: Institute for Children's Environmental Health
Date: November 3, 2006
Length: 18:48
Synopsis: An overview of environmental toxicants and how the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative is advocating for the prevention of these toxicants.
Synopsis: Dr. Bob Hendren welcoming everyone to the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute for the "Clinical Implications of Environmental Toxicology for Children's Neurodevelopment in Autism" conference.
..According to the Department of Education, trailers in the back of P.S. 151 house &147;a school within a school&148; for autistic children. " hspace=0 src="http://images.zwire.com/local/Z/Zwire2731/zwire/images/29682_M351.jpg" width=225 vspace=2 border=1>
According to the Department of Education, trailers in the back of P.S. 151 house "a school within a school" for autistic children.
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Every school day, short yellow buses pull up to the curb in front of Woodside's P.S. 151, at 31st Avenue and 50th Street. The passengers emerge and pair off with waiting aides. The children are then grouped for a walk through the school to their classrooms out back. For these 56 autistic children, their "schoolhouse" is a cluster of trailers parked in the shadow of P.S. 151.
To some, the group of trailers is an eyesore and a disgrace. "It looks like a concentration camp," said Jeannie Tsavaris-Basini, the president of District 30's Community Education Council. But more than that, she believes the children deserve better. The trailers are too small for some necessary therapies and the autistic students don't have full access to P.S.151's auditorium, gym, library and cafeteria. According to the national Centers for Disease Control, one child in 150 nationwide is autistic, compared with one in 10,000 10 years ago. Parents say the autistic population in Queens' schools is outpacing overall enrollment, and they are lobbying for a school dedicated solely to autistic students. Currently, the children of P.S. 255 are spread out among and share facilities with eight general education schools in an arrangement the city's Department of Education calls a "school within a school." Woodside's School for Autism, as P.S. 255 also is called, is the only one of those schools within a school holding classes in trailers. The DOE recently doubled the number of trailers at the Woodside site at the request of parents, after the addition of one student per class took the average class size to 16. Chris Schwabenbauer, PTA co-president at the Queens School for Autism at P.S. 151, said one more student isn't a burden in a regular classroom, but the autistic classroom is a different story. The more crowded the class, the harder it is to provide physical, speech and occupational therapies, or to evacuate students in an emergency. The trailers are used for gym glass. And while students have breakfast at P.S. 151's cafeteria, they use their own trailers for lunch. The new trailers took the local school district by surprise. Tsavaris-Basini fielded calls from area residents for several weeks when the additional trailers started appearing. "They said the old trailers were only going to be there for two years," she said. "That was eight years ago. Now there are more, and they didn't even tell us about it." The metal trailers sit on what once was a playground, behind a tall hurricane fence. Inside, however, are well-lit spaces with desks, chairs, colorful maps and wall displays of student work — all the trappings of a more traditional classroom. Each air-conditioned trailer has a rest room. Many agree that the trailers are actually an improvement over P.S. 255's last home, an old building in Long Island City leased from the Catholic Archdiocese of Brooklyn. That building was run down and without air conditioning. Despite the trailers' limitations, the education is sound, according to Assistant Principal Gregg Lopez. "It's what goes on inside the classrooms, not what the walls look like," he said. Victor Ty, another PTA co-president, visited P.S. 255 when he was looking at a school for his autistic son, Nicholas, 8. He was skeptical of the trailers at first, but changed his mind as soon as he knocked on the door and looked inside. He credits the faculty and administrators with making it a great school for his son. "This school offers one of the best, if not the best, program for autism in Queens," he said. Ty and Schwabenbauer are part of a parents' group lobbying for a brick-and-mortar school that Queens' autistic students can call their own. With autism growing, they fear that New York City's public schools are falling further behind. "There's a rush to find a seat every year," Schwabenbauer said, "rather than a plan."
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