Help

[Guest guest]

> I need help, my son is 9 1/2 Aspergers & ADHD he has had a

difficult school

> year socially. Academically his grades are great, but his so

called friends

> seem to bait him and he gets in trouble several times a week. He

is angry

> and rages several times a week and then will go to the depths of

disperse

> and talks about killing himself. He is on Concerta & Rispidal, we

tried

> Prozac a couple of years ago and it made him angrier. I don't

know how to

> help him. I have him in a social skills group weekly, he takes

judo, cub

> scouts, and music lessons. we have backed off the outside

activities

> because he was raging at his lessons. I can not find another

school setting

> that would work and the public school is no help. I think I might

home

> school him until he can acquire the skills to deal with people who

push his

> emotional buttons. He saw a therapist and she told us she could

not help

> until he was older for psychotherapy. any suggestions would be

welcome I

> just don't know what else to do

> Greta in MD

Dear Greta,

My son is 10 tomorrow (Happy birthday!) and has had a really rough

year too. We are going to homeschool him next year to give him a

much needed break. We are also going to see a DAN doctor to help

with his Asperger's. He has SID and food issues, so we want him to

get healthy as well.

I'm not sure about the Psychotherapy. He has seen a therapist, but

we didnt really notice any improvements behavior wise. I think alot

of how our Aspies think is hardwired into their brains. We just have

to help them use their strengths to their fullest. Hopefully the

negative aspects of Asperger's will lessen as they get older (I

hope!) I plan on homeschooling for the long haul. I just cannot see

my son in a traditional middle and high school setting. He wouldnt

last very long.

Ann

[Guest guest]

We started home-schooling our daughter (13) last spring due to similar occurences and all behaviors drastically improved. We are amazed! We just tested her with a CAT and she scored 86 percentile. Her grades had dropped before we took her out of PS. She had been at one time a honor role student.

As far as becoming older making a difference, I believe that it does, especially when they are not being stressed out:) She just keeps improving. Don't give up.mbkempner <charlie.kempner@...> wrote:

> I need help, my son is 9 1/2 Aspergers & ADHD he has had a difficult school> year socially. Academically his grades are great, but his so called friends> seem to bait him and he gets in trouble several times a week. He is angry> and rages several times a week and then will go to the depths of disperse> and talks about killing himself. He is on Concerta & Rispidal, we tried> Prozac a couple of years ago and it made him angrier. I don't know how to> help him. I have him in a social skills group weekly, he takes judo, cub> scouts, and music lessons. we have backed off the outside activities> because he was raging at his lessons. I can not find another

school setting> that would work and the public school is no help. I think I might home> school him until he can acquire the skills to deal with people who push his> emotional buttons. He saw a therapist and she told us she could not help> until he was older for psychotherapy. any suggestions would be welcome I> just don't know what else to do> Greta in MDDear Greta,My son is 10 tomorrow (Happy birthday!) and has had a really rough year too. We are going to homeschool him next year to give him a much needed break. We are also going to see a DAN doctor to help with his Asperger's. He has SID and food issues, so we want him to get healthy as well.I'm not sure about the Psychotherapy. He has seen a therapist, but we didnt really notice any improvements behavior wise. I think alot of how our Aspies think is hardwired into their brains. We just have to help

them use their strengths to their fullest. Hopefully the negative aspects of Asperger's will lessen as they get older (I hope!) I plan on homeschooling for the long haul. I just cannot see my son in a traditional middle and high school setting. He wouldnt last very long. Ann"and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

Mobile Take with you! Check email on your mobile phone.

[Guest guest]

Charlotte is right Greta; you most definitely need to find a

psychologist experienced with ASD. I work with these types of

children on a regular basis...you would obviously not use

'traditional' psychotherapy. You may also want to ask the school

district for a behavioral specialist to come in and observe your son

in order to put a specific behavioral plan together to help him.

MLW

> Since when is 9 NOT old enough for psychotherapy??? That is NOT

true Greta, get another opinion!!!!

