Autism Group Calls for More Studies on Restrictive Diets

Our Pediatric GI is quoted in this article (Dr. Timothy Buie).  I can’t help but cringe about how archaic the thoughts of treating autism are right now…

Reminds me of how my brother and I used to type 20-page-long programs into the really old computers, line by excruciating line, just to get a blip to float across the screen for a minute or two.  It’s one of those things where you go, “WHAT were we thinking?!”

Someday, hopefully soon, we are going to say that about autism.

Click on the link below…

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AutismNews/autism-group-calls-studies-restrictive-diets-children/story?id=9476752

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO, HMM…

I sent this to Scientist Carl tonight.  I always imagine what I would do if there were a pill that literally reversed the effects of autism.  What effects would they reverse?  Would Ro still be Ro afterward?  Should a parent wait until the child is older and try to explain to him/her first?

I know that Ro is considered “high-functioning”  Whatever that is.  I’m not big on labels for my kids.  Anyway, I know there would be all sorts of opinions, because everyone has a different circumstance, and you can only know how one feels when you have the exact same situation.  I just know that I would have a hard time deciding this/not deciding this for Ro.

Is it something he should choose for himself?  Or should I, as a mother, choose it for his best interest – like you make sure that your child gets the right nutrition, health care or education?

Will he grow up and hate me for making him take that pill that changed the way he sees, thinks or feels?  Or will he grow up and say, “Oh, thank Mother of Pearl you gave me that drug!  Now, I don’t have to panic for two hours because the oven timer is counting down!”

This issue still boggles my brain.

How can I know what will make him the most happy?  I guess every parent questions that on a daily basis for some reason or another, no?

Anyway, here’s the link for a study out of George Washington University that suggests that a potential drug could someday reverse the effects of ASD.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/186262.php

NAC’s National Standards Report

Another interesting read on National Autism Center’s National Standards Project – read their description below and then click the link at the bottom to download the PDF.

The National Autism Center is pleased to announce the completion of the National Standards Project and the publication of the National Standards Report. Click here to see the results!

The National Standards Project answers one of the most pressing public health questions of our time — how do we effectively treat individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)?

The National Autism Center launched the project in 2005 with the support and guidance of an expert panel composed of nationally recognized scholars, researchers, and other leaders representing diverse fields of study. The culmination of this rigorous multi-year project is the National Standards Report, the most comprehensive analysis available to date about treatments for children and adolescents with ASD.

http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/affiliates/