Author name: Ahmad

By Dr Michael Fitzpatrick The tragic death of a five-year-old autistic boy in the USA following treatment with mercury chelation reveals the dangers of alternative therapies. The tragic death of a five-year-old autistic boy in the USA this summer following mercury chelation - a treatment now being promoted by groups of parent activists on both sides of the Atlantic - reveals the dangers of alternative therapies. Abubakar Tariq Nadama lived with his family - of Nigerian origin - in Batheaston in Devon, England, until his mother took him to Portersville, Pennsylvania, where the Advanced Integrative Medicine Center offers to eliminate mercury from the body through the intravenous injection of the chelating agent EDTA (1). A growing number of campaigners believe that autism is the result of mercury toxicity, caused, at least in part, by the mercury-based preservative thiomersal (thimerosal in the USA) formerly used in childhood vaccines. Many parent activists claim that chelation therapy has produced dramatic improvements in their children. Shortly after his third course of treatment, Abubakar sustained a cardiac arrest and died. In 2004, the US Institute of Medicine systematically examined - and rejected - claims that vaccines (MMR as well as those containing mercury) may cause autism (2). The US drug regulatory agency, the FDA, approves chelation therapy only for acute mercury poisoning: there is no scientific evidence of its benefits in autism - or any other condition - and little information about its risks (3). Yet, despite the categorical dismissal of the mercury-autism theory by medical and scientific authorities, the anti-mercury campaign has continued to gather momentum. Earlier this year, David Kirby, a New York journalist, published Evidence of Harm, a book promoting the anti-mercury cause, which has received widespread publicity (4). Defeat Autism Now! - a US-based network of parents and doctors who offer a range of unorthodox treatments (including mercury chelation) - staged a conference in Scotland in October. Later this month, a conference in Birmingham, England, features a presentation on 'the risks and benefits of chelation' by the Dublin-based chelation therapist Dr Gabriel Stewart. This conference is organised by Desumo, one of the companies that profited from the MMR scare by providing single vaccines (though this is not the firm whose proprietor, Dr David Pugh, was subsequently jailed for fraud). (The conference also features a rare UK appearance by Dr Andrew Wakefield, the leading promoter of the MMR-autism link, who now works in private practice in Texas.) It is not clear whether Desumo is planning to diversify into the lucrative chelation business, now that the single vaccine market is shrinking, or is merely providing a platform from which Dr Stewart can advertise his Dublin clinic. According to his own website, Dr Stewart trained in chelation therapy in Los Angeles, after qualifying as a doctor from University College Galway and working as a GP in Canada for 20 years (5). He returned to set up his 'Chelation Ireland Clinic' in November 2000 and he claims 'huge success with heart disease' (he believes that 95 per cent of bypass surgery is unnecessary) (6). He is also 'seeing the effects of the therapy on other diseases' such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Dr Stewart recommends chelation for 'stress and fatigue' and claims that it is 'the most effective anti-ageing treatment'. Though the title of his Birmingham talk seems to acknowledge that chelation carries risks, these are not specified on his website - unlike the claimed benefits. While Dr Stewart does not indicate what qualifications he has in relation to children or autism, his website declares that he 'also treats autistic children'. Though the death of Abubakar Nadama has caused widespread shock throughout the world of autism, it seems not to have deterred the anti-mercury campaigners. In the same angry tones in which campaigners blame the medical establishment for poisoning their children with vaccines, they repudiate their critics in the US media: 'We are not desperate parents willing to try anything. We are educated, caring parents who have done thousands of hours of research and administered dozens of medical tests on our children under the care of knowledgeable physicians.' (7) Parent activists challenge mainstream scientific expertise with the evidence of their own experience and with the results of their own painstaking researches. But both these sources of knowledge may be misleading and relying on them may have damaging consequences for children with autism and their families. The experience of having a child with autism - as I have - qualifies you to speak authoritatively on your experience as a parent of a child with autism: it does not give you any particular insights into the science of autism. Indeed, one of the problems of being the parent of a child with autism is that it gives you little time or energy to study the wider aspects of the subject. In recent years, however, some parents have devoted much time to reading scientific papers on autism. But, when such parents demand to be heard - and are heard - in scientific controversies it is important that the limitations of parental experience and study are recognised. + Full commentary here: http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CAE25.htm

