Autism Treatment, Vaccines, & Recovery

Infected

2011-12-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

At some point along this six year journey with autism, I learned something about my maternal immune system that greatly affected our son’s positive outcome.

There are four categories of autism recovery according to Dr. Kartzinel of Florida: 1. fully mainstreamed academically and socially, 2. minor impairments academically and socially, 3. major impairments in motor or speech but high quality of life in eating, sleeping, and toileting, and 4. major impairments with low quality of life (or untreated autism). We are currently in category 2, with hope remaining towards full recovery. We are fully aware that we have an outcome that allows us to resume many activities in life that most affected families cannot enjoy. I still carry a burden for those families, and use every opportunity to explain the science behind treating autism, which essentially is treating vaccine damage to the immune system, and subsequently the inflammation of the gut and brain.

I may not be “affected” like most families with a diagnosis of autism, but I am certainly “infected.” I was infected early in the diagnosis stage with a single microscopic fact: Autism has risen from 1 in 10,000 in 1980 to 1 in 150 in 2006. That one fact multiplied into countless hours of reading research over the course of six years: autism spectrum disorders, heavy metal poisoning, auto-immune diseases, Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. These diseases are all connected together by toxic exposure at various points in the lifespan.

My infection swells with inflammation against a corrupt Center for Disease Control (CDC), unaccountable vaccine manufacturers using toxic ingredients for profit, and lazy journalists in the media who are quick to demonize the growing number of parents who are refusing to vaccinate in compliance with the US immunization schedule. As of 2010, 40% of US parents are refusing or delaying vaccines. Why? Too many vaccines, lack of effectiveness, fear of autism, fear of adverse reactions. More and more parents are becoming infected with facts, such as: countries who have maintained the 1980 vaccine schedule (10-12 vaccine doses) have an autism rate TEN TIMES LESS than the US. See world autism and vaccination rates side-by-side at http://www.rescuepost.com/files/gr-autism_and_vaccines_world_special_report1.pdf

As of 2011, one in 80 boys has autism in the US, and one in six US children has a chronic disease like asthma, allergies, and diabetes. The US has the most aggressive vaccine schedule in the world (36 vaccine doses), the highest autism rate in the world, and fallen to 34 on the world infant mortality rate (meaning 33 other countries have a better chance of survival for children.)
Most parents are “waiting for solid research” to settle this debate, which typically means they are depending on their TV to tell them what to think. Kemp and colleagues (Epidemiology, 1997) found a causal relationship between pertussis vaccine and onset of asthma and allergies in children. Geier and Geier (Pharmocotherapy, 2002) linked the Hep B vaccine to eight chronic diseases in adults including MS and arthritis. Classen and colleagues (Autoimmunity, 2003) found a causal relationship between the HIB vaccine and the development of insulin dependent diabetes in non-obese subjects. Kyaw and colleagues (N Engl J Med, 2006) documented the undisputed link between the pneumococcal vaccine and antibiotic-resistant strains of strep bacteria causing increasing number of chronic ear infections in US children. Inorg (Biochem, 2011) linked the unsafe levels of aluminum in vaccines to the epidemic rise of autism.

Some parents have older children and have no perceived need to worry about vaccine injuries. And yet there are documented case studies of 12-year-olds developing autism after a DTaP vaccine, teenage girls developing neurological problems after the HPV vaccine, and adults developing dystonia and Guillian Barre Syndrome after the Influenza vaccine.

I have concluded that a parent’s decision on vaccines is greatly affected by his/her own immune system. 60% of the immune system is in the gut. My gut was infected by statistical facts, objective research independent of pharmaceutical companies, and extensive laboratory analysis for my son. The infection has helped my judgment, but it hinders my peace. I have to own the role I played in my son’s health. It would be easier to think that genetic misfortune caused his regression. But easy, do-nothing, status-quo approaches do not lead to recovery. You have to have an infection before you can recover.

For more information on vaccine safety go to National Vaccine Information Center founded by parents of injured children: www.nvic.org

For an excellent documentary video on the vaccine safety go to: www.greatergoodmovie.org

Copyright 2011 P. Long

June 2011 Part 2: Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

My husband and I arrived an hour prior to the kindergarten graduation program. We watched our son walk in the processional with his class dressed in the regalia of cap and gown. He took his place in the center-most seat of the graduates facing the stage. When his name was called by the principal to receive his diploma, he walked on the stage just like all the other kids had done during their turns. I had already cried during the drive to the school, so I was optimistic that my supply of tears was exhausted so I could actually see the ceremony.

I heard the sweet cheers of parent voices when his name was called. Many of them know of our challenging journey with autism. The principal, whom J adores (“Mom, Mr. E is tall like Big Bird!), took an extra 30 seconds with J to say something personal to him on the stage. This principal also knew firsthand of our efforts with a nonverbal child at age 3 to kindergarten graduation at age 7. Mr. E had witnessed the rare occurrence of a child with autism advancing beyond the isolated special education classroom as a result from intensive ABA therapy and biomedical treatment. Thank you Big Bird for giving me an extra 30 seconds to ensure that I got a good picture on our special day.

When my son’s class walked out in line at the conclusion, J stopped and scanned the room looking for us. He was holding up the line, and all sets of eyes in the parent audience were on him. In my thoughts, I raced through my mom repertoire of facial expressions or gestures that could indicate “Follow the line!” Please do not shriek or tantrum… or worse. After a few long seconds, when his eyes met ours, he put his hand to his mouth… and blew us a kiss. The parents near us melted in "ohhhhhs” and we quickly blew a kiss back. He walked off appropriately and I crumbled…

Like the crumbling wall of biblical Jericho after the unconventional strategy led by Joshua, I was unprepared for the spiritual moment in the aftermath of miraculous victory. In that moment, I no longer felt the residual pain or burden from any prior hurt in my life. I also felt confident that no future harm towards me or a loved one could have any power over me. I have no way to describe the transformation in that moment except: Divine Immunity.

I do not know how long this immunity will last, nor how to booster it when it fades. But for this day, I cherished the feeling and even told complete strangers with great zeal that “My son graduated from kindergarten today!” I could not contain the joy of seeing this momentous step towards defeating autism.

June 2011 Part I: Five Years of Autism Treatment

2011-06-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

Along with the autism diagnosis for my son in 2006, I felt in my spirit God give me a very specific promise: “He will take a different path to kindergarten.” I found inspiration in the biblical story of Jericho which describes God giving Joshua the promise of victory before the battle began. God also gave Joshua an absurd strategy which ultimately resulted in the victory. Similarly, I would pursue an alternative autism treatment strategy in hopes of recovery. This promise was an absurd hope that I have clung to for the past six years.

June 2005. At 15 months of age, my son began a slow developmental regression losing his first words, the ability to maintain eye contact, and any interest in social interaction. He also developed many behavior problems and eating challenges. For both my son and I, crying and frustration became a daily part of our lives. I knew I had fallen to despair when I prayed during a third hearing exam for my son to be deaf. The diagnosis of perfect hearing left us with a pervasive lifelong developmental disorder and little hope for a normal life.

June 2006. We began assembling a team of medical experts who use a scientific approach to determine the internal metabolic abnormalities that were resulting in external behaviors. Despite the overwhelming evidence that autism is a medical disease, current mainstream diagnosis and treatment criteria is left to the unscientific approach of psychologists. I refused the prevalent strategy of using mild sedation drugs for behavior and accepting low expectations in speech therapy. The mainstream approach would not advance my son or any non-verbal child with autism to kindergarten.

June 2007. Dr. Phillip DeMio in Ohio identified and treated mercury poisoning, toxic bacterial imbalances, and food allergies. Dr. Arthur Krigsman in New York successfully treated a unique form of inflammatory bowel disease with a viral etiology common in autism. Dr. Bryan Jepson in Texas tested my son’s problematic metabolic profile routinely and provided a customized nutritional supplement program. All of these experts pointed us to the same cause: vaccine induced autism. My son’s immune system could not counteract the neurotoxic mercury preservative and live measles virus contained in vaccines and autism was the collateral fallout. My son was not an anomaly; autism diagnosis rate in the U.S. had skyrocketed to 1 in 150 children.

June 2008. My son was making amazing developmental progress in his second year of private ABA therapy, the only teaching approach proven to be effective in a preponderance of research with children with autism. Currently, most public special education programs are not using an ABA curriculum or ABA certified personnel.

June 2009. Oxford Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment replenished his red blood cells’ ability to detoxify and fight inflammation. We noted observable gains in social interaction and fine motor skills like writing.

June 2010. The three year autism re-evaluation from the school district determined that he no longer met the behavioral diagnostic criteria for autism. The remnants of his disorder were mostly characterized by ADHD and delays in conversational speech. His reading and math testing put him in the normal range with his typical peers. He was placed in half-day kindergarten and half-day academic development class for the following school year. We were closing the gap.

June 2011. This milestone brings us to the long awaited kindergarten graduation—which I will detail in a separate post.

P.Long Copyright 2011

Video: Facts the media avoids about vaccines and autism

2011-03-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Study shows that Mercury causes Alzheimer's Disease

2010-12-14T15:13:00.001-08:00

Mercury from vaccines and dental amalgams causes a neurological regressive disease that has many similarities to autism. As of Dec. 15, 2010, the FDA has recommended more research on the mercury toxic effect of dental amalgams, especially to pregnant women, fetuses, and children. Testimony revealed overwhelming support for mercury poisoning from dental amalgams which can cause paralysis, memory loss, sensory disorders, neurological problems, and developmental delays. Read CNN story here.

Dr. Wakefield discusses autism causation at Parliament

2010-12-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Click link to hear Dr. Wakefield intelligently discuss the causation of autism at the European Parliament in Nov. 2010. Here

Online Summary of Points (references included in the presentation):

Excellent talk- summarizing well the main essential arguments:
1- In 1943, Kanner, the leading child psychiatrist in the word at the time, described what appeared to be a novel disorder that had not been previously described. (Autism is not an ancient disorder now being diagnosed. And mercury was first introduced for commercial and medical use in 1943.)
2- Autism is very prevalent today (1 in 100) and the rise started in the late 80s, irrespectively of the genetic diversity of the countries where the rise occurs. (Coinciding with the addition of mercury preservative to most vaccines in 1988.)
3- There is no genetic epidemic – therefore the increase is related to an environmental culprit. (Genes remain constant; two US genome studies found that autism is not genetic.)
4- Many chemical and toxins have the potential to impact on development. (Neurotoxic mercury emissions from power plants and cement plants have been linked to increased autism prevalence by proximity in environmental studies.)
5- Regression is now a feature that is part of the DSM, whereas previous diagnostic criteria listed regression as vanishingly rare. (Most affected children develop typically from birth, and regress in the second year of life--more support for environmental causation.)
6- Remedial interventions (such as GF/CF diet) show evidence of benefit.
7- Treatment of medical co-morbid issues such as GI dysfunction can led to autistic improvements, because peripheral physiological systems relate to brain function. (Supported by AAP consensus report Jan. 2010, Dr. Buie et al.)
8- The National Institute of Child Health has initiated a study on “recovered” children. (More support that autism is not genetic, but environmental, and treatable)
9- Vaccines are primary candidates because the timing of alteration of vaccine schedules coincides with the rise in autism rates, because parents report deterioration following vaccination, because children given the vaccine younger are at greater risk of having autism, because animal models exposed to vaccines show developmental defects that are consistent with the impairments seen in autism. Importantly, vaccines in combination have not be proven to be safe and some cases of autism have been found to be attributed to vaccine exposure. (Several US court cases have ruled that vaccines cause autism: Poling, Banks)

Impediments to progress: commercial influences, fear of accountability, fear that we might have caused harm, and Ideological Denial-- the investment in the belief that our choice was the greatest thing we have ever done.

Video on the risks of mercury containing flu shots

2010-11-03T14:37:00.001-07:00

2010 Summary of Biomedical Treatment

2010-09-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is my first post of the 2010, because I started graduate school in January. It has been really affirming to read nearly every piece of published research on autism, the gut, and dietary intervention. In summary, everything we have done biomedically for our son’s autism is supported by an abundance of research that is not commonly accessed by parents and doctors. Upon diagnosis in 2006, the internet served as a helpful guide, but now the electronic university library database is my personal tutor for autism recovery. J is now six years old, and started half-day Kindergarten with typical peers this fall. His is reading and less than a year behind peers academically. Social skills are our last hurdle…

HEAVY METALS. As of June 2010, J still has high aluminum, and we continue to chelate because even low level aluminum and lead can cause attention deficit. I remember that day in 2006 when I read his mercury results, cried for two days, and knew life would never be the same. Four years later, his mercury is gone and we are living in victory and hope for complete recovery. The source of his mercury poisoning was an influenza vaccine, and I continue to educate parents that some vaccines still contain mercury, and all vaccines contain aluminum, despite what their doctors claim. Read ingredients for yourself; thimerosal is mercury, a known neurotoxin

GLUTEN & CASEIN. J had several different tests to measure gluten allergy and all were negative, so we started reintroducing wheat in January. Although allergy tests can be helpful, I still believe that food elimination and controlled re-introduction is the only way to confirm a food allergy with behavioral symptoms. He still cannot have milk, but milk is easier to avoid than wheat. His IBD continues to be in remission which is another miraculous part of the journey. He is eating all food groups except fruit, which still gags him. Research supports that up to 90% of children with ASD have an inflammatory response to gluten and casein, but most doctors continue to treat dietary intervention in autism as “unproven” and even “nutritionally detrimental.” The consensus report from the AAP Pediatrics on gastrointestinal disease prevalence in autism (Buie et al., January, 2010) introduced a new treatable paradigm for autism. I am glad that I did not wait four years for the AAP’s blessing to treat my son’s gastrointestinal disease. Taking milk out of my son’s diet at diagnosis may have been the single most beneficial intervention for him. In short, when an immune system and gut are assaulted in critical stages of development, the body loses the ability to digest complex proteins and toxic byproducts inflame the brain. This inflammation is exacerbated by heavy metals which block synapses from connecting in the brain. The fallout is autism.

IMMUNE SYSTEM. I correctly diagnosed P.A.N.D.A.S. from strep virus in his classroom in December 2009, and convinced his local pediatrician to give him antibiotics for the onset of Tourette-like symptoms. Within days, he was back to normal, and strep titers levels in labs were at 500 (0-70 being normal) which confirmed my diagnosis. Retest in April 2010 showed titers still high at 200. A simple strep infection for a child with a vaccine-assaulted immune system can be very problematic and long-lasting. PANDAS also affected another ASD child in J’s class developed mild seizures and tics, and then a significant regression. The parents confirmed abnormal strep titers in their son and began antibiotics.

MEDICATIONS: OXYTOCIN & B12. We saw dramatic and immediate improvements in social interaction in two trials of oxytocin (nasal spray hormone). Oxytocin stimulates the amigdala which is the emotional processing center of the brain. We also saw improvements in expressive language and loss of OCD behaviors. We are also planning to try 5HTP and GABA. These are natural supplements designed to reduce anxiety and improve social interaction. B-12 injections every other day continue to be necessary, otherwise J becomes very uncooperative and less able to cope with minor frustrations throughout the day. Vitamin B supplements (brain food) can make a dramatic difference for kids on the spectrum. We continue to supplement vitamins and minerals as needed, which is much easier now that he can swallow capsules!

SCHOOL. Based on behavior and cognitive functioning, the school decided to promote him to 1st grade, but I intervened and asked that he be placed in Kindergarten with peers so he could catch up socially. The school tried to persuade me that kids with autism never catch up socially, but I stubbornly keep clinging to the promise from four years ago—that he would take a different path, but he would catch up to his peers. Thus far, living by faith has paid off. ABA therapy twice a week has been very effective for us in our catch-up mission.

MMR VACCINE CONTROVERSY. Earlier in 2010, a special British court (GMC) ruled to retract Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 study (summary link here) that showed that children with regressive autism had the MMR strain of measles RNA causing gastrointestinal disease that correlated with regression. The court ruled that it did not approve of the ethics of Dr. Wakefield’s study which used his young son’s friends at a birthday party for control subjects (neurotypical comparisons), but the court upheld the findings of his research. The media was quick to spin the story that Wakefield’s MMR research was invalidated. The media failed to report that the plaintiff in the case was a journalist named Brian Deer who is employed by the MMR manufacturer. The media also failed to report that all families with ASD children involved in the Wakefield study wrote a letter of support for his research. Later this year on August 30, 2010, in UK vs. Fletcher (link here), federal court found that the MMR vaccine caused brain damage, seizures, and subsequent autism-- and not one US network or newspaper mentioned it. This court ruling follows similar unpublicized rulings in US. vs. Poling and US vs. Banks. On a personal note, we believe that our son’s regression and subsequent gastrointestinal disease was triggered by the MMR vaccine. I think the GMC kangaroo court was a message from big pharma that any doctor who publishes anti-vaccine research will pay the price with his/her career. Why did the plaintiff bring charges in 2009 against a study from 1998? Wakefield was pending publication of a study with Dr. Hewitson on the devastating effects of thimerosal containing vaccines on primates.

VACCINE Exemptions: A simple form from the state’s health department website is all that most schools currently require to exempt or delay a child from vaccines. All the studies that conclude that vaccines are safe (both individually and multi-dosed with other vaccines) have been conducted by pharmaceutical companies. And the fact that the Center for Disease Control’s (which controls the vaccine schedule) director left last year to become the President of Merck Pharmaceuticals confirms my belief that the CDC is totally corrupt and controlled by pharma. The first study of the cumulative effects of the current vaccine schedule (Dr. Laura Hewitson et al.) shows that primates developed autistic symptoms. If you want to read a summary of the vaccine research conducted by those without ties to pharmaceutical companies, read “Evidence of Harm” by David Kirby. You will be transformed, and no longer willing to conform.

The Gift Beneath the Tree

2009-12-31T14:13:00.000-08:00

After three years of writing about autism treatment, the article of mine that touched the most people was “My Heart: Two Years After Diagnosis.” I related my emotional journey with autism to our tree that had fallen in a wind storm and then astoundingly grew a new sapling from the surviving stump. Like the tree, I have grown new strength after a season of pain and loss. And now after much perseverance, I can share our unlikely triumph. Our 2009 Christmas gift was wrapped in 26 pages of computer paper and labeled, “Three-Year Re-Evaluation.” Before you start unwrapping our gift with us, notice the picture above where we decorated that aforementioned sapling tree and celebrated the significance of its symbolic place in our lives.

