I have a alomost 5 year old daughter diagnosed with autism. She's on vitamin therapy, gets ABA terapy, along with
ot, speech and pt during her days at an
intergrated preschool group...We came upon
an article in Natural health magazine about
a young boy who was treated at the Edelson
Child center in Atlanta...The story was amazing...The child had severe autism...Dr
Edelson believes autism is toxin driven...
He may be on to something here...All clients have had between 60%-75% improvement and some were totaly reverse...His theroy is simple...Testing for toxins ..then treat
accordingly...testing is extensive and
expensive...it takes 3-5 days...they test for
allergies...yeast...almost everything imagineable....After 3-4 weeks tests results are reviewed and treatment is prescribed to detox the child...My question is does anyone
know of this center and his work?...Here in Ny
state we can't seem to get all the testing we want but don't want to pay a fortune for
tests and treatments that offer no guarantees...Pleas let me know if anyone has heard of this Center..the web site for it is http://www.edelsoncenter.com/autism.html...
thank you

Be very very skeptical.
check out to see if this 'clinic' is listed on www.quackwatch.com (http://www.quackwatch.com)

If they claim they can test for heavy-metal poisoning by hair analysis, run! That's a cardinal sign of quackery!

Originally posted by FaultyLogic:
Be very very skeptical.
check out to see if this 'clinic' is listed on www.quackwatch.com (http://www.quackwatch.com)

If they claim they can test for heavy-metal poisoning by hair analysis, run! That's a cardinal sign of quackery!

Hi Faulty,
I would love to see some documentation to support your statement about hair analysis. I was trained to recommend this diagnostic tool, and only have the input my instructors gave. I have one dr. who believes in it, and one that doesn't. So, if you have articles to help me achieve enlightenment in this area, I would GREATLY appreciate it!
Thanks so much,
----------------
Copper
Let Miracles Replace all Grievances

Hi Tom46,
I am familiar with the theory of autism and detoxification, but not with this particular clinics' work.

My own research in this area has shown the PROBABILITY (not conclusively) of deficiencies of/or inability to process B vitamins, specifically B6, liver toxicity, potential serotonin & hormonal imbalances, and others. This points, to me, for the theory you present to be credible.

My own experiences (family mem.) with autism suggest that an overall nutrition program, with high-quality supplements added (vits, minerals, full range amino acids and a full range phytonutrient preparation), has helped ALLEVIATE (not cure) many of the above symptoms.

You may find help closer to home, and probably alot less expensive by checking out an holistic nutrtionist or naturopathic dr.

Investigate, investigate! and best of luck to you

----------------
Copper
Let Miracles replace all Grievances

Hi Tom, I am interested in getting the info as well. I have heard of testing for mercury, which we are in the process of waiting for hair analysis results at this time. I came across a program or organization called NAET, who have a book out called curing allergy induced autism. I plan to purchase that on Friday, and read it quick. Currently we are looking for the cause of this, assuming it may be due to either MMR or FLU vaccine, both of which have mercury. After the hair analysis, we plan on a possible biopsy of intestine to look for cause of damage. I read that if a vaccine caused damage, it could be reverseable in th intestine. I know that my sons problem stems from a problem in the intestine causing the leaky-gut syndrome, as well as all the behavioral problems that go along with it. I hope someone will respond with the info Re: yourposting. I wish you the best.

Hi! I have never heard of the center you are talking about, but I have personally spoken to a doctor who believes the same way that Dr. Edelson does. My son is 8 and is autistic. I was doing research on the internet and ran across this doctors name and sent him a letter and he actually called me back and spoke with me about it. His name is William G. Crook, M.D. He has written several books on the subject you're refering to. Here is a link for an article written by Dr. Edelson:
http://www.autism.org/candida.html

Also, here is another link to a list of doctors who are committed to helping children with autism. They do not all agree on what causes autism though.
http://www.autism.com/ari/danlist.html

