Posted on 04/07/2015 8:33:24 AM PDT by Oldpuppymax
April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day was inaugurated by a UN Resolution (62/139), adopted by the General Assembly on December 18, 2007. This soon transformed into Autism Awareness Month, which spawned Autism Acceptance Month in 2011 (more on that later). No doubt, a condition affecting approximately 1 in 68 children in the US (according to the CDC) is worthy of a month’s recognition. Compare that figure to the 1 in 150 rate, reported in 2000.
In keeping with the proclamation, let us become aware, and try not to get smothered by the semantics…
The term “autism” was first used in 1911 by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who presumably invoked the Greek autos, meaning “self.” Bleuler was describing the behavior of many schizophrenics, withdrawing into their own inner world. But it was the brilliant Dr. Leo Kanner, founder of child psychiatry, later assisted by Dr. Leon Eisenberg, who would produce the definitive works on this disease.
In a 1956 paper entitled “Early Infantile Autism 1943–1955,” Kanner and Eisenberg distilled the former’s five diagnostic criteria down to these two features, whereby the typical clinical picture would reliably present…
1. A profound lack of affective contact
2. Repetitive, ritualistic behavior, which must be of an elaborate kind
At the time, it was noted that this condition might be observed in one to two children per 10,000. Moreover, one of Kanner’s original criteria was “A fascination for objects, which are handled with skill in fine motor movements.” Thus, we have a big problem from the get-go. Contrary to Kanner’s precepts, most of today’s “autistic” kids are affectionate, and have lost gross or fine motor skills.
Also, contrary to at least the spirit of Kanner’s work, today’s autism comprises an entire “spectrum” of symptoms and severity of symptoms, such that Bill Gates...
(Excerpt) Read more at coachisright.com ...
Considering that Free Republic consists of an average mix of parents who have kids ... and from a medical standpoint (not political) ... we can say that about ONE IN FORTY FReeper parents who have boys ... find that their child has AUTISM!
That’s a considerable number of Freepers!
My six-year-old son is high functioning ASD. We are starting week two of hyperbaric chamber therapy. Pray for him!
I was told that autism happens because the baby doesn’t get enough fat in his formula, and his brain doesn’t develop.
They blamed the mothers who worried about having a fat kid.
(per a Graduate student in an Epidemiology program)
I also heard it was caused from birth control pills.
I don’t mean to offend or blame anybody. I would like to be given facts to DISPROVE what I’ve been told.
(My “autism” is most likely fetal alcohol syndrome, for my mom drank beer when she carried me, and never got sick. I ended up an alcoholic beer drinker with people problems and MI.)
My kids never had formula, and we do not follow Big Gov’s faulty food pyramid. We eat a lot of coconut oil, olive oil, butter, and meat fats. We take it easy on the simple carbs. All five of us are at healthy weights, and my husband and I also weight train. The kids are extremely active. I now know that hormonal BC is the devil’s spawn, but I was off of them long before my first pregnancy (not that it was long enough).
The nurse running the hyperbaric chamber did his Ph. D. work on autism and hyperbaric chamber therapy. His theory is that for whatever reason (perhaps including those you stated) certain parts of the brain don’t get enough oxygen. This is what causes the autistic “quirks”; i.e., humming, arm flapping, stimming, chewing on objects, etc. The hyperbaric chamber helps the brain create more capillaries, and therefore more oxygen can reach more areas.
Thanks for your explanations. I hadn’t heard about the Hyperbolic chamber. Thanks.
I should also add that we eat mostly real food: no HFCS, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, or MSG. When my son does get ahold of these things, usually accidentally at school, his issues are much worse. The school learned the hard way, and luckily learned that my request he not eat this stuff wasn’t me being “that mom.” After a particularly bad emotional meltdown from M&Ms, the school has decided that none of the students need the amount of this stuff that they’ve been having. We now try to do fresh fruit, pretzels, real food granola bars, bottled water, and real orange juice.
Here’s a warning to consumers about that ...
— — —
Beware of False or Misleading Claims for Treating Autism
FDA Cracks Down on False Claims
April is National Autism Awareness Month, a fitting time to think about the growing need for concern and awareness about autism.