Now, the Three-Year Re-Evaluation was necessary for us to continue receiving special education services in public schools because J enrolled at age three and his sixth birthday is approaching. From ages three to six, Texas schools give a disability label of “Uncategorical Early Childhood” to every child with a suspicion of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD, the educational label or non-medical identification for autism) and speech impairment. Even though J had been diagnosed at age 2.5 with autism by a medical doctor who specializes in autism, we had to accept the educational system’s refusal to call it autism under the pretense that it was our best interest to avoid a stigmatizing label at such a young age (when early intervention is critical!). So when you hear the repetitive mantra in the media that the autism epidemic is due to better reporting of numbers, you need to know the reality that most schools are avoiding the label of autism to limit costly services to families.

All of the re-evaluation testing compared J to kids his age and/or in kindergarten. In the academic testing, a score of 100 is what a typical kid would score. J scored below average in a range of 73 to 91 for reading, numerical operations, math problem solving, and alphabet writing. However, we feel confident that he will close this gap in the next few years, especially now that most of his metabolic markers are in the normal range for the first time (with exceptions in Selenium, Folic Acid, B-12, and Vitamin D). We also continue to treat yeast and excrete elevated numbers in mercury, aluminum, and lead after chelation treatments. His digestive disease is in remission, and he is no longer on any medications for it. Overall, he is catching up academically, and has less metabolic abnormalities to overcome.

Further academic scores averaged his overall developmental age at 41 months. This is two years behind his chronological age of 69 months. However, his developmental age of 15 months at the original evaluation in 2006 shows an improvement of 27 months in development over 27 months of school (36 months less the nine summer months). This progress is unprecedented, even in our well-resourced district. I have been very informative with our special education staff over the years about our biomedical approach combined with a home ABA program. The consensus during this re-evaluation assessment briefing was that his improvement was amazing.

For two language tests where 85-115 is the average score range for a typical kindergartener, J scored a 76 on both. Receptive language continues to lag for now, but these tests have helped us identify his specific weaknesses that we will target in the next year. His scores are in the normal range for non-autistic peers receiving speech services.

For the autism evaluation, the five person team of evaluators who rated 15 CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) categories “resulted in a CARS Total Score of 24.5 which fell in the “Non-Autistic Range.” Total Scores range from 15-27 (non-autistic) up to 45 (severe). Each item is given a score of 1(normal), 2 (mild), 3 (moderate), and 4(severe). Category scores are determined by consensus of the team. A rating of “mildly to moderately impaired” was assigned to only 1 of the 15 categories, Emotional Response. Verbal Communication and Intellectual Response were given a “mildly impaired” score. Fear or Nervousness was rated as “normal,” no categories were rated as “severe,” and all remaining categories were rated “very mildly abnormal range.” The autism evaluation cites weaknesses in gestures, facial expressions, pretend/abstract play, and response to social situations.

Along with the autism team’s observation, the PDD Behavior Inventory scored a 50 from me, the mother. PDD falls within the 40-60 range. My inventory in November 2006 scored a 61. The difference in scores indicates a significant improvement in severity. The report noted that “Since his evaluation in 2006, his behavior has improved considerably.” His teacher commented that emotional upsets are limited to once or twice a month.

Overall, this current evaluation supported a determination of autism spectrum disorder (which includes higher functioning labels like ADD and ADHD), but NOT autistic disorder. He will also retain services for a speech impairment. For those readers concerned that I lost services, I assure you that I did not. My once non-verbal son with autism has improved so much that his disability is now mostly characterized by a speech delay and attention deficit. Additionally, here is an observation from his doctor on July 31, 2009: “Behavior: Looks good, healthy-appearing. Plays with toys or sits in the chair. Has quite good language. Responsive to commands. No unusual behaviors noted.”

While you unwrap this gift with us, please be aware of the elephant in the room. Biomedical treatment is recovering my child, but none of the “experts” will ever discuss it outside these closed door meetings with parents like me. Teachers have quietly referred other affected parents to me, while being careful to avoid being reprimanded and asking for my discretion. And I know that every “expert” in this evaluation meeting would call me in a heartbeat if a nephew or grandson was diagnosed with autism.

Now, let’s revisit that stump that grew a new branch after a traumatic injury. Somehow, during the fierce storm to save our son, we were also able to reach out to help other families—in many states and even other countries--and help them along with their battle with autism. That is the miraculous gift of hope that you have unwrapped today.

Copyright 2009 P Long

Read the flu shot insert for yourself

2009-09-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

From the package insert of a flu vaccine...

8 USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
8.1 Pregnancy Pregnancy Category C. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with FLULAVAL. It is also not known whether FLULAVAL can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. FLULAVAL should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

8.3 Nursing Mothers It is not known whether FLULAVAL is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when FLULAVAL is administered to a nursing woman.

8.4 Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness of FLULAVAL in pediatric patients have not been established.

8.5 Geriatric Use In the 2 clinical trials, there were 157 subjects who were ≥65 years of age and received FLULAVAL; 21 of these subjects were ≥75 years of age. Hemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibody responses were lower in geriatric subjects than younger subjects after administration of FLULAVAL. Solicited adverse events were similar in frequency to those reported in younger subjects (see ADVERSE REACTIONS [6]).

Safety and effectiveness have not been established for use in pediatric patients! Does the AAP read the package inserts of the stuff they inject in our children?

6.3 Postmarketing Experience The following additional adverse events have been identified during postapproval use of FLULAVAL in Canada since 2001. Because these events are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their incidence rate or establish a causal relationship to vaccine exposure. Adverse events described here are included 7 because: a) they represent reactions which are known to occur following immunizations generally or influenza immunizations specifically; b) they are potentially serious; or c) the frequency of reporting. Blood and lymphatic system disorders: Lymphadenopathy. Eye disorders: Conjunctivitis, eye pain, photophobia. Gastrointestinal disorders: Dysphagia, vomiting. General disorders and administration site conditions: Chest pain, injection site inflammation, rigors, asthenia, injection site rash, influenza-like symptoms, abnormal gait, injection site bruising, injection site sterile abscess. Immune system disorders: Allergic edema of the face, allergic edema of the mouth, anaphylaxis, allergic edema of the throat. Infections and infestations: Pharyngitis, rhinitis, laryngitis, cellulitis. Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: Muscle weakness, back pain, arthritis. Nervous system disorders: Dizziness, paresthesia, hypoesthesia, hypokinesia, tremor, somnolence, syncope, Guillain-Barré syndrome, convulsions/seizures, facial or cranial nerve paralysis, encephalopathy, limb paralysis. Psychiatric disorders: Insomnia. Respiratory, thoracic, and mediastinal disorders: Dyspnea, dysphonia, bronchospasm, throat tightness. Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: Urticaria, localized or generalized rash, pruritus, periorbital edema, sweating. Vascular disorders: Flushing, pallor. 6.4 Adverse Events Associated with Influenza Vaccines Anaphylaxis has been reported after administration of FLULAVAL. Although FLULAVAL contains only a limited quantity of egg protein, this protein can induce immediate hypersensitivity reactions among persons who have severe egg allergy. Allergic reactions include hives, angioedema, allergic asthma, and systemic anaphylaxis (see CONTRAINDICATIONS [4]). The 1976 swine influenza vaccine was associated with an increased frequency of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Evidence for a causal relation of GBS with subsequent vaccines prepared from other influenza viruses is unclear. If influenza vaccine does pose a risk, it is probably slightly more than 1 additional case/1 million persons vaccinated. Neurological disorders temporally associated with influenza vaccination such as encephalopathy, optic neuritis/neuropathy, partial facial paralysis, and brachial plexus neuropathy have been reported. Microscopic polyangitis (vasculitis) has been reported temporally associated with influenza vaccination. 8

14 CLINICAL STUDIES In 2 randomized, active-controlled trials of FLULAVAL, the immune responses, specifically HI antibody titers to each virus strain in the vaccine, were evaluated in sera obtained 10 21 days after administration of FLULAVAL. No controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL have been performed.

Source: Age of Autism.com

Response Posted by: SC Rankin September 13, 2009 at 08:45 PM

Just SAY NO to the influenza vaccine

2009-09-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

"Is the flu mist a good option?"

The person who asks this question probably read that most forms of the influenza vaccine contain mercury, and also read that the flu mist does not contain mercury. Let's note that the questioner did not receive this information from the CDC, AAP, or a pharmaceutical company. These groups do not advertise the ingredients of vaccines, nor are they required to do so. The parent asking this question had to hear it from an adversely affected parent or an advocacy group. Or the parent’s pediatrician recommended the FluMist, with assurances that this formulation does not contain mercury.

So, why are we so eager to give our trust to this industry and these agencies which have no transparency? These agencies still hold that thimerosal (mercury) is safe in vaccines, but we all know that mercury is neurotoxic to humans (and has been banned from animal vaccines since 1990). Why would we continue as informed consumers to buy a product from a company that produces neurotoxic vaccines with no disclosures alongside the “safe for children” vaccines with no disclosures? What else are they not telling the consumers about their vaccines?

1. Research Effectiveness vs. Clinical Effectiveness. Vaccines are considered effective in research if they produce antibodies in people who receive them. However, clinical effectiveness is determined if the person does not contract the actual virus. The influenza vaccine (in any form) is unique to all other vaccines because it has never proven in a study that it achieves either research effectiveness or clinical effectiveness. Its own manufacturers have written disclaimers acknowledging this. Scientists guess which influenza strain will be most prevalent each year, and they have been wrong for most years.

2. Risk vs. Benefit. Vaccines contain toxic adjuvants (like formaldehyde) designed to trigger a massive fight response from the immune system. Although the CDC recommends the influenza vaccine for all people, the adjuvants, allergens (MSG, eggs), and cultures (with avian viruses from chicken proteins) for this vaccine pose more of a threat to the immune system than any perceived benefit. Vaccine studies are completed only on “healthy individuals,” but vaccines are routinely given to immune-compromised people who have diabetes, asthma, allergies, and other conditions. FluMist is CONTRAINDICATED for immune-compromised people. Because FluMist is a live virus vaccine, those who receive FluMist can unknowingly spread the influenza virus through runny nose, cough, and sneezing to both healthy and immune-compromised people, including those people compromised by prescription steroids. The influenza vaccine has been linked to neurological disorders, and surveys report that 65% of medical health professionals refuse the influenza vaccine. Furthermore, there are no safety studies that show the influenza vaccine is safe for pregnant women. 96% of the 36,000 annual influenza deaths are actually caused by the combination of influenza and pneumonia.

3. Natural vs. Artificial Immunity. For most children, influenza is uncomfortable, but not fatal. Infection as a child results in natural, lifelong immunity to the particular strain. There is a lifelong advantage in gaining this immunity as a healthy child with few responsibilities, as opposed to as college student, or as a working adult, or as a frail elderly person.

P Long
Copyright 2009

Read “Risks of Flu Mist Vaccine” by Dr. Sherri Tenpenny at http://www.vaclib.org/email/flumist.htm

To read about the ineffectiveness of the flu shot see “The Truth about the Flu Shot” at
http://drtenpenny.com/the_truth_about_the_flu_Shot.aspx

For a printable brochure with names of flu shots containing mercury (2009-2010), go to:
http://www.safeminds.org/about/documents/SM%20Flu%20Brochure%202009-2010.pdf

Swine Flu Vaccine will contain mercury

2009-08-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

The Secretary of Health and Human Services publicly states: 1. Swine flu vaccine will contain thimerosal (mercury). 2. Mercury, a known neurotoxin, is safe to inject into children. 3. Zero safety trials will be completed before swine flu vaccine will go into production.

After only 13 days of testing swine flu vaccine on adults, children are now being tested with the vaccine. Two weeks is negligently inadequate to diagnose adverse reactions and neurological disorders. Given that the 1976 version of the swine flu vaccine resulted in 4000 confirmed neurologically injuries, our health officials are clearly taking unjustified safety risks. These sham safety trials are to determine whether Big Pharma will recommend one or two shots per person. Again, profit prevails over safety.

REALITY vs FEARMONGER PRESS. Neither national or international numbers indicate that swine flu is pandemic or fatal (to healthy individuals). The WHO has issued statements that “most cases of swine flu are mild and require no treatment.”

FAST TRACKED PROFIT. Everyone should be concerned that this vaccine went into formulation in June and will be available in September of the same year. Pregnant women are also a targeted group for this vaccine, and there are no safety trials that show any vaccines are safe for pregnant women. We know that mercury is a neurotoxin and especially harmful to fetuses and children.

CNN reports, "Because it takes months to make a vaccine and because the autumn flu season is looming, companies are making and testing the new vaccine at the same time as U.S. officials plan to start vaccinating." Translation: No need for safety tests first, that would slow down production.

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is licensing the new influenza vaccine as if it were just a typical annual change in formulation done every year as the seasonal flu vaccine changes to match the drift, or slight mutations, in the circulating viruses." Translation: Here's your license Big Pharma, don't want you to miss this season's opportunity for profit.

MALPRACTICE. The government plans to mass vaccinate children in schools in October, which are not capable of knowing children’s medical history of contraindications for immunizations. Additionally, schools are not equipped to meet federal vaccination procedures which include informed parental consent, documentation in medical records, and follow-up with adverse reactions. It appears that the government wants the schools to serve as a middle man when liability and compensation becomes an issue, because you cannot sue a vaccine manufacturer in US courts.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. Be prepared for mandatory quarantines and restrictions on public gatherings while the press continues to promote fear and irrational responses.

Go to the National Vaccine Information Center (vaccine watchdog group) http://www.nvic.org/ or http://www.drtenpenny.com/ to get informed on the swine flu vaccine.

Why we chose Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

2009-07-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

1. Testimonials. Stories from educated parents and experienced DAN! doctors planted the first seeds that HBOT might be an effective treatment option for our son’s autism.

2. Clinical Effectiveness. Below is a link where you can see the SPECT brain scans before and after 50 treatments of HBOT, with increased oxygen flow and decreased inflammation, alongside a bar graph of the corresponding developmental gains. I saw dozens of these images from ASD kids whose autism symptoms have improved dramatically during Dr. Neubrander’s presentation at the AMAB conference in February 2009 in Detroit. I was already familiar with Dr. Neubrander’s progressive work with using methyl B-12 shots to treat autism. After two years of being skeptical of HBOT, the SPECT scans were enough clinical support that I needed to decide in favor of HBOT.

SPECT brain scans: http://www.underpressurehbot.ca/autism.php

SPECT brain images from Congressional testimony of how HBOT heals the brain in autism:

http://www.hyperbaricmedicalassociation.org/390/text/591/files/7_Harch_May6_2004_Written_Testimony_Brain_Scans.pdf

3. Research. Some parents are waiting on large population studies before they consider alternative treatments for autism or the biomedical approach pioneered by DAN! doctors. Because pharmaceutical companies conduct the majority of these large studies, there will not be a large study in my lifetime for HBOT, which is non-pharmaceutical. However, currently there is one study by the respected Dr. Rossignol.

Here’s the full Rossignol 2006 study/publication showing how HBOT helps autism:http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2431-7-36.pdf and/orhttp://wholisticpeds.com/uploads/Rossignol%20HBOT%20Autism%20Article.pdf

4. Blood. The link below includes an eye-opening five-minute video which shows that five samples of kids with autism have low oxygenated, clumped red blood cells (RBC) that are alarmingly only 2% healthy. One child (sample 6), who is 70% recovered from autism, has a very different red blood cell (RBC) situation with 15% healthy RBC. This difference is due to HBOT treatment which has helped oxygenate the cells and free them from clumping—ultimately allowing infection fighting, detoxification, and connections in the brain. My son since diagnosis in 2006 has had consistently had low values (flagged) on the complete blood count (CBC test) for HCT (hemocrit or proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells) and MCV (size of cell or mean cell volume, the average volume of a red blood cell). Additionally, aluminum, which is a vaccine ingredient, has been known to cause this clumping effect on red blood cells. (Dr. Andrew Moulden of Canada has research showing this “blood sludge” is caused by vaccines at http://www.brainguardmd.com/ ) We had been chelating our son since diagnosis for mercury, aluminum, and lead, but his red blood cells were not able to "carry out the trash" effectively and needed help from HBOT.

A Tale of Autistic Blood video:
http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/06/a-tale-of-autistic-blood.html#more

HBOT is not a cure for anything. Overall, a decision to use HBOT should be based on the advice of a doctor who has evaluated (with lab testing) the needs of the patient and prioritized treatments, such as addressing the body's ability to heal itself first through proper diet, good nutrition, and a healthy balanced gut flora. With serious conditions, HBOT can help fight infection and inflammation and promote healing by stimulating the production of undifferentiated stem cells (which is the unique attribute of HBOT.) HBOT is not a controversial treatment for strokes and burns, but it is a controversial treatment for autism. Why? In my opinion, most people do not understand that the same processes of infection in burns and brain inflammation in strokes are also at work in autism. If you believe that autism is a mental disorder caused by genetics, then HBOT seems like a crazy idea. But if you have a child who developed typically for two years, and regressed developmentally and developed a number of metabolic abnormalities that are not genetic, then you can begin to see HBOT as a reasonable option. Ironically, most people think horse therapy is beneficial, but it cannot change a child's metabolic profile nor teach a child to speak, yet it is covered by most health insurances. Often we call something "controversial" because we do not understand it.

40 Dives at Oxford HBOT: Journal of July 4-25, 2009

The clinic and staff could not have been more kid-friendly. I told J we were going to have a pajama party (dressed in scrubs), get in the tunnel, and watch a video. He went along with my plan without complaints. Each dive lasted 1.5 hours. The sessions feel like the sensation of being on an airplane in regards to your ears; it feels like a day at the spa in regards to comfort.

I was encouraged by the consulting doctor was very encouraging with what we could confidently expect to see: better detoxification of yeast and heavy metals; improvement in GI issues. I must admit I had a "What I am doing here? This is CRAZY!" thought in the chamber on the first dive. However, I reminded myself of the reports that support the benefits of HBOT. Although technology has not caught up with HBOT in regards to showing the benefits at the cellular level, HBOT has demonstrated that it improves the body's red blood cells' ability to fight infection, decrease inflammation, and increase detoxification. These are crucial processes for those on the autism spectrum. HBOT has also been effectively treating stroke, burns, and many other diagnoses for twenty years (and covered by health insurance for those conditions.)

After only a few dives, J's grandparents noticed a significant increase in social interaction. He was also playing more with toys. I noticed J was speaking in longer sentences.

