08-14-2005, 08:03 PM
Diagnosing autism is a lot like ordering from a menu in a Chinese restaurant, says Thomas Sult, a family practice physician at Williams Integracare Clinic.
"You take three symptoms from column A, four from column B," he said, echoing the way one selects a combination plate. "A few different combinations can be autism."
It's that amalgamation of symptoms that make autism difficult to treat effectively, he said.
Sult has found some success in treating autistic children with chelation, the process of removing heavy metals such as mercury and lead from the body. There is speculation that heavy metals cause symptoms associated with autism, Sult said.
A potential source of heavy metal is thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines that is about half mercury.
Chelation is controversial, and many doctors have warned against using it.
"Most physicians would say it's unproven, unsafe, unwise," he said.
Sult said he has mostly had mild to moderate success in reducing children's symptoms of autism. Occasionally, he said, there are dramatic changes.
"A few kids, autistic before, are now mild," Sult said. "A few who were autistic are now just kinda weird."
Sult doesn't believe thimerosal alone causes autism.
He thinks some children have a genetic defect that prevents their bodies from breaking down and processing heavy metals, leaving the substances to circulate in their bodies.
Sult believes heavy metals can come from a multitude of sources including, but not limited to, thimerosal.
Before seeking chelation treatment, Sult prescribes a diet free of gluten, which is found in wheat, and casein, found in dairy, both of which severely worsen the behavior and symptoms of autistic children.
Chelation is "not a cure-all," he said. "At this stage of the science, it's a guessing game at what's going to work."
http://miva.sctimes.com/miva/cgi-bin/miv...cal+584557
:evil: :evil: :evil:
"You take three symptoms from column A, four from column B," he said, echoing the way one selects a combination plate. "A few different combinations can be autism."
It's that amalgamation of symptoms that make autism difficult to treat effectively, he said.
Sult has found some success in treating autistic children with chelation, the process of removing heavy metals such as mercury and lead from the body. There is speculation that heavy metals cause symptoms associated with autism, Sult said.
A potential source of heavy metal is thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines that is about half mercury.
Chelation is controversial, and many doctors have warned against using it.
"Most physicians would say it's unproven, unsafe, unwise," he said.
Sult said he has mostly had mild to moderate success in reducing children's symptoms of autism. Occasionally, he said, there are dramatic changes.
"A few kids, autistic before, are now mild," Sult said. "A few who were autistic are now just kinda weird."
Sult doesn't believe thimerosal alone causes autism.
He thinks some children have a genetic defect that prevents their bodies from breaking down and processing heavy metals, leaving the substances to circulate in their bodies.
Sult believes heavy metals can come from a multitude of sources including, but not limited to, thimerosal.
Before seeking chelation treatment, Sult prescribes a diet free of gluten, which is found in wheat, and casein, found in dairy, both of which severely worsen the behavior and symptoms of autistic children.
Chelation is "not a cure-all," he said. "At this stage of the science, it's a guessing game at what's going to work."
http://miva.sctimes.com/miva/cgi-bin/miv...cal+584557
:evil: :evil: :evil: