04-17-2006, 07:21 PM
not sure what to say about this exactly...but there is a bunch of curebie links at the end...i think this is a curebie article, especally with the talk of taking on autism like it's something to defeat.
again with the disablites...i'm autistic, and i'm not disabled and i don't suffer, so there. i'm like months away from a degree, and its not a miracle..it's just like everyone else who has graduated from college, i don't want to be singled out and be babied through everything, but then again, i'm known to be a bit stuborn.
okay, enough of me ranting, just read the article.
again with the disablites...i'm autistic, and i'm not disabled and i don't suffer, so there. i'm like months away from a degree, and its not a miracle..it's just like everyone else who has graduated from college, i don't want to be singled out and be babied through everything, but then again, i'm known to be a bit stuborn.
okay, enough of me ranting, just read the article.
Quote:
Taking on autism
Despite warnings that there is no cure, a couple are banking on a blend of mainstream and alternative therapies for their twin sons.
By Josh Goldstein
Inquirer Staff Writer
BOB WILLIAMS / Inquirer
Bradley and Connor Elliott with dad Patrick at a playground near their home..Marie Elliott knew something was wrong when her 20-month-old twins stopped talking.
They were soon diagnosed with forms of autism. And doctors said the boys would suffer lifelong disabilities.
"Like a lot of parents, we said that is not good enough," said the boys' father, Patrick Elliott, a trauma surgeon in Delaware County.
So he and his wife used their expertise and much of their savings to create an intensive home treatment program that straddles mainstream and alternative medicine.
The twins spend dozens of hours each week with traditional therapists to develop attention and language skills. And twice a week they sit in a special sauna trying to eliminate heavy metals and other toxins from their systems - a controversial therapy that some believe may help.
Three years later, the hybrid regimen seems to be working.
Recent follow-up examinations of the twins, who turn 5 tomorrow, found Connor "appears to be functioning normally," according to a medical evaluation. Bradley improved but at a slower pace, and is about a year behind his brother.
The Elliotts' treatment program puts them in both camps of a debate raging between the medical establishment and advocates of alternative therapies. Mainstream doctors often warn against unproven treatments, citing their danger, while some parents chafe at the lack of knowledge and look for options.
About one in 166 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. The rate is 10 times higher than in the late 1980s, according to an analysis of autism rates in a major metropolitan area by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The increase stems from better diagnosis, more awareness and an unexplained rise in cases, experts say.
Autism spectrum disorders are complex developmental conditions that encompass a range of behavior, including poor social and communication skills. Two related, milder conditions are Asperger's syndrome and pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified.
Bradley was diagnosed with autism while Connor was found to have the less severe developmental disorder.
Autism and related conditions are believed to be genetic, but it is unclear if an environmental trigger contributes to the disease in some people, said Maureen A. Fee, head of developmental pediatrics at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.
"We are just not far along enough in the science to understand the cause in every case," she said.
That lack of answers leads many parents to consider unproven treatments and doctors to caution against them.
"I certainly understand the emotional aspects of parents wanting to make sure their child is getting every treatment available," said Susan E. Levy, director of the Regional Autism Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Unfortunately, most of the . . . alternative therapies have not been subjected to rigorous scientific study and some may be harmful."
One of the most troubling alternative therapies to the medical establishment is chelation, a process often involving a compound given intravenously to help remove heavy metals from the body.
In August, a 5-year-old autistic boy in Portersville, Pa., died while undergoing chelation therapy at a doctor's office. The death was the result of heart failure from a lack of calcium in his blood - a known danger of the care - the CDC reported.
"Many of us draw the line at chelation," Fee said. "If an alternative therapy is not going to be harmful, there is no downside, but we have always been concerned about chelation doing some harm."
The mainstream medical approach focuses on developmental and educational therapies.
"Parents should be cautioned about the possibility of misinformation, especially from Internet sources" that allege association with measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and miracle cures, cautions the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Many parents link autism with the vaccines. The timing of the shots and children's developmental problems lead many to blame mercury or other factors in the shots.
"I think it is complicated," Marie Elliott said of the vaccines, "but I think they had a role."
Lab tests showed that her twins had high levels of heavy metals and other toxins. So the Elliotts used a variety of measures, including chelation, to remove them.