On July 5, 2009, I read the post on AgeofAutism.com titled "Is he high-functioning?" A parent describes how her ASD child was a non-responder with biomedical treatments up to age 9, until HBOT when he started to write and made other significant gains!

I calculated that I watched 60 hours of kid videos in 20 days. :)

J's stool during HBOT at times became darker, which could indicate better detoxification. Also, I should mention that I took him off everything except vitamins and mineral supplements during these 20 days. He stopped B12 shots, anti-fungal medication, probiotics, and chelation. I wanted to see what HBOT alone could do for him. He also took additional Vit. C, Vit. E, and CoQ10 during the 20 days of diving to help replenish antioxidants that are needed for the process. (Two weeks after HBOT, J became very emotional with unexplained tantrums. We resumed B-12 shots, which helped regain his coping skills immediately. Dr. Neubrander’s research shows how ASD kids do not have an active supply of B-12 which is necessary for executive function and methylation in the brain.)

J developed a runny nose and cough during HBOT, which is only the second cold virus of his life due to his documented hyper-immunity. This is a good sign of proper immune system function responding to viruses and bacteria. He also ate a hamburger with all the toppings, which was the first time for him with his picky eating. J also started asserting his independence in new small ways like buckling his own seat belt.

We watched "Finding Nemo" during some of our HBOT video viewing. Watching that movie with a special-needs child can be a very emotional experience. Nemo has a handicap from a traumatic injury as an infant, and he has a very protective parent determined to go on a unprecedented journey to save his son--full of risks and rewards, and new friendships. This has many parallels to autism treatment. We had what I call a "magical moment" while watching Nemo. In the saddest part of the movie, when Nemo's dad realizes his loss, and finds the surviving yet injured Nemo baby, J said, "That's so cute. Be quiet Mommy." I was NOT talking, but J wanted to let me know this scene was special. Well my eyes started to burn with tears, while I was cuddled up in a chamber next to him and realized: my little boy is SO CUTE, and this journey is SPECIAL--very much like "Finding Nemo." We have other magical moments too recently, usually when he does something that he was never expected to do. Like when he waved to me from the McDonald's playland, and said, "Hi mommy." What's so magical about that? That moment required a once non-verbal child to speak, a once non-gesturing child to wave, and a once non-interacting child to care that I notice him. Treatments like HBOT are helping us recover our son.

Three Years of Autism Treatment & Recovery

2009-06-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you new to the Moose Mom blog, there is usually an introduction here (linked at the left side). June 13, 2009 marked the 3rd anniversary of J’s diagnosis of autism, so I have decided to take the readers on a brief recap of our son’s recovery journey using biomedical treatments. I welcome those with skepticism, and I encourage all to verify or rule out my claims--for the sake of your child.

June 2006. We won the 1 in 166 autism lottery. J was two and half years old. After watching him reach all milestones until 15-months old, we helplessly watched him stop progressing for a year before finally getting a diagnosis of autism. A dozen specialists could not put the puzzle together: no language or gestures, eating problems, poor social interaction, and sensory disorder. We did our own homework and found a DAN! Doctor who was willing to do some blood tests. J tested positive for an intestinal bacteria problem, and after six weeks of a simple anti-fungal medication, HE STARTED TALKING AGAIN in October 2006. It was just the miraculous beginning of our journey into what some criticise as unproven or alternative medicine. One thought that I could not dismiss, “Autism has skyrocketed from 1 in 10,000 (in 1988) to 1 in 166.”

June 2007. Grieve as you go. The year after diagnosis was the hardest year of my life. I drove J to a university every morning for speech, then to a special education program in the afternoon. Monthly, we were drawing blood from an uncooperative three-year-old to monitor metabolism, red blood cells, minerals, bacteria, and heavy metals. Daily, we were force-feeding our son on a restricted diet due to allergies to milk and wheat. He required up to 20 vitamin supplements a day. Our family was turned upside down, but we were getting our son back. We started ABA therapy in our home in addition to the biomedical treatment, and friends were amazed by his progress. I had an office full of research to support our decision to stop his vaccines before his four-year-old shots. The autism epidemic coincided with changes in 1988 to the immunization schedule and ingredients; J had tested positive for unsafe levels of mercury and aluminum—both vaccine ingredients.

June 2008. Heal the gut, heal the brain. We were working with the best doctors in the nation: Dr. Phillip DeMio from Ohio, Dr. Bryan Jepson in Texas, & Pediatric Gastroenterologist Dr. Arthur Krigsman of New York. Endoscopy and colonoscopy verified a unique form of inflammatory bowel disease: autistic enterocolitis. Treatment resulted in relief from the physical symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, but also resulting in widespread developmental gains. Biopsies support that measles RNA from the MMR vaccine given at 15-months cause this gut disease.

June 2009. Know what you know. Over the past three years, we have had some friends politely tell us how educated parents like us (an Ivy League graduate, and an Academy graduate) can be deceived in believing that vaccines cause autism in susceptible children. We also know doctors proclaiming the book “Autism's False Prophets” written by a vaccine patent holder exonerates vaccine safety. We have watched the media fearmonger that anti-vaccine parents are putting us all at risk for disease. (The swine flu vaccine will go into distribution this fall with no safety trials, like the HPV vaccine with 12,000 reported serious vaccine injuries.) And on the other less publicized side, we now have had two US federal court cases (Poling and Banks) conclude that VACCINES CAUSED AUTISM and award settlements. Research also concluded in two large genetic studies that AUTISM IS NOT GENETIC. We have heard the former US director of the NIH publicly state that the government has purposely not studied vaccines relationship to autism. We have read that 50% of affluent families in California are no longer vaccinating their children, and 70% of medical professionals decline the influenza vaccine. We have seen the organization Generation Rescue (www.generationrescue.org ) present research on Larry King Live that shows both a higher risk of autism in vaccinated versus unvaccinated children, as well as a higher risk of autism in the US than in other countries who have maintained the 1988 immunization schedule. For more research on both sides of the vaccine issue go to: www.fourteenstudies.org The reality is that vaccines are big business, and big pharma is unaccountable to the public's safety (you & I) because vaccine manufacturers cannot be sued in US courts.

Conclusion: Autism is treatable and beatable. Our now five-year-old son is recovering. He functions as a four-year-old cognitively, and as a three-year-old socially. Behaviorally, we have only a few remaining issues that make him stand out, like loud singing in quiet settings. In speech, he struggles with personal pronouns (you & I), but he is conversational. He steadily makes developmental gains as we treat an overactive immune system. He made even more gains after he completed a clinical trial of HBOT this summer. We continue to chelate heavy metals, and monitor his IBD which is in remission after successful treatment. Overall, he is an enjoyable little boy who likes music and swimming. He interacts with friends and family. He is eating a variety of foods. We have resumed a normal family life: vacationing, eating out, going to public places and special events. I do not worry anymore "Will he ever..." instead I anticipate, "When will he..."

Post Script:The 4A Epidemic is still under the radar. When I see a family with a child with Autism who has not pursued biomedical treatment, I have a sobering reminder of what life was like for us just a few years ago: isolating, frustrating, and heart breaking. I use every opportunity to tell others about biomedical treatments. I also carry the quiet burden for those affected by ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies--which I believe is part of this broader epidemic caused by over-vaccination. Kids in the US are sicker than ever before in history, while medicating the symptoms and not the cause, and the general public does not notice the health crisis in this generation. Meanwhile, big pharma launches media campaigns for vaccines designed to look like public service announcements and not paid advertisements. Even with growing vaccine skeptism, the verdict on vaccines is undecided for most. Do not let your beliefs on vaccines hinder you from seeking blood testing and treatment for underlying metabolic problems. But also do not wait for the government or media to endorse autism treatment; the government has had twenty years already to study both vaccines and autism treatment, and has chosen not to. Go with your gut!

P. Long Copyright 2009

Early Intervention

2008-10-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

We have benefitted from multiple types of therapy: early childhood intervention consultative services from the state – free; private speech therapy - copay to insurance; preschool language institute at a local university - funded by a foundation; preschool program for children with disabilities – public school; Applied Behavioral Analysis home therapy (ABA program) – out of pocket.

Each is valuable, but if I could pick only one—it would be ABA. Unfortunately, we are restricted by cost and availability of the therapist, so we only average about 2-4 hours a week. The good news is that our school district adopted an ABA-based curriculum this year, after parents presented the data showing: 1. Intensive ABA programs yield higher IQ, language, and adaptive behavior scores than eclectic programs (consisting of multiple approaches to include TEACCH)[i]); 2. ABA is equally effective with disabilities other than autism; and 3. ABA meets most state's requirement that the curriculum’s effectiveness must be verified in research.

In short ABA, is role modeling that is positively reinforced (rewarded) or negatively reinforced (withholding of reward) through repetitive discrete trials of tasks. And ABA not only improves behaviors, but also targets speech, gross and fine motor skills, social skills, play skills, eating, toileting, etc.

Regarding TEACCH and PECs, which are both picture systems to aid non-verbal or low-verbal communicators, I argue that those are not therapies. To illustrate the difference, consider that I want my son to take out the trash. He has seen me role modeling taking out the trash to the receptacle, so I hold up the full trash bag (a visual cue). The sight of the trash bag does not motivate him to take action. He takes out the trash because he knows there will be either a reward or punishment if he does not complete the task. Likewise with ABA, we find what motivates our special needs kids (video segments, bite-sized snacks, special toys, books, praise) and then break down complex tasks into small subtasks which are rewarded to teach the skill. Often ABA uses pictures, but the therapeutic effectiveness is in the motivation. I offer this opinion because TEACCH and PECs are often presented as equivalent approaches to ABA, and they are not.

Since the summer of 2007, we have implemented a home ABA program with great success. Our lead therapist evaluated our son, and helped us identify goals using the ABLLS curriculum, and then allowed a college student to shadow her sessions for a semester. (Most special education majors have mandatory volunteer hours to complete with special needs children.) Upon completion of the training, we hired the college student to augment our therapist’s hours. The work these two ladies conduct with my son is comparable to Anne Sullivan working with Helen Keller. In one year, they have taken an undisciplined little boy with a small vocabulary and transformed him into the talkative darling of his preschool class. Just last week, my son ended his ABA session with this comment, “Excuse me, Mrs. Mommy, I want to play computer.”

State laws lists ABA therapy as a covered medical expense, so be sure to check with your insurance company of the requirements for coverage.

Biomedical treatments will help you rescue your child, and ABA will enable recovery.

I would also highly recommend “Handwriting Without Tears,” a multi-sensory approach to learning how to write. You can attend a workshop or online webinar, or purchase the teacher guide. You can purchase at local teacher supply store like Mardel or purchase supplies online at http://www.hwtears.com/ Check out their website videos and low prices!

P. Long Copyright 2008

[i] Eikeseth et al, “Intensive Behavioral Treatment at School for 4-7 Year Old Children With Autism: A 1-Year Comparison Controlled Study,” Behavior Modification, Vol. 26 No. 1, January 2002, Sage Publications, 49-68, Table 2.

J's Progress and Setbacks: 2008 Summary

2008-10-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

Grandma makes J's favorite book come to life.

2008 Summary

Heavy Metals. Early in 2008, we tested porphryins for a second time. This test shows how enzymes back up (do not combine to become larger carbon chains) due to heavy metal interference. This test is more reliable than a heavy metals test which only shows the quantity of metals that are captured in a random sample, and varies from sample to sample. J still showed a moderate to severe metals problem. We tried two rounds of IV EDTA chelation, then changed to DMPS suppositories, and by mid –year, we returned to transdermal DMSA chelation to meet our level of comfort and preferences. We will continue chelating until porphyrins are normal.

Gastrointestinal. As detailed in my May 2008 blog entry “Treating Autistic Enterocolitis,” J had cleared the inflammation in his esophagus after treatment with Dr. K, but showed some erosion in his duodenum in his second endoscopy. We adjusted the GI medications (anti-inflammatories, steroids, antacids). Great gains in bowel normalcy, but little gains in eating. From September to December 2008, we will try two more aggressive steroids.

Yeast. By June behavior problems emerged, and I suspected that a yeast problem was resurfacing. J’s lab results confirmed that his yeast problem had returned in full force, and he had severely toxic indicators in many other areas. Dr. J & I agreed that some kids with autism cannot maintain a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria, and J is one of those kids. We went back on Fluconozole, in addition to the GI medications, and all the nutritional supplements. The behavior problems resolved, but this was a setback for me emotionally.

Therapy. Fortunately, our summer schedule provided more hours of private therapy to make up for my temporary lack of motivation. J had four hours of ABA language therapy a week, and one hour of Occupational Therapy to work on writing. We were all focused on getting J ready to join his peers in an inclusive pre-school program this fall. I emphasized toilet training, swimming, and computer skills and made some surprising progress…

Glutathione. In July 2008, we had our first IV infusion of Glutathione. Glutathione is an anti-oxidant (detoxifier) that most kids with autism are lacking. Some DAN! doctors refer to it as one of the “big guns” in autism treatment, and claim it gives kids a noticeable neurological boost that wears off over a week’s time. I really was not expecting anything noticeable because we had used transdermal Glutathione in conjunction with chelation for quite a while. However, the day after treatment, J announced that he needed to use the potty, ran to the bathroom, and toileted successfully. This was an unprecedented course of events. Usually, I initiated a trip to the bathroom, and guided him through all the steps. We celebrated enormously, but it wasn’t until the evening at the pool that I suspected a Glutathione effect. J dove down to the bottom of the pool steps and retrieved several dive toys. Now this was startling because he had never attempted this before, he usually kept his face above the water. Well, needless to say there will be more IV Glutathione in our future. I do think it gave him a little boost!

Nutrition & Diet. In June, we also tested for the casein and gluten opiate peptides—which necessitated the GFCF diet. J tested positive for an opiate effect to milk (casein), but not wheat (gluten). Dr. K advised that J is too young to take him off the gluten–free diet without risking cognitive gain. We did food allergy tests to help us make this decision. We have never been able to conduct the allergy tests prior to now because J’s immune system scores were too elevated to give reliable results. The food allergy tests show that he is allergic to everything he eats, so we default back to a malfunctioning immune system. In July, J’s routine labs showed deficiency of calcium and selenium, and we adjusted supplements accordingly. In September, we increased most of his supplements, and added a mega-dose of Vitamin D. Notably, J gained weight this year, after no weight gain the previous year. It has been intriguing to see how his vitamins and minerals have fluctuated over the past two years. Recently, I read some research on methyl-B12 that convinces me that it is a necessity to recovery, so we are making it a priority three times a week. Cod liver oil as an omega-3 source is also becoming a priority now.

Lessons Learned. There are two metabolic effects that I confirmed through experience this year. A yeast problem causes behavior problems: tantrums, screaming, etc. The other major contributor to attention and cooperation is a lack of B12. Whenever, J has missed consecutive B12 shots (we don’t travel with them), he struggles through our home ABA therapy sessions and is very uncooperative.

Sibling testing. I needed to rule out that environmental mercury sources were the cause of J’s metals problems, because I have another son who would have been exposed. My older son’s porphyrins test was normal—no heavy metals interference with enzyme formation. So the son who was never exposed to the mercury containing influenza vaccine is healthy and neurotypical, and the other who was exposed to a mercury containing influenza vaccine has heavy metal problems and autism. Draw your own conclusions.

Immune System. After we finish the steroids in December, we will move to a new phase of treatment—the immune system. We know that if we can reduce inflammation in the brain, then we can reduce the symptoms of autism. There are currently several clinical trials available to us: actose (blood sugar regulation), Neurotransmitters (help synapses), HBOT (oxygen therapy), and anti-viral medications. Unfortunately, there is no way to know which J will respond to, thus we will begin an unpaved path on our journey. Until now, we have let research and empirical evidence guide us on the known effective treatments.

Health Insurance. Insurance did not pay one dollar towards J’s autism treatments this year, after several appeals. This is such a hot topic that McCain and Clinton have both mentioned it to national audiences during the presidential campaign.

The Bottom Line. J will turn 5 in January. Language: He tells us his needs, asks questions, sings, and bargains for rewards. Social and Emotional: He relates emotion by saying, “I love you,” “good job,” and “Don’t worry, Mommy.” He has begun to play imaginatively with toys. He plays with his brother. He greets familiar friends by name. Behavior: We only had two memorable meltdowns this year (one at airport security when forced to separate with personal possessions, and another at the library when not allowed to renew a favorite book.) Overall, we know that it will be an Olympic effort, but he will recover and someday stand with his peers.

Road to Recovery

2008-09-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Autism: Unconventional Treatment Leads to Recovery
Written as a guest column for the Trib

Copyright 2008 P.Long

As of 2008, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) affect 1 in every 150 children. In 1988, autism affected 1 in 10,000 children. It has reached epidemic numbers greater than polio. And no family is immune, because genetics cannot solely account for the 6000% increase in prevalence. Also, diagnostic substitution cannot account for the increase because the stringent diagnostic criteria has not changed. Most experts agree that some genetic predisposition followed by a toxic environmental insult is behind this epidemic.

Our youngest son reached all developmental milestones until 15-18 months of age. He then lost language and eye contact and became withdrawn with odd, repetitive behaviors. In 2006, at age two, he was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that impairs language, behavior, and social interaction. After exhausting mainstream medical specialists for an effective treatment plan, we found hope in an integrative medical protocol: Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!).

Doctors applying the DAN! protocol have found that children with autism have severe metabolic abnormalities, namely unsafe levels of heavy metals. The metals not only interfere with neurological processes, but the collateral damage manifests itself in five main areas: 1. intestinal bacteria (yeast), 2. improper digestion of milk (casein) and wheat (gluten)proteins , 3. nutritional deficiencies, 4. immune system shifts (over-reacting and under-reacting to viruses), and 5. gut and bowel inflammation. Our son has all of these metabolic problems, and DAN! doctors have provided him effective treatments.

Since 2006, we have seen a direct relationship between these treatments and our son’s recovery. After implementation of the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet, our son regained eye-contact and lost the repetitive behaviors. Six weeks after initiating an anti-fungal drug to counter the yeast overgrowth in the intestines, our non-verbal almost three-year-old child began to speak and gesture. He gained 120 new words in two months. We supplemented specific vitamins and minerals, and we saw evidence of his immune system starting to respond properly. After treating the gut inflammation with anti-inflammatory drugs, he began to eat a better variety of foods and started toilet training.