Nations Try Various Strategies to Eradicate Such Behavior in Schools Students with Aspergers are particularly prone to bullying. By Marianne D. Hurst American policymakers have been urgently seeking solutions to school bullying and violence in recent years, but the issue had been receiving attention in many other countries long before it hit the U.S. spotlight. "Bullying is a problem in every school in the world, which may seem like a simplistic answer, but it's true," said Andrew Mellor, the manager of the Anti-Bullying Network at the University of Edinburgh, an organization funded by the Scottish government to provide schools and students with information and support. Most scholars generally accept the concept of bullying as an imbalance of power that exists over an extended period of time between two individuals, two groups, or a group and an individual in which the more powerful intimidate or belittle others. Bullying can be both physical and psychological, but physical bullying is not as common as the more subtle forms, such as social exclusion, name-calling, and gossip. "Somehow, in the context of school, the way children experience victimization is common," said Ron Astor, an education professor at the University of Southern California who has been studying school bullying in Israel since 1997. "Bullying is germane to schools." Most schools, he said, are introduced to the problem through an act of violence or suicide. In Scandinavia, researchers began the first significant push to understand the problem in the late 1960s. Still, it wasn't until 1982, after three Norwegian adolescents committed suicide as a result of being bullied, that Norway launched an aggressive national campaign to deal with the intimidation. Norway encouraged schoolwide intervention policies, including classroom rules establishing limits to unacceptable behavior, the formation of teacher-development groups, class meetings with children on peer relations and behavior, and counseling for bullies, victims, and parents. Studies showed a 50 percent decrease in school bullying by 1985. The country's parliament strengthened efforts in 2002 with passage of a manifesto that committed the central government, local authorities, and some parent and teacher groups to a program of action in the hope of quickly eliminating the practice. The movement to curb bullying has since moved into many other countries, including Scotland and Australia, which set up government-supported organizations and Web sites-such as the Anti-Bullying Network and Australia's NoBully.com program-to help schools understand the issue and offer guidelines to establish effective school policies and teacher training. Full story here: http://www.edweek.org/ew/index.html

Article By: Noel Chia Article Date: 01/29/2007 The term “autism” comes from the Greek word “autos” that means self. There have been some earliest published descriptions of autistic behaviors dating back to the 18th century. However, it was not until 1911 that Dr Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, coined the term “autism” in his work while working with schizophrenic patients, whom he observed to be socio-emotionally isolated and extremely self-absorbed. Our knowledge and understanding of autism come from the writings of Dr Leo Kanner and Dr Hans Asperger, who have been regarded as the pioneers in the field. Dr Kanner published his paper on autism in 1943; Dr Asperger, in 1944. Dr Kanner’s definition of autism was known as early infantile/childhood autism, which displays symptoms Dr Lorna Wing (1996) described as triad of impairments: impaired social interaction, lack of imaginative play, and verbal communication problems. On the other hand, Dr Asperger’s description of children with similar traits except that his subjects were of higher IQs and precocious language skills. Both described symptoms of two different sub-groups among a wide range of disorders affecting social interaction and communication. In between them, we will be able to find various subtypes of autism and related anomalies. In 1996, Dr Bryna Siegel used the term “autism spectrum disorders” to encompass autistic disorder (i.e., the classical autism as described by Kanner) and non-autistic pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs), which include Asperger’s Syndrome, Fragile-X Syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-Not Otherwise Specified, and correspond exactly to what the DSM-IV-TR refers to collectively as PDD. The twelve diagnostic criteria for DSM-IV-TR Autistic Disorder have been categorized under three areas: social development, communication, and activities and interests. Within each area are four specific criteria, each representing a different area of symptoms. Generally, the first criterion in each of the three areas is the one that can be observed at the earliest age, and the latter ones in each area are those that become apparent in later development. Each criterion is to be evaluated according to the child’s level of mental development to avoid confusion between developmental delay and autistic symptoms. The need to evaluate possible autistic signs according to the child’s level of mental development is one reason why it is essential to have both IQ and adaptive behavior assessments administered. The current definition of autism emphasizes on problems in empathizing, which involves two main