> -Charlotte

> help

>

>

> I need help, my son is 9 1/2 Aspergers & ADHD he has had a

difficult school

> year socially. Academically his grades are great, but his so

called friends

> seem to bait him and he gets in trouble several times a week. He

is angry

> and rages several times a week and then will go to the depths of

disperse

> and talks about killing himself. He is on Concerta & Rispidal, we

tried

> Prozac a couple of years ago and it made him angrier. I don't

know how to

> help him. I have him in a social skills group weekly, he takes

judo, cub

> scouts, and music lessons. we have backed off the outside activities

> because he was raging at his lessons. I can not find another

school setting

> that would work and the public school is no help. I think I might

home

> school him until he can acquire the skills to deal with people who

push his

> emotional buttons. He saw a therapist and she told us she could

not help

> until he was older for psychotherapy. any suggestions would be

welcome I

> just don't know what else to do

> Greta in MD

>

>

>

>

>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

I took out of "traditional" psychotherapy and I agree. I really should have been a little clearer and a little less "reactive" lol, in my previous post.

However there are therapists who specialize in AS children who work on the skill building and social stories and such if you are lucky enough to find one. There are also other non-traditional psychotherapy practices such as animal assisted that have been extremely beneficial to spectrum kids.

Also, as you said social skills groups are of paramount importance ALL through childhood for these kids!

-Charlotte

help

I need help, my son is 9 1/2 Aspergers & ADHD he has had a difficult schoolyear socially. Academically his grades are great, but his so called friendsseem to bait him and he gets in trouble several times a week. He is angryand rages several times a week and then will go to the depths of disperseand talks about killing himself. He is on Concerta & Rispidal, we triedProzac a couple of years ago and it made him angrier. I don't know how tohelp him. I have him in a social skills group weekly, he takes judo, cubscouts, and music lessons. we have backed off the outside activitiesbecause he was raging at his lessons. I can not find another school settingthat would work and the public school is no help. I think I might homeschool him until he can acquire the skills to deal with people who push hisemotional buttons. He saw a therapist and she told us she could not helpuntil he was older for psychotherapy. any suggestions would be welcome Ijust don't know what else to doGreta in MD

[Guest guest]

I took out of "traditional" psychotherapy and I agree. I really should have been a little clearer and a little less "reactive" lol, in my previous post.

However there are therapists who specialize in AS children who work on the skill building and social stories and such if you are lucky enough to find one. There are also other non-traditional psychotherapy practices such as animal assisted that have been extremely beneficial to spectrum kids.

Also, as you said social skills groups are of paramount importance ALL through childhood for these kids!

-Charlotte

help

I need help, my son is 9 1/2 Aspergers & ADHD he has had a difficult schoolyear socially. Academically his grades are great, but his so called friendsseem to bait him and he gets in trouble several times a week. He is angryand rages several times a week and then will go to the depths of disperseand talks about killing himself. He is on Concerta & Rispidal, we triedProzac a couple of years ago and it made him angrier. I don't know how tohelp him. I have him in a social skills group weekly, he takes judo, cubscouts, and music lessons. we have backed off the outside activitiesbecause he was raging at his lessons. I can not find another school settingthat would work and the public school is no help. I think I might homeschool him until he can acquire the skills to deal with people who push hisemotional buttons. He saw a therapist and she told us she could not helpuntil he was older for psychotherapy. any suggestions would be welcome Ijust don't know what else to doGreta in MD

[Guest guest]

Re:

help

---

In Autism and Aspergers Treatment , " Randy "

<blankra@z...>

wrote:

> I need

help, my son is 9 1/2 Aspergers & ADHD he has had a

difficult

school

> year

socially. Academically his grades are great, but his so

called

friends

> seem to

bait him and he gets in trouble several times a week. He

is angry

> and

rages several times a week and then will go to the depths of

disperse

> and

talks about killing himself. He is on Concerta & Rispidal, we

tried

> Prozac

a couple of years ago and it made him angrier. I don't

know how to

> help

him. I have him in a social skills group weekly, he takes

judo, cub

> scouts,

and music lessons. we have backed off the outside

activities

> because

he was raging at his lessons. I can not find another

school

setting

> that

would work and the public school is no help. I think I might

home

> school

him until he can acquire the skills to deal with people who

push his

>

emotional buttons. He saw a therapist and she told us she could

not help

> until

he was older for psychotherapy. any suggestions

would be

welcome I

> just don't know what else to do

*******************Hi Greta, my son is 12, Asperger’s and Home

Schooled. At 9 is when he was diagnosed as OCD and clinically depressed. He did

see a Psychologist who worked on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with him and a

Psychiatrist for med’s. We took him out of Ps. in fifth grade mid year.