Throughout all of these interventions, we have also treated with chelation. Chelation is the process of adding a substance to the body that will bind with metals, so that the metals can be excreted. Chelating drugs come in different forms such as transdermal, oral, suppository, and IV. DMSA is an FDA-approved prescription drug for lead exposure, but has become a contentious treatment for autism. We have used transdermal DMSA, and we have seen broad gains in our son’s development as his metal toxicity levels gradually decrease.

He is now four years old, and he speaks in simple sentences. He has mastered letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. He sings songs and laughs at humorous things. His demeanor is sweet and cute. He will attend preschool with his peers this fall. All of his special education teachers and therapists are amazed by his unprecedented progress.

After two years of extensive testing, what do we conclude was the environmental insult that triggered our son’s autism? Neurological regression was his body’s response to reaching a toxic tipping point from the mercury and aluminum ingredients in vaccines. In March 2008, US Federal Court supported our convictions with its concession that vaccines caused autism in the case of Hannah Poling. In July 2008, Dr. Walsh and Harvard researchers published an autism study reporting that genes involved in experiential learning are not deleted, but rather deactivated or blocked from making connections. Our son’s lab results demonstrate how heavy metals cause such a synaptic disorder, and his recovery proves that autism is treatable.

My Heart: Two Years After Diagnosis

2008-09-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2008 P. Long

This entry will be uncharacteristic from all previous entries—no data, no references. Just a synopsis of the emotional state of my heart. It’s a rainy day, and a good day for reflection.

Upon returning home from a recent vacation, we saw that one of our four baby trees had fallen in a wind storm. We had planted these trees just a few months after J was diagnosed with autism. One tree for each member of our family. Three trees thrived, and one tree slowly lost leaves and bark. Without extra care, it would not grow independently. To me, this tree became an ever present symbolic reminder of J’s regression in health and development.

After two years of nursing this tree with water and fertilizer, I knew it was a possibility that he would not recover. However, I never anticipated a storm victim—me.

Ironically, J was not anything like the sick tree. Over the two past years, J has made amazing progress with the DAN! medical protocol, ABA therapy at home, and special education services. He talks, laughs, sings, interacts. He is holding his own in an inclusive preschool. He is thriving.

I, on the other hand, was not thriving. I was fatigued, and showing early signs of depression. I had more arguments with my easy –going husband in the last 12 months, than in the past 12 years. I was more frequently losing my patience and sense of humor with my 8-year-old son. Not a day has gone by in two years that I have stopped wanting my special-needs son to be healthy, to be healed.

Like the fallen tree, I was at my breaking point. I looked OK on the outside, by my core was dry and brittle, not full of joy and grace. I was losing my leaves and bark, and at risk of impending storms of life.

I decided to stake myself down to the ground like a newly planted tree. The Past Stake: Forgive myself for decisions made out of ignorance in the past. Move forward with the gained knowledge and wisdom. The Now Stake: Help those who seek hope. Every week, I find myself discussing vaccine schedules or autism treatments to the benefit of a family. Afterall, God uses all things for ultimate good for those who believe. The Future Stake: Give God the burden of what the future holds. Acknowledge that I can’t predict what 5, 10, 15 years from now will look like for our family, but God can do immeasurably more than what I ask or imagine.

A few weeks after I wrote this, something unexpected happened. The stump of our fallen tree sprouted a sapling tree. Just another reminder that though one may feel cut off at the trunk by the storms of life, new branches will grow into one’s calling and purpose. And this time—I staked that new tree down before Hurricane Gustav came our way.

My response to "My doctor says that vaccines are safe"

2008-08-26T20:10:00.001-07:00

I understand that it is a large chasm to cross to believe that vaccines have played a causal role in autism and ADHD. I do not need other parents to make that leap with me, but I do hope to encourage them to educate themselves on vaccine ingredients and the current immunization schedule. Let’s take a few steps together into the possibility that maybe there are some flaws in our approach to vaccines….

1. First, consider the credibility of your sources of information.

A. Your doctor.
a. Your doctor is biased by self-preservation. No doctor wants to think that he/she may have actually caused harm, so naturally they are defensive of their practices—to include blind adherence to the recommended vaccine schedule.

b. Also, your doctor is biased by pharmaceutical companies. Most of his/her education after medical school has been from drug companies motivated by profit rather than the well-being of your child. Your doctor has a busy practice and a family; he/she probably has not invested any continuing education on independent (not funded by pharmaceutical companies), published research on vaccines.

c. As of 2008, the new director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has expressed interest in reviewing independent research and treatments in connection to the vaccine-autism link. Although this will probably result in mandated changes in the years ahead, many of us our vaccinating our children now.

B. The media. Pharmaceutical companies spend billions on advertising. The main television networks risk losing sponsors if they insinuate that vaccines can cause harm. All major stories to date (with the exception of Larry King Live) have always concluded with a pro-vaccine message. Parents magazine is filled with pro-vaccine articles, and also numerous drug company advertisements. Don’t rely on sponsored media for unbiased information.

C. The government.
a. Pharmaceutical companies are the largest monetary contributors to elected officials in the US.

b. Drug companies conducted both studies cited by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to reject the link between autism and vaccines. The IOM always sends a representative as the authoritative expert to argue against any person speaking in support of the autism-vaccine link on the major networks.

c. The drug companies successfully lobbied for a clause in the Homeland Security Act that vaccine manufacturers can never be sued in civil court. In an unprecedented protocol in US history, 4000 families reporting vaccine-induced autism have been subsequently diverted to a Federal Vaccine Court which is sealed from any public disclosure with pending lifetime compensations. (Reference previous blog article: Hannah Poling: Federal Court Conceded that Vaccines Cause Autism, 2008.)

d. The FDA and EPA have issued warnings to pregnant women and young children about mercury exposure, and mandated bans on mercury containing products while the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has emphatically claimed that we should not expect to see any harmful effects from mercury in vaccines. The CDC has a huge conflict of interest: it has both the power to mandate vaccines and the authority to deem them safe.

D. Me, and other families affected by vaccines. We do not have philosophical or religious opposition to vaccines. We immunized our kids, and health problems resulted. We have based our convictions on a preponderance of evidence: health history, lab tests, independent published research studies, and the “anecdotal” recovery stories of hundreds of kids with autism spectrum disorders using heavy metal detoxification and nutritional support. Most parents in this group are college educated and financially stable; they are not a fringe group of people looking for an easy compensation package from the government. Our motivation is simply to spare other families the heartache of autism, ADHD, and learning disorders. We are not rewarded for expressing our opinions against the majority view, except by living a life with a clear conscious knowing we helped educate parents. I encourage my audiences to verify my claims and customize the vaccine schedule to their family.

2. Consider the opposing view: There are flaws in the US Immunization Schedule.

A. Schedule. The schedule does not account for low body weight or health history: “one size fits all” medicine. A 10-pound infant, a 90-pound middle schooler, an 130-pound high schooler, and my 180-pound husband all get the same vaccine doses. Birthdays and milestone appointments may not coincide with a healthy kid, but doctors commonly give vaccines to children with immune systems already preoccupied with colds, ear infections, etc.

B. Multi-dosing. More than one major illness at a time is too much for most people. Consider that your child actually contracted measles; he/she would be sick for a week at least. Now consider that your child contracted five or six of like viruses at the same time; hospitalization would be the outcome. However, we routinely administer up to six viruses in vaccine form and expect young immune systems to develop the needed antibodies without any collateral damage. There is a great deal of literature that supports an “auto-immune epidemic” caused by multi-dosing vaccines: asthma, allergies, autism, ADHD, diabetes, fibromyalgia, MS. The MMR is especially risky because it is a combined dose of three live viruses, unless you specifically request the uncommon single doses.

C. Ingredients. Mercury is still an ingredient in the year 2008 in the form of thimerosal (verify at CDC.gov). Some influenza vaccines have up to 30 micrograms. Aluminum is in all vaccines (verify in vaccine package insert before the nurse discards it) as well as other unnecessary toxic ingredients. Despite these facts, I hear “My doctor said that mercury is no longer in the vaccines” all the time.

D. Risk vs. Need Factors. (Just a few things those vaccine handouts don’t tell you.)

a. Most children are not at risk for sexually transmitted HepB, but the schedule calls for four doses in the first year of life.

b. Lifelong immunity gained from chicken pox is better than artificial immunity that requires boosters.

c. 90% of all people gain immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella through the initial vaccine, but instead of checking immune titers, the schedule calls for a mandatory booster at age 4-6 years. (The booster is easier and cheaper than a blood test.)

d. The influenza vaccine is a best guess at what strain will affect your region each year. It does not guarantee immunity to influenza. Most brands contain mercury.

e. Gardasil (HPV) has had major adverse reactions in the first 12 months of implementation (2007-2008) including seizures and death. It does not protect against all forms of HPV, nor does it guarantee that a person will not get cervical cancer. Competitor brands will be incompatible for the necessary boosters, requiring close monitoring of records.

f. We commonly give the triple dose DTaP or double dose DT when only a tetanus is recommended because manufacturers do not make the single tetanus vaccine.

3. Analyze your courses of action.

A. Do nothing. Continue to strictly adhere to the current vaccine schedule. Your children will receive at least 36 doses by age 5, and numerous boosters for the rest of their lives.

B. Read more about vaccines, and adjust the schedule (postpone some vaccines, spread-out injections) based on your newly gained knowledge, not the opinions of others. (See my recommended reading below.) Know your rights with the school requirements by reading the state’s health department web site.

C. Possibly find a new doctor who is willing to work with you as an individual on adjusting the schedule without discounting your concerns about vaccines.

P. Long Copyright 2008

Primates get autism from vaccines--Pittsburgh study

2008-07-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

Update: 9/30/09 NeuroToxicology published study by and Dr. Hewitson and Dr. Wakefield, found that HepB vaccine caused delays in monkeys similar to autism:

Birth Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine Study

Click HERE to read the study Delayed Acquisition of Neonatal Reflexes in Newborn Primates Receiving a Thimerosal-containing Hepatitis B Vaccine: Influence of Gestational Age and Birth Weight in .PDF form in the journal, NeuroToxicology.

Read an analysis of the study by Mark Blaxill in his Age of Autism post, Blockbuster primate study shows significant harm from one birth dose of a mercury-containing vaccine.

Abstract
This study examined whether acquisition of neonatal reflexes and sensorimotor skills in newborn rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) is influenced by receipt of the single neonatal dose of Hepatitis B (HB) vaccine containing the preservative thimerosal (Th). HB vaccine containing a standardized weight-adjusted Th dose was administered to male macaques within 24 hours of birth (n = 13). Unexposed animals received saline placebo (n = 4) or no injection (n = 3). Infants were raised identically and tested daily for acquisition of 9 survival, motor, and sensorimotor reflexes by a blinded observer. In exposed animals there was a significant delay in the acquisition of three survival reflexes: root, snout and suck, compared with unexposed animals. No neonatal responses were significantly delayed in unexposed animals compared with exposed.
Gestational age (GA) and birth weight were not significantly correlated. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the main effects and interactions of exposure with birth weight and GA as independent predictors and time-invariant covariates. Significant main effects remained for exposure on root and suck when controlling for GA and birth weight such that exposed animals were relatively delayed in time-to-criterion. There was a significant effect of GA on visual follow far when controlling for exposure such that increasing GA was associated with shorter time-to-criterion. Interaction models indicated that while there were no main effects of GA or birth weight on root, suck or snout reflexes there were various interactions between exposure, GA, and birth weight such that inclusion of the relevant interaction terms significantly improved model fit. This, in turn, indicated important influences of birth weight and/or GA on the effect of exposure which, in general, operated in a way that lower birth weight and/or lower GA exacerbated the detrimental effect of vaccine exposure. This primate model provides a possible means of assessing adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes from neonatal Th-containing HB vaccine exposure, particularly in infants of lower GA or low birth weight. The mechanism of these effects and the requirements for Th is not known and requires further study.

Source: Age of Autism, Oct. 7, 2009.

Original press release for three vaccine-primate studies (March 2008) posted at http://www.safeminds.org/ and excerpts listed below:

"Infant Vaccines Produce Autism Symptoms In New Primate Study By University Of Pittsburgh Scientists"

ROUTINE SAFETY STUDY THAT GOVERNMENT SCIENTISTS REFUSED TO DO ILLUSTRATES VACCINE PROGRAM AND MERCURY HEALTH RISKS

ATLANTA, GA –Findings released [May16, 2008] showed that infant monkeys given vaccines officially recommended by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) exhibited autism-like symptoms. Lead investigator Laura Hewitson of the University of Pittsburgh and colleagues presented study results at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in London. Safety studies of medicines are typically conducted in monkeys prior to use in humans, yet such basic research on the current childhood vaccination regimen has never before been done.

The abstracts presented at IMFAR, the world’s top autism science conference, describe biological changes and altered behavior in vaccinated macaques that are similar to those observed in children with autism. Unvaccinated animals showed no such adverse outcomes. The vaccines given [ to the infant primates] were those recommended for U.S. infants in the 1990s, including several with the mercury preservative thimerosal and the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine. Rates of autism spectrum disorder among children born in the 1990s surged dramatically, from about 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 150 children.

[Safeminds'] request for [additional] research echoes that of Dr. Bernadine Healy, Former NIH Director, in a CBS interview earlier [in May 08]. She asserted that public health officials have been too quick to dismiss an autism-vaccine connection when the research has been insufficient. The government recently conceded a federal vaccine court case which agreed that a child regressed into autism as a result of 9 vaccines given on one day.

See below for exerpts from the three study abstracts:
See them in full details at: http://www.safeminds.org/research/pediatric-vaccines-influence-primat-behavior.html

1. "Pediatric Vaccines Influence Primate Behavior, and Amygdala Growth and Opioid Ligand Binding"

May 16, 2008: IMFAR
L. Hewitson and all.

Results: Compared with unexposed animals, significant neurodevelopmental deficits were evident for exposed animals in survival reflexes, tests of color discrimination and reversal, and learning sets. Differences in behaviors were observed between exposed and unexposed animals and within the exposed group before and after MMR vaccination. Compared with unexposed animals, exposed animals showed attenuation of amygdala growth and differences in the amygdala binding of [11C]diprenorphine. Interaction models identified significant associations between specific aberrant social and non-social behaviors, isotope binding, and vaccine exposure.

Conclusions: This animal model, which examines for the first time, behavioral, functional, and neuromorphometric consequences of the childhood vaccine regimen, mimics certain neurological abnormalities of autism.

2. "Pediatric Vaccines Influence Primate Behavior, and Brain Stem Volume and Opioid Ligand Binding"
May 17, 2008, IMFAR
Wakefield and all.

Results:
Kaplan-Meier survival analyses revealed significant differences between exposed and unexposed animals, with delayed acquisition of root, suck, clasp hand, and clasp foot reflexes. ... [For 17 out of the 18 reflexes], this involved a mean increase in time-to-acquisition of the reflex for exposed animals. ...

Conclusions:
This animal model examines the neurological consequences of the childhood vaccine regimen. Functional and neuromorphometric brainstem anomalies were evident in vaccinated animals that may be relevant to some aspects of autism.

3. "Microarray Analysis of GI Tissue in a Macaque Model of the Effects of Infant Vaccination"
May 17, 2008 IMFARS.
J. Walker and all.

Results: Histopathological examination revealed that vaccinated animals exhibited progressively severe chronic active [GI] inflammation, whereas unexposed animals did not.

Conclusions: We have found many significant differences in the GI tissue gene expression profiles between vaccinated and unvaccinated animals.

Detoxifying your home

2008-06-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

I took deliberate measures in our home to reduce the toxins that we are exposed to. Kids with ASDs are not good detoxifiers by combination of impaired immune systems and low levels of antioxidants. There are plenty of websites and “green” books to help you with this topic, but here’s some of my highlights.

Water. Filtered drinking water is a must! We have a filter built into our refrigerator where we consume most of our water. You can also have filters inset with your tap water and showers. In the Waco, Texas area, water is heavily contaminated from dairy farm fecal run-off (ammonia , hydrogen sulfide, phosphorus, nitrogen) and it noticeably affects the taste. Additionally, all municipal water contains aluminum as a clearing agent (which has been connected to Alzheimer’s disease where concentrations are higher.) Our son’s aluminum score skyrocketed last December after our replacement water filter went on backorder.

Cleaning Supplies. I replaced most of our chemical cleaning supplies with vinegar, baking soda, and bleach. When I do use an occasional household cleaner in the bathrooms, I wear latex gloves. For laminate floors which require a special cleaner, I found a non-toxic formula. Linens and Things, Whole Foods, and our local Drug Emporium sell non-toxic cleaning supplies. Once I made this transition, my sense of smell regained sensitivity to the fumes of chemicals and now causes a nauseous reaction.

Laundry. I use non-toxic detergents and fabric softeners like Seventh Generation. I also replaced chemical and perfumed dryer sheets with money-saving dryer balls.

Pesticides. I will not allow pesticides to be sprayed in our home. Due to an ant problem, I will allow a professional to spread granules once a year around the exterior foundation which is covered by landscaping and inaccessible to our kids. For fire ant mounds in the yard, corn meal is a cheap alternative to chemical granules or powders. I will not allow chemicals to be sprayed at large on our grass. For insect repellent, I will only use DEET-free options that usually smell refreshingly pleasant with ingredients like cedar and lemongrass.

Hygiene Products. Our son benefitted from trans-dermal (prescription skin creams) vitamins, therefore, I needed to start looking at the ingredients of hygiene products which can be absorbed through the skin. I replaced most of my soaps, shampoos, and even makeup with all-natural alternatives. Burt’s Bees and other brands are now common at grocery stores, and Whole Foods and other health food stores. Disregard misleading “natural” or “mineral” labels. If I cannot read most of the ingredients, then I usually will not purchase the product.

Cookware. We replaced non-stick cookware with cast iron. The carcinogenic chemicals (PFOA) in Teflon flake and fume when scratched by utensils and heated to high heat. Dupont, the manufacturer of Teflon, unrealistically recommends you throw out your non-stick cookware every 3 years. Furthermore, as Teflon erodes, you are unknowingly exposed to the underlying aluminum. Cast iron costs less, last forever, and exposes you to beneficial iron.

Plastics. Plastics can contaminate your food when heated. Additionally, the hormone BPA has been added to plastics in recent years, including infant bottles and spill proof “sippy” cups. We use glass containers as much as possible. We also recycled our water bottles, and replaced them with Klean Kanteens. Now our drinking water stays cold for hours, and does not have that plastic aftertaste.