steps: the ability to attribute mental states to other people as a natural way of understanding them, and having an automatic appropriate emotional reaction to other people’s mental states. Empathizing concerns what is known as the theory of mind or mind-reading. Empathizing deficits, therefore, refer to one’s failure to make connection to another individual’s experience and to respond appropriately to that person. However, recent studies (especially those carried out by Dr Baron-Cohen and his team at the University of Cambridge) suggest that though individuals with autism display empathizing deficits, they have intact or even superior systemizing ability. Systemizing refers to that ability to analyze and build systems in order to understand and predict the behavior of impersonal events or inanimate or abstract entities. Dr Baron-Cohen and Dr Sally Wheelwright (2004) have listed six systems: mechanical, natural, abstract, motoric, organizable, and social systems. The way an individual with autism makes sense of any of these systems is not in terms of mental states, but in terms of underlying rules and regularities. Such superior systemizing ability can be seen in those termed as autistic savants, who may have two or more savant abilities (Blake, 1989). However, there is also another lesser known sub-group of autistic crypto-savants, who, because of their inability to communicate, have savant skills that are hidden, or secret, and unknown to those around them (Rimland, 1990). This aspect is often ignored in the current definition of autism. In sum, based on the past and current research studies, autism spectrum disorder (ASD for short) can be defined as a neuro-developmental syndrome of constitutional origin, whose onset is usually around first three years of birth, with empathizing deficits that result in a triad of impairments in communication, social interaction, and imagination, but may display (especially by autistic savants) or hide (especially by autistic crypto-savants) a strong systemizing drive that accounts for a distinct triad of strengths in good attention to detail, deep narrow interests, and islets of ability.

What is Neurodiversity?When I attended the International Autism Conference in London last year I heard Professor David Amaral tell the story of a young man with Asperger Syndrome who was visiting the MIND Institute at UC Davis. He was asked what he would do if they could develop a pill for autism. He thought for a while before replying that he would take half the pill. I think this illustrates a real difference within the autism community. There are many who pathologize autism as a disorder that afflicts an otherwise healthy individual. If you hold this idea you naturally look to understand the causes of autism in order to find that "autism pill." The idea of Neurodiversity was developed by autistic people in opposition to the pathologizing model. According to them autistic people are not disordered. They have a different sort of order. Their brains are differently wired. They think differently. They do not want to be cured. They want to be understood. This is not to deny that autistic people often face real difficulties. That is why the young man at the MIND Institute told David Amaral that he would take half the pill, but not the whole pill. What does Neurodiversity mean for parents? The cure mentality places great pressure on parents to rush into interventions. Then there is the guilt. Was there something I did or didn't do that caused the autism in my child? Can I put it right.? How can I not put it right? Instead of raising your child you can spend all your time trying to fix him. One mother's story illustrates this. Olivia was four when Liz finally faced up to the diagnosis, wracked with guilt that, having given birth to her at the age of 42, she was somehow responsible for her child's problems, either directly or as a result of a pre-natal diagnostic test (amniocentesis) that went wrong. Her way of dealing with this lonely burden was to take action. "I wanted to rip the autism out of Olivia with my bare hands," she says. In the years that followed, she whirled her daughter from one therapist to another, trying everything from cranial osteopathy and "brushing" her nerve endings, to Portage - a method of teaching everything in tiny steps. […] "Every practitioner is convinced that his or her treatment is the one and you feel compelled to try everything to find the one that will open up your child. I have seen children who have made remarkable improvements, but I would never say they have been cured or recovered." […] Having reached a state of mind where, even if she could, she would not change Olivia, she tries to concentrate on the good qualities that come with autism - honesty, uncompetitiveness, absence of spite. Embracing Neurodiversity allows you to stop looking for a cure because there isn't one. I agree with the Autism Society of America that, Most of the enlightened world knows that autism is at its root, genetic, and therefore by definition it is not something that can be considered "curable" or a "disease." Giving up on a cure is not the same as giving up on your child. In fact it can help you to take a more balanced approach. It is easier to reflect on your child's strengths as well as their difficulties and take up Lorna Wing's advice that, an autistic child can only be helped if a serious attempt