Patrick Elliott cautions parents to choose carefully the health professional and chelating agent. The Elliotts, for example, use a different chemical agent - glutathione - from the edetate disodium (Na2EDTA) involved in the Portersville boy's death.
The Elliotts say they have spent more than $150,000 on their program over three years, an amount beyond the reach of many parents.
In their basement, the parents have set up two classroom areas for the boys. They've hired and trained their own team of six therapists to supplement county-funded therapy.
Altogether, each boy receives about 35 hours a week of educational and developmental work including speech, physical, occupation and play therapy.
The parents have created a physical therapy room with trampoline, workout mats and a swing. The room also houses the sauna that uses infrared light, not high heat, that helps detoxify the twins.
They dedicate a shelf in the kitchen to vitamins, amino acids, minerals and other supplements that Connor and Bradley take each day.
The boys are on gluten-free and casein-free diets to help ease gastrointestinal problems that often accompany the condition. The diet eliminates dairy products as well as foods rich in gluten, such as wheat, rye, beans and cabbage.
Their physician father credits the long hours of traditional therapy for much of his sons' progress. Still, he thinks their diet, the supplements, and "the detoxification . . . has had a major effect."
A doctor who cares for gravely injured trauma patients, Elliott relies on his medical training to treat gunshot victims and people hurt in car crashes. So he is frustrated when he hears from autism experts that there is little to be done for his kids.
Even more infuriating are those parents and doctors who see Connor now and conclude he must not have had autism.
Elliott has documented every aspect of the twins' treatment and holds the results of recent tests on the boys at the nationally known Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore as evidence for his multifaceted approach.
He hopes others can be helped and that parents without his financial resources will be able to tap the array of treatments his boys have received.
Elliott also credits his wife for spearheading the twin's regimen and maintaining some normalcy in the house for their older sons, Patrick, 10, and Ryan, 8.
"She has given her life for these kids," Elliott said at the family's home in Media, Delaware County. "I get to go away and help people. It is easy. Autism is hard, there is no road map."
But there is progress, at least for the Elliott twins.
Patrick Elliott talked emotionally about looking forward to a vacation for the first time since his sons were diagnosed.
"Bradley is going to jump into my arms, look me in the eye, and call me daddy."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Josh Goldstein at 215-854-4733 or jgoldstein@phillynews.com.
Web Resources
For more information about autism, check out these sites online:
Autism Society of America
http://www.autism -society .org
Autism Treatment Network
http://www.autism treatmentnetwor k.org.
Cure Autism Now
http://www.cure autismnow .org
The Autism Research Institute
http://www.autism website.com /ari/index.htm
Despite warnings that there is no cure, a couple are banking on a blend of mainstream and alternative therapies for their twin sons.
By Josh Goldstein
Inquirer Staff Writer
BOB WILLIAMS / Inquirer
Bradley and Connor Elliott with dad Patrick at a playground near their home..Marie Elliott knew something was wrong when her 20-month-old twins stopped talking.
They were soon diagnosed with forms of autism. And doctors said the boys would suffer lifelong disabilities.
"Like a lot of parents, we said that is not good enough," said the boys' father, Patrick Elliott, a trauma surgeon in Delaware County.
So he and his wife used their expertise and much of their savings to create an intensive home treatment program that straddles mainstream and alternative medicine.
The twins spend dozens of hours each week with traditional therapists to develop attention and language skills. And twice a week they sit in a special sauna trying to eliminate heavy metals and other toxins from their systems - a controversial therapy that some believe may help.
Three years later, the hybrid regimen seems to be working.
Recent follow-up examinations of the twins, who turn 5 tomorrow, found Connor "appears to be functioning normally," according to a medical evaluation. Bradley improved but at a slower pace, and is about a year behind his brother.
The Elliotts' treatment program puts them in both camps of a debate raging between the medical establishment and advocates of alternative therapies. Mainstream doctors often warn against unproven treatments, citing their danger, while some parents chafe at the lack of knowledge and look for options.
About one in 166 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. The rate is 10 times higher than in the late 1980s, according to an analysis of autism rates in a major metropolitan area by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The increase stems from better diagnosis, more awareness and an unexplained rise in cases, experts say.
Autism spectrum disorders are complex developmental conditions that encompass a range of behavior, including poor social and communication skills. Two related, milder conditions are Asperger's syndrome and pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified.