Carpets & Flooring. Synthetic carpet and treated area rugs fume with unsafe chemicals for up to a year: petroleum fibers, latex backings, pesticides, bleaches, dyes, stain protectors, anti-static solutions, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents, and chemical flame retardants. These chemicals cause that new carpet smell. We floored most of our house with tile and laminate wood flooring. We waited for the cooler months to install new carpet in the bedrooms in stages so we could keep the windows open for ventilation and rotate where the kids slept during the process. Carpets also retain allergens. Pottery barn sells untreated area rugs.

Counter tops. Granite contains high levels of uranium, which is not only radioactive but releases radon gas as it decays. We choose a laminate countertop.

Paint. We will never buy a house built prior to 1980 because lead paint was not banned until 1978.

Sunscreen. Titanium Dioxide and other chemicals are a problem. We found a brand at Whole Foods which is 100% Zinc Oxide called Badger. This is a great example of my new self-imposed standard for being able to read the ingredients before purchasing.

Pools. I attended the AMAB conference in Feb. '09 and a speaker recommended Epsom salt baths after swimming or a magnesium sulfate cream before swimming to help counter chemicals that ASD kids are sensitive to.

Ceramic Dinner Plates & Bowls. Most ceramic glazes contain lead in the pigments, even white or off-white. Unless the brand specifically states that it does not contain lead, which is not common with most of the brands sold in the US, your plates and bowls probably have lead that contaminate your food. We replaced ours with clear glass, made in the USA. The lead is also in both major brands of crock pots. Sorry! I know this one is a bummer.

Toxic flame retardants. Antimony used in new cars & car seats (the new car smell), children's pajamas, hotel bedspreads, mattresses (air out new ones in the sun and cover).

Other toxic sources: Aluminum/tin/plastic food packaging, metals on computer and TV (wash hands before eating), arsenic in swingsets (wash hands before eating), lead toys. Check out http://www.healthytoys.org/ where you can search by brand or type of toy for mercury, lead, bromine, arsenic, and chlorine. Some major brands that have been trusted for years like Little Tikes, Fisher-Price, & Mattel have some toxic toys.

Light Bulbs: The new long-lasting CFL light bulbs have mercury in them and require HAZMAT procedures for cleanup and disposal. I refuse to use them. They are only produced in China, and regrettably Congress made them mandatory for US consumers by 2014. I guess I will start making candles in 2014!

P. Long Copyright 2008

Treating Autistic Enterocolitis

2008-05-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

DIAGNOSIS

In October of 2007, Dr. K informed us that J’s Serology test predicted that he had a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or Crohn’s disease. One of his antibodies levels which indicated inflammation scored at 133.5 (normal reference range is less than 21). We met with Dr. K at the Thoughtful House in Austin, Texas in November 2007. Everything in J’s medical file indicated a classic case of “autistic enterocolitis”— a unique form of IBD in children with autism that currently does not have a diagnosis code nor is it recognized by pediatric gastroenterologists. Dr. K explained that eating makes J feel sick and in pain. There are a number of anti-inflammatory medications to treat this. Once he feels better, we would see better eating and nutrition, subsequent gains in language and cognition, with improvements in behavior, and overall greater response to therapies. We acknowledged that this was not a cure for autism, but were hopeful to see great benefits from treatment.

J’s procedures with Dr. K did result in a diagnosis of autistic enterocolitis, showing inflammation in all areas of the GI tract, but the most severe ulceration was in his esophagus, jejunum, and small intestine. J started three medications—an anti-inflammatory, and antacid, and a steroid. The week we started medications, he ate several new foods for the first time. In the month following medication (Dec. 07), we noticed him laying on his stomach less. He has also had a lot more spontaneous speech like naming vegetables at the grocery store, talking about what he sees, describing the weather and temperature, using friends’ names, and increased two-way conversation. And he started toilet training! Bowels became more normal in appearance, smell, and frequency. Three months under GI medications (Feb. 08), he learned both upper and lower case letter identification, began to engage in imaginative play, mastered following one-step directions, demonstrated rhythm with musical instruments, began singing whole songs from memory, and had his first bowel movement in the toilet. He started attending regular childcare in the church nursery once a week with his peers. Behavior had improved so much that we were enjoying public activities like bowling and baseball games.

GI PROBLEMS COMMON IN ASDs

For parents considering the possibility that their ASD child might have a gastrointestinal disorder, you have to disregard the uniformed comment from your pediatrician, “Your child has unusual bowel movements and patterns because he does not eat a healthy variety of foods.” Also, dismiss the well-meaning approach of your occupational therapist, “He does not eat because he has texture and sensory issues.” Here’s some research on the autism-gut connection as summarized by Dr. Andrew Wakefield on November 17, 2005 in the presentation “The Seat of the Soul: The Origins of the Autism Epidemic:[i]”

In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield in London published research documenting 12 children with who developed autism and intestinal problems after the MMR vaccine. In a followup study, Wakefield found that 24 of 25 children with sudden-onset autism had measles virus in the intestinal tract that matched the strain used inthe MMR. [v]

In 2004, Dr. Arthur Krigsman in New York presented research with 147 cases of children with autism and enterocolitis.

In 2005, Dr. Federico Balzola of Italy published a paper describing an IBD-like disease in patients with autism.

In 2005, Dr. Tim Buie of Harvard co-authored a published paper on the gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism.

RESEARCH & MMR VACCINE

Dr. K is treating this gut disease in hundreds of children with autism in the US and internationally. We consented for J’s biopsies to be used in his research at the Thoughtful House. Once published, one of the research studies would tell us if J had an active measles virus protein in his gut from the MMR vaccine. Consider the MMR’s association to autism and gastrointestinal inflammation:

1. Anecdotal evidence. Most forms of regressive autism follow a period of normal development until approximately 15 months of age, and then regression and symptoms of autism following the MMR vaccine given at 15 months.

2. Empirical evidence. Many children with autism and bowel disease have tested positive for measles RNA in the gut, even though they have never contracted measles. Uhlmann and all used molecular technology in 2002 and found that measles virus genomic RNA was present in 75 of 91 children with developmental disorders[ii].

3. Biological evidence. Dr. VK Singh published three papers showing abnormal antibody profiles with an elevated measles virus antibody titer in children with autism.[iii]

4. Maternal evidence. Dr. Edward Yazbak surveyed 240 women of childbearing age. In a subgroup of 25 women who received either the rubella or MMR vaccine shortly after delivery, 20 women gave birth to children who were breast fed and developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine as children. In another subgroup of 7 women who received either rubella, measles, or the MMR during pregnancy, all 7 children born were later diagnosed with autism, and one twin was stillborn. Yazbak concluded that vaccination shortly before, during, or after pregnancy was unsafe with possible risk to the child through breast milk.[iv]

OUR PROGRESS

By March 2008, we saw a mild return in the GI symptoms. He stopped making gains in eating and started laying on his stomach again. Bowel movements became less frequent and behavior declined. We speculated that the medications were no longer working or the yeast problem had returned. His 3-month follow-up blood tests showed no inflammation. We tried an anti-bacterial medication for Crohn’s disease. Finding an antibiotic for J's bacteria issues proved troublesome throughout 2008; antibiotics bring his yeast problem back.

In May 2008, Dr. K performed a second endoscopy to measure progress. Inflammation in the esophagus had mostly healed, but the duodenum showed significant erosion. There was no redness, swelling, or inflammation with the erosion which indicated that J’s immune system was not attacking the infection. We decided to address the immune system with steroids.

As of December 2008, we saw huge gains after a 3-month use of steroids combined with anti-inflammatory medications-- gains both in sentence complexity and social interaction, as well as a huge victory in toilet training completion.

As of March 2009, we were seeing great gains (social & fine motor) from a blood sugar regulator called Actos that decreases brain inflammation.

In May 2009, we had our one-year follow-up with Dr. K:

He declared that J is in remission for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J is eating a variety of foods from all food groups, and has normal bowel movements once a day. I am confident we have treated his GI issues successfully. We will continue to maintain one medication, and monitor symptoms every three months. We are so grateful to have reached this point by the age of 5, when most affected kids are just being diagnosed. The younger your child starts treatment, the more developmental gains are made. The once disconnected, non-verbal J showcased these gains during the appointment by quarreling and giggling with his older brother. I am glad I followed my gut on this matter.

Copyright 2008 P. Long

[i] Wakefield. , Andrew, M.D. “The Seat of the Soul: The Origins of the Autism Epidemic,” November 17, 2005, presentation reproduced in Thoughtful House newsletter, January 2008.

[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Cave, Stephanie, M. D. “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations.” Warner Books, 2001. 76,77.
[v] Ibid. 71.

"Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, & Allergies"

2008-05-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

I would highly recommend the new book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies by Dr. Kenneth Bock. It includes a wealth of information that we have had to piece together over the past 2 years. The book outlines what these disorders have in common biomedically. It discusses the role of over-vaccination, mercury and aluminum in vaccines, overuse of antibiotics, and abuse/reliance on Ritalin. From the back cover:

"In the last two decades, the incidence of autism, ADHD, asthma, and allergies has skyrocketed. ...
Doctors have generally overlooked the connections among the 4-A disorders. For years the medical establishment has considered autism medically untreatable and utterly incurable, and has limited ADHD treatment mainly to symptom suppression. Dr. Bock and his colleagues, however, have discovered a solution that goes to the grass root of the problem. They have found that modern toxins, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, genetic vulnerabilities, and assaults on the immune and gastrointestinal systems trigger most of the symptoms of the 4-A disorders, resulting in frequent misdiagnosis and untold misery."

If you know someone affected, the interventions in this book are life changing--as we seen with our son. It also challenges parents who might think that their child has not been adversely affected by over-vaccination and exposure to heavy metals.

To be continued...

Jenny McCarthy's son recovered from autism

2008-04-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Jenny McCarthy said exactly what I would have said given 10 minutes on national TV (Larry King Live 2 April 2008). Autism is treatable and vaccines have caused injury. Her son was treated by DAN! doctors, and no longer qualifies for autism therapies at age 6.

After writing two best selling books ("Louder thanWords" and "Mother Warriors") about her son's recovery from autism using diet and supplements with a biomedical approach, she now has teamed up with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel to publish a guide for parents "Healing and Preventing Autism."

Jenny McCarthy spoke again with Dr. Kartzinel on Larry King Live in April 2009, along with supporter Jim Carrey and JB Handley from Generation Rescue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My8fQil923Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Thh81R1R4&feature=related

Two of the opposing medical "experts" (one from the AAP, and one who testified against families in the federal vaccine court) are quick to defend vaccines, while former NIH director Dr. Healy politely points out that basic research validating the safety of the current vaccine schedule has not been done.

One of the pro-vaccine doctors points out that the Amish, who mostly shun vaccines, have autism too. The Amish have an autism rate of 1 in 15,000, which is far less than the rest of the nation at 1 in 150 (as of 2002). Why is that? Shouldn't our government survey the Amish?

The reality is that the government is not going to study the Amish, or any other group of unvaccinated kids, which would settle the vaccine-autism argument. Why? Because the CDC already knows the answer.

John McCain "strong evidence" implicating thimerosal in autism causation

2008-03-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

See Excerpts from:
John McCain's Fighting Words: Autism Likely Caused By Vaccines
Sunday March 2, 2008
http://www.autism.about.com/

As Jake Tapper of ABC News reports:
At a town hall meeting Friday in Texas, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., declared that "there’s strong evidence" that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that was once in many childhood vaccines, is responsible for the increased diagnoses of autism in the U.S. ...

McCain was responding to a question from the mother of a boy with autism, who asked about a recent story that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program had issued a judgment in favor of an unnamed child whose family claimed regressive encephalopathy and symptoms of autism were caused by thimerosal.

McCain said, per ABC News' Bret Hovell, that "It’s indisputable that (autism) is on the rise amongst children, the question is what’s causing it. And we go back and forth and there’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines."

Alternate Vaccine Schedule

2008-03-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Medicine is not one size fits all, but vaccines are.

Update 09.09.09 Dr. Bob Sears, author of "The Vaccine Book," wrote a detailed summary of an alternate vaccine schedule at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-bob-sears/vaccines-and-autism-what_b_279745.html

I wished I had read Dr. Stephanie’s Cave’s What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations before I had kids because I would have delayed most vaccines and not taken some vaccines at all. Dr. Cave warns, “Parents who blindly listen to their doctors can no longer afford to do so. It’s time for parents to ask questions and learn all they can about vaccines before a shot is scheduled.”[i] I will briefly discuss some of the insights from Dr. Cave:

1. One-size-fits-all approach. A child at birth who weighs 2 lbs. and a child at birth who weighs 9 lbs. get the same vaccine. Often preemies get the same vaccines on the same schedule as full term babies. Dr. Cave provides convincing evidence linking SIDS to the DTP vaccine given at 2-4 months.[ii]

2. Auto-immune disease epidemic. Since the mandatory vaccination program was started in the 1950’s, there has been a significant increase in immune system and neurological disorders: ADD and asthma have doubled, childhood diabetes and learning disabilities have tripled, autism has skyrocketed to 1 in 150, and chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and MS have all increased dramatically.[iii] Dr. Cave sites over 35 international studies that link these disorders to vaccines.

3. Family health history disregarded. People who have a genetic predisposition or family history of autoimmune disorders are more at risk for adverse vaccine reactions, but the US vaccine protocol does not screen people for family history prior to immunization.

4. Toxic ingredients. Aluminum (linked to dementia), ethylene glycol (antifreeze), formalydehyde (carcinogen), phenol (highly poisonous coal-tar derivative), and thimerosal (mercury), and other known neurotoxins and allergens.[iv]

5. Problematic cultures. Vaccines are cultured on aborted fetal tissue or animal tissue (monkey, chicken, guinea pig, dog, rabbit). Viruses can be passed to the vaccine recipient from the culture. Examples: monkey virus (SV40) in the IPV (polio) culture has been linked to cancer[v], and the monkey virus in the OPV (polio) culture which may have given HIV to humans[vi]. Furthermore, undigested animal proteins from vaccine cultures are a major source of food allergies [which are also in epidemic proportions in American children today].[vii]

6. Profit verses Safety. Vaccine manufacturers cannot be sued in US civil court, and subsequently they have no motivation to prioritize safety over profit. [Both the recently added Rota-virus and HPV vaccines have had record numbers of serious, permanent injuries. A current example is the 600 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine that will be fast-tracked for October 2009 without safety trials, and with toxic mercury and squalene. The media promotes fear, the government assures safety, but prior swine flu vaccine of 1976 caused 4000 neurological injuries. Vaccines have become big business, not best interests.]

Recommendations from Dr. Cave:

Don’t vaccinate at birth. Wait until a child is at least 4 months old, has an established immune system, and has developed bile which is necessary for excretion of toxins. Newborns have all the mother's immunity. [I tell parents to wait until the child has developed language, and then procede if compelled with only the life threatening diseases. Most people do not realize that most of the diseases we vaccinate for were erradicated with sanitation long before the vaccines were developed.]

Delay or Skip Hep B. It has four doses and potential serious side effects. Hep B can only be spread by an infected mother, or infected drug users or prostitutes. Most babies at birth, 2mths, 4 mths, and 6 mths are not at risk for a sexually transmitted disease. Also, the vaccine only provides artificial immunity for up to ten years, so any benefit will be lost when the child becomes a potentially sexually active adolescent. [There are more Hep B vaccine injuries in the US than actual cases of Hep B in a ratio of 600 to 1.]

Minimize multi-dosing. The DTaP (three viruses) should not be taken with other vaccines. The MMR (three live viruses) should not be taken with other vaccines, and for extra precaution should be taken in three separate shots which requires a special request by the parent. Dr. Cave recommends spacing measles, mumps, and rubella 12 months apart starting at 15 months.[viii] [Research and a US federal court case in 2009 show that the MMR is linked to autism, which I discuss in other articles on my blog. Also, I advise avoiding the new 6-in-1 vaccines.]

Reconsider the MMR booster (usually given at 4 years). Request to check titers (blood test) to see if you have immunity first, which makes the booster unnecessary.

Reconsider the Varicella vaccine (chicken pox). Kids get a mild version of chicken pox, with natural, lifelong immunity. Adults get a more serious form of chicken pox, and will require life-long boosters to artificial immunity.

Never take a vaccine with even mild sickness (compromised immune system) and never take a vaccine with thimerosal (mercury). Take Vitamin C prior to all vaccines (to boost the immune system). [Contrary to common practice, do not take Tylenol with a vaccine which lowers glutathione, an important detoxifier.]

Other Considerations:

The scheduled 4 year old vaccines are really the 4 to 6 year old vaccines, but are all commonly given in the same day at age 4. You can spread the shots over two years until the day before kindergarten and still meet school requirements.

Schools require fewer vaccines than what your doctor recommends. Check your school’s requirements. Doctors are financially rewarded by state funding to completely immunize children on schedule, so they will pressure you to stay on schedule. Decide if your child is an individual or part of the herd, and find a doctor who supports you.

Abstaining or delaying some or all vaccines only requires a doctor’s note of contraindication or a simple state health form.

If you child receives all the current vaccines (which has grown from 10 doses in 1988 to 36 doses in 2009) they will receive more aluminum than the FDA deems safe for a full grown adult man. Heavy metals lower IQ and cause learning and memory disabilities.

There are no safety trials showing that vaccines are safe for pregnant women. Although commonly given to pregnant women, most forms of the influenza vaccine still contain mercury (thimerosal), a known neurotoxin which is especially harmful to fetuses and infants. [See http://www.safeminds.org/]

For safety information on the HPV vaccine and H1N1 vaccine, see http://www.nvic.org/

In conclusion, I will address my motivation for identifying the flaws in the US Immunization Program. I am a parent who had a healthy, normal developing child who inexplicably developed a neurological disorder in the second year of life, which was later diagnosed as autism. Extensive lab tests verified that my son had serious metabolic abnormalities that are not genetic, to include heavy metal exposure. A year long investigation led me to conclude that vaccines were the cause of my son’s regressive autism. To disarm those who would label me as an anti-vaccine advocate, I must clearly articulate that I am not philosophically opposed to vaccines. Instead I believe the current schedule is over-stimulating young immune systems: too much, too soon. And unlike those who aggressively defend that vaccines are inherently good and completely safe, I am not biased by a medical practice or a pharmaceutical career. I am no longer indoctrinated, I am now educated.

