Location: Teetering on the edge of Avenue D Gender:
Posted:
Jan 30, 2009 - 9:41am
dmax wrote:
I know it's probably multifactorial, but I'm going to say it again:
What are we newly doing to kids that seems benign but could mess with their brains and cause autism? Ultrasounds in utero. Scrambling the little one's brains with US waves can't be good, and I bet it's the cause. I US'd my older kid as soon as I could, because I could. I'm thinking that it was what caused his issues.
Friends of ours have a son who is autistic. They are in Alameda (previously in Union City) and have had him in a specialized program since he was 3. He is 4 days older than our daughter, so will be 7 in the spring. He never had the vaccinations that were suspect, but I don't know about US. My friend has been very philosophical about her son's experience. She says he is 'just wired differently'. They work with it and I know he couldn't have been born to a more supportive and involved family. He is a very interesting and frighteningly smart child.
Our daughter, due to my difficulty getting pregnant, had the first US at 6 weeks. I probably had more than 6 during her short pregnancy (30 weeks total). Our son had fewer US total, I think, but has more, uh, interesting behaviors. I wonder if it was something I ate? He had, until recently, been receiving special services, but will now be going to a different, private preschool. The change was not due solely to his needs being met or not met but the strange/non-existent communication with us by the staff. *water under the bridge*
As for the use of US... interesting theory, but I have to ask about all the pre-US children? I think autism has always been with us, it just was called different things, not diagnosed, and the children might never have ventured into the greater community. I know with ADA and more required support from the schools, the children on the spectrum are far more visible and included. Or so I hope.
All my own opinion, FWIW. I'd be happy to give you the contact information for our friends in Alameda, just for a chat...
Yes, and many parents are holding back on their kids getting the vaccination (I like that term "jab") for the same reasons, but again, no one knows yet if that is the problem.
I remember the public asking the Smiling snake and his laughing hyena wife (Tony and Cherie blair) if they had given their child the jabs(there's that word again for you) as he was at that age at the time. Because Tony blair was the then prime minister the attitude was "If the jabs are good enough for our children then they are good enough for yours"
He refused to answer fueling speculation he may know something the general public didn't, or did depending on which way you look at it.
Withoiut going back i'm not sure if it's being mentioned. But here in the U.K a couple of years back now many people were not letting their children have this certain jab, some kind of multi jab against measles and other diseases, an all in one so to speak, as many parents thought it was the cause of Autism. I think the problem was that if children were autistic you wouldn't eb able to tell until they are a certain age and that happened to be the age when the children were vaccinated so the issue was clouded somewhat. I think I remember there was a report that came out that said there was no link but i know many parents didn't believe that and are convinced there is some link. There is now apparantly a measles epidemic amongst children because many parents refuse to let the kids have this multi-jab.
I don't know very much about this issue I just know it was big news here for a while and wondered if kids in the U.S and round the world have this same jab?
Yes, and many parents are holding back on their kids getting the vaccination (I like that term "jab") for the same reasons, but again, no one knows yet if that is the problem.
I know it's probably multifactorial, but I'm going to say it again:
What are we newly doing to kids that seems benign but could mess with their brains and cause autism? Ultrasounds in utero. Scrambling the little one's brains with US waves can't be good, and I bet it's the cause. I US'd my older kid as soon as I could, because I could. I'm thinking that it was what caused his issues.
Withoiut going back i'm not sure if it's being mentioned. But here in the U.K a couple of years back now many people were not letting their children have this certain jab, some kind of multi jab against measles and other diseases, an all in one so to speak, as many parents thought it was the cause of Autism. I think the problem was that if children were autistic you wouldn't eb able to tell until they are a certain age and that happened to be the age when the children were vaccinated so the issue was clouded somewhat. I think I remember there was a report that came out that said there was no link but i know many parents didn't believe that and are convinced there is some link. There is now apparantly a measles epidemic amongst children because many parents refuse to let the kids have this multi-jab.
I don't know very much about this issue I just know it was big news here for a while and wondered if kids in the U.S and round the world have this same jab?
Location: i believe, i believe, it's silly, but I believe Gender:
Posted:
Jan 30, 2009 - 8:54am
dmax wrote:
I know it's probably multifactorial, but I'm going to say it again:
What are we newly doing to kids that seems benign but could mess with their brains and cause autism? Ultrasounds in utero. Scrambling the little one's brains with US waves can't be good, and I bet it's the cause. I US'd my older kid as soon as I could, because I could. I'm thinking that it was what caused his issues.
Hmm. Not so sure that's the case ~ i think you were right in the beginning multifactorial. It seems like there is a genetic component, and then well I believe it's the environment ~ mercury etc. that flicks that switch.
I know it's probably multifactorial, but I'm going to say it again:
What are we newly doing to kids that seems benign but could mess with their brains and cause autism? Ultrasounds in utero. Scrambling the little one's brains with US waves can't be good, and I bet it's the cause. I US'd my older kid as soon as I could, because I could. I'm thinking that it was what caused his issues.
