Autism among U.S. children has reached epidemic proportion. And it's getting worse by the year.
Since the '70's, there has been a 60-fold increase in American children with autism. The latest CDC data shows that currently 1 in every 100 U.S. children, and 1 in every 58 boys, are being diagnosed with autism. According to statistics from the most recent (2007) National Survey of Children (from HRSA of HHS), the the odds of a child in the U.S. receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis are 1 in 63, and go up to 1 in 38 for boys. That's over 2.6 percent of all male children in America. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes Autism (classic), Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder.
The number of autistic children expected to reach adulthood in the next 10 years along with their caregivers will exceed the population of Rhode Island and cost an estimated $27 billion in additional care beyond the almost $60 billion being spent on current autism-related costs. (1,2)
Under the specter of an autism epidemic sweeping America, Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) convened hearings last week on the "State of Research on Potential Environmental Health Factors with Autism." (3)
The result?
Experts agree that the primary explanation for the dramatic increase in autism is toxic environmental exposure and gene-environment interactions. New research shows that even low-dose, multiple toxic and infectious exposures may be a key factor to the onset of autism.
One expert, Dr. Linda Birnbaum, Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health, testified that "Research supported by NIEH has clearly shown that it is not just genetics that causes neuro-developmental disorders such as autism but rather the interplay of both genes and the environment".
Dr. Birnbaum also stated that NIEH has uncovered information on the role that early environmental exposures play in the development of a broad spectrum of childhood disorders, including not only autism but also ADHD, and other learning disorders.
Another expert, Dr. Paul Anastas, the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency's assistant administrator, told the subcommittee that children are especially susceptible to the effects of chemicals in the environment because they eat, drink and breathe in more for their body weight than adults. They absorb a greater proportion of many chemicals in the environment than adults, and due to hand to mouth behaviors, young children tend to have higher exposures to contaminants, such as pollutants in the surrounding air and dust, deposited from lead paint, tobacco smoke, cleaning products, pesticides and other chemicals. (4,5)
We already know that prenatal and early childhood exposures to chemicals such as methyl mercury (commonly found in fish) ethyl-mercury (previously found in many childhood vaccines as part of a preservative, Thimerosla and currently contained in many flu vaccines although there are thimerosal free ones available), lead (in paints), PCBs (in plastics such as baby bottles and food storage containers) and arsenic (in the air) can affect development of the nervous system and lead to developmental disability. (6,7,8)
Also, the developing brain and nervous system can be disrupted by much lower levels of environmental exposures than would affect adults. (9,10,11) You can read about the current levels of exposure in the just released CDC's National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, a frightening document.
Dr. Isaac Pessah, Director of the UC Davis Center for Children's Environmental Health, testified that many of the molecular and cellular systems associated with autism are the same ones that are the target of environmental chemicals currently of concern to human health because of their widespread use. He spoke of a critical need to identify which chemicals in the environment influence the same biological pathways that are effected in autism. Dr. Pessah said that limiting exposure to these chemicals is the only way to mitigate or prevent autism in susceptible individuals.
Increasingly, evidence links even chronic, low-level exposure to industrial pollutants to many of the most prevalent and disabling learning and behavioral problems in children.
Professor Bruce Lanphear Ph.D, of the Child & Family Research Institute, Simon Fraser University, reported that some of the most widely dispersed environmental toxicants, even at very low levels are risk factors for the "new morbidities" of childhood -- both intellectual and behavioral impairments such as autism. Indeed, there is often no apparent threshold -- in some cases the effects appear to be greater at the lowest levels of exposure. (12) Emerging evidence shows that a whole host of new environmental chemicals such as Bisphenol A, (the protective inner lining in tin cans and baby bottles) PBDEs, pesticides, phthalates and airborne pollutants are all associated with intellectual deficits or behavioral problems in children. (13,14,15)
Just prior to the Senate hearing, several important research papers were published that further documented the relationship between environmental toxins and autism:
• A study in India correlated the increased body burdens of lead and mercury with the severity of children's autism -- the more severe the autism, the higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in their bodies. (16)
• An exhaustive scientific literature search just completed in August shows that the link between autism and toxic exposures in infants is supported by current published research. (17)
My own recent study of a large autistic clinical database shows that children with autism had elevated levels in their bodies of several chemicals known to be neurotoxic. The children have genetic variations, which interfere with the proper detoxification of those chemicals. With over 2,000 patients in the database, my paper is one of the largest studies to show that environmental factors interacting with associated genetic components may be contributing to the causation of autism.