One last precaution for parents, I have read several case studies where the child developed autism after erronously receiving too many doses of a vaccine due to errors on the shot record. Record errors can also occur when a child has transferred medical records to a new pediatrician, and the shot record is transcribed to a new form. Also, do not assume that the nurse knows that some vaccines are not recommended in close proximity to others (for example, the influenza vaccine should not be given within days of the DTaP.) Have a copy of the recommended vaccine schedule for yourself so you know the correct number and timing of doses. I also recommend that when you consent for the vaccine, that you physically match the shot and package insert to safeguard against human error of administering the wrong vaccine. The package insert will also tell you the ingredients (to include thimerosal or allergens) and contraindications for people with certain medical conditions (cancer, Guillian Barre, etc.) . This may seem extremely precautionary, but your child's health is worth the concern.

This information is a literature review. Consult with a doctor about vaccines.

[i] What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations, Stephanie Cave M.D., F.A.A.F.P, with Deborah Mitchell, Warner Books, 2001, xix.

[ii] Ibid, 103-106.
[iii] Ibid, 25.
[iv] Ibid, 28-29.
[v] Ibid, 186.
[vi] Ibid, 184-186.
[vii] Ibid, 31.
[viii] Ibid, 210.

Federal Court Concedes that Vaccines Cause Autism

2008-02-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

Read the article by David Kirby about the ruling and the role vaccines played in causing autism.

www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/government-concedes-vacci_b_88323.html

March 6, 2008. US vs. Poling.
9 vaccines in one day cause autism.

The nine-year-old girl’s father is a neurologist, and the girl’s mother is a registered nurse. Dr. Jon Poling makes three strong points in a GMA interview:

1. His daughter was developing normally up to 19 months. She showed no signs of a genetic or neurological disorder. She received vaccines [5 vaccines with 9 viruses] which caused illness, which was diagnosed as autism, and she also later developed seizures. The federal court agreed that vaccines stressed her body, brain injury resulted (encephalopathy), and autism was the outcome.

2. Despite the medical community asserting that his daughter’s case is some unusual or oddball case, there may be thousands of other children with autism with the same underlying mitochondrial condition aggravated by vaccines. He cited a study that showed up to 38% of ASD kids have this condition. [My note: 38% of 1,000,000 ASD kids in America is 380,000 kids.] He encouraged parents to investigate the biomedical components of autism, to seek medical testing like he did for his daughter, and not to just accept the diagnosis of autism. His implied statement: Autism is treatable.

3. Government health officials claim that the majority of the population has no negative reactions to thimerosal, but they have not researched the hypothesis that there might be a susceptible population with underlying conditions that would be aggravated by mercury. In Poling’s daughter’s case, thimerosal killed cells by poisoning mitochondria, and exposure at a 19 months old resulted in autism.

To the Poling family, thanks for fighting this through the Vaccine Court for 6 years. Your endurance is heroic. Your victory is Herculean. Your precedent will be historic.

June 2009. Andreau vs. Sec. of Heath and Human Services
Court rules that DPT caused developmental delays.

After a highly publicized defeat of three test cases (Cedillo, Hazlehurst, and Snyder) in the Federal vaccine court last year, the appeals court now begins. In Andreau's case, the appeals court overruled the vaccine court finding that DPT vaccine did not cause a seizure disorder, and found that the "seizure disorder ultimately led to low IQ and language and developmental delays" aka autism.

Earlier this year Sec. of HHS court also found that the MMR directly caused "PDD" (aka autism) in Bailey Banks (see my link under "Measles and the MMR.")

It seems like the trend in the vaccine court is that vaccines can cause seizure disorder, lower IQ, language delays, and developmental delays, and PDD--but will refuse to rule that vaccines cause the collective diagnosis of those symptoms: AUTISM. Parents are actually taking the "A" word out of their case files.

For more info see http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/06/appeals-court-to-vaccine-court-dont-be-a-putz.html#more

The Cost of Autism

2008-02-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s tax prep time, and I thought I would write about the cost of autism in financial terms. (Updated April 2009)

Don’t waste your time looking up “autism” in your medical plan’s guide of benefits and coverages. There are none. Some states recently have added limited coverage, but there are restrictive requirements: diagnosis from a developmental pediatrician, and reimbursement for only certified ABA therapists. Most people who have employer based healthcare are not covered.

I have not been successful getting my treatment reimbursed, but other parents have. I was denied because I need to justify why I refuse to seek care from the Developmental Pediatrician and Pediatric GI doctor in my region. When I went through this frustrating process applying for "request for waivers" in 2007, I had to prove that my local doctors were not qualified, and therefore justify my use of out-of-network doctors. I was denied waivers because my chosen doctors are considered to be practicing experimental medicine. My local doctors are treating the symptoms: drugs to suppress behavior, and drugs to counteract constipation and diarrhea. No thanks, I want to treat the cause. I lost my appeal, and opted not to proceed with lawyers.

TOTAL COST

2007
DAN Doctors $2000
GI Doctor $6000
Lab $2000
Supplements & RX $2000
Speech & ABA $3000

TOTAL $15,000

2008
DAN Doctor $1800
GI Doctor $2000
Lab $1200
Supplements & RX $2000
ABA & OT $3000

TOTAL $10,000

Additionally, we spent paid for respite care once a week (a special needs babysitter). We also paid an unknown amount in expensive GFCF foods, like $6 per bag of wheat-free pretzels. [If you want my “Big Idea,” produce a GFCF snack that looks like a goldfish or teddy bear, then sign me up for a lifetime supply.]

Insurance did pay for additional lab work processed through my local hospital, not coded for autism but other things such as gastrointestinal and metabolic problems.

PRESENT IMPLICATIONS:
Families can’t afford treatment; and families can’t afford not to treat. In 2006, we sold our 3-level dream home and bought a dirty, fixer-upper in the school zone with the best special education program. Then we prepared to hemorrhage money in medical bills to save our son.

NEAR TERM IMPLICATIONS:
Daycares don’t accept kids with autism. I should say that most are not equipped to care for children with special needs. And with the divorce rate being near 80% in the autism community, there are many single-parents who must both work and care for their child with autism. Who is caring for these kids while their parents work?

LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS:
Ultimately, people with autism become the taxpayers’ responsibility. DAN! treatments have given us hope that our son will live an independent life, but we are the minority. Most untreated persons affected by autism will need a lifetime of assisted living. The US is not prepared for a lifetime of support for the one million affected by ASD when their parents can no longer or will no longer care for them. Also, one year of special education costs $18,000 per child to the taxpayers. This will bankrupt the public schools in the next 10 years. (We MUST fix our autism legislation and get these kids some medical treatment covered by health insurance!)

THINGS TO DO FOR YOUR FAMILY:
1. Max out your Health Savings Account for tax exempt medical bills.
2. Track medical expenses for deductions.
3. Learn your medical plan’s coverage for labs and therapies.
4. Connect with a support network for info on state and private organizations benefits for special needs (equipment, therapies, camps, respite care, medical bills, diapers, etc.) No doctor, teacher, or state office will hand you a list of financial resources.
In Texas, The Children’s Special Needs Network: http://www.special-children.org/
5. Watch the autism legislation in your state, and email your state reps.
6. Consider making a Special Needs Trust (money the state can never touch).

CONCLUSION: Most families cannot endure the long term financial impact of autism. Humble yourself and ask relatives to sponsor your specific needs. Whether it’s a financial gift towards a treatment or therapy or the gift of time to babysit, you need all the help you can get. Our parents have been so supportive in these ways. And don’t overlook soliciting the prayer support of all your friends. At my lowest points, someone’s reminder that they are praying for us has made all the difference in the world. Thanks for praying friends!

DAN! Treatments: Immune System & Gut Inflammation

2008-02-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

Immune Dysregulation

There are two subtypes of immune dysregulation in ASDs: hyper immunity and hypo immunity. Some ASD kids have hypo-immunity, chronic illnesses like ear infections and environmental allergies. This subtype is vulnerable to overuse of antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics can destroy the beneficial bacteria, cause bacterial imbalance, and contribute to a yeast (bad bacteria) overgrowth and a leaky gut. Taking over-the-counter probiotics (good bacteria) is a way to keep a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria while using antibiotics.

The other ASD subgroup has hyper-immunity. Our son falls into this group. He never had ANY sickness for the first three years of his life. He never had a fever, cold, runny nose, cough, stomach virus. He never caught any viruses that the rest of our family had. When I mentioned this peculiarity to Dr. D, he explained his theory. J’s body was fighting a chronic medical condition (an impaired immune system and major gastrointestinal distress). His immune system was attacking food as if it were foreign invaders on a constant basis. J was probably “catching” viruses, but his preoccupied or miscommunicating immune system did not divert cellular resources to “fight” the viruses. J did not produce visible symptoms like a runny nose, watery eyes, warmth—signs that the body is responding to infection. He speculated that the viruses lingered for a period of time. I asked, “When will we know that he is getting better?” His ironic answer, “When he gets sick.”

Dr. Bryan Jepson discusses immune dysregulation in his book, Changing the Course of Autism. Dr. Jepson claims that researchers have found an imbalance of the Th1 and Th2 immune response in autistic patients with an overall abnormal tendency towards a Th2 response. [i] Th1 cells target intracellular organisms like viruses and bacteria; Th2 cells target extracellular pathogens by creating antibodies.[ii] Jepson claims that a dysregulated immune system always favors one pathway—known as Th1 or Th2 shifting. He recognizes that there are subgroups in autism based on these and other shifts in the immune system which account for what I have described above as hyper and hypo immunity:

“If the immune system is shifted away from the Th1 towards a Th2 response, it will be less protective against viruses, which might then persist in a chronic state, hidden inside cells. …With Th2 predominance, antibody formation is also more likely, often to an abnormal degree, so that it induces allergies and systemic (widespread) autoimmune reactions. [In contrast], Th1 predominance leaves a person vulnerable to recurrent infections since the antibody memory is weak, and prone to the kind of autoimmune reactions that attack specific organs.”[iii]

J’s labs supported high antibody formation, and a shift towards Th2 immune response. After yeast treatment and his miraculous development of speech, J experienced his first virus at Thanksgiving 2006—complete with his first cough and runny nose.

Of all the treatable components of autism, the immune system and it’s relationship to brain inflammation is the component that we have yet to treat. It does appear that in autism the brain and GI tract are the hardest hit by infection, inflammation, and autoimmune reactions as documented in hundreds of cases.[iv]

Gastrointestinal Inflammation

In July 2007, I read about “autistic enterocolitis” in Dr. Jepson’s newly published book. It is a unique form of bowel disease found in ASD kids. In the introduction of Changing the Course of Autism, Katie Wright discusses how diet and anti-fungals (discussed in previous articles) were not enough to stop her son’s developmental regression and chronic diarrhea. He was diagnosed with “autistic enterocolitis” or inflammation of the bowel and intestines by Dr. Krigsman (the only doctor in the nation effectively treating the bowel disease of kids with autism) and made amazing progress after treatment. J did not have what I considered to be chronic diarrhea; but he did have unformed, foul-smelling stool and had recently developed a habit of unusual posturing on his stomach. I became convinced that eating was causing J to be in pain, and I needed this doctor on our team. I discussed it with our DAN! doctor, and he was very supportive. In August, we began the new patient process with the Thoughtful House Medical Center for Children in Austin, Texas, and began the prerequisite testing in September 2007.

We had a medical records review telephonically from Texas to New York with Dr. K in October of 2007. The comprehensive lab work included over 20 blood tests, urinalysis, stool testing, and a stomach X-ray. We also had to send in pictures of stool samples. Dr. K informed us that one of J’s antibody levels was the highest level he had ever seen and indicated severe GI inflammation. J’s loose stool was typical of ASD kids with autistic enterocolitis. We scheduled a colonoscopy, endoscopy, biopsies, and pill camera for November 2007 in Austin with the Thoughtful House. Dr. K congratulated me for pursing this testing since J’s symptoms were not obvious. He was aware that J had seen a gastroenterologist at age two, at the beginning of the regression and had been diagnosed physically “thriving” but “possibly a developmental delay.” His comment reflected his experience with countless other parents who had been misinformed by gastroenterologists completely ignorant that autism is a gut disease. The tragedy is that the sooner you treat the gut inflammation, the sooner you can stop the disease progression. However, our medical community still views autism as a genetic disease or mental illness. The additional insult is that insurance did not reimburse our pediatric gastroenterology bill because the nation’s only expert is not in our medical network. It turned out to be the best spend of money we made in this entire battle.

In November 2007, we transferred all of J’s autism treatment to the doctors and staff at Thoughtful House (http://www.thoughtfulhouse.org/).

Update: As of September 2008, steroids and anti-inflammatory medications have enabled J to have normal bowel movements on a regular basis, and subsequently J has successfully toilet trained! We have also seen great gains in cognition and social skills since treating the gut inflammation.

For more details read: "Treating Autistic Enterocolitis"

Copyright 2008 P.Long

[i] Changing the Course of Autism, Dr. Bryan Jepson, M.D., with Jane Johnson, Sentient Publications, 2007, 58.
[ii] Ibid, 54.
[iii] Ibid, 57.
[iv] Ibid, 58.

DAN! Treatments: Nutrition, Mercury

2008-01-17T08:39:00.001-08:00

3. Nutrition

The first phase of DAN! treatments involves correcting digestive problems (food allergies, yeast overgrowth, and the leaky gut), and then reversing nutritional deficiencies. There are common nutritional deficiencies in ASD: zinc, magnesium, iron, B12, B6, glutamine, amino acids, fatty acids, calcium, and Vitamins A, D, and E.[i] Our son has problems with most of these items and requires over 20 daily supplements. If your ASD child is not a picky eater like most, he may still have deficiencies caused by malabsorption due to improper digestion.

Any doctor can do a blood test to examine vitamins and minerals, however, most do not offer to do so. In American medicine, nutritional interventions are usually bypassed for pharmacological interventions (because it’s profitable and convenient). I asked a gastroenterologist to check J’s nutrition levels when he was 2 years old. The GI expert talked me out of it by asserting that J was gaining height and weight, while disregarding that he was not eating anything but crackers and milk and he was not talking. Without testing, he reluctantly recommended an over-the-counter infant multivitamin, which we later learned was absolutely inadequate for the magnitude of J’s deficiencies. The equivalent of his recommendation would be offering Vitamin C to a cancer patient.

For more information on how nutrition affects autism and ADHD, read

"Fundamentals of Dietary and Nutritional Intervention in Autism and Related Disorders"
by Kelly M. Barnhill, CN, CCN, with an introduction by Bryan Jepson, MD

linked at http://www.thoughtfulhouse.org/0306-conf-kbarnhill.htm

4. Mercury

By the time I met Dr. D in July 2006, I had skimmed a couple of books which discussed the role of mercury preserved vaccines in autism. Hoping for absolution, I asked him about J’s impact from my prenatal influenza vaccine. Dr. D was certain that the mercury had assaulted J’s immune system, and subsequent vaccines contributed to his regression. We conducted the heavy metal test the week following our appointment after we moved back to Texas. I then thoroughly read the materials on mercury while I waited for the results.

In short, the books documented that mercury is a neurotoxin, toxic in any form or amount, and with an incredible half-life it is impossible to eradicate from the human body. The only things more toxic and permanent were radioactive substances.

In September 2006, I received the results: J tested positive for unsafe levels of mercury. These results have been the most emotionally devastating in our battle with autism.

We started chelation in November 2006 (after addressing diet, yeast, and nutritional problems) with a transdermal DMSA prescription to bind with mercury for excretion. We also treated with transdermal glutathione to help the body detoxify.

In David Kirby's Evidence of Harm, he details in 500 pages the research supporting the mercury-autism theory. I applaud his work and the research documented as follows:

Dr. Amy Holmes and Dr. Stephanie Cave are pioneers in chelation treatment in developmental disorders and learning disabilities. To a Government Reform Committee hearing in 2000 concerning thimerosal, they testified to that all of their 300 ASD patients were tested for the presence of heavy metals. Dr. Cave stated “It’s rare that we find a child with developmental problems who does not have increased levels of mercury in the urine after a chelation.”[ii] Holmes and Cave have records of treated children who have excreted alarming amounts of mercury. All of those treated improved in a variety of symptoms after chelation, and some (the youngest) made miraculous recoveries. Dr. Holmes’ own son, who was once mute, lost his diagnosis of autism.[iii] Dr. Holmes conducted a study with ASD children who had chelation therapy for four months and measured progress in memory, cognition, and social interaction. She found improvements in kids ages 1-5 years as follows: 35% marked improvement (little or no autistic symptoms), 39% moderate improvement, 9% no progress. She found less improvement in kids ages 6-12 years: 30% marked or moderate improvement, and after age 12 improvement declined dramatically.[iv]

Dr. Holmes also conducted a baby hair study testing for levels of mercury. She collected 94 of samples of ASD children and 45 neurotypical children—all had received the full schedule of thimerosol containing vaccines. The surprising results showed that the normal kids had far greater amounts of mercury in their hair samples than the ASD kids. “Normal children had a mean hair mercury level of 3.7 [ppm], and some ranged as high as 19 [ppm]. But autistic children had levels at or below 1[ppm].”[v] Furthermore, the neurotypical children with higher maternal mercury exposures (fish, dental amalgams, RhoD) had higher mercury hair levels; while ASD children with maternal mercury exposure had hair samples that remained low in mercury.[vi] Dr. Holmes, co-authored a paper on the results of the study in the International Journal of Toxicology, concluding that autistic children do not excrete mercury like normal children and instead retain the mercury burden in their tissues.[vii] Holmes and al. hair analysis was replicated by three nuclear scientists at MIT, who confirmed their results, and concluded that autistic children lack a mercury excretion system.[viii]

Additionally, Dr. Jeffrey Bradstreet conducted a chelation study of 221 autistic children and neurotypical controls. He found that 87% of the autistic children excreted mercury in urine after chelation. He also found that children with autism excreted 500% more mercury after chelation than the neurotypical children who had received the same thimerosal containing vaccines.[ix] Holmes’ and Bradstreet’s studies support three considerations: heavy metals are a likely aspect of autism (which I speculate could be a factor in 90% cases of autism), and that ASD kids treated with chelation make progress (especially the younger ones), and the underlying susceptibility of autism is that some kids are poor detoxifiers (and would be at risk for vaccine ingredients such as mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde.) We have found all three of these considerations to be true for our son.