Although I am not one to believe everything I read, I truly do believe that something goes awry in the bodies of these kids that makes them autistic. I would love to have my son tested at one of these centers. That is my ultimate goal for him, right now I am fighting to get him into ABA therapy, which we didn't even hear of until recently and he should have been in long ago. There is no one in our area that has even heard of the therapy and even worse, no one wants to provide it for him. I would be interested in your feelings on the therapy and if it is worth it. I spoke with Dr. McCarton who is on that list I sent you, in New York, (I am in Tennessee) and she strongly suggested I get started on the therapy immediately. Dr. Crook on the other hand suggested I have him tested for the yeast connection. Also, if you decide to have the testing done, I would be interested in your experiences. I must say I envy you being from a larger city though, lots of things that are available to you there, are unheard of here. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif If you have the option, I would say do it! Good Luck to you and your family.

What is ABA therapy?? Please don't tell me antibiotic therapy!!?! If so that could only cause more problems with your child. Believe me I have been there! Increasing the yeast is what an antibiotic would do, causing regression due to the toxins. It would not heal the intestines if your child has a vaccine induced injury. My son has the yeast and clostrisium Diff. I will avoid antibiotics until they are absolutely needed, and even then I would be concerned. Antibiotics are what caused my son to be immune compromised to begin with. I was on them right before he was born and after he was born while breast feeding. This caused him to be born with poor intestinal integrety, which was the beginning of his problems. Than all the toxic shots he received, from the first day of life- Hep B, to MMR, Dpt, HIB,and many others. There is no real chance to see if these kids are born normal since they are injected right away with Hep B. I am sure your son has the intestinal problems, right. I believe after much research that the bottom line is leaky gut caused by injury to intestine causing all other symptoms due to intestinal food allergy. Problems with high protein molecules causing neurotransmitter problems eventually leading to Brain allergy due to excess opiates, and depletion of seratonin, as well as other hormones. I am considering trying to convince the GI to try the Immune Globbulin IV therapy in hopes to boost the immune system and repair the intestines. I read a story of a child who was healed by this treatment on www.autism.com. (http://www.autism.com.) We are also going to ask for a rubella titer before we consider a biopsy. If he has an active virus in his intestines the titer will be elevated. Anyway, The bottom line for us is that the diet decreased the behavior, as well as the nystatin and supplements. We have great hope since my son is very intelligant( above average), but the behavior, transitions, and social interaction are a problem. I believe he has the allergy induced autism. I hope you check other options if antibiotic is what you mean by ABA therapy.

I believe ABA therapy is not antibiotic. What is it? Please fill us in. Thanks!

ABA (Applied Behaviorial Analysis) therapy has nothing to do with anti-biotics. It is a very intense type of therapy that is given to children similar to speech therapy, occupational therapy, etc. It is given 30-40 hours a week and is supposedly very helpful in expanding an autistic childs learning ability. It is basically forced on them, like it or not. Positive feedback is given when a goal is met instead of negative feedback when it is not. I spoke with a doctor in New York who actually runs a clinic specifically designed for kids to receive ABA therapy and she strongly suggested I read about the therapy in the book 'Behavioral Invervention For Young Children With Autism' by Catherine Maurice and find a way to get the therapy for my son. After getting the book, I feel strongly that it is the way to go unless you're one of the lucky ones who can have the testing done for yeast, toxins, etc. and have tremendous results with that. The earlier in life they start the therapy the greater the results. Hope this answered your question. Also, my son has a primary diagnosis of Tuberous Sclerosis, so his autisim has nothing to do with immunizations, it is secondary to the TS.