One thing that is important to know up front: There is no cure for autism. So, products or treatments claiming to “cure” autism do not work as claimed. The same is true of many products claiming to “treat” autism. Some may carry significant health risks.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays an important role in warning these companies against making false or misleading claims.
About Autism
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 1in 68 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASDs are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and are almost five times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252).
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describe autistic children as having difficulties with social interaction, displaying problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, exhibiting repetitive behaviors and having narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling.
“Autism varies widely in severity and symptoms,” says Amy Taylor, M.D., M.H.S., a pediatrician at FDA. “Existing autism therapies and interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about improvement,” she adds.
In addition, FDA has approved medications that can help some people manage related symptoms of ASD. For example, the FDA has approved the use of antipsychotics such as risperidone and aripripazole to treat children 5 or 6 years of age and older who have severe tantrums or aggression and self-injurious behavior. Before using any behavioral intervention or drug therapy (prescription or over-the-counter), check with your health care professional.
The Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT), a not-for-profit organization of parents and professionals committed to improving the education, treatment, and care of people with autism, says that since autism was first identified, there has been a long history of failed treatments and fads.
FDA Cracks Down on False Claims
According to Gary Coody, R.Ph., FDA’s national health fraud coordinator, the agency has warned a number of companies that they are facing possible legal action if they continue to make false or misleading claims about products and therapies claiming to treat or cure autism. Some of these so-called therapies carry significant health risks and include:
— “Chelation Therapies.” These products claim to cleanse the body of toxic chemicals and heavy metals by binding to them and “removing” them from circulation. They come in a number of forms, including sprays, suppositories, capsules, liquid drops and clay baths. FDA-approved chelating agents are approved for specific uses, such as the treatment of lead poisoning and iron overload, and are available by prescription only. FDA-approved prescription chelation therapy products should only be used under medical supervision. Chelating important minerals needed by the body can lead to serious and life-threatening outcomes.
— Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. This involves breathing oxygen in a pressurized chamber and has been cleared by FDA for certain medical uses, such as treating decompression sickness suffered by divers. It has not been cleared for autism, among other conditions.
— Miracle Mineral Solution. Also known as Miracle Mineral Supplement and MMS, this product becomes a potent chemical that‘s used as bleach when mixed according to package directions. FDA has received reports of consumers who say they experienced nausea, severe vomiting and life-threatening low blood pressure after drinking the MMS and citrus juice mixture.
— Detoxifying Clay Baths. Added to bath water, these products claim to draw out chemical toxins, pollutants and heavy metals from the body, falsely offering “dramatic improvement” for autism symptoms.
— Coconut kefir and other probiotic products. These marketed products claim to treat autism and gastrointestinal illnesses associated with autism. They have not been proven safe and effective for these advertised uses.
Coody offers some quick tips to help you identify false or misleading claims.
- Be suspicious of products that claim to treat a wide range of diseases.
- Personal testimonials are no substitute for scientific evidence.
- Few diseases or conditions can be treated quickly, so be suspicious of any therapy claimed as a “quick fix.”
- So-called “miracle cures,” which claim scientific breakthroughs and secret ingredients, may be a hoax.
The bottom line is this—if it’s an unproven or little known treatment, talk to your health care professional before buying or using these products.
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm394757.htm
Hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of childhood autism: a randomised controlled trial.
Sampanthavivat M1, Singkhwa W, Chaiyakul T, Karoonyawanich S, Ajpru H.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Promising results with hyperbaric therapy for children with autism have been reported, but most involved the use of only mild pressure with oxygen supplementation. To date, there has been no randomised, blinded trial of 100% oxygen administered at hyperbaric pressure. This study evaluated the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
METHODS:
Sixty Thai children with autism, aged three to nine years, were randomly assigned to receive 20 one-hour sessions of either HBOT at 153 kPa (1.5 ATA) or sham air at 116 kPa (1.15 ATA). Effects on behaviour were measured using the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist score (ATEC) and clinical improvement was measured with the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) system; in particular the clinical change (CGIC) and severity (CGIS) sub-scores. These were evaluated by parents and clinicians, both of whom were blinded to the actual exposure.