Watch all the way through. Aplogies if this has already being shown. I thought that by putting this video here, although not an issue, may be used as inspiration of some sort for other people with autism. It's a rather heartwarming video.
I got a notification on facebook that 5 of my friends posted that video yesterday. I guess it strikes a cord with lots of people.
Watch all the way through. Aplogies if this has already being shown. I thought that by putting this video here, although not an issue, may be used as inspiration of some sort for other people with autism. It's a rather heartwarming video.
Location: i believe, i believe, it's silly, but I believe Gender:
Posted:
Jan 17, 2009 - 7:28pm
kctomato wrote:
yes
different therapies from behavorial to biomedical can and have improved the outcome.
I have seen dramatic changes. Some have even lost their diagnosis.
i work with kids on the spectrum, the younger the better. k what's your story with autism? do you work with people with it? I saw Temple Grandin speak on Thursday, she was interesting.
I can't remember what I was watching, but they showed how, if autism is recognized in infancy, that they can make great progress in helping children lead more normal lives.
yes
different therapies from behavorial to biomedical can and have improved the outcome.
I have seen dramatic changes. Some have even lost their diagnosis.
I can't remember what I was watching, but they showed how, if autism is recognized in infancy, that they can make great progress in helping children lead more normal lives.
From: UC Davis Health System phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu> Sent: Wed 1/7/2009 6:53 PM To: Deardorff, Julie D. Subject: News: Study shows Calif.'s autism increase not due to better counting, diagnosis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 7, 2009 UC DAVIS M.I.N.D. INSTITUTE STUDY SHOWS CALIFORNIA'S AUTISM INCREASE NOT DUE TO BETTER COUNTING, DIAGNOSIS (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - A study by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has found that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born in California with autism since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted - and the trend shows no sign of abating.
kc,
Why post this here? Are we going to abandon the old Thimerosal topic for these kinds of posts?
The appearance of this study from Rick Rollens' M.I.N.D. Institute is entirely predictable. Rick Rollens, who cofounded the M.I.N.D. institute in 1998 because of the lack of research backing the "mercury in vaccines causes autism" hypothesis and in order to promote the thesis that autism in the US is ungergoing an "epidemic", has for several years attempted to misuse California DDS data to prove the "epidemic" claim. He has been repeatedly criticized for misusing this data to support his claim, so now comes this study from the Institute he cofounded to provide alternate confirmation of his theory. Note that the press release you cite presumes a "seven to eight fold increase" in autism since 1990 in California. How much do you want to bet this comes straight from Rollens? As Autism Diva and others have pointed out, the CDDS website specifically warns against using their data to calculate the incidence or prevalence of autism. Thus, this should be a red flag right off the bat for anyone gauging the validity of this study.
From: UC Davis Health System phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu> Sent: Wed 1/7/2009 6:53 PM To: Deardorff, Julie D. Subject: News: Study shows Calif.'s autism increase not due to better counting, diagnosis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 7, 2009 UC DAVIS M.I.N.D. INSTITUTE STUDY SHOWS CALIFORNIA'S AUTISM INCREASE NOT DUE TO BETTER COUNTING, DIAGNOSIS (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - A study by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has found that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born in California with autism since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted - and the trend shows no sign of abating.
Published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Epidemiology, results from the study also suggest that research should shift from genetics to the host of chemicals and infectious microbes in the environment that are likely at the root of changes in the neurodevelopment of California's children. "It's time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California," said UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute researcher Irva Hertz-Picciotto, a professor of environmental and occupational health and epidemiology and an internationally respected autism researcher. Hertz-Picciotto said that many researchers, state officials and advocacy organizations have viewed the rise in autism's incidence in California with skepticism. The incidence of autism by age six in California has increased from fewer than nine in 10,000 for children born in 1990 to more than 44 in 10,000 for children born in 2000. Some have argued that this change could have been due to migration into California of families with autistic children, inclusion of children with milder forms of autism in the counting and earlier ages of diagnosis as consequences of improved surveillance or greater awareness. Hertz-Picciotto and her co-author, Lora Delwiche of the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, initiated the study to address these beliefs, analyzing data collected by the state of California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) from 1990 to 2006, as well as the United States Census Bureau and state of California Department of Public Health Office of Vital Records, which compiles and maintains birth statistics. Hertz-Picciotto and Delwiche correlated the number of cases of autism reported between 1990 and 2006 with birth records and excluded children not born in California. They used Census Bureau data to calculate the rate of incidence in the population over time and examined the age at diagnosis of all children ages two to 10 years old. The methodology eliminated migration as a potential cause of the increase in the number of autism cases. It also revealed that no more than 56 percent of the estimated 600-to-700 percent increase, that is, less than one-tenth of the increased number of reported autism cases, could be attributed to the inclusion of milder cases of autism. Only 24 percent of the increase could be attributed to earlier age at diagnosis. "These are fairly small percentages compared to the size of the increase that we've seen in the state," Hertz-Picciotto said. Hertz-Picciotto said that the study is a clarion call to researchers and policy makers who have focused attention and money on understanding the genetic components of autism. She said that the rise in cases of autism in California cannot be attributed to the state's increasingly diverse population because the disorder affects ethnic groups at fairly similar rates. "Right now, about 10 to 20 times more research dollars are spent on studies of the genetic causes of autism than on environmental ones. We need to even out the funding," Hertz-Picciotto said. The study results are also a harbinger of things to come for public-health officials, who should prepare to offer services to the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism in the last decade who are now entering their late teen years, Hertz-Picciotto said. "These children are now moving toward adulthood, and a sizeable percentage of them have not developed the life skills that would allow them to live independently,