eweejoe,
thank you for the info. I should have known you were talking about applied behavior analysis. My son will be going through a similar program in school. We will be discussing the details of this program on Friday. They also mentioned that it can seem to be rough on these kids but it works. You mentioned I was lucky my son has the type of autism he has. I am thankful I have him what ever his condition may have been I would have to be thankful because all my kids are gifts from God. There is no dout that I have to remind myself of this, though. Especially on sleepless night, which is 5 out of 7 at our house. These have been the most stressful years of my life and I will probably be grey before the year ends. My son, Michael (3) is very sick. He is allergic to everything from foods to detergants ect. His allergies effect his behavior on a daily basis. Anywhere from tempertantrums to biting screaming. It has taken a toll on my whole family, especially on my other children. I will not give up trying for a cure for his illness, because I am convinced that there has to be a way. In the mean time I get very discouraged because my 7 month old is starting to exhibit similar symptoms as my 3 year old. The baby has asthma, which he got after his 2 month shots, now he is 7 immunizations short, and I can't bring myself to take him in for any because he is also immune compromised. All three of my boys had low IgG levels. It is a battle. However, God prepared me I worked as a nurse for 13 years, ( Peds ) the last 6. I also worked with disabled children that were born to drug addicted mothers the last year before I stopped working to stay home with my own kids. That was an eye opener. I just have to keep reminding myself that God has a plan in the midst of this all and I believe it may have something to do with working with autistic children. It is funny because we were going to foster, but now that i have 2 sick children I don't have much time for anything else. I will be pursuing my first support group shortly though, I need an outlet. I wish you the best and hope you don't mind that I shared with you.

Hey FaultyLogic,
Don't believe everything you read from the Quackwatch king of BS.
Note who wrote the follow:
From
Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Blood and Hair Mercury Levels in Young Children and Women of Childbearing Age --- United States, 1999
[MMWR 50(08):140-143, 2001. Centers for Disease Control]

Hairs of 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) closest to the scalp (approximately 1 month's growth) were analyzed for total Hg concentration using cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy [5]. The limit of detection for total Hg in hair varied by analytic batch; the maximum limit of detection (0.1 parts per million [ppm]) was used in these analyses.

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krisyd,

Wow! Trust me, I understand what you're going through to some degree. I did want to explain my comment on being "lucky". What I meant was that I VERY strongly believe that there are children out there who DO have autism due to yeast, toxins, etc. and I hate it so badly that the help isn't just a phone call away for everyone. Some people have it within their means to have the testing done and get help for their kids and their kids 'come out of it' more or less. I know there is much controversy on the subject, but I DO believe that autism is becoming such an epidemic that SOMETHING has to be causing it. For my son, we know why he has it. He has Tuberous Sclerosis. Along with TS comes a full range of developmental/neurological problems. Unfortunately, he is autistic because of his TS. Which means, it can't be linked to anything 'curable'. I hate that you took my 'lucky' comment as personal. I was just saying in general that I personally feel like if you can find reasons for and solutions to your childs autism that you are 'lucky'.

My son is 8, doesn't speak a word and isn't potty trained. He was a typically developing child until age 6 mo. He started having seizures and was put on Phenobarbital. From the first dose he was a zombie. All of his developmental milestones he had reached normally were gone within 24 hours. Doctors blamed it on his TS/seizures (he has only had 4-5 bad ones his whole life) and blew it off. I didn't pursue it because I trusted them and now I feel like his lack of speech and other problems are due to anti-convulsant meds. There were other options that would have kept him from having to take any type of seizure med until he was at least 3, but I trusted his doctors http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif. Regrets, regrets, regrets!!! I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter that is fine so far. No signs of TS so we thank God for that daily.

I agree with you, my children are most definately a gift from God. I wish you the best of luck in the future finding help for your children. ABA therapy here is unheard of. Getting a decent bus schedule for my son is next to impossible, much less finding someone to pay for ABA therapy. Good Luck to you and your family. Best wishes and God Bless!

[This message has been edited by moderator1 (edited 01-01-2002).]

Hi *******, Thank you for the comfort! Either way we turn in life I believe it is all a process of trials that for me I have to make the best of. i would like to keep intouch. I think we all need support when we are raising children, whether they have special needs or not. For me it is a matter of not getting discouraged. I took Michael to a GI doctor yesterday. I was mixed on my feelings for him, because he started off by saying Autism is not caused by vaccine injury! I could have lost it, but I chose to hear him out than I asked him to hear me out. I told him my findings through the last 2 or more years of research, and I added that it was a shame that the majority of MD's working on trying to find a cure are those who have a family member with the diagnosis. I mentioned that I hope it doesn't destroy a generation of children before they realize that it is a BIG problem. He said he would be open minded and asked me to send him web sites and addresses he can research to suppoet the connection between vaccines and Autism. Besides that I had a book from a research lad MD. Dr. Shaw ( Autism, PDD, and ADHD) that he took to read. So hopefully after some of these MD's scratch the surface they may have a desire to make a difference in the lives of these kids and their families that are suffering. Well, I better run.