is made to see the world from his point of view. Sometimes our biggest problem lies with other people. One mother gave me permission to quote something she wrote in an email about autism and acceptance. I think that it's a bit insulting sometimes for people, especially family and friends, to try to give me information about how to make my son be a 'bit less autistic'. It makes me think they want a short-cut to make him more acceptable. I'd prefer it if they tried to connect with him and enjoy him as he is. Then they'd really be able to help him to progress. This is the essence of Neurodiversity. First accept the difference. Then find ways to work together. And it is not all about problems either. We all had a favourite subject at school that we were good at and something else we really struggled with. Imagine being told that you had to drop your best subject and have double lessons in your worst subject. That is not so far from the experience of lots of autistic children whose interests and talents are sidelined while we concentrate on their difficulties. This can send all the wrong messages to our kids. They learn about their limitations but rarely get the chance to achieve. So they put up barriers to protect what is left of their self esteem. You try and offer constructive criticism. They take it as a mortal insult. If we accept somebody and work with their strengths we can help them to find ways of dealing with their problems that work for them. I spent a lot of time trying to solve my son's problems and making choices for him. The turning point came when Dave, a clinical psychologist asked him to think about what he wanted. Prior to this my son had always been encouraged to meet other people's demands and expectations. Dave was the first person to give my son explicit permission to put his desires before our expectations. When does Neurodiversity give way to disability? It is a common mistake to believe that neurodiversity is only for people who are "high functioning" or are "mildly autistic" or any other synonym for "not my child." The argument goes that neurodiversity is all right for you. You can talk. You can write. You are intelligent. My kid is non-verbal, self-injures and needs constant care. There is a whole set of problems that comes with being high functioning. People expect you to be normal or at least to

Santangelo SL, Tsatsanis K. Psychiatric & Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder of genetic origins, with a heritability of about 90%. Autistic disorder is classed within the broad domain of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) that also includes Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger syndrome, and PDD not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Prevalence estimates suggest a rate of 0.1-0.2% for autism and 0.6% for the range of PDD disorders. There is considerable phenotypic heterogeneity within this class of disorders as well as continued debate regarding their clinical boundaries. Autism is the prototypical PDD, and is characterized by impairments in three core domains: social interaction, language development, and patterns of behavior (restricted and stereotyped). Clinical pattern and severity of impairment vary along these dimensions, and the level of cognitive functioning of individuals with autism spans the entire range, from profound mental retardation to superior intellect. There is no single biological or clinical marker for autism, nor is it expected that a single gene is responsible for its expression; as many as 15+ genes may be involved. However, environmental influences are also important, as concordance in monozygotic twins is less than 100% and the phenotypic expression of the disorder varies widely, even within monozygotic twins. Multiple susceptibility factors are being explored using varied methodologies, including genome-wide linkage studies, and family- and case-control candidate gene association studies. This paper reviews what is currently known about the genetic and environmental risk factors, neuropathology, and psychopharmacology of autism. Discussion of genetic factors focuses on the findings from linkage and association studies, the results of which have implicated the involvement of nearly every chromosome in the human genome. However, the most consistently replicated linkage findings have been on chromosome 7q, 2q, and 15q. The positive associations from candidate gene studies are largely unreplicated, with t he possible exceptions of the GABRB3 and serotonin transporter genes.No single region of the brain or pathophysiological mechanism has yet been identified as being associated with autism. Postmortem findings, animal models, and neuroimaging studies have focused on the cerebellum, frontal cortex, hippocampus, and especially the amygdala. The cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit may also be influential in autism. There is evidence that overall brain size is increased in some individuals with autism. Presently there are no drugs that produce major improvements in the core social or pragmatic language deficits in autism, although several have limited effects on associated behavioral features.The application of new techniques in autism research is being proposed, including the investigation of abnormal regulation of gene expression, proteomics, and the use of MRI and postmortem analysis of the brain.