Dr. William Walsh, biochemist who has studied biochemical imbalance information on over 14,000 patients at the Pfieffer Treatment Center, in 2001 reported a momentous abnormality in autism: a sulfer based protein called metallothionein (MT), also known as mercurium captans, Latin for “mercury capturer.” In 503 ASD patients, Walsh found that 99% exhibited evidence of abnormal metal metabolism disorder and MT dysfunction. 85% showed severely elevated copper-to-zinc ratios that were “far greater than that of any other population we have studied over the past twenty-five years.”[x] MT regulates zinc and copper, detoxifies mercury, matures the brain and immune system, contributes to the production of enzymes that break down casein and gluten, and helps response to intestinal inflammation[xi] —all of which are malfunctions in autism. [Walsh] theorizes that autism results from the combination of genetic defect involving marginal or defective MT functioning and an environmental insult [such as toxic metals] during early development which disables MT.”[xii] Promoting MT function and the body’s detoxification system requires supplements for glutathione, zinc, and selenium—all of which we have implemented with our son in combination with chelation.

ASD kids are poor metal detoxifiers, but what explains why the male to female ratio of autism is 4:1? Boyd Haley, researcher at the University of Kentucky, found that thimerosal kills 70% of exposed neurons in 24 hours, and that thimerosal’s toxity reacts synergisticly with other harmful chemicals in vaccines. This prompted him to examine the influence of estrogen and testosterone. He found that estrogen had a protective effect on cells exposed to thimerosal; however, cells died 100 times faster when exposed to a testosterone-thimerosal combination versus thimerosal alone.[xiii]

Update: As of September 2008, we are still chelating based on his regular urine test that still indicate the influence of several heavy metals to include mercury and aluminum which are both vaccine ingredients (discussed in “Mercury in Vaccines”).

© 2008 P. Long

[i] Children with Starving Brains, Jaquelyn McCandless, M.D., Bramble Books, 2nd Edition, updated 2005. Page 48.

[ii] Evidence of Harm, David Kirby, St. Martin’s Press, 2005. Page 136.
[iii] Kirby 142.
[iv] Kirby 202.
[v] Kirby 322.
[vi] Changing the Course of Autism, Bryan Jepson, M.D. with Jane Johnson, Sentient Publications, 2007. Pages 153-154.
[vii] Kirby 200-201.
[viii] Kirby 319.
[ix] Kirby 176.
[x] Kirby 144.
[xi] McCandless 32.
[xii] McCandless 33.
[xiii] Kirby 199.

Over-Vaccination

2008-01-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

See text of ad that was in USA TODAY on September 25, 2007:

ARE WE OVER-VACCINATING OUR KIDS?

Since 1983, the number of vaccines the Centers for Disease Control recommends for our kids has more than tripled. During this same time period, we’ve seen an explosion in neurological disorders like ADHD and autism, particularly with our boys, who represent 4 out of 5 cases. Are these increases related? Can there be too much of a good thing? Until now, no one could know for sure, because no study had ever been done to compare the rate of neurological disorders between vaccinated and unvaccinated children. We commissioned a market research firm to survey more than 17,000 children in California and Oregon. We found that vaccinated boys had more than a 2.5-times greater rate of neurological disorders than unvaccinated boys. We believe a national study must be done to further explore these disturbing results. Visit our site and read the results of our survey, as well as find helpful information on how to vaccinate your child more safely. Learn more at http://www.generationrescue.org/

A NEW SURVEY OF KIDS IN CALIFORNIA AND OREGON SAYS WE MAY WELL BE.

http://www.generationrescue.org/

CDC Mandatory Vaccine Schedule Comparison
Children birth to 6 years, by year (recommended month)

USA 1983
DTP (2)
OPV (2)
DTP (4)
OPV (4)
DTP (6)
MMR (15)
DTP (18)
OPV (18)
DTP (48)
OPV (48)
TOTAL: 10

USA 2007
Influenza (prenatal)
Hep B (birth)
Hep B (1)
DTaP (2)
Hib (2)
IPV (2)
PCV (2)
Rotavrus (2)
Hep B (4)
DTaP (4)
Hib (4)
IPV (4)
PCV (4)
Rotavirus (4)
Hep B (6)
DTaP (6)
Hib (6)
IPV (6)
PCV (6)
Influenza (6)
Rotavirus (6)
Hib (12)
MMR (12)
Varicella (12)
PCV (12)
Hep A (12)
DTaP (15)
Hep A (18)
Influenza (18)
Influenza (30)
Influenza (42)
MMR (48)
DTaP (48)
IPV (48)
Influenza (54)
Influenza (66)
TOTAL: 36

Measles, MMR, and GI disease in Autism

2008-01-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

Full page ad above from USA Today, Feb. 25, 2009.

In 1998, Dr. Wakefield, British Gastroenterologist, found the measles virus (the same strain as in the MMR) in the gut of 12 autistic children who were suffering major gastrointestinal inflammation. Dr. Wakefield's study has been replicated several times now with hundreds of children with autism, by Dr. Krigsman of New York and Dr. Balzola of Italy. Dr. Wakefield recommends breaking up the MMR, a triple dose of live viruses, to single dosage shots spread out over time.

I personally have met several families who are certain that their sons' autism was triggered by the MMR. (And I have read about numerous other families with the same experience.) The boys were developing normally, and they had adverse reactions to include fever and seizures after the inital MMR (given at 12-15 months). Their sons fully regressed into autism days after the MMR: loss of speech, loss of eye contact, spinning, hand flapping. I am convinced the MMR is a trigger for a large subset of autism. The MMR is a unique vaccine because it is a triple dose of three live viruses.

See my blogpost "Treating Autistic Enterocolitis" for the research of gut inflammation in autism, and how we diagnosed and treated this form of bowel disease, which is unique to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I believe that the MMR has played a causal role in my son's gut inflammation and bowel disease, even though he did not have an obvious reaction to the MMR within days of the vaccine. His regression was a slow process starting at 15 months of age, and it started with eating problems.

Update February 2009: Bailey Banks vs. US Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services finds the MMR caused autism.

Read details of this court decision at the link below "The Vaccine Court: The Autism Debate Continues" by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and "A New Theory of Autism Causation" by David Kirby.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-and-david-kirby/vaccine-court-autism-deba_b_169673.html

Mercury-Emitting Facilities are Linked to Autism

2008-01-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Dr. Raymond Palmer et al., of University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, published a second study in Health and Place (April 2008) linking proximity to mercury-emitting facilities to greater autism prevalence. Other studies show associations from mercury emissions to asthma and allergies. How do mercury emissions impact our nation, Texas, and our community? Waco is home to the LeHigh Cement Company limestone plant, which ranked the nation’s highest mercury-emitting facility in 2002 with 1800 pounds.[i]

Dr. Palmer’s study examined mercury emissions data from 39 coal-fired power plants and 56 industrial facilities in Texas compared to autism rates in 1040 Texas school districts. Palmer found the following: For every 1000 pounds of mercury released by industrial sources in 1998, there was a 2.6 percent increase in autism rates in 2002; For every 1000 pounds of mercury released by power plants in 1998, there was a 3.7 percent increase in autism rates in 2002; Autism rates diminished 1 to 2 percent for every 10 miles from the source.[ii]

Dr. Palmer’s previous published Texas study reported that on average, for every 1000 pounds of environmentally released mercury in 2001, there was a 43 percent increase in the rate of special education services and a 61 percent increase in the rate of autism.[iii] The researchers conceded that the numbers for autism are actually higher since the study only counted school-age children with official diagnoses. “The results of this study demonstrate that school district autism and special education rates are significantly associated with environmentally released mercury.”[iv]

Dr. Palmer also noted that one exception was Brewster County which had low mercury emissions, but high autism rates. He later discovered that this area had one of the top mercury mines in the nation.

Dr. Palmer’s unpublished results from a national study show that the states with the highest levels of mercury emissions also have the highest rates of developmental disorders including autism.

This ecological study supports a medical study which also linked mercury to autism. Sallie Bernard et al. published “Autism: A Novel Form of Mercury Poisoning.” in Medical Hypothesis in 2001. Bernard’s team exhausted the textbook symptoms of mercury poisoning and showed over 40 neurologically similar symptoms and 20 biologically identical symptoms to autism. The Bernard paper hypothesized that increasing mercury containing vaccines in the 1990’s resulted in the increasing prevalence of autism.[v]

In interviews, Dr. Palmer, who is a professor of family and community medicine, has commented that studies show that the mercury in vaccines (thimerosal) is equally as toxic as the mercury in the environment. [vi]

National Mercury Emissions

Coal fired utility plants, steel and chemical plants, municipal/medical waste incinerators, and commercial/industrial boilers, and cement companies all emit mercury--estimated at 158 million tons annually nationwide in the 1990s.[vii] The Clean Air Act of 1990 set guidelines to reduce these emissions from 48 tons to 5 tons by 2008[viii], however critics site that trading mercury pollution credits between facilities has resulted in no reduction of actual emissions. In 2006, Federal Courts reported that the EPA has been delinquent to enforce any mercury emissions standards in the US, and emissions have not decreased by one ounce.

Texas Mercury Emissions

Texas ranks 4th among states with the highest reported mercury releases.[ix] Five of the ten worst mercury polluting plants in the nation are in Texas. Texas has 19 coal burning power plants, and 18 pending permits for coal plants. Rep. Doc Anderson, from Waco, TX, successfully proposed a moratorium in the Texas legislature for these coal plants, most of which are destined for central Texas.

Waco, Texas Mercury Emissions

EPA documents verified that LeHigh’s Waco facility is a mercury-emitting cement kiln.[x] LeHigh Southwest Cement plant in California is currently now the nation’s largest source of mercury. LeHigh and the EPA have lost two federal lawsuits prompted by an environmental coalition which require reductions in mercury emissions, but the EPA has taken no action claiming that “cost and technological barriers prevent the regulation of mercury.”[xi]

It appears that no vocal groups are aware that the LeHigh limestone facility emits massive amounts of mercury, a known neurotoxin, over a 4A size school district, some of the area’s most valuable properties, and an unknowing community.

[i]“ Five of the ten worst mercury-polluting power plants are in Texas,” http://www.seedcoalition.org/, press release Oct. 27, 2004.
[ii] “Autism Risk Linked to Distance From Power Plants, Other Mercury-releasing Sources,” http://www.sciencedaily.com/, April 25, 2008.
[iii] “Environmental mercury release, special education rates, and autism disorder: an ecological study of Texas,” Raymond F. Palmer et al., Health and Place, November 2004.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Changing the Course of Autism, Bryan Jepson, M. D., with Jane Johnson, Sentient Publications, 2007, 117-121.
[vi] “The Age of Autism: Mercury in the Air,” Dan Olmstead, http://www.ghhealth.com/, March 15, 2005.
[vii] “Autism Risk Linked to Distance From Power Plants, Other Mercury-releasing Sources,” http://www.sciencedaily.com/, April 25, 2008.
[viii] “Don’t let Texas become a national toxic sacrifice,” Jane Dale Owen, November 2004, linked to http://www.seedcoalition.org/
[ix] “Environmental mercury release, special education rates, and autism disorder: an ecological study of Texas,” Raymond F. Palmer and all, Health and Place, November 2004.
[x] www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/le/mercury.pdf EPA-454/R-97-012, December 1997, chapter 7.0 and Table C-1.
[xi]“ Emissions control regulations lag; contamination poses health risks,” Dan Shapley, http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/ , July 16, 2006.

Mercury in Vaccines

2007-12-29T20:36:00.000-08:00

Vaccines have changed since we were kids.

1978: US adds MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) to Immunization Schedule. Unlike the other vaccines, it is a triple dose, live vaccine. (Note: The MMR has never contained mercury, but it has a controversial role in autism that will be addressed in another section.)

1980s: Children received 3 vaccines with a total of 10 doses: 5 doses of DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), 4 doses of OPV (Polio), and 1 dose of MMR. As of 2007, they receive 10 different vaccines with a total of 36 doses. [i]

1982: FDA calls for removal of mercury based preservative called thimerosal from all over-the-counter topical medicines because it was toxic (killed cells) and not effective (failed to kill bacteria).[ii]

1988: CDC introduces 3 doses of Hep B (hepatitis) and 3 doses of Hib (meningitis).[iii] Both vaccines contain thimerosal, which never underwent any FDA safety trials.[iv] 5 of these 6 doses are given before 6 months of age despite the undisputed fact that “Mercury is a known neurotoxin that can destroy cells… It is especially harmful to fetuses, and small infants…”[v]

1991: DPT becomes DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis).[vi] This change was a direct result of the public outcry to the CDC about adverse reactions from a grassroots group of parents who founded the National Vaccine Information Center.[vii] Unfortunately, the “safer” DTaP also contains thimerosal.[viii]

1991: FDA bans thimerosal from animal vaccines because it was toxic. The CDC continues to allow children’s (and Gulf War Veteran’s) vaccines to contain over 200 micrograms of mercury in the form of thimerosal, most of which was administered during the first 6 months when body weight was very little and immune system is not fully developed. “At routine check-ups, infants were usually given more than 150 times the EPA’s safe daily standard for methylmercury in an adult.” [ix]

1990s: Children are further exposed to thimerosal prenatally through the influenza vaccine and Rho GAM.[x]

1999: Lilly, thimerosal’s manufacturer, changes MSDS to read: “ Nervous System and Reproductive Effects; Effects of exposure include fetal changes; Mercury poisoning may occur; exposure in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation; Hypersensitivity to mercury is a medical condition aggravated by exposure; Hazardous substance, toxic waste disposal.”[xi]

1999: Joint Statement from AAP and Public Health Service acknowledges that exposure to mercury from in vaccines exceeds federal guidelines and recommends that thimerosal containing vaccines be phased out as soon as possible.[xii]

1999: A few months after the Joint Statement, the CDC votes not to make a public preference for thimerosal-free vaccines.[xiii] The CDC never bans thimerosal. Hep B, Hib and DTap stockpiles continue to have thimerosal into 2001. As of 2007, both Rho GAM and the influenza vaccine still contain up to 30 micrograms of thimerosal and are targeted at pregnant women. (The EPA safe level is 0.1 microgram per kilogram.[xiv]) Other vaccines contain lesser but unsafe “trace amounts.”[xv] Most of the vaccines added since the 1990’s also contain aluminum, which acts synergistically with mercury.[xvi] Although mercury has been removed from some vaccines on the schedule, exposure has not been eliminated as some doctors might argue against the cause for the autism-mercury theory.

2001: EPA and FDA announce advisory to pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children eating fish containing high amounts of mercury can cause developmental harm.[xvii]

2004: Despite compelling biological evidence in published animal studies and historical and international precedents of neurological disorders associated with mercury exposure, IOM issues a report that rejects a causal relationship between autism and thimerosal.[xviii]

In summary of the US government agencies, mercury is not safe to eat or put on skin, but it is safe to inject into your body. I disagree. Has the CDC earned your trust?

Shouldn't we be more skeptical about people handing out free "flu shots" (influenza vaccines) in drug stores with no requirement to document brand and lot number in a medical file in case an adverse reaction occurs? Why is the influenza vaccine (mercury containing) not required to be documented on a US immunization schedule like all other vaccines?

Read Evidence of Harm by David Kirby. I learned that Lilly was the first company to market a drug for ADHD. I learned that the CDC has had a history of allowing officials to serve, make recommendations on adding a vaccine to the schedule, and then return to their original role as vaccine developers with pharmaceutical companies. I also learned that secret CDC internal draft documents that were obtained by parents under FOIA showed a statistically significant relationship between thimerosal and autism, ADHD, developmental delays, and learning disorders. However, the final CDC document reported no relationship. Why have we given the CDC both power to mandate vaccines and power to say they are safe?

Copyright 2007 P. Long

References:
[i] http://www.generationrescue.org/

[ii] Evidence of Harm, David Kirby, 2005, 83.
[iii] http://www.ewg.org/
[iv] Kirby, 48.
[v] Kirby, 49.
[vi] http://www.vaccineinformation.org/
[vii] http://www.909shot.com/
[viii] The Natural Medicine Guide to Autism, Stephanie Marohn, 2002, 56.
[ix] Changing the Course of Autism, Bryan Jepson, MD, with Jane Johnson, 2007, 122-124.
[x] Jepson, 122.
[xi] Kirby, 209.
[xii] Kirby, 46, 47.
[xiii] Kirby, 59.
[xiv] Kirby, 55.
[xv] www.cdc.gov
[xvi] Kirby, 84.
[xvii] www.fda.gov
[xviii] Kirby, xi.

DAN! Treatment: GFCF Diet & Yeast

2007-12-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

1. Gluten Free/Casein Free Diet

In Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder by Karyn Seroussi, the mother documents how she recovered her son from autism (no longer required special education by age three) by implementing a diet abstaining from wheat and milk proteins. She details how gluten (wheat protein) and casein (milk protein) are improperly digested in children with autism, and break down into opiate peptides, and subsequently cause a drugged or zoned-out demeanor. Her description of her son as being a carb eating, milk chugging junkie was an accurate depiction of my son with autism[i].

In ASDs, these foods can cause a cerebral allergy, with behavioral effects and without skin reactions. When the opiate "high" effect wears off, the child feels bad and craves more of the offending food. These foods can become addictive to a child with autism. In May of 2006, I started the Gluten Free/Casein Free (GFCF diet) when J was 2 years and 4 months old. Within a week or so, I observed improvement in eye-contact and an increase in vocalizations. This may not seem like a significant gain, but it fueled my fire to temporarily defect from traditional speech therapy, and investigate a medical problem. We have worked with three extraordinary doctors in three states, and they all agree that dietary intervention is crucial for most kids with autism. Alan Friedman, PhD, speculates that kids with autism are missing or have an inactivated digestive DPP-IV enzyme necessary for digestion of gluten and casein.[ii]

Karyn Seroussi’s son, Miles, had seizures and fever after the DPT and the MMR and regressed into autism. She implemented a GFCF diet and also treated a serious yeast problem (discussed in the next section). About the biological processes that lead to autism she states:

“I suspect that Miles’ vaccinations either introduced a virus that started the problem, or else aggravated his already unstable immune system. I strongly believe that the liberal amount of antibiotics he was given either triggered or contributed to the outcome. All I can say for certain is that a breakdown in the immune system certainly does seem to be involved, as well as abnormal production of substances which are clearly not present in the urine of normal test subjects, and which can disappear after implementation of a gluten and casein-free diet.” [iii]

Furthermore, ASD kids have other food allergies that do not produce obvious hives and swelling, but produce headaches, mild diarrhea, disorientation, irritability, depression, and hyperactivity. Most ASD kids are picky eaters with self-restricted diets. Most ASD kids have sleep problems too. Most parents are unaware that food allergies and improper digestion could be causing these problems, and often the parents default to common medications for ADD/ADHD to deal with the symptoms without treating the cause. I know families who have stopped using these medications after implementation of the Feingold diet (http://www.feingold.org/) for their diagnosed ADHD sons. The diet eliminates artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, and preservatives (or "non-foods" as I call them). Feingold has research to support increased hyperactivity in ADHD children due to these chemical food additives or non-foods.

