ExtraDAN: Sidney Baker introductory remarks

[Guest guest]

This is not his " talk " but some introductory remarks in the General

Session where both parents and practitioners heard the same

presentations. The following text is from pages 5 and 6 in the

conference book. I just copied it here because it basically sums up

his message. In particular, he focused on the ever changing and

evolving nature of autism treatment and research, the tension and

trade-off of official testing vs parents " trying " interventions,

theories being pursued which don't pan out, and the very strong

polarization of topics and opinions involved. [so I hope no one is

terrible " alarmed " if there are strong opinions, apparently this is

the nature of AS interventions and par for the course]. .

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

DAN 2001 San Diego – Welcome

Chances are this is your first DAN Conference.

If so, you have joined a conversation that is already in progress.

The conversation began when Dr. Rimland and I, soon join by Dr. Jon

Pangborn, planned a gathering of clinicians, researchers, and parents

in Dallas in 1995 to discuss biomedical approaches to autistic

children. The biomedical focus, we all agreed, was not intended to

downplay other diagnostic and therapeutic options. We felt that the

voice of parents with observations and questions in the realm of

biochemistry and immunology deserved a concentrated effort.

Our intention then and now was to bring the best information about

new findings to a forum where parents and clinicians could form

private health policy. The threshold for private health decisions for

each of us is lower than for decisions made by those who weigh the

best choices for all of us. Private health decisions are made with

necessary haste and formed with the certainty that each of us is an

individual. Public health decisions are necessarily slow and seek the

certainty of statistical proofs that assume that we are all the same.

It usually takes about 20 years for research findings that look

reasonable when first published to be hardened in the crucible of

science to the point of reforming the basis of public policy. The

question is whether intelligent heads-up citizens have the right, if

not the obligation, to take steps based on their own risk/benefit

assessment of information while it is traveling in the long pipeline

from initial reports to public policy.

Let me give you an example. The initial reports of the efficacy of a

B vitamin, folic acid, in preventing serious birth defects appeared

in 1975. A reasonable woman or her clinician at the time could easily

have decided on a modest prenatal supplement of folic acid.

Scientists, many of whom came with an attitude that " this couldn't be

so, so it can't be so " put the question to tests (large studies

involving giving placebos to pregnant women to observe their higher

rate of malformed babies) that took 20 years before folic acid

supplementation became a matter of public policy.

Many of the issues you will hear discussed at the DAN Conference are

of the same ilk as the 1975 folic acid reports. They are on the

cutting edge. This edge needs careful handling. Careful handling

means a commitment on the part of practitioners and parents to engage

in an intelligent dialog about reasonable options for using today's

knowledge to help children who cannot wait twenty years for answers.

This conference is part of an ongoing process that began with

scientific consideration. This DAN Conference is a chance for all of

us to listen to many children's collective stories considered in ways

that light the path for other children as we try together to chart a

path through the mysterious territory of autism and related problems.

Your search for the best options for your child or the children under

your care as a professional has brought you to a meeting where just

about every issue under discussion is the subject of a highly

polarized debate in medicine. These issues are:

- The clinical relevance of fungal over-colonization of the gut

following antibiotics and/or a high carbohydrate diets.

- The value of nutritional supplements as therapeutic agents

- The safety of multiple simultaneous immunizations

- The individuality of thresholds for heavy metal toxicity

- The value of heavy metal detoxification

- The finding by Dr. Wakefield and his associates of a distinctive

autistic enterocolitis associated wit the presence of measles virus

in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue

- The clinical benefits of secretin

- The reality of the epidemic of autism

- Gluten and casein sensitivity and their spectrum of clinical

expression

- The behavioral toxicology of food additive

- The behavioral toxicology of food allergies

Each of these issues may engender passionate disagreement on the part

of clinicians and researchers, leaving parents mystified that science

can, at times, be so personal and so divided on issues crucial to

decisions they must make for their children. Our job in this meeting

is, as best we can, to illuminate the facts and let them speak for

themselves.

On behalf of the faculty, Dr. Rimland and The Autism Research

Institute, the Exhibitors and Sponsors of this meeting, and the

children we love I wish you a warm welcome and best wishes for good

listening.

Sidney Mac Baker, MD

[Guest guest]

does anyhave sidney baker phone number? And is it

possible that i could call rimland and talk with him

somone i think had mentioned this to me? Is there

tapes on this conference?

--- kjorn@... wrote:

> This is not his " talk " but some introductory remarks

> in the General

> Session where both parents and practitioners heard

> the same

> presentations. The following text is from pages 5

> and 6 in the

> conference book. I just copied it here because it

> basically sums up

> his message. In particular, he focused on the ever

> changing and

> evolving nature of autism treatment and research,

> the tension and

> trade-off of official testing vs parents " trying "

> interventions,

> theories being pursued which don't pan out, and the

> very strong

> polarization of topics and opinions involved. [so I

> hope no one is

> terrible " alarmed " if there are strong opinions,

> apparently this is

> the nature of AS interventions and par for the

> course]. .