Development of the human nervous system begins in the womb and extends throughout childhood. During these periods of rapid development, the brain is vulnerable to some environmental exposures, which may have the potential to disrupt the chemical signals that organize development. Even small changes can have potentially major consequences for brain structure and function. Thus, even brief adverse exposure at these vulnerable stages can have lasting effects on brain function throughout life.
My report showed on average the amount of lead and mercury in the children's blood was 50 percent higher than normal. Their genetic changes (SNPs) were related to what is called Phase I and Phase II detoxification -- specifically the CYP and GST family of genes. This defect reduced the children's ability to remove excess toxins from their bodies.
These autistic children also had a several fold higher level of bad gut bacteria and reduced levels of beneficial gut bacteria. Bad gut bacteria can produce neurotoxic amines and cause a "leaky gut" which allows toxic substances to more easily enter the circulatory system (see my previous Huffington Post entry "The Keys to Maintaining a Healthy Gut").
You may read the full clinical study here: http://personalizedmedicine.posterous.com/environmental-factors-contributing-to-the-ons#
We as a society have a toxic chemical addiction, which we need to kick now. We need to be better informed consumers -- choosing chemically free foods, products and environments, affecting change with our wallets.
Here are some Toxic Exposure Avoidance Tips for All of Us -- And Especially For Pregnant Women. Start taking them, right now:
.
- Avoid eating foods that may contain high levels of toxic chemicals
- While fish are a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, some contain high levels of mercury. Tuna (especially white or albacore), Cod and Mahi Mahi are ones to avoid. Wild salmon is a good healthy choice. See americanpregnancy.org for an excellent chart showing levels of mercury in the most commonly ingested fish.
- Consume organic foods and drinks as much as possible.
- Use glass containers instead of plastic to store left over foods and drinks.
- Reduce our purchase of foods in cans as the can lining contains high levels of Bisphenol A (an endocrine disrupter linked to increased rates of cancer and abnormal behavior in children).
- Limit exposure to toxic household chemicals, pesticides and cleaning supplies. Look for natural alternatives.
- Install HEPA and carbon filter air purifiers in bedrooms to insure a healthy toxin free nights rest
Exposure to toxic chemicals by pregnant women, fetuses and children has a high probability of causing autism and other neuro-developmental disorders and learning disabilities in those whose genetic profile expresses in a reduced ability to detoxify these chemicals. This is not "fringe" science; it's fact.
The time for action is now. We must reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals for ourselves, for our children's sake and for future generations.
We have a responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves. We cannot afford to be incurious, indifferent or uninformed when the price of inattention is disability and heartache -- an overwhelming emotional and financial burden to families and society.
Ask for help: Tell your government that we must lessen our exposure to these chemicals. For the future of all Americans. Email or call your own representatives. Senator Boxer can be reached at: senator@boxer.senate.gov.
Please share your thoughts by adding a comment below.
In good health,
Stephen
References
(1) Autism Society of America (ASA). 2003. Facts and statistics. Available: www.autism-society.org/
(2) Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfate. 2005 PA Autism Census Project: Final Report; Oct 2009
(3) US Senate Subcommittee on Environment and Public Works. Aug 2010
(4) National Research Council. 1993. Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children. National Academy of Sciences Press, Washington, DC.