Bradley was diagnosed with autism while Connor was found to have the less severe developmental disorder.
Autism and related conditions are believed to be genetic, but it is unclear if an environmental trigger contributes to the disease in some people, said Maureen A. Fee, head of developmental pediatrics at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.
"We are just not far along enough in the science to understand the cause in every case," she said.
That lack of answers leads many parents to consider unproven treatments and doctors to caution against them.
"I certainly understand the emotional aspects of parents wanting to make sure their child is getting every treatment available," said Susan E. Levy, director of the Regional Autism Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Unfortunately, most of the . . . alternative therapies have not been subjected to rigorous scientific study and some may be harmful."
One of the most troubling alternative therapies to the medical establishment is chelation, a process often involving a compound given intravenously to help remove heavy metals from the body.
In August, a 5-year-old autistic boy in Portersville, Pa., died while undergoing chelation therapy at a doctor's office. The death was the result of heart failure from a lack of calcium in his blood - a known danger of the care - the CDC reported.
"Many of us draw the line at chelation," Fee said. "If an alternative therapy is not going to be harmful, there is no downside, but we have always been concerned about chelation doing some harm."
The mainstream medical approach focuses on developmental and educational therapies.
"Parents should be cautioned about the possibility of misinformation, especially from Internet sources" that allege association with measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and miracle cures, cautions the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Many parents link autism with the vaccines. The timing of the shots and children's developmental problems lead many to blame mercury or other factors in the shots.
"I think it is complicated," Marie Elliott said of the vaccines, "but I think they had a role."
Lab tests showed that her twins had high levels of heavy metals and other toxins. So the Elliotts used a variety of measures, including chelation, to remove them.
Patrick Elliott cautions parents to choose carefully the health professional and chelating agent. The Elliotts, for example, use a different chemical agent - glutathione - from the edetate disodium (Na2EDTA) involved in the Portersville boy's death.
The Elliotts say they have spent more than $150,000 on their program over three years, an amount beyond the reach of many parents.
In their basement, the parents have set up two classroom areas for the boys. They've hired and trained their own team of six therapists to supplement county-funded therapy.
Altogether, each boy receives about 35 hours a week of educational and developmental work including speech, physical, occupation and play therapy.
The parents have created a physical therapy room with trampoline, workout mats and a swing. The room also houses the sauna that uses infrared light, not high heat, that helps detoxify the twins.
They dedicate a shelf in the kitchen to vitamins, amino acids, minerals and other supplements that Connor and Bradley take each day.
The boys are on gluten-free and casein-free diets to help ease gastrointestinal problems that often accompany the condition. The diet eliminates dairy products as well as foods rich in gluten, such as wheat, rye, beans and cabbage.
Their physician father credits the long hours of traditional therapy for much of his sons' progress. Still, he thinks their diet, the supplements, and "the detoxification . . . has had a major effect."
A doctor who cares for gravely injured trauma patients, Elliott relies on his medical training to treat gunshot victims and people hurt in car crashes. So he is frustrated when he hears from autism experts that there is little to be done for his kids.
Even more infuriating are those parents and doctors who see Connor now and conclude he must not have had autism.
Elliott has documented every aspect of the twins' treatment and holds the results of recent tests on the boys at the nationally known Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore as evidence for his multifaceted approach.
He hopes others can be helped and that parents without his financial resources will be able to tap the array of treatments his boys have received.
Elliott also credits his wife for spearheading the twin's regimen and maintaining some normalcy in the house for their older sons, Patrick, 10, and Ryan, 8.
"She has given her life for these kids," Elliott said at the family's home in Media, Delaware County. "I get to go away and help people. It is easy. Autism is hard, there is no road map."
But there is progress, at least for the Elliott twins.
Patrick Elliott talked emotionally about looking forward to a vacation for the first time since his sons were diagnosed.
"Bradley is going to jump into my arms, look me in the eye, and call me daddy."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Josh Goldstein at 215-854-4733 or jgoldstein@phillynews.com.
Web Resources
For more information about autism, check out these sites online:
Autism Society of America
http://www.autism -society .org
Autism Treatment Network
http://www.autism treatmentnetwor k.org.
Cure Autism Now
http://www.cure autismnow .org
The Autism Research Institute
http://www.autism website.com /ari/index.htm