He was putting all his energy into surviving until 11:30 when I picked him up. Also,

he was headed down the road of getting in trouble because of others. The best

thing is bringing him home. The Therapy helped when we did not know what was

going on. In your case I would take him out of school now ask the school to

have him on Home bound status. The suicidal part is troubling…I’d

get him home and then see if therapy is warranted. If so Cognitive B.T (CBT) seems

to be the direction to take. Our son did not attend the last month of school

when he was 9. We did lots of reading, walking, cooking…..ask any

questions, Gail (need to run)

[Guest guest]

whats the subject line in her post I ll give her an ear full I have 1 CHILD WITH MERCURY AND 1 CHILD WITH OUT THE 1 WITH IS AUTISTIC THE 1 WITH OUT IS NOT

Help

Hey Gang,There is person on the Parents.com autism board (Dangermama) who iscompletely attacking the autism/mercury connection and even taking afew swings at Kirby. She is a walking text book of the "otherside". If anyone is up to giving this person a online beating pleasechime in. She has a response for every post! http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78Thanks,Sara

[Guest guest]

She is on the " worried about 2yr old shots " thread. Her online name

is Dangermama. She must be a doctor or something because she has an

answer for EVERYTHING!

> whats the subject line in her post I ll give her an ear full I have

1 CHILD WITH MERCURY AND 1 CHILD WITH OUT THE 1 WITH IS AUTISTIC THE 1

WITH OUT IS NOT

> Help

>

>

> Hey Gang,

>

> There is person on the Parents.com autism board (Dangermama) who is

> completely attacking the autism/mercury connection and even taking a

> few swings at Kirby. She is a walking text book of the " other

> side " . If anyone is up to giving this person a online beating please

> chime in. She has a response for every post!

>

>

http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78<http://www.parents\

..com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78>

>

> Thanks,

>

> Sara

>

>

>

>

>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

I just put my 2cents in under the name myboycody if you want to have a look

Help> > > Hey Gang,> > There is person on the Parents.com autism board (Dangermama) who is> completely attacking the autism/mercury connection and even taking a> few swings at Kirby. She is a walking text book of the "other> side". If anyone is up to giving this person a online beating please> chime in. She has a response for every post! > > http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78<http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78>> > Thanks,> > Sara> > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for posting. Dangermoma is piece of work, huh? I just think

it's important to put her in her place since many of the parents on

parents.com have not learned of the autism/mercury connection or

biomed intervention. Want to make sure the " right " message is out

their!

Sara

> > whats the subject line in her post I ll give her an ear full I have

> 1 CHILD WITH MERCURY AND 1 CHILD WITH OUT THE 1 WITH IS AUTISTIC THE 1

> WITH OUT IS NOT

> > Help

> >

> >

> > Hey Gang,

> >

> > There is person on the Parents.com autism board (Dangermama)

who is

> > completely attacking the autism/mercury connection and even

taking a

> > few swings at Kirby. She is a walking text book of the

" other

> > side " . If anyone is up to giving this person a online beating

please

> > chime in. She has a response for every post!

> >

> >

>

http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78<http://www.parents\

..com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78><http://www.parents.com/community/bo\

ards/forum.jspa?forumID=78<http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?fo\

rumID=78>>

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

> > Sara

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> >

[Guest guest]

Sarayour welcome I love telling people off its great stress releafe gees I cant spell lol

Help> > > > > > Hey Gang,> > > > There is person on the Parents.com autism board (Dangermama)who is> > completely attacking the autism/mercury connection and eventaking a> > few swings at Kirby. She is a walking text book of the"other> > side". If anyone is up to giving this person a online beatingplease> > chime in. She has a response for every post! > > > > > http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78<http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78><http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78<http://www.parents.com/community/boards/forum.jspa?forumID=78>>> > > > Thanks,> > > > Sara> > > > > > > > > >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------> >

[Guest guest]

I've been posting my foundation's website all over that board. Maybe if some of

the skeptics

view some of the videos of these researchers discussing thimerosal, etc. they

might listen

to reason...or pony up the dough to read EOH!

http://www.autismmedia.org/media1.html

> Thanks for posting. Dangermoma is piece of work, huh? I just think

> it's important to put her in her place since many of the parents on

> parents.com have not learned of the autism/mercury connection or

> biomed intervention. Want to make sure the " right " message is out

> their!