(5) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2005 Guidance on selecting age groups for monitoring and assessing childhood exposures to environmental contaminants. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC; EPA/630/P-03/003F
(6) Wasserman GA, Liu X, Parvez F, Ahsan H, Factor-Litvak P, Kline J, van Geen A, Slavkovich V, Loiacono NJ, Levy D, Cheng Z, Graziano JH. 2007. Water arsenic exposure and intellectual function in 6-year-old children in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Environ Health Perspect. 115(2):285-9
(7) Landrigan PJ, Whitworth RH, Baloh RW, Barthel WF, Staehling NW, Rosenblum BF. 1975. Neuropsychological dysfunction in children with chronic low-level lead absorption. Lancet 1:708-712
(8) Rogan WJ, Ware JH. 2003. Exposure to lead in children - how low is low enough? N Engl J Med. 348:1515-1516
(9)(ATSDR). 2007. Toxicological profile for Lead. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp13-c3.pdf
(10) Grandjean P, and Landrigan PJ. 2006. Developmental neurotoxicity of industrial chemicals. Lancet.;368(9553):2167-78.
(11) Jett DA, Kuhlmann AC, Farmer SJ, Guilarte TR.1997. Age-dependent effects of developmental lead exposure on performance in the Morris water maze. Pharmacol Biochem Behav.57(1-2):271-9
(12) Canfield RL, Henderson CR, Cory-Slechta DA, Cox C, Jusko TA, Lanphear BP. Intellectual impairment in children with blood lead concentrations below 10 micrograms per deciliter. N Engl J Med 2003;348:1517-1526
(13) Eskenazi B, Marks AR, Bradman A, et al. Organophosphate pesticide exposure and neurodevelopment in young Mexican-American children. Environ Health Perspect 2007;115:792-798
(14) Herbstman JB, Sjödin A, Kurzon M, et al. Prenatal exposure to PBDEs and neuro-development. Environ Health Perspect 2010;118:712-719
(15) Braun JM, Froehlich TE, Daniels JL, et al. Association of environmental toxicants and conduct disorder in U.S. children: NHANES 2001-2004. Environ Health Perspect 2008;116:956-962
(16) Priya MD. Level of Trace Elements (Copper, Zinc, Magnesium
and Selenium) and Toxic Elements (Lead and Mercury)
in the Hair and Nail of Children with Autism. Biol Trace Elem Res
DOI 10.1007/s12011-010-8766-2
(17) DeSoto MC. Sorting out the spinning of autism: heavy metals and the
question of incidence. Acta Neurobiol Exp 2010, 70: 165-176
David Katz, M.D.: What to Do About Flu? Get Vaccinated
Excerpt from article:
Professor Austin's research has already found elevated levels of porphyrins, a marker for mercury damage, in the urine of Australian autistic children.
A University of Texas study two years ago found a statistically significant link between the amount of mercury released from industrial sources such as coal-fired power stations and increased autism rates.
The prevalence of autism in the community reduced by 1-2 per cent every 16 kilometres of distance from the pollution source, it concluded.
''There is already major concern in the Hunter around respiratory concerns, but the US research suggests it may go beyond to neurological and developmental implications and I can't think of a more important question for research if that is so,'' Professor Austin said.
Calling for the information's release, a NSW Greens MP, John Kaye, said the number of children with autism in NSW government schools grew from 2267 to 5995 between 2003 and 2009, a jump of 165 per cent.
''Coal-fired power plants are responsible for approximately one-third of all mercury emissions attributable to human activity,'' he said.
I never promised you a rose garden. Here's another one from Korea linking autism to heavy metals exposure:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20391113
Significant correlations were observed between hepatic detoxification/oxidative stress markers and urinary porphyrins. In agreement with published data, the present results demonstrated that measurement of porphyrins serves as a reliable tool for diagnosis of heavy metal involvement in ASD.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20433873
These results suggest that metals exposure may contribute to the development of autism, possibly by interacting with central dopamine function, and support the use of prairie voles as a model organism in which to study autism.
Did you know that 40% of our water pollution is caused by waste from mercury dental fillings? I just had one removed. The dentist drilled it out of my tooth, and I spit the little metal bits right into the sink.
There will be a hearing before an FDA advisory committee in Dec. about making stricter rules regulating dental mercury. Right now, the FDA "recommends" but does not require dentists stop using it. It does not require a dentist to inform a patient he is putting mercury in the patient's mouth, or give him a fact sheet telling of the risks.
It all adds up, mercury in the water, mercury in our food, the air, shots.....It is a dangerous neurological and reproductive hazard. While pregnant women and young children are the most at risk, mercury in the environment ultimately affects us all.
