Autism Spectrum

The Autism Spectrum   l   Autism from the Inside
Gifted   l   AD/HD   l   Twice Exceptional   l   Visual Spatial   l   Various LDs   l   Assessment Tools

It is unfortunate that the diagnosis of autism has for too long been associated with the stigma of mental illness. With new advances in neuroscience, that model is, albeit slowly, being discarded. Thanks in part to the unceasing efforts of dedicated parents with children and other adults on "the spectrum", it is becoming better understood as a neurological/neurodevelopmental dis-order having an important biochemical/nutritional component. Parents unwilling to accept the idea of a diagnosis that implies a static condition have worked hard, individually and collectively to improve the health and wellbeing of their children. In doing so, they are showing us that many of the "signs" of autism are actually symptoms of biochemical and neurological challenges that can sometimes be greatly aided with the right kind of intervention.

This is not to say that autism per se is a "sentence". Or that the individual with autism is "broken" and needs to be repaired like a broken car. Rather, many of the issues the autistic person has to deal with while living in our modern world are often the cause of unnecessary physical and emotional/psychological pain. If we can reduce some of the obstacles to effective functioning, such as de-stressing overloaded sensory systems, calming neurological pathways, repairing some of the damage to related biochemical systems involved with digestion and detoxification (for instance), the long term effects could be very positive and life-affirming. Definitely some of the stigma, isolation and self-esteem issues associated with living with non-neurotypical issues will be lessened when there is an improved ability to cope with the many and varied environmental demands of our particular culture.
Which the autistic community, with a lot of truth, could tell us a peculiar culture. =8^D

It is my experience, as a mother of a thrice-exceptional son whose challenges involve many of the issues of the autistic spectrum, environmental illness (now called multiple chemical sensitivities), chronic fatique, chronic asthma/bronchitis and gifted/learning disabilities, that these health and neurological issues cannot be addressed effectively by an single modality. Over the years I have addressed one or a few issues at a time, with some limited success.

Having explored the cognitive/neurodevelopmental options, I have had the opportunity to learn some of the foundational concepts behind some of the more popular ones.

My efforts to find effective ways to deal with the chronic bronchitis and other illnesses caused by environmental "triggers" without recourse to allopathic drugs have given me an arsenal of "alternative" treatments, that while not as "quick and painless" as prescription/over the counter drugs, have also not had the same destructive effect on the immune system as, say, the extensive use of antibiotics.

Seven years on special diets for my family (we all have health and sensory/neurological issues to some degree) has given me a chance to see the pros and cons of such a diet. While it seemed necessary at the time, due to the severe health problems, if I had known what I know now, I may have chosen a modified diet and other options.

What I have learned is that the "typical" North American lifestyle is not healthy for our kids or ourselves. I'm talking about diet (food additives, modified "food", processed foods with no live enzymes, pesticides and hormones in food - ie arsenic feed to chickens in the USA), the use of household cleaners (for instance, chlorine-based cleaners which the body interprets as estrogenic-producing chemicals), the cosmetic use of pesticides (higher than "normal" levels of organo-phosphate pesticides have been implicated in urine tests of autistic subjects) and last but not least, the "modern day" stress that we live with in our fast-paced society. (reflected in our school system, our work lives, etc)

I think that's the tip of the iceberg. For more specifics, I've included a number of links that may be helpful.

This list of resources is by no means complete.


Margaret Romanowitch

**********

• The HANDLE Institute
  
  
• Frequently Over-looked Issues
  An interesting and informative place to start reading some of HANDLE's basic premises.
  
  
• Enzyme Stuff: the wonderful world of digestive enzymes
  Karen Defelice's website on the use of digestive enzymes for people on the "spectrum". She has written three books on the subject, from the perspective of a mom and a scientist. Her site provides a lot of related information, and link to a discussion list.
  
  
• Dana's View from the Inside
  This mom has a wealth of information to share on her site, both in her perspectives and her treatment of her family. She has done a lot of work, with good results, to treat the many health imbalances which seem so prevalent with ASD. Plan to spend a lot of time here!
  
  
• Spectrum Supplements
  A Canadian source of many of the most effective biochemical supplements created for the treatment of ASD
  
  
• Environmental triggers are a neglected component of autism research
  There is no doubt that an environmental factor has contributed to the dramatic increase in the incidence of autism over the past 15 years. Genetic factors are a component in the condition—concurrent rates of autism in identical twins approach 90 percent—but rates of inherited genetic diseases do not change abruptly in one generation, whereas autism rates skyrocketed during the 1990s.
  
  
• National Vaccine Information Center
  Vaccines have been implicated in the onset of some cases of autism and auto-immune disorders.
  
  
• Autism – Present Challenges, Future Needs – Why the Increased Rates?
  Through our organization, Unlocking Autism, we have talked to thousands and thousands of parents from across the country and their story is the same. Child is normal, child gets a vaccine, child disappears within days or weeks into the abyss of autism.
  