Submitted by Michelle Guppy, 16210 Cypress Trace, Cypress, TX 77429, TGuppy@LGC.com, 281-256-3034 Inclusion is Freedom. When denied - both words bring harm to a child. Inclusion and Freedom are words worth fighting for....words that ARE fought for. Parents fight for inclusion in the schools and in society, soldiers fight for freedom in wars. Both are fought to protect the rights of children. For a special needs child to have Freedom by Inclusion means that they are recognized as a person of equal standing. It means they are valued, they are important. It means they will not be ignored, mistreated, or thought of as a burden. Their needs, feelings, and rights are just as important as typical children's. Whether the child has the capacity to understand that or not should not change the way they are treated by others. For each child with special needs - inclusion has different meanings. For some it means being able to attend regular classes with regular students - without assistance. To others it may mean being in a regular classroom with an aide beside them to assist when necessary. To even others, it may only mean to be included in certain regular classroom activities - for Music, Lunch, and PE, for example. For my child it means being in his own classroom, with a one on one aide working on discrete trials; with the ultimate goal of perhaps those other forms of inclusion. Many different faces of inclusion - but the common thread is doing what is appropriate for each child. For the child to be respected and valued. It means doing for the child, what is best for the child - with the ultimate goal being to help make the child the best he or she can be. I saw inclusion and all it means in action the other day. It was Field Day at my son's school. I went there to take pictures. I knew my child would not be able to perform the activities, but I wanted a picture for his scrapbook anyway. It was my son's turn to ride the tricycle around the cone and back. He can't ride a bike. With his teacher on one side, and a typical student from his team, on the other side, they carefully pushed the bike around the cone and back. Parents who did not know my son, and whom I did not know, clapped for him in the background. My son was never aware of this and could have cared less if he was included or not. But I did. That is Inclusion.....a confidence that as a parent, your child will be treated like the above, - even when you are not there to witness it. Especially, -- when you are not there to witness it. I read about the lack of inclusion and all it means the other day. It was in an article from Feat News. The article was titled, "The Day Christopher Died........" Inclusion....... by Michelle Guppy

Debra J. Onsager, M.S.O.M., L.Ac. Franklin, WI 53132 1   The word autism has its roots in the Greek words autos, meaning self and –ismos, meaning condition. Autism is a neurobiological disorder that leaves a person permanently developmentally disabled. Individuals with autism display withdrawal, an inward turning of the self. The insidiousness or abruptness of the disorder provides parents and pediatricians no clues as to its cause and development. At times the subtle signs of autism are not easily monitored and in retrospect, parents can trace the gradual decay of their children’s personality. Other times the abruptness of the disorder can be pinpointed to a specific event. …Terri Kerr knew that what her boys had was autism, and she left no stone unturned to find out what she could do to help. Perhaps one of the reasons she acted so swiftly was her own health. Terri was a young, beautiful woman with a serious heart condition, whose doctor had told her that her life expectancy was uncertain. She was willing to try the diet for the boys within a few minutes of speaking with me (Karyn Serroussi) on the phone. “I believe it was the MMR vaccine that started their problems,” she told me. I replied politely. “Yes, I’ve heard people say that before. The vaccine does coincide with the typical age of onset.” “Well, in the case of my boys, it coincided pretty dramatically. Ian was completely normal until that day. Kyle was hospitalized later that week, and was never the same.” 1 Autism alters the communication skills, social-ability, and behavior patterns typical of a “normal” child. Parents and pediatricians may deny the signs and fail to compare the early, subtle signs of autism with that of normal infantile maturation. The disorder can easily engulf the lives of the child and his/her family. Early detection and early intervention are keys to “open” the inward turning of the child’s personality. Tito Mukhopadhyay, a 14-year-old youth with severe autism, was taught by his mother at a very early age to communicate via a computer and the written word. His eloquent poetry shows the world that the mind of this autistic boy is active, imaginative, and intelligent. Debra J. Onsager, M.S.O.M., L.Ac. Franklin, WI 53132 2 He is able to describe to researchers what autism is to him. He writes, “It is an intact mind with a disobedient body.” 2 “It is estimated that about 1 in 1000 children have autism. Also, as many as 2-5 per 1000 children may exhibit some form of the disorder. Developmental disabilities are a diverse group of physical, cognitive, psychological, sensory, and speech impairments that are usually identified between birth and up to age 18 years. It is estimated that about 17 percent of all children have a developmental disability, and 2 percent have a serious developmental disability such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, or autism.” 