Check out this article for two simple actions you can take to help:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/06/how-to-convince-the-fda-to-ban-mercury-fillings--a-winnable-strategy.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20532957
The results show an association between the apparent level of mercury toxicity as measured by recognized urinary porphyrin biomarkers of mercury toxicity and the magnitude of the specific hallmark features of autism as assessed by ATEC.
Poorly written article with conclusions that are not supported by the current research.
They come from pollution, pesticides, residue from pharmaceutical products, endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Not all autistic kids have been exposed to environmental toxins. Not all women with autistic children have dental amalgams.
There are plenty of endocrine disorders that are not caused by pollutants in the environment.
Btw...mosquitos can give you West Nile Virus if you get bit by a carrier, some mushrooms are very poisonous
...and the computer you're using can cause carpal tunnel, spinal degeneration, sedentarism, depression, eye strain.....the dust on your computer can be toxic and cause neurological damage.
One of the most toxic elements found in computers and electronic devices is lead, which is known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and slow down child brain development. And lead isn't the only toxic material that is found: cadmium, mercury, chromium, PVC, and barium are just a few others....yet, you're still using one.
Yep and when the computer is dumped into the trash what do you think happens to these metals. No they are not magically transported to the moon. They leech into the water supply, and into our food. If the dump is for computers only, and is close to a water supply there will be problems for the village close by. When you use a computer these metals are inside the computer they are not shot into your arm or buttocks like a vaccine with mercury in it or a tuna sandwich which goes straight into your body.
http://commons.ucalgary.ca/mercury/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19593333
Here's the abstract: Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2009;69(2):189-97.
A prospective study of prenatal mercury exposure from maternal dental amalgams and autism severity.
Geier DA, Kern JK, Geier MR.
Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
Abstract
Dental amalgams containing 50% mercury (Hg) have been used in dentistry for the last 150 years, and Hg exposure during key developmental periods was associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This study examined increased Hg exposure from maternal dental amalgams during pregnancy among 100 qualifying participants born between 1990-1999 and diagnosed with DSM-IV autism (severe) or ASD (mild). Logistic regression analysis (age, gender, race, and region of residency adjusted) by quintile of maternal dental amalgams during pregnancy revealed the ratio of autism:ASD (severe:mild) were about 1 (no effect) for < or =5 amalgams and increased for > or =6 amalgams. Subjects with > or =6 amalgams were 3.2-fold significantly more likely to be diagnosed with autism (severe) in comparison to ASD (mild) than subjects with < or =5 amalgams. Dental amalgam policies should consider Hg exposure in women before and during the child-bearing age and the possibility of subsequent fetal exposure and adverse outcomes."
How Mercury Causes Brain Neuron Degeneration – University of Calgary Study.
http://conspiracyrealitytv.com/how-mercury-causes-brain-neuron-degeneration-university-of-calgary/
---------------------------------------
For vaccination opponents, any study, no matter how old is to be cherished if its conclusions might support their case. For real scientists, a 13 year old study is problematic in area where there has been a lot of research.
I didn't watch the video, but there is a quote below it that is interesting. "ver the past 15 years medical laboratories have established that dental amalgam tooth fillings are a major contributor to mercury body burden. In 1997 a team of research scientists demonstrated that mercury inhalation by animals produced a molecular lesion in brain protein metabolism which was similar to a lesion seen in 80% of alzheimer’s diseased brains."
So the concern was with with inorganic mercury and not either methylmercury (food) or ethylmercury (thimerosal in vaccines breaks down into it).
But then I spent a minute and found: " The rats were therefore exposed to over 100 times greater concentrations of mercury vapor than humans with 25 amalgam surfaces would typically inhale, even under stimulated conditions. The rat study therefore has little relevance to whether mercury from amalgams causes Alzheimer's disease."
http://www.dentalwatch.org/hg/myths203.html
Let us see.
1. 13 year old study
2. Nothing to do with ethyl or methyl mercury
3. Amounts involved hugely more than possible from fillings.
The Geier study was about autism and maternal dental amalgams, not Alzheimers, of course.