>

> Sara

>

[Guest guest]

Well how to you like my handle on Parent's.com

"Shotscauseautism" hahaha.

Oh such fun!

quantumerik <erik@...> wrote:

I've been posting my foundation's website all over that board. Maybe if some of the skeptics view some of the videos of these researchers discussing thimerosal, etc. they might listen to reason...or pony up the dough to read EOH!http://www.autismmedia.org/media1.html> Thanks for posting. Dangermoma is piece of work, huh? I just think> it's important to put her in her place since many of the parents on> parents.com have not learned of the autism/mercury connection or> biomed intervention. Want to make sure the "right" message is out> their! > > Sara>

Mobile Take with you! Check email on your mobile phone.

[Guest guest]

I love the quick wit of all of you!

By the way Lucid, why don't you invite Dangermama to join EOHarm so we

can have some fun here instead of being a tattletale?

Sara

> > Thanks for posting. Dangermoma is piece of work, huh? I just think

> > it's important to put her in her place since many of the parents on

> > parents.com have not learned of the autism/mercury connection or

> > biomed intervention. Want to make sure the " right " message is out

> > their!

> >

> > Sara

> >

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

Sara,

You may want to note this definition when you go onto the other

board. It makes it much easier to deal with people like

Dangermama. This tac was quite evident once the said " troll " began

subversively attacking parents and their beliefs. She had no

intention to debate and no agenda other than to provoke.

Troll:

n. An individual who chronically trolls in sense 1; regularly posts

specious arguments, flames or personal attacks to a newsgroup,

discussion list, or in email for no other purpose than to annoy

someone or disrupt a discussion. Trolls are recognizable by the fact

that they have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand -

they simply want to utter flame bait. Like the ugly creatures they

are named after, they exhibit no redeeming characteristics, and as

such, they are recognized as a lower form of life on the net, as

in, " Oh, ignore him, he's just a troll. "

Now Lucid on the otherhand is what we call a Lurker. And after

lurking at EOH became a troll.

Kisses

> > > Thanks for posting. Dangermoma is piece of work, huh? I just

think

> > > it's important to put her in her place since many of the

parents on

> > > parents.com have not learned of the autism/mercury connection

or

> > > biomed intervention. Want to make sure the " right " message is

out

> > > their!

> > >

> > > Sara

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> >

[Guest guest]

Okay, that's you? I saw your comments in there. How about that Dangermama? Wow,

she's

a piece of work. So blinded by hate for us...you'd think we'd be eating into her

stock

options at a pharmaceutical, or something! :-)

I told her she and her kind better get used to us, because we're never going to

go away.

This is just too big.

I've got a film crew and a steady stream of public donors...and I'm going to

continue

filming the speakers at these conferences for all to see.

I'll stop when there's no more need for us, and we've recovered the lost

generation of the

90's, including my one and only child, Miranda Rose.

http://www.autismmedia.org/

> > Thanks for posting. Dangermoma is piece of work, huh? I just think

> > it's important to put her in her place since many of the parents on

> > parents.com have not learned of the autism/mercury connection or

> > biomed intervention. Want to make sure the " right " message is out

> > their!

> >

> > Sara

> >

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

did anyone else try to access her links? Each one I clicked on was 404 file not found.