RESULTS:
The mean total ATEC scores by both parents and clinicians were significantly improved after intervention in both arms of the study compared to the score before intervention (P < 0.001 in both groups by parents, P = 0.015 in HBOT group and P = 0.004 in sham group by clinician). There were no statistically significant differences in average percentage changes of total ATEC score and all subscales scores when comparing the HBOT and sham air groups, either by parents or clinicians. Changes in the CGI scores following intervention were inconsistent between parents and clinicians. For severity scores (CGIS), parents rated their children as more improved following HBOT (P = 0.005), while the clinicians found no significant differences (P = 0.10). On the other hand, for change scores (CGIC) the clinicians indicated greater improvement following HBOT (P = 0.03), but the parents found no such difference (P = 0.28).
CONCLUSIONS:
Children with autism who received 20 sessions of either HBOT or a sham air exposure had significant improvements in overall behaviour but there were no significant differences in improvement between groups. The inconsistent changes on CGI sub-scores between parents and clinicians are difficult to interpret, but no overall clinically significant benefit from HBOT could be shown. Both interventions were safe and well tolerated with minimal side effect from middle ear barotraumas.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22987458
FDA Warns Consumers About Common Off-Label Autism Therapy
http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2013/08/23/fda-warns-consumers-about-common-off-label-autism-therapy/
The FDA minces no words in its consumer alert about hyperbaric oxygen therapy :
No, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has not been clinically proven to cure or be effective in the treatment of cancer, autism, or diabetes. But do a quick search on the Internet, and you’ll see all kinds of claims for these and other diseases for which the device has not been cleared or approved by FDA.
Evidently, the list of conditions HBOT purveyors have promised the therapy will treat is a long one and includes Parkinson’s disease, hepatitis, and multiple sclerosis, in addition to autism and cerebral palsy.
Of course, none of these conditions has been linked to a lack of access to oxygen for your tissues, which is the only indicated use of HBOT as a therapy. In fact, the FDA approves use of HBOT for 13 specific conditions, all of them related to helping boost the body’s access to oxygen. They include HBOT for carbon monoxide poisoning and for burns resulting from heat or fire.
Like any medical intervention, HBOT carries risks, according to the FDA, including mild effects such as ear pressure or sinus pain all the way to very serious adverse effects such as paralysis and embolisms. Oxygen, feeding fire the way it does [correction], also means a fire risk for anyone undergoing HBOT, which have been involved in about 80 deaths worldwide. Not something you want to do with any old street corner practitioner.
In addition to these risks, the FDA cautions that people turning to HBOT for autism or cerebral palsy or for cancer or Parkinson’s might well be delayed from receiving effective therapies and interventions while they waste time and money on HBOT.
Proponents of HBOT as a treatment for autism argue that the controversy around it is “political, not scientific.” But that’s not actually the case. In addition to the risks associated with HBOT, all of which at the least involve pain and discomfort, research suggests that the therapy is ineffectual, and the costs suggest that it’s enormously expensive for an unproven, “off-label” intervention that parents could just “try and see.”
From “Autism Speaks” ...
— — —
FDA Cracks Down on False Claims about Autism Treatments
https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/fda-cracks-down-false-claims-about-autism-treatments
Agency issues consumer warning; threatens legal action against those who market unproven, potentially dangerous products and therapies.
“Autism Speaks and its many partners are working diligently to find treatments for autism that are safe and effective,” comments developmental pediatrician Paul Wang, Autism Speaks senior vice president and head of medical research. “We know that parents often are desperate to find help for their children. It’s tragic when unscrupulous companies take advantage of these families by pushing so-called treatments that are not only ineffective, but may be costly and dangerous.”
Though behavioral therapies don’t cure autism, research has demonstrated that several such programs can bring about real improvements in development and function, Dr. Wang adds. In addition, the FDA has approved two medications – risperidone and aripripazole – to treat severe self-injurious behavior and aggression associated with autism. These medications can have serious side effects and, so, are reserved for situations where behavioral approaches fail.
You’ll have to forgive me for having zero faith in the FDA and CDC. We are seeing results already from the hyperbaric chamber therapy. My son’s school does not know what we’re doing, nor do the grandparents. The teachers and grandparents have already commented about how our son acts a bit better. The school asked if we were doing anything different with him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.