3 Boys are 3 to 4 times more likely to develop autism than girls but the most severe form of the disorder has an almost equal gender ratio. The prevalence of autism is worldwide with no common underlying factor of race, culture, or economic status. The California Department of Developmental Services published a report in April 2003 showing that new cases of diagnosed full syndrome autism in the state doubled in the four-year period between 1999 and 2002. This is an incredible increase of 634 percent in the 15-year period from 1987 through 2002. 4 The complexity and origin of this neurological developmental disability baffles and frustrates parents, doctors, and researchers. Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of five disorders classified under the title of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), “pervasive meaning that the condition affects development extensively and across the board.” 5 By definition, spectrum disorders have a wide range of symptoms varying in intensity from mild to severe. · Autistic Disorder is described in detail in the preceding and following sections. · Asperger’s Disorder produces children with difficulty in expressing themselves appropriately in social situations. Unlike autistic children, those with Asperger’s Disorder can speak and score above the range of mental retardation. The difficulties of those with Asperger’s Disorder include their preoccupation with unusual interests and the inability to communicate appropriately with people.Debra J. Onsager, M.S.O.M., L.Ac. Franklin, WI 53132 3 · Rett’s Disorder is a genetic disorder affecting only girls. It is a rare syndrome occurring in 1 in 15,000. Characteristics of the disorder include a normal growth pattern in infancy but between 6 – 24 months of age the child’s head growth begins to slow, language skills decline, and social interactions are impaired. The girls typically practice a hand-wringing ritual that is stereotypical of Rett’s Disorder. · Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is a rare disorder that strikes 1 in 100,000 children. It mimics the signs and symptoms of autism but affects those that have had years of normal growth patterns, unlike autism that can affect a child from birth. · Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD: NOS) is used as a diagnosis when the signs and symptoms are mild and do not appear to fit in any other category. Etiology and pathogenesis Psychologists and pediatricians previously labeled the behavior of autistic children as a response to uncompassionate parents. The physiological and behavioral irregularities displayed by children were thought to be a negative response to uncompassionate parents. More and more research is being conducted in an attempt to find the etiology of the disease. Parents frustrated with the mediocre responses to their complaints from their pediatricians have forged the deepest pathways to discovering the cause of their children’s disease and the appropriate treatment for cure. Karyn Seroussi and Lynn Lewis formed a grassroots parent organization, the Autism Network for Dietary Intervention (http://www.autismndi.com/). Both scientific research and empirical evidence is cited on the website providing readers with the explanation that autism and other pervasive developmental disorders are reactions of the body to food allergies, Debra J. Onsager, M.S.O.M., L.Ac. Franklin, WI 53132 4 gastrointestinal abnormalities, and the opioid affects

Light and Sound Brain Machine now helping those with autism spectrum disorders Can brain functioning be improved with flashing lights and pulsing tones? Many seem to think so reports David Siever, CEO of Mind Alive and the inventor and developer of a unique patented audio-visual device called the DAVID machine, which stands for Digital Audio Visual Integration Device. The actual creation of this machine in 1984 was driven by the needs of others at first to reduce stage fright, stress and anxiety and later to help people cope with their Attention Deficit problems such as concentration. For many years it has been known that sound therapy utilizing strictly sound training, which de-sensitizes the person with sensory issues, has been helpful for many on the autism spectrum. By stimulating the auditory system, and through it, by stimulating the brain, methods such as the Tomatis Method has been able to reduce the autistic symptoms to varying degrees. Each autistic person is different and may respond differently to this program. In some cases results are seen within a few weeks, There are still good days and bad days but the trend is often upward, especially when you look back over a period of a few months. In many cases improvement has been noted in the following areas, decreased hypersensitivity to sound, reduced tactile defensiveness, improved language skills, improved appreciation for food and less picky in food preferences, better self image, improved social skills, better eye contact and less aggressive behaviors Combining a method similar to this auditory training technique with the visual aspect of flashing lights also seems to have a very strong impact on the minds of those with autism spectrum disorders. The light and sound device consists of a set of earphones and eye goggles. What makes this piece of equipment work is a series of