There is a public comment opportunity right now to complain to the FDA about its current rules for dentists regarding mercury dental fillings. There will be hearings Dec. 14-15. Please check out this article for more details, if you are concerned with getting the mercury out of dentistry. Please take action!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/06/how-to-convince-the-fda-to-ban-mercury-fillings--a-winnable-strategy.aspx
40% of the water pollution is caused by waste from mercury dental fillings. That water pollution is poisoning our fish and us. Because it is a reproductive as well as neurological toxin, mercury affects pregnant women and unborn children. The rich can afford better quality, non-mercury fillings than the poor.
Mercury comes into a dentist's office in a box with a skull and crossbones on it. When they take it out of your mouth, it must be treated as hazardous waste. How, then, is it safe in your mouth, inches from your brain? Every time you chew, it is releasing mercury vapors, studies have shown.
Let's tell the FDA to ban mercury in all dental fillings. The FDA MAY be more concerned about fillings for pregnant women and children. However, mercury in the water supply eventually affects all of us. Please read the article and take action.
Wikipedia states:
"Geier and his son, David Geier, are frequently cited by proponents of the claim that vaccines cause autism. Geier's credibility as an expert witness has been questioned in several court cases. In 2003, a judge ruled that Geier presented himself as an expert witness in "areas for which he has no training, expertise and experience."[1] In other cases in which Geier has testified, judges have labeled his testimony "intellectually dishonest," "not reliable" and "wholly unqualified."[1] Another judge wrote that Geier "may be clever, but he is not credible."[3]
Geier's scientific work has also been criticized; when the Institute of Medicine reviewed vaccine safety in 2004, it dismissed Geier's work as seriously flawed, "uninterpretable", and marred by incorrect use of scientific terms.[1] In 2003, the American Academy of Pediatrics criticized one of Geier's studies, which claimed a link between vaccines and autism, as containing "numerous conceptual and scientific flaws, omissions of fact, inaccuracies, and misstatements."[4] New Scientist reported that the institutional review board which approved some of Geier's experiments with autistic children was located at Geier's business address and included Geier, his son and wife, a business partner of Geier's, and a plaintiff's lawyer involved in vaccine lititgation.[5] In January 2007, a paper by the Geiers was retracted by the journal Autoimmunity Reviews.[2]"
Direct quote from the study:
In Japan, the Immunization Law had provided
measles vaccination of children aged 12 months to
72 months since 1978 and rubella vaccination of
junior high school female students since 1977; then
an MMRvaccination program was launched in April
1989. In contrast to the practice in many countries
where an MMR booster is administered a few years
following the initial vaccination, in Japan only one
vaccination was administered to children between
12 and 72 months of age, with the majority vaccinated
between 12 and 18 months of age. However,
due to a high frequency of reports of aseptic meningitis,
a suspected side effect of the mumps vaccine
(Urabe strain), the program was terminated in April
1993. Subsequently, only monovalent vaccines were
administered.
Thats right everybody asceptic meningitis, and then they went to monovalent vaccine only!!!!!
Here is the citation:
Don't let the title fool you there are gold nuggets in this article.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 46:6 (2005), pp 572-579 doi: 1O.1l11jj.1469-7610.2005.01425.x
No effect of MMR withdrawal on the incidence
of autism: a total population study
Hideo Honda," Yasuo Shimizu,l and Michael Rutter"
'Yokohama Rehabilitation Center, Yokohama, Japan; 2rnstitute of Psychiatry, London, UK
Background:
They have been having an epidemic of cases of measles (and exporting cases to other countries) such that the government has a program of vaccination designed to bring the number of Japanese in line with or less than typical rich countries (zero cases by 2012). It was only a few years that Japan went to two doses of Measles vaccine. The US, which was slow, did so in 1998.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7076
Honda's is the first to look at the autism rate after the MMR vaccine has been withdrawn. Japan withdrew it in April 1993 following reports that the anti-mumps component was causing meningitis (it plans to introduce another version).
With his colleagues Yasuo Shimizu and Michael Rutter of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, UK, Honda looked at the records of 31,426 children born in one district of Yokohama between 1988 and 1996. The team counted children diagnosed as autistic by the age of 7.
