new article mentions DAN recovery

[Guest guest]

I found this interesting because it mentioned DAN and biomedical not

genetic disorder

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1228spellingboy1228.html

Autistic fifth-grader, the spelling bee champ, is doing well in

regular class

Autistic fifth-grader, the spelling bee champ at his school in Tempe,

is doing well in regular class

Karina Bland

The Arizona Republic

Dec. 28, 2006 12:00 AM

Ten-year-old Theo Vermaas won the spelling bee this month at Broadmor

Elementary School in Tempe, the first time he's ever won anything.

This also is the first time Theo, who is autistic, has been part of a

regular classroom, doing the kinds of things typical fifth-graders do.

He writes short mysteries that include characters from school, like

the principal, who appears as an evil witch in his latest story. At

recess, he plays kickball with other kids, racking up 72 home runs so

far.

Statewide, 3,574 autistic children are in public schools, often

taught in separate programs or classrooms.

The goal is to get them, like Theo, into regular classrooms, says

Camela -Cook, program specialist for special-needs students in

the Tempe Elementary School District.

" We want them to have all of those rich school experiences, " she says.

For some special-needs children, that may never happen because of the

extent of their disabilities.

Autism is a neurobiological disorder that interrupts normal

development of language and socialization. Many people with autism

also have unusual ways of learning or reacting to noise or other

stimuli. That can make being in a regular classroom difficult.

So, when it's appropriate, those students join other kids for music

or recess. The law requires that special-needs students be in the

least restrictive environment.

Of the eight students in the Structured Education for Alternative

Learning Styles, or SEALS, program at Broadmor, two are in regular

classrooms with the help of an aide.

A year of change

In the morning bustle of his classroom, Theo doesn't seem much

different from the other kids, except it's cold outside and he's in

shorts and a T-shirt. His mother says he doesn't seem to feel the

cold and won't wrap up.

" Theo, I understand you have a new story to share with us. Is that

right? " his teacher, Gibbons, asks.

" Of course, " he says.

At the start of the school year, Theo would write just a few lines

and only if he had to. Now he is producing stories that cover five

sheets of notebook paper, with plot twists and dialogue.

After morning announcements, Theo stands in front of the whiteboard

to read his story about graffiti that mysteriously appears at the

school and how a young detective must figure out who did it.

He reads too quickly, and Gibbons puts her hand on his shoulder: " Go

slow. "

This is the first time she has taught an autistic child. She treats

Theo as much like her other students as possible. The way she sees

it, " They all have strengths and weaknesses. They all have the

ability to learn and grow. You have to give them that opportunity. "

His classmates clap when he's finished. He grins and pulls on his

bottom lip.

When called to read aloud, Theo used to stand with his back to the

other students. Now he tells his classmates that his next story will

be about a huge fissure that surfaces at school and swallows Gibbons.

(The class is studying land formations in science.)

" Oh, dear, " Gibbons says. " Are you going to rescue me? "

Novel treatment helped

Theo writes his mysteries in a day. His own story has been years in

the making.

Theo didn't speak until he was 3, said his mother, Meiny Vermaas. He

wouldn't say " Mommy " or " Daddy, " but he would spell out the words on

an electronic toy.

" I saw this very brilliant child basically trapped because he could

not express himself, " Vermaas said.

Her husband, Wim, teaches molecular genetics and genomics at Arizona

State University. Their 17-year-old son, Josh, already is a senior at

ASU. He's studying computational math, physics and biochemistry.

But, in first grade, Theo spent as much time in the principal's

office as the classroom. He would throw tantrums, sometimes a dozen a

day. A developmental pediatrician diagnosed him with autism.

His parents decided against medication and instead follow a treatment

regime based on the thinking of a group called Defeat Autism Now,

which views autism not as a brain disorder but as a metabolic

disorder that affects the brain.

It includes a gluten- and caseine-free diet, supplements and

vitamins. Theo has been through neurofeedback and sensory integration

learning to help him deal with all the sounds, textures and movement

of his world.

Vermaas credits that regime with how her son was able to stand on

stage in front of a cafeteria full of people for the spelling bee.

Round after round, Theo correctly spelled the words he was given,

never asking for them to be repeated or for their

meaning: " exhume, " " mentor " and, for the win, " durable. "

A roar swept through the cafeteria.

" The kids were cheering. I mean, they were really cheering, " his

mother said. " Think about what that means to a child who has always

been on the periphery. It is just absolutely incredible. "

Theo will compete in the district competition on Jan. 24. School

officials don't know for sure if he's the first child with autism to

compete because it's the child's ability to spell that matters, not

his disability.

Since he won the school spelling bee, a new character has appeared in

his stories: " Theo, the Spelling Bee Champion. "

Can kids with autism attend regular schools?

Students with mild autism sometimes can go to regular schools. But

most kids with autism need calmer, more orderly surroundings. They

also need teachers trained to understand the problems they have with

communicating and learning. They may learn at home or in special

classes at public or private schools.

How is autism treated?

There is no cure for autism, but doctors, therapists and special

teachers can help kids with autism overcome or adjust to many

difficulties. The earlier a child starts treatment for autism, the

better.

Source: KidsHealth at www.kidshealth.org /kid/health

_problems /brain/autism.html

Talking with your kids about kids with autism

What is it? Autism causes kids to experience the world differently

than most other kids. It's hard for them to talk with other people

and express themselves using words. Kids who have autism often keep

to themselves. They also may react to what's going on around them in

unusual ways. Normal sounds may really bother someone with autism.

Being touched, even gently, may feel uncomfortable.