>

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

> DAN 2001 San Diego – Welcome

>

> Chances are this is your first DAN Conference.

>

> If so, you have joined a conversation that is

> already in progress.

> The conversation began when Dr. Rimland and I, soon

> join by Dr. Jon

> Pangborn, planned a gathering of clinicians,

> researchers, and parents

> in Dallas in 1995 to discuss biomedical approaches

> to autistic

> children. The biomedical focus, we all agreed, was

> not intended to

> downplay other diagnostic and therapeutic options.

> We felt that the

> voice of parents with observations and questions in

> the realm of

> biochemistry and immunology deserved a concentrated

> effort.

>

> Our intention then and now was to bring the best

> information about

> new findings to a forum where parents and clinicians

> could form

> private health policy. The threshold for private

> health decisions for

> each of us is lower than for decisions made by those

> who weigh the

> best choices for all of us. Private health decisions

> are made with

> necessary haste and formed with the certainty that

> each of us is an

> individual. Public health decisions are necessarily

> slow and seek the

> certainty of statistical proofs that assume that we

> are all the same.

> It usually takes about 20 years for research

> findings that look

> reasonable when first published to be hardened in

> the crucible of

> science to the point of reforming the basis of

> public policy. The

> question is whether intelligent heads-up citizens

> have the right, if

> not the obligation, to take steps based on their own

> risk/benefit

> assessment of information while it is traveling in

> the long pipeline

> from initial reports to public policy.

>

> Let me give you an example. The initial reports of

> the efficacy of a

> B vitamin, folic acid, in preventing serious birth

> defects appeared

> in 1975. A reasonable woman or her clinician at the

> time could easily

> have decided on a modest prenatal supplement of

> folic acid.

> Scientists, many of whom came with an attitude that

> " this couldn't be

> so, so it can't be so " put the question to tests

> (large studies

> involving giving placebos to pregnant women to

> observe their higher

> rate of malformed babies) that took 20 years before

> folic acid

> supplementation became a matter of public policy.

>

> Many of the issues you will hear discussed at the

> DAN Conference are

> of the same ilk as the 1975 folic acid reports. They

> are on the

> cutting edge. This edge needs careful handling.

> Careful handling

> means a commitment on the part of practitioners and

> parents to engage

> in an intelligent dialog about reasonable options

> for using today's

> knowledge to help children who cannot wait twenty

> years for answers.

> This conference is part of an ongoing process that

> began with

> scientific consideration. This DAN Conference is a

> chance for all of

> us to listen to many children's collective stories

> considered in ways

> that light the path for other children as we try

> together to chart a

> path through the mysterious territory of autism and

> related problems.

>

> Your search for the best options for your child or

> the children under

> your care as a professional has brought you to a

> meeting where just

> about every issue under discussion is the subject of

> a highly

> polarized debate in medicine. These issues are:

> - The clinical relevance of fungal over-colonization

> of the gut

> following antibiotics and/or a high carbohydrate

> diets.

> - The value of nutritional supplements as

> therapeutic agents

> - The safety of multiple simultaneous immunizations

> - The individuality of thresholds for heavy metal

> toxicity

> - The value of heavy metal detoxification

> - The finding by Dr. Wakefield and his associates of

> a distinctive

> autistic enterocolitis associated wit the presence

> of measles virus

> in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue

> - The clinical benefits of secretin

> - The reality of the epidemic of autism

> - Gluten and casein sensitivity and their spectrum

> of clinical

> expression

> - The behavioral toxicology of food additive

> - The behavioral toxicology of food allergies

>

> Each of these issues may engender passionate

> disagreement on the part

> of clinicians and researchers, leaving parents

> mystified that science

> can, at times, be so personal and so divided on

> issues crucial to

> decisions they must make for their children. Our job

> in this meeting

> is, as best we can, to illuminate the facts and let

> them speak for

> themselves.

>

> On behalf of the faculty, Dr. Rimland and The Autism

> Research

> Institute, the Exhibitors and Sponsors of this

> meeting, and the

> children we love I wish you a warm welcome and best

> wishes for good

> listening.

>

> Sidney Mac Baker, MD

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sidney Baker's phone number is 203 227-8444. I have called ARI and talked

to Dr. Rimland a few times so I assume it is possible. I don't know about

the tapes but usually at some point after the conference Dr. Rimland sends

out a mailing offering tapes for sale. Pat

> ExtraDAN: Sidney Baker introductory remarks

>

>does anyhave sidney baker phone number? And is it

>possible that i could call rimland and talk with him

>somone i think had mentioned this to me? Is there

>tapes on this conference?