They found the cases continued to multiply after the vaccine withdrawal, ranging from 48 to 86 cases per 10,000 children before withdrawal to 97 to 161 per 10,000 afterwards. The same pattern was seen with a particular form of autism in which children appear to develop normally and then suddenly regress - the form linked to MMR by Wakefield.
Another question I have for Mr. Barrie is why doesn't his theory address the higher incidence rate of boys to girls with autism or why in a set of twins, only one may have autism. Heavy metals and environmental toxins are not gender specific, so why then would boys have a greater risk or susceptibility to environmental toxins than girls? Why would one twin be autistic and the other not if they were exposed to the same toxins in utero?
The reason is because kids were having bad reactions, and it was causing encephalitis.
The japanese did the smart thing and took it off the market!!!!!!!!!!!
Funny how everybody wants to use the Japan study which contains the damming material on the MMR within the contents of the same journal that trys to back up the MMR vaccine.
What I have been saying is that I believe, and studies have shown, that there is no correlation between autism and vaccines. Vaccines may have caused other problems, but I don't believe they caused autism.
I used the Japan study because it showed that rates of autism continued to increase when the MMR was withdrawn.
There are autistic children who've not had vaccines.
You say that I am closed minded, however, you're so busy being defensive of your position, that you fail to see what I'm actually saying. I've never said what I believe about vaccinations.
What parents need to understand is that they do not need to be afraid of vaccinating their kids because of autism.
If they feel uncomfortable with vaccines due to evidence of other problems, then that is a choice they have to make and they should do what they feel comfortable with.
Recent research suggests that these cases, while scary, did not translate into an increase of long term adverse events over the Jeryl Lynn strain. The Urabe strain is still used in some countries, most likely because it is cheaper.
In Canada, the US, UK and Japan (and probably elsewhere) MMR vaccines containing Urabe were effectively no longer used. Canada, the US and the UK now use Merck's MMR vaccine which uses the Jeryl Lynn strain. It does not result in excess case of asceptic meningitis.
Only Japan decided to stop using vaccines containing mumps vaccine. They went to single disease vaccines for measles and rubella. It took until 2006 for Japan to go to a MR vaccine which is th one used today.
Judge Roteberg, Judge Roteberg, and Judge Roteberg the inheritors of Lovaas and ABA.
How many children died at UCLA, and these institutions of horror?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2809421/?tool=pubmed
This study investigated the relationship of children's autism symptoms with their toxic metal body burden and red blood cell (RBC) glutathione levels. In children ages 3–8 years, the severity of autism was assessed using four tools: ADOS, PDD-BI, ATEC, and SAS. Toxic metal body burden was assessed by measuring urinary excretion of toxic metals, both before and after oral dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA). Multiple positive correlations were found between the severity of autism and the urinary excretion of toxic metals. Variations in the severity of autism measurements could be explained, in part, by regression analyses of urinary excretion of toxic metals before and after DMSA and the level of RBC glutathione (adjusted R2 of 0.22–0.45, P < .005 in all cases). This study demonstrates a significant positive association between the severity of autism and the relative body burden of toxic metals.
-Bruce P. Lanphear, MD, MPH.
Senior Scientist, Child & Family Research Institute, Professor, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC; Adjunct Professor, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
--------------------------
Testimony by Dr Lanphear delivered to the 08/03/10 US Senate hearing on the, "State of Research on Potential Environmental Health Factors with Autism and Related Neurodevelopment Disorders."
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=1ab3cf42-802a-23ad-4a3a-686da83bf6d0
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Testimony&Hearing_ID=1ab3cf42-802a-23ad-4a3a-686da83bf6d0&Witness_ID=6547f000-7de6-4fcd-9e6a-a56915177398
-Irva Hertz-Picciotto, PhD, MPH.
Professor of Epidemiology; Chief, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis.
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/welcome/features/20090218_autism_environment/index.html
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;120/5/1162
ABA methods are used to increase and maintain desirable adaptive behaviors, reduce interfering maladaptive behaviors or narrow the conditions under which they occur, teach new skills, and generalize behaviors to new environments or situations. ABA focuses on the reliable measurement and objective evaluation of observable behavior within relevant settings including the home, school, and community. The effectiveness of ABA-based intervention in ASDs has been well documented through 5 decades of research by using single-subject methodology and in controlled studies of comprehensive early intensive behavioral intervention programs in university and community settings.Children who receive early intensive behavioral treatment have been shown to make substantial, sustained gains in IQ, language, academic performance, and adaptive behavior as well as some measures of social behavior, and their outcomes have been significantly better than those of children in control groups.