The Autism Research Institute has surveyed 26,000 families with autism spectrum disorders and found that 66% of kids following the GFCF diet “got better.” 69% of kids got better using a similar diet called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. 56% of kids got better using the Feingold Diet. These survey results are posted at http://www.autism.com/ under the link for ARI’s Treatment Ratings.

There is a lengthy list of research studies to support dietary intervention in autism, yet most professionals (educators and psychologists) refer to dietary intervention as "not research based." My advice is to work with a medical professional about medical concerns, work with educators on academic issues, and therapists on behavior challenges. No one approach has all the answers.

2. Yeast & the “Leaky Gut”

Also during the summer of 2006, a therapist gave me a brochure for the Great Plains Lab. The founder, Dr. William Shaw, PhD, was a biochemist and former Director of Clinical Chemistry, Endocrinology, and Toxicology at a children’s hospital. He accidentally discovered that children with regressive autism had severely elevated levels of yeast, yeast byproducts, and bacteria in their intestines.[iv] Shaw claims that children have reduced in autistic symptoms after starting antifungal drugs: nystatin or fluconozole in combination with probiotics. He also recommends a low sugar diet and digestive enzymes for tougher cases. His findings site improvement in eye contact, hyperactivity, focus, and sleep.[v] He also claims improvement in symptoms on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) from severe to normal.[vi]

After bypassing our pediatrician who claimed the yeast problem was “unproven” and testing would only give us “false hope,” we scheduled our first appointment with a DAN! doctor (functional/integrative medicine that uses comprehensive medical testing of blood, urine, and stool to detect metabolic and nutritional abnormalities) in July 2006. Dr. D recommended these Great Plains Lab tests, and the results did show that our son, J, had a major problem with yeast.

Dr. Shaw’s research had found that the intestinal yeast overgrowth byproduct, called HPHPA, is elevated in patients with schizophrenia and autism. In normal male children, the HPHPA mean value was 91.5 mmol/mol creatinine; in autistic male children, the mean value was 192.4 mmol/mol creatinine. Likewise, autistic female children had a mean value of HPHPA more than double than normal female children.[vii] Shaw explains that the patients with a HPHPA value greater than 500 mmol/mol creatinine almost always have severe neurological, psychiatric, or gastrointestinal disorders.[viii] Shaw reports HPHPA plays a direct role in causing hyperactivity and abnormal behaviors in autism, schizophrenia, and other disorders. J’s HPHPA value was 852.37 mmol/mol creatinine! A normal reference range is 0-150 mmol/mol creatinine.

Interesting side note, Shaw explains how high HPHPA creates a dopamine excess, and doctors commonly treat the hyperactivity and stereotypical behaviors in autism and schizophrenia with dopamine blockers (phenothiazines and haloperidol).[ix] Furthermore, psychotic patients who have treated the HPHPA with anti-fungals have “resulted in remission of symptoms without the use of neuroleptic drugs.”[x]

Shaw also found that children with autism have extremely high yeast byproducts such as tartaric acid and arabinose. Both of these inhibit the Krebs Cycle, which hinders the production of sugar glucose which is the main source of food for the brain.[xi] J’s results had several indicators of a malfunctioning Krebs Cycle, and elevated arabinose. His arabinose score was 133.7; a normal reference range is 0-47. Shaw reports that elevated arabinose has been found in the urine of schizophrenics and children with conduct disorders.[xii]

Dr. D concluded from J’s lab results that he had a “leaky gut.” This condition is occurs when yeast damages the intestinal lining, allowing undigested food to pass through. The immune system does not recognize the food in the bloodstream and attacks it as if it were a harmful substance. Additionally, the leaky gut allows harmful substances to reach the brain. J’s IGE (Immunoglobulin E) score was 317 (on a reference range of 0-12).

We started anti-fungal medications and probiotics in September 2006. Four weeks later after we worked up to full dose, J excreted yeast in his stool. Shaw calls them clusters, nests, or colonies. They looked like clay raisins. AND J STARTED TALKING—logging 60 new words in October, and 60 more in November. By Christmas of 2006, I stopped keeping a word log because I was confident he could say anything!

Copyright 2008 P. Long

For a national list of DAN! providers go to the Autism Research Institute's website:
http://www.autism.com/

[i] Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Karyn Seroussi, Broadway Books, 2002.
[ii] Children with Starving Brains, Jaquelyn McCandless, MD, Bramble Books, 2nd Edition, updated 2005. Page 30.
[iii] “Following a Different Path. A Child’s documented recovery from autism,” by Karyn Seroussi, Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD, William Shaw, Ph.D., 2002. page 207.
[iv] “Organic Acid testing,, byproducts of yeast, and their relationship to autism,” William Shaw, Ph.D., Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD, William Shaw, PhD, 2002. pages 25, 33, 36.
[v] Ibid, 30.
[vi] Ibid, 37.
[vii] “The microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract,” William Shaw, Ph.D., Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD, William Shaw, PhD, 2002. page 15.
[viii] Ibid 17.
[ix] Ibid 20.
[x] Ibid, 17.
[xi] "Organic Acid testing, byproducts of yeast, and their relationship to autism,” William Shaw, Ph.D., Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD, William Shaw, PhD, 2002. page 35.

[xii] Ibid, 38.

Parents: Three Approaches

2007-12-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

There are three camps of parents in the battle with autism.

DO NOTHING GROUP: The first camp may or may not know that their child has autism. They know their child has a developmental disorder and major behavior problems. They have decided to “just love and accept” their child, with obvious social and communicative handicaps to living a normal, independent life. They make no demands on the child, and have resigned to a minimal existence. A few choose to institutionalize when safety of family members becomes a concern. They find the notion of dietary interventions as inconvenient and quickly dismiss the idea of vaccine injury. They rely heavily on the school districts to form an education plan (or childcare) for their child. They have surrendered.

This description of this group may seem harsh, but I found this to be an outspoken group, and potentially enticing to an overwhelmed parent with a recent diagnosis of autism. I quickly identified this mentality in support group meetings and even in some published books, and I decided that I would not align with this approach. I would not accept my son’s situation without a fight.

TRADITIONAL THERAPY GROUP: The second camp knows their child has autism, ADHD, or is somewhere on the spectrum of developmental disorders. They know that early intervention is critical, and 40 hours a week of speech, occupational, and/or behavioral therapy is recommended. They are emotionally exhausted and financially drained. Many will spend years and thousands of dollars to make varying amounts of progress depending on the severity. They are fighting this battle down to their last resources, and they know they are not winning.

I initially joined this group, and attempted feeding therapy when J was 18 months. We weekly endured his screaming and crying like a fearful, caged animal in the clinical setting, and quit after four months of no progress. At age 2, we attempted to set up a home speech and behavioral program. After 6 months, J did gain about 10 quasi-words, but we could not get enough eye contact, gestures, or joint attention to yield any significant progress. J was now 2 ½ , non-verbal, and falling further behind. I had read that kids have 70% of foundations for language by age 3, and I was motivated by the pressure of needing to get J to talk before his 3rd birthday. I concluded that the pace of traditional therapy was too slow to secure my first targets: eye contact and speech. I defected from this approach.

BIOMEDICAL GROUP: The third camp doesn’t care what label your child’s psychological evaluation resulted in. They care about health history from birth, family history of autoimmune problems, hyper and hypo immunity, food aversions, nutritional deficiencies, food allergies, immunization schedule, heavy metal exposure, bacteria and yeast imbalances, and digestive problems (to include reflux, diarrhea, and constipation.) This group has associated costs, since health insurance does not support it for the most part. However, a few years of biomedical treatment are far more cost effective and promising than a lifetime of traditional therapy and support. This group has kids who are winning their battle with autism and losing their original diagnosis. This group has educated parents eager to share testimonials about how their child talks, toilet trained, goes to mainstream classes.

I give the Lord credit for leading me to this camp as I stumbled around in a fog. I did obtain my first targets; J started making great eye contact and talking just three months short of his 3rd birthday. And now we are using traditional therapies to close the gap on other developmental milestones. Today (a week before his 4th birthday) he grabbed my hand to pull me away from my reading, looked into my eyes, and asked, “wanna dance?” Yes, I wanted to dance! Moments like this remind me that we have made so much progress. And so I scooped him up, and we sang along to the music, and laughed. Tonight we are celebrating the victory in advance.

Copyright 2007 P. Long

My favorite autism website: http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/

Diagnosis: Autism or Mercury Poisoning?

2007-12-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

It was June 2006, and no doctor could tell us what was wrong with our 2 1/2 year old son, “J”. Over the previous year, we had exhausted the medical community in the greater Cincinnati area to include our pediatrician, a specialized feeding team, an occupational therapist, two audiologists, gastroenterologist, metabolic neurologist, allergist, and a naturopathic.

The first clue to getting a diagnosis was through a fellow mom of a special needs child who mentioned “sensory integration disorder.” I researched it, and it did explain many of J’s behaviors. I learned that this disorder fell under a broader context of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), so I attended a weekend conference for therapists and special education teachers. My intent was to learn more about effective therapies so I could implement a home program. I left the conference with a revelation: my son had autism. The speaker showed multiple videos of children with autism, and they were just like my son. We would later confirm this with both a biological diagnosis and a psychological evaluation of autism. [Note: Educators prefer the terminology of PDD, while doctors prefer the label of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)]

How had everyone in my medical community not seen the obvious signs? I would learn from other parents that this failure to diagnose autism was a common experience. (Most older pediatricians have never seen autism, and don’t include the “CHAT” or CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers in their developmental assessments. Due to the epidemic numbers of autism, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended as of October 2007 that this screening take place two times before the age of three. Loss or lack of language is a huge red flag!) Other parents had been given the same false assurances and misguided information at regular pediatric checkups, “He doesn’t need to talk, because big brother/sister does it for him;” “If he won’t eat, then it’s up to you, mom, to make him;” “Maybe he has a hearing problem.” Mainstream doctors were in the dark. I had wasted a year looking for diagnosis of autism—a disease where early intervention is critical. Fellow parents would prove to have much more insight than any of the above mentioned doctors.

A Michigan parent recommended that we see a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) doctor in Cleveland, Ohio. Her son was making great progress doing a chelation cream and nutritional supplement protocol (detailed in “Nutrition and Mercury”). She believed that her son’s autism was a direct result of over-vaccination. Her son had regressed into autism days after taking the MMR vaccine (detailed in “Measles & the MMR”). I was skeptical, but my mother-in-law encouraged me to meet the doctor because the Michigan boy was making so much progress. I used the internet (my most helpful ally to date) to check out the recommended doctor. Dr. D was an MD who had left family practice to specialize in autism after his own son was diagnosed (like most DAN! Doctors). We made an appointment with the knowledge that his office does not accept insurance, and the initial bill would be $400. Health insurance companies currently do not have medical benefits for the diagnosis of autism (which affects 1 in 150 kids as of 2007) because it is viewed as a mental illness, but currently many states have bills in legislation to address this.

In July 2006, we met with Dr. D, and after a thorough health history review and agreement that J had autistic symptoms, he confidently predicted that J had a gastrointestinal problem known as a “leaky gut” and heavy metal poisoning. He informed us that all of his 200 autistic patients have one or both of these problems. J tested positive for both, and I had found my first trusted friend in the alternative medical community. At the same time, I would have laboratory proof of what my enemy was: mercury, a preservative in vaccines (detailed in “Mercury in Vaccines”).

We relocated back to Texas where we had a strong network of supportive friends after meeting with Dr. D and began a long-distance patient relationship. Soon other allies would join us later in the battle of autism such as speech therapists, special education teachers, and a behavioral (ABA) therapist. (detailed later in “Early Intervention”)

As a former Army Medical Intelligence Officer, I devoted my free time while J was in speech therapy to gathering information on two fronts: the metabolic abnormalities in autism and the role of mercury in vaccines. On the former, I concluded that autism was a treatable medical condition. On the latter, my research concluded that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the pharmaceutical industry were responsible for inflicting neurotoxins on unaware pregnant women and children. As a result, I lost confidence in the watchdogs of our nation: major news media and congressional oversight committees. For the media and congress to have failed to acknowledge that injecting humans with mercury was not safe, these groups had cowered to the advertising dollar and political campaign contributions of drug companies.

Copyright 2007 P. Long

And that’s the motivation for this blog. In the past 2 years, only one major network show has allowed parents to discuss the role of vaccines in autism without being discredited by an opposing “expert” or being outright censored: Larry King Live, Sep. 2007, with guests Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete. So if you are trusting that the news will tell you if there’s a problem with vaccines, you might find yourself in my position. I highly recommend you read, “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations,” by Dr. Stephanie Cave.

Introduction to Biomedical Treatment for Autism

2007-12-27T15:16:00.001-08:00

What do you call a group of moms on a mission to rescue their kids from the autism spectrum of developmental disorders? “Autism moms” is too heavy for those who carry the burden. We need to separate the child from the disease. We need a symbol that endears the child, and implies strength to fight the disease.

I pondered these thoughts as I looked at my then three-year-old son with autism. He carried a plush moose when he needed comfort. His moose reminded me of the description an Alaskan native offered us after an encounter with a real moose. He informed my husband and I that the huge, powerful moose are herbivores and completely peaceful. However, during severe winters when the moose cannot find enough vegetation to eat, they begin to struggle, hallucinate, and occasionally act aggressively. They have even been known to attack people when they are starving.

What does my son have in common with the moose? His autism is starving his brain, and causing maladaptive behaviors according to Jaquelyn McCandless’ Children with Starving Brains. Since July 2006, we have been working with Defeat Autism Now (DAN!) doctors who have confirmed this diagnosis for our son and hundreds of other children with autism, PDD/NOS, and ADHD. Autistic symptoms are caused by major breakdowns in the digestive and immune systems that deplete the developing brain of critical nutrition. Often, as confirmed in our son’s lab results, the trigger is a combination of exposure to toxic metals and inflamed gastrointestinal tract—both problems associated with vaccines.

Our nonverbal three-year-old started treatment for these conditions, and he started talking a few weeks later. A year later, he was speaking in simple sentences, and had made significant gains in all areas of development. An autism re-evaluation observed no stereotypical autistic behaviors, but remaining moderate deficits in language and social skills. Overall the diagnosis was Atypical Autism, with comments citing atypical progress in development. The treatment included a diet void of casein and gluten proteins (GFCF), vitamin and mineral supplements, and anti-fungal medication. It also included a chelation program to enable his body to excrete mercury from the influenza vaccine he was exposed to prenatally.

My little moose (now five-years-old) is still in recovery from the dark winter, and in the “springtime” I hope to tell his full story. In the meantime, there are other little moose starving out in the snow of unawareness. Pediatricians are not yet united in trying to rescue them. Who is? Moose moms. Who is providing the search light of research? DAN! doctors. Moose moms know that their child did not wander off alone into a regressive, solitary state around 15 months of age by genetic misfortune. Genetics cannot account for a 6000% increase in autism in the last decade. Over-vaccination (36 doses by age 5) and mercury (thimerosal) preserved vaccines have interfered with brain development and disabled outer sections of the brain responsible for reasoning and abstract thoughts. This leaves only the inner brain to control behavior in a low functioning survival mode. The starving brain accounts for all of the stereotypical, self-stimulating, and sensory behaviors common to autism.

I found the path to recovery, and want to help others find it. Moose moms cannot wait for traditional medicine, Congress, or the media to offer help or support. We have only a small window of time to minimize exposure. The strategy for nourishing your child back to health are based in science: blood and urine lab tests. After you treat the internal injuries, then you proceed to “rehab” and start making amazing progress in educational therapies, such as ABA.

Moose moms need each other for the journey because it’s lonely, painful, and challenging. Moose mom meetings are not “support groups” which imply an unchangeable future. Moose mom meetings are information sharing sessions that lead to action, action that leads to rescue and recovery. Come and find hope in the dark winter storm, and help your little moose find his way back to you.

Copyright 2007 P. Long

HOPE

2007-12-27T15:10:00.000-08:00

It was February 2006, and my 2- year-old son, “J”, who had developed normally until 12-15 months, now had no expressive or receptive language, poor eye contact, solitary interests, quirky (self-stimulating and repetitive) behaviors, maladaptive social skills, sensory problems, and increasing food aversions. He lost the few words he had, and he had become totally unresponsive to our voices. Three hearing tests to include an Auditory Brainstem Response test showed normal hearing. The chief gastroenterologist at the local Children’s Hospital had (incorrectly) assessed J as “thriving.” While discussing these results with J’s pediatrician, he finally acknowledged my concerns that something was wrong. As he discussed developmental delays and state early intervention programs and I tried to hold back tears, I heard a voice in my spirit. The voice said that J would catch-up. The voice repeated: J will catch-up.

Later at home, I prayed and asked the Lord to confirm if that voice was from Him, or just my wishful heart. I then began reading a Bible commentary about Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. The commentary pointed out that Joshua had been given the victory before the battle even began, as promised by God. Joshua acted in faith, and won a most unlikely victory, with a very unconventional strategy (walking around the walled city, and blowing horns). The words of this commentary jumped off the page as the answer to my prayer. I believed in faith that we had been given victory before the battle had began, before we even had a diagnosis.

A few months later, we finally identified our adversary, and found some allies in an alternative medical protocol. These interventions would lead me to the unconventional strategy: treatment and diet for gastrointestinal problems and chelation treatment for heavy metal detoxification. After two months of treatment, we had our first sign of victory in October 2006. Our nonverbal 2-year, 9-month-old son started talking. The rest of my story outlines the “laps” we made around the walls of autism, and how the walls began to fall down. I invite you to walk with us and find hope.

Copyright 2007 P. Long

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” Luke 1:45