From: EOHarm [mailto:EOHarm ] On Behalf Of taylorleea1Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 3:28 AMEOHarm Subject: Re: Help

Sara, You may want to note this definition when you go onto the other board. It makes it much easier to deal with people like Dangermama. This tac was quite evident once the said "troll" began subversively attacking parents and their beliefs. She had no intention to debate and no agenda other than to provoke. Troll:n. An individual who chronically trolls in sense 1; regularly posts specious arguments, flames or personal attacks to a newsgroup, discussion list, or in email for no other purpose than to annoy someone or disrupt a discussion. Trolls are recognizable by the fact that they have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand -they simply want to utter flame bait. Like the ugly creatures they are named after, they exhibit no redeeming characteristics, and as such, they are recognized as a lower form of life on the net, as in, "Oh, ignore him, he's just a troll."Now Lucid on the otherhand is what we call a Lurker. And after lurking at EOH became a troll. Kisses> > > Thanks for posting. Dangermoma is piece of work, huh? I just think> > > it's important to put her in her place since many of the parents on> > > parents.com have not learned of the autism/mercury connection or> > > biomed intervention. Want to make sure the "right" message is out> > > their! > > > > > > Sara> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------> >

[Guest guest]

: Don't rule out the idea that " dangermama " is a male physician

in digital drag. After all, this is the Internet.

> > > Thanks for posting. Dangermoma is piece of work, huh? I just

think

> > > it's important to put her in her place since many of the

parents on

> > > parents.com have not learned of the autism/mercury connection

or

> > > biomed intervention. Want to make sure the " right " message is

out

> > > their!

> > >

> > > Sara

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> >

[Guest guest]

, you might be right that Dangermama could be a physician. And as we all

know,

physicians are always right. ;-)

That said, I'm shutting down the foundation and dismantling our website!

HA!

[Guest guest]

Don't miss Dr McCarthy at parents. He needs an education too.

[Guest guest]

Need an online copy of the second Wall Steet Journal Article featuring Tim Buie, I have print copies only and only downloaded the first article to my files.

or any other help for this Mom

thanks

Hello Everyone,> This inquiry is for a 3y/o nv autistic boy who has really started to really try to hurt himself(alot of banging his head on the floor,throwing himself around)and trying to hurt others.He is in the hospital w/mom and it does not seem that the Dr's are looking for physical causes for this.I remember another child who became violent suddenly and someone?mentioned pyrolia(probably spelled wrong ,sorry)> would someone know ,or have a reference I can share with her about what might be causing this> Thank you> theresa

Discover Stay in touch with email, IM, photo sharing more. Check it out!

[Guest guest]

Dr Krigsman's presentation is on the Thoughtful House website , perhaps that will be of use to her?

Re: Help

Need an online copy of the second Wall Steet Journal Article featuring Tim Buie, I have print copies only and only downloaded the first article to my files.

or any other help for this Mom

thanks

Hello Everyone,> This inquiry is for a 3y/o nv autistic boy who has really started to really try to hurt himself(alot of banging his head on the floor,throwing himself around)and trying to hurt others.He is in the hospital w/mom and it does not seem that the Dr's are looking for physical causes for this.I remember another child who became violent suddenly and someone?mentioned pyrolia(probably spelled wrong ,sorry)> would someone know ,or have a reference I can share with her about what might be causing this> Thank you> theresa

Discover Stay in touch with email, IM, photo sharing & more. Check it out!

[Guest guest]

I have that on file - thanks. Buie was pretty direct about the gut issues sometimes being the root of the pain. These stories just upset me so much. I was talking to a mom one day at church her 3 yr old was smashing his head on a cement floor. Thankfully she put him on the GFCF and he is doing well now.

AutismHelp4WA <autismhelp4wa@...> wrote:

Dr Krigsman's presentation is on the Thoughtful House website , perhaps that will be of use to her?

Re: Help

Need an online copy of the second Wall Steet Journal Article featuring Tim Buie, I have print copies only and only downloaded the first article to my files.

or any other help for this Mom

thanks

Hello Everyone,> This inquiry is for a 3y/o nv autistic boy who has really started to really try to hurt himself(alot of banging his head on the floor,throwing himself around)and trying to hurt others.He is in the hospital w/mom and it does not seem that the Dr's are looking for physical causes for this.I remember another child who became violent suddenly and someone?mentioned pyrolia(probably spelled wrong ,sorry)> would someone know ,or have a reference I can share with her about what might be causing this> Thank you> theresa