  
• Dispelling vaccination Myths:
  An Introduction to the Contradictions Between Medical Science and Immunization Policy
  
  
• It can be confusing for parents/professionals to try to sift through the volumous information available on the internet about natural therapies for children on the autism spectrum.
  
  This is especially so as there is such a wide range of responses to these therapies. Some people believe adamantly in a particular therapy that helped their children, while others had very different experiences.
  
  However, parents who have worked with some of these therapies are valuable resources, as they see the effects day in and day out over a wider time frame and in a more personal environment than many professionals who offer services to the autistic community. The challenge is to find what works for your child. The label of autism can not define the uniqueness of the manifestations of challenges for each individual.
  
  The following link is included to warn people about a fairly large group of websites (which often link to each other) which falsely claim expertise and unbiased critiques on natural/alternative therapies. (although the conclusions are always negative)
  The aim of these sites seems to be to discourage people from straying outside the boundaries of officially sanctioned Western medicine in general, and the pharmaceutical industry in particular.
  
  My advice is to find out for youself. Ask questions, talk to people who've had direct experience with the therapies you are interested in learning about. Look at the kind of issues the therapies are used for. Usually one can discern some kind of pattern between the therapy and the issues it is most effective at helping.
  
  And remember...each of us is unique. Therapies work best when adapted to the individual, not the other way around.
  
  
• Quackbuster/Quackwatch Founder Stephen Barrett, a "de-licensed" psychiatrist and self-proclaimed medical expert on "quackery" is famous for his attacks on chiropractic and most natural therapies. This despite losing every defamation lawsuit he has made against natural health practitioners and conceding in court his ties to the AMA, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
  
  
• Bill C-384: Assisted euthanasia, dispelling the myths
  MYTH #5: "It is not a threat to the lives of people with disabilities or other vulnerable people."
  
  
• What are some of the criticisms being leveled against Bill C-384? Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Newsletter June 2009: "Bill C-384 directly threatens the lives of people with disabilities and/or people with chronic conditions. People with disabilities and chronic conditions are often perceived as being without any prospect of relief."
  
  Licia Corbella, "Legalized euthanasia leads to no choice, ever" in Calgary Herald (16 May 2009): "When proponents of euthanasia speak, they refer almost exclusively to elderly, terminally ill people in excruciating pain being the recipients of [euthanasia], as Lalonde calls it, 'ultimate compassion.' But when you read the small print, her bill includes depressed 18-year-olds who refuse 'appropriate treatments' like say, refusing to take their Prozac. So killing off depressed teens who refuse their meds is now 'ultimate compassion.' The euphemism is nauseating."
  
  
• Kids Called Nerds: Challenge and Hope For Children With Mild Pervasive Developmental Disorders
  by Nicholas Putnam
  
  
• Gifted Children With Asperger's Syndrome
  a comprehensive overview
  by Maureen Neihart
  
  
• Giftedness and Asperger's Syndrome;
  
  By Ellen Notbohm
  
  
• Ten Things Your Student With Autism Wishes You Knew
  by Maureen Neihart
  
  
• Center for the Study of Autism
  
  
• Autism Society of Canada
  
  
• Autism Treatment Alternatives
  by Dr. Mary Ann Block
  
  



---

• The following excerpt was written by a woman with Asperger's. I think that what she had to say in response to an abusive post is important to be shared. Like many people on the Autistic Spectrum, she has had first-hand experience with being the recipient of mean-spirited treatment by "neurotypicals" who hide their ignorance behind prejudice.
  
  It seems ironic that while people on the spectrum may make social blunders, it is the "normal" population that displays the greater capacity for lack of empathy; certainly for malice with forethought.
  Something to think about...
  
  *****
  **I too suffer from Asperger's as does my son. The lack of empathy sometimes cited as a characteristic of Asperger's does not refer to a callousness toward the feelings of others, but rather to an inability to decipher from things like body language and expression what others are thinking or feeling. Consequently, people with Asperger's are often socially awkward and miss cues that are obvious to others. In place of an absent social sense, we often learn "rules" of behavior by observing others. Unfortunately, the rules we absorb don't apply to all situations and are useless in new situations. The resulting missteps sometimes unintentionally give offense to others or provoke scorn and ridicule.
  
  People with Asperger's typically suffer deeply as a result from the cruelty of others, are often bullied as children and isolated as adults. The rate of clinical depression among this group runs as high as 56%, anxiety disorders are also common and the suicide rate is higher than that of the general population.**
       Chesire
  
  
• An Inside View of Autism
  by Temple Grandin
  
  
• Weird Kids.Com
  Our Thought-Provoking Ideas about Socialization (and homeschooling)
  by Tammy G
  
  
• The Mind Within
  A collection of writings about the subject of autism, and especially about Asperger Syndrome
  
  
• Bettelheim's Worse Crime;
  Autism and the Epidemic of Irresponsibility
  by Michelle Dawson