[This message has been edited by moderator1 (edited 01-01-2002).]

Hair analysis is a test in which a sample of a person's hair, usually from the back of the neck, is sent to a laboratory for measurement of its mineral content.The client and/or referral source generally get back a
computerized printout that shows "deficiencies" or "excesses" of minerals. Some labs also report supposed deficiencies of vitamins and/or "toxicities".
The cost of the test ranges from $25 to $60. Hair analysis is used by dubious practitioners to help diagnose a wide variety of diseases and prescribe nutrition supplements.

Hair analysis is a valid method for determining heavy metal poisoning (e.g. lead, arsenic, and mercury) in individuals, or for evaluating the exposure of populations to pollution. Hair analysis is not reliable for assessing the nutritional status of individuals.
Hair analysis cannot detect vitamin deficiency because there are no vitamins in the hair, except in the root below the scalp. It also can't identify mineral deficiencies because the lower limits of "normal" minerals in hair have not been scientifically established. Lastly, the mineral composition
of hair can be influenced by a person's age, natural hair color, and rate of hair growth, as well as the use of hair dyes, bleaches, and shampoos.

Drs. Barrett and Herbert report that even if hair analysis was a valuable diagnostic tool, most of the laboratories they sent samples to were not performing it accurately. The reported level of most minerals varied considerably from sample to sample and from laboratory to laboratory. The laboratories also disagreed about what was "normal"for many of the minerals, so that a given value might be considered low by some labs and high by others.
The term "detoxify" is a red flag for quackery. Charlatans make faulty diagnoses so that they can profit off the sale of tests or supplements. Persons seeking sound nutritional advice are advised to consult a registered dietitian (RD) . An RD is considered the nutrition expert. They have a
college degree, complete an internship, and pass a national exam. They must also keep current by having continuing education.

Patients should not buy supplements from the person that recommends them. Otherwise, there is a conflict of interest.

For Additional Information HCRC FAQ Sheet: Nutritional Quackery

Barrett, S. and Herbert, V. Phony tests The Vitamin Pushers. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books; 1994.

Search the HCRC and NCAHF Web Sites Health Care Reality Check

Originally posted by FaultyLogic:
Be very very skeptical.
check out to see if this 'clinic' is listed on www.quackwatch.com (http://www.quackwatch.com)

If they claim they can test for heavy-metal poisoning by hair analysis, run! That's a cardinal sign of quackery!


Sort of makes you wonder, after reading both of your post, doesn't it?

Faulty, yes an RD is educated but by whom?
The ones that decided the food pyramid, that was reversed and again reversed? Those that decide eggs will kill a person with cholesterol, then decide they are safe to eat?

How about all the tests that decide a drug is "safe", then gets it recalled due to serious injury/death? Just WHO ARE these self-made experts?

Healing is all a guessing game...and results depend totally on each individual.

I am using a homeopath remidy...Heavy Metal detox for my son who has a long list of dx. The theory is the mercury used in vaccination...called something esle which I can't begin to spell...but most vaccination no longer have this in them except possibly the Dpt shot...if I am remembering right.

Heavy metals can come from many sources and do damge to the body and brain. I am very excited myself about the research being done.

All I know is from personal experience that my son is so much calmer, happier and actually 'thinking' now. Before all he did was recate to EVERYTHING. He could not tolerant any stressors at all. Being hungry could send him into a rage. Just little small things sent him off. He was too hyper to focus on anything or even learn much. . http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Nate, five years old, 18 airborne allergies, food allergies, yeast, soy, eggs and milk. Also recates to red dye 40 and many meds. DX with ADHD, Sensory intregration disorder, autoriy processing disorder and the list goes on.
Me, the mom, 40yrs old...an older mom but no wiser. EX..sitting in jail where he belongs

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