Discover Stay in touch with email, IM, photo sharing & more. Check it out! __________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

The article you're looking for is included below. My son suffered

from undiagnosed acid reflux for over two years, between the ages of

2-4. He was up froom 1am to 5am almost every night for three years,

screaming and taking the house down. During every ER visit, we were

told it was " just autism, " our neurologist told us several times

that it was " just autism, " a developmental pediatrician (one that

had recently left Kennedy Krieger) said it was " just autism " and

nothing more than behavioral, that we should let him cry it out, try

risperdal, and on and on. Thank God my husband didn't give up and

kept making appointments with various specialists. Our ped.

gastroenterologist suggested an endoscopy. Two nights after starting

Prilosec, our son slept through the night for the first time in 4

years. What the hell is wrong with those in the medical community

who label a person as autistic and not human? If an individual has

autism, he or she can't experience pain, can't have a stomach ache,

broken arm, or migraine? It's always behavioral? How ludicrous,

dangerous, unethical, and immoral. The thought of what might have

happened to my child if his acid reflux remained undiagnosed makes

me SICK. He can't talk. He can't tell me where it hurts. The thought

of all the psych meds he'd be on to dope him up and numb him while

his esophagus eroded away... it'd be one thing if these docs offered

to run some tests, but to be written off after a ten-minute

discussion is another.

Amy

Here's the article:

The Wall Street Journal on Treating Autism

Treating the Body vs. the Mind - More on the Autism Treatment Network

[by Zimmerman for The Wall Street Journal. Available

online by

subscription only. Thanks again to Beth Noland.]

Many parents of autistic kids have long argued that something

other

than the disorder itself was causing some of their children's

problems. Now,

mainstream medicine is beginning to acknowledge that.

The idea, embraced by a growing number of top specialists, is

to treat

medical conditions that are common in autistic children.

These problems -- which include gastrointestinal disturbances,

sleep

disorders and food allergies -- may be contributing to the children's

behavioral difficulties. While such conditions are frequently

treatable,

they often go undetected due to lack of physician awareness and the

children's poor language skills.

Major hospitals, from Massachusetts General to the Cleveland

Clinic,

have begun aggressively treating underlying medical problems in

autistic

children, and researching how these problems may be linked to the

disorder's

symptoms. The movement got a big push this month when six hospitals

joined

together to form the Autism Treatment Network, aimed at coordinating

an

approach to a wide range of potential physical problems.

When 10-year-old Becky Sullivan began biting holes in her

wrists and

hitting her own face so hard that it bruised, two psychiatrists and a

neurologist told her mother the outbursts were behavioral problems

caused by

her autism. One suggested an antipsychotic medication, but that

didn't stop

the aggressive behavior.

Her mother then took Becky to Massachusetts General Hospital in

Boston, where a pediatric gastroenterologist found that Becky's

esophagus

was severely inflamed and covered with ulcers. Her violent behavior

likely

resulted from frustration with her inability to communicate the

excruciating

pain, the doctor concluded. Acid- reflux medicines halted the

problem almost

immediately. " She's a whole different kid, " says Becky's mother,

Jacquelyn

Sullivan of Quincy, Mass.

Autism is a broad term used to describe a spectrum of

developmental

disorders marked by language difficulties and emotional withdrawal.

Currently, there is little agreement about what causes it, or why its

incidence appears to have increased tenfold over the past decade.

Desperate parents have often stumbled through a morass of

conflicting

medical and behavioral advice, from intravenous supplements to

swimming with

dolphins.

Guidelines for an Exam The Autism Treatment Network, which

recently

began meeting, plans to draw up national guidelines for a thorough

physical

examination aimed at catching medical problems that appear to

disproportionately affect autistic children. The hospitals plan to

gather

data on patients and publish findings on the prevalence of different

medical

disorders in autistic children. Centers participating in the network

include

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; Cleveland Clinic Foundation,

Cleveland;

Columbia University Medical Center, New York; Massachusetts General

Hospital, Boston; Oregon Health & Science University, Portland,

Ore.; and

the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.