" she said. The question for the state of California, Hertz-Picciotto said, will become: 'What happens to them when their parents cannot take care of them?' "These questions are not going to go away and they are only going to loom larger in the future. Until we know the causes and can eliminate them, we as a society need to provide those treatments and interventions that do seem to help these children adapt. We as scientists need to improve available therapies and create new ones," Hertz-Picciotto said. Hertz-Picciotto and her colleagues at the M.I.N.D Institute are currently conducting two large studies aimed at discovering the causes of autism. Hertz-Picciotto is the principal investigator on the CHARGE (Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment) and MARBLES (Markers of Autism Risk in Babies-Learning Early Signs) studies. CHARGE is the largest epidemiologic study of reliably confirmed cases of autism to date, and the first major investigation of environmental factors and gene-environment interactions in the disorder. MARBLES is a prospective investigation that follows women who already have had one child with autism, beginning early in or even before a subsequent pregnancy, to search for early markers that predict autism in the younger sibling. "We're looking at the possible effects of metals, pesticides and infectious agents on neurodevelopment," Hertz-Picciotto said. "If we're going to stop the rise in autism in California, we need to keep these studies going and expand them to the extent possible." The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and by the M.I.N.D. Institute. In 1998, dedicated families concerned about autism helped found the UC Davis M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute. Their vision? Experts from every discipline related to the brain working together toward a common goal: curing neurodevelopmental disorders. Since that time, collaborative research teams at the M.I.N.D. Institute have turned that initial inspiration into significant contributions to the science of autism, fragile X syndrome, Tourette's syndrome, learning disabilities and other neurodevelopmental disorders that can limit a child's lifelong potential. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Media Contact: Phyllis Brown, UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute: (916) 734-9023 E-mail: phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Public Affairs UC Davis Health System 4900 Broadway, Suite 1200 Sacramento, CA 95820 Phone: (916) 734-9040 FAX: (916) 734-9066 E-mail: publicaffairs@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu Web address: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/newsroom/
WASHINGTON, DC - In April of 2008, the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG), an AMA-recognized board, issued clinical practice guidelines that clinical geneticists should follow in determining the etiology for those with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and in treating patients with this diagnosis. This study, "Autism spectrum disorder-associated biomarkers for case evaluation and management by clinical geneticists" confirms that there are now well-established, routine, clinically available, identified biomarkers to help clinical geneticists medically evaluate and treat individuals diagnosed with an ASD and briefly outlines some recognized biomarkers. Depending on the cause of the ASD, these researchers have found that "associated medical risks may be identified, which may lead to screening and potential morbidity prevention in patients and other family members."
The important clinical tools identified for medical evaluation and treatment response monitoring included: 1. Pophyrin biomarkers - to help determine if mercury toxicity is present, and, when it is found, to monitor changes in mercury-burden during detoxification therapies. 2 Trans-Sulfuration biomarkers - to help determine if mercury biochemical susceptibility is present and, when it is found, to monitor patient response during supplementation with nutritional therapies such as methylcobalamin (the methyl form of vitamin B12), folinic acid, and pyroxidine (vitamin B6). 3 Oxidative Stress/Inflammation biomarkers - to help determine if there are excessive by-products of metabolic pathways, and, when they are found, to monitor patient progress during supplementation with anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aldactone® (spironolactone). 4 Hormonal biomarkers - to help determine if hormonal abnormalities are present and, when they are found, to monitor patient progress during the indicated treatment with hormonal regulation drugs such as Lupron® (leuprolide acetate) and Yaz® (drospirenone/ethynyl estradiol). 5 Mitochondrial Dysfunction biomarkers - to help determine if there are disruptions in the energy production pathways, and, when they are found, to monitor patient progress during supplementation with drugs such as Carnitor® (L-carnitine). 6 Genetic biomarkers - to help determine if there are genetic causal or susceptibility factors present, and, when they are found, to provide insights into behavior modification to help reduce the impact of such genetic factors.
Very interesting... epidemiologists agree that autism has increased threefold over the last 15 years... the average now is around 15 in 5,000...
parents with autistic children would really like a program called Fast ForWord... this program can have a dramatic positive effect on autistic children, as well as other children with learning disabilities...
He had, until recently, been receiving special services, but will now be going to a different, private preschool. The change was not due solely to his needs being met or not met but the strange/non-existent communication with us by the staff. *water under the bridge* 