Check with non-profit organizations in your area, there are excellent programs out there. Check with nearby colleges and universities; some will have neurodevelopmental departments that have therapeutic treatment programs.
Thoroughly investigate any potential candidates, insist upon being involved and present; and, if ANYTHING about the therapeutic setting makes you uncomfortable, then it's probably not going to be the right place for you...go with your gut.
You probably already do this, but develop your own program, you know your child better than anyone, and you can modify any program in a way that you think will be most beneficial. Again, use your gut instinct and do everything you can to get your child involved with you, no matter how silly you may have to act to get and hold their attention.
We did have one problem in the PPCD program when my son was pinched on the back of the hand for misbehavior, hard enough to bruise him and upset him enough to come home and tell me about it...it was the first time anything bad happened to him at school and the last. I raised hell at the school and withdrew him immediately.
In an institutional setting (and I've worked in long-term residential facilities for people with mental impairments) there is a high turn over rate for staff, many facilities are understaffed, pay is low and it's hard to get and keep good employees. It is not an easy job. Many of the patients do get violent and aggressive. HOWEVER, that is NO reason to become abusive toward them. Staff is supposed to be trained in PMAB, which is the management of aggressive behavior. When abuse occurs, people cover it up, lie, etc. It's horrid, and unfortunately, those places end up with staff that I call bottom-feeders. There is not enough supervision and oversight in those places either.
In my opinion, it is better to keep your child home with you rather than put them in an institutional setting. That is not always possible nor best for the family, so if a family does choose to go with an institutional living arrangement, they need to thoroughly investigate the institution and employees, they should visit as frequently as possible, make sure the child understands that it is not ok for anyone to hurt them and come up with words or gestures or pictures for them to use if things are not going well.
In situations of shock therapy, some parents choose that as a form of treatment. I would never choose that treatment modality, because I just don't see it as being positive. NO ONE should be doing any medical procedures on your child without your permission and without you being present (unless you choose not to be there...which I don't recommend).
http://www.ageofautism.com/2010/09/the-nightmare-and-the-dream-a-review-of-the-age-of-autism.html#more
-LaurieAnn, HuffPost commenter, 9/05/10.
You are correct LaurieAnn. And several medical scientist who are actually involved in the study of the etiology of autism in the United Stated also agree....
“ASD likely encompasses several disorders with distinct etiologies and pathologies that converge on a common set of behavioral diagnostic criteria.”
-Isaac N. Pessah, PhD.
Professor of Toxicology (Department of Molecular Biosciences), University of California at Davis; Director, Children’s Center for Environmental Health and Disease Prevention, University of California at Davis, M.I.N.D. Institute.
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=1ab3cf42-802a-23ad-4a3a-686da83bf6d0
The most drastic innovation in Lovaas' technique is punishment — instantly, immutably dished out to break down the habits of madness. His rarely used last resort is the shock room. At one point Pamela had been making progress, learning to read a little, speak a few words sensibly. But then she came to a blank wall, drifting off during lessons into her wild expressions and gesticulations. Scoldings and stern shakings did nothing. Like many autistic children, Pamela simply did not have enough anxiety to be frightened.
To give her something to be anxious about, she was taken to the shock room, where the floor is laced with metallic strips. Two electrodes were put on her bare back, and her shoes removed.
When she resumed her habit of staring at her hand, Lovaas sent a mild jolt of current through the floor into her bare feet. It was harmless but uncomfortable. With instinctive cunning, Pamela sought to mollify Lovaas with hugs. But he insisted she go on with her reading lesson She read for a while, then lapsed into a screaming fit. Lovaas; yelling "No!", turned on the current. Pamela jumped � learned a new respect for "No
UN Calls Shock Treatment at Mass. School 'Torture'.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/shock-therapy-massachussetts-school/story?id=11047334