" What we are trying to standardize is the concept that

children with

autism can and do have health-care issues just like typical kids and

they

deserve the same degree of attention, evaluation and treatment, " says

Margaret Bauman, a pediatric neurologist at Massachusetts General

Hospital

and a member of the committee that will oversee the new consortium.

One of the first priorities of researchers will be to settle --

through clinical study -- the hotly debated question of whether

certain

medical conditions, such as acid reflux, diarrhea and other

gastrointestinal

maladies, are more common in autistic children than in other kids.

For example, sleep deprivation, which can cause irritability

and

social difficulties in healthy people of all ages, appears at least

at first

blush to be more common in autistic children. One small study found

that

more than 66% of autistic children suffer from insomnia or other

sleep

disturbances, compared with only 30% of typical children, says

,

co-director of the pediatric sleep clinic at Oregon Health & Science

University.

The autism network will soon begin collecting data on children

and

adolescents' sleep patterns. Researchers may also look for potential

causes

of the sleep problems, such as defects in the production of

melatonin, a

brain hormone that induces sleep, which preliminary work suggests

may be

produced at lower levels in autistic children.

Some parents already treat their autistic children with over-

the-

counter supplements, but there's little proof they work.

Another area getting increased attention is food allergies.

Scientists at Massachusetts General and across the country

have begun

looking for the reason that many autistic people appear unable to

tolerate

certain foods, such as wheat and dairy. Early research suggests the

children

have very " permeable guts, " a term that means the intestines allow

certain

substances to cross into the bloodstream that would normally be

blocked,

says Buie, the gastroenterologist who treated Becky Sullivan.

One theory of how this relates to autism is that the small

proteins of

wheat and milk could bind to cell receptors in the brain and alter a

child's

mental state.

Fade, a Medina, Wash., venture capitalist and parent

of an

autistic child who helped organize and raise funds for the new

consortium,

says he eliminated wheat and dairy from son Mitch's diet four years

ago. The

then-6-year-old's temper tantrums and anxiety decreased

dramatically, and

the unpleasant rashes on his body went away, his father says. The

dietary

change didn't cure his autism, diagnosed at age 2, notes Mr. Fade,

but

" there's a night-and-day difference in what he can do. "

Another area the network will research is so-called metabolic

disorders, where the body can't properly break down important

biochemicals.

One related problem that appears to affect a small percentage of

autistic

children is a malfunction in the mitochondria, small intra-cellular

bodies

that produce the energy needed to fuel the body, says Marvin

Natowicz, a

medical geneticist in the neurology department at the Cleveland

Clinic. A

mitochondrial malfunction could be responsible for the extreme

exhaustion

found in some autistic children, Dr. Natowicz says. It could also be

somehow

causing other symptoms as disparate as seizures, significant

diarrhea and

even constipation.

Supplements and Vitamins

Some physicians have tried giving high doses of certain

vitamins such

as B2, B1 and C, which are believed to aid aspects of mitochondrial

function. Another approach is to give supplements such as

antioxidants or

carnitine, an amino-acid derivative, which scientists believe can

neutralize

the buildup of certain compounds if the mitochondria aren't working

properly. The consortium plans to gather data on children with a

series of

tests to screen for chromosomal and metabolic disorders.

Until more is known, many doctors say parents with autistic

children

who are acting out should press their pediatricians to keep looking

for

possible medical causes -- and seek multiple opinions from

specialists if

necessary. " If the kid is being aggressive, self injurious, or

otherwise

exhibiting odd behavior or symptoms, parents should be unwilling to

accept

that as 'autism' behavior until proven otherwise, " Dr. Buie says.

> Need an online copy of the second Wall Steet Journal Article

featuring Tim Buie, I have print copies only and only downloaded the

first article to my files.

>

> or any other help for this Mom

> thanks

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you -- I will look those up!

Amy

> Yes Amy about all you said and you should start thinking about

giving your

> son pure bentonite clay and also spirulina.

>

> Mark Sircus Ac., OMD

> Director International Medical Veritas Association

>

>

>

>

> The article you're looking for is included below. My son suffered

> from undiagnosed acid reflux for over two years, between the ages

of

> 2-4. He was up froom 1am to 5am almost every night for three years,

> screaming and taking the house down. During every ER visit, we were