timed flashing white lights, coupled with intermittent pulsing tones that graduate in intensity so as not to overwhelm the listener. The actual process that take place is called brainwave entrainment, which is exactly as the name implies that is, training brain waves to fall into an specific pre-determined brainwave pattern such as the alpha state. This is much like what happens during a similar process called biofeedback, which helps the patient concentrate to relax their minds. The results are even verified by tracking brain wave patterns through a clinically administered EEG. The same or even better results are achieved even though a different process is utilized. The mix of the two sensory tools gently bring the mind to a relaxed calm alpha state which is the state that is achieved through years and years of training in the process of meditation all in a single session. No wonder it has such a wonderful effect on people. When my son Jonathan was first diagnosed with autism, I was so frustrated with him that I actually went "outside the box" of traditional thinking and decided to give this unit a try. We were desperately looking for something other than the typical route prescribed by doctors of medicating our young child. This was way back in 1994, which were most likely, a therapy ten years ahead of its time. With the help of the staff of Mind Alive we managed to get Jonny, then 3 ½ years old to try the DAVID. Placing the earphones and eye goggles on his little head was no easy task. In spite of this fact, we persevered. Later we discovered doing this once he was sleeping was far more effective and less intrusive. We saw such great results at first that we decided to run our own little "mini study" on him. For a period of six weeks we slipped into his bedroom after he had fallen to sleep and slipped the gear on his little head three times a week. The changes were quite evident in the areas of improved behavior, increased eye contact and more appropriate interaction to mention a few observations. His doctor even commented: "Jonathan has been using a sound and light machine which his mother and the program perceive to have been of benefit to him. Although there is no formal information available to support this observation, there is certainly some informal information suggesting that this might in fact be a useful therapy" It is certainly worthy of further exploration and I will be in contact with the people using the machine for further information about it" Pioneering new ideas are what I tend to gravitate to though carving out new things is no easy task. We were so impressed with the technology I decided to open a clinic to help others called "The Wellness Center". Due to the sensory nature of the equipment the biggest challenge was getting the children to have the gear so close to their faces though this obstacle has since been overcome by using external light and sound tools. As long as we were able to get the gear on the other children with autism the results were typically good. . I then became pregnant with my fifth child and after two years of operation closed the clinic. The easiest alternative to the actual clinic is the portable device carried by Mind Alive. Units start at $240.00 U.S. Dollars and can be purchased here David Siever, founder of the DAVID in conjunction with CARE (Canadian Autism Resources & Events) are conducting a study to follow the effects of light and sound therapy on those with autism. The purposes of the study is to verify the positive results achieved by those with an autism spectrum disorder. Participants must live in the greater Edmonton area so they can be easily monitored for the most accurate and reliable results. If you or anyone you know is interested in participating in such a study please contact karen@autismtoday.net Other testimonials: from those with either ADD and autism spectrum disorders or a combination "Charles has always had problems with self-esteem and paying attention and being able to

As I'm new to autism terminology, could someone please tell me what stimming is? (name witheld) I replied: Stimming stood for 'self stimulatory behaviours'. Something non-auties imagined they didn't have! Stimming is aword created by non-auties with often negative connotations. It was a word created by non-auties who didn't understand that some folks had compulsive but involuntary tics, some had self calming tools they didn't understand, some had sensory fascinations they couldn't relate to, some needed to tune out to tune in, some needed a tool for social distance in the face of compulsive social invaders, some needed to be repetitive in order to download, some needed to compensate for a non-autie multitrack world they couldn't process in thier mono-tracked reality, some needed something to get lost in when utterly blowing all fuses.... and, anyway, the non-auties labelled, as is there tendency, this vast array of experiences with one word as if it was one thing at all times to all people labelled 'Autistic'. Forgive them. They know not what they see. Warmly,... ... Donna Williams *) www.donnawilliams.net

As someone with acute Exposure Anxiety as a major part of my autism, I was used to chemistry-driven involuntary avoidance, diversion, retaliation responses taking over my behaviour and communication whenever my adrenaline drenched overaroused emotional state triggered the fight/flight responses when others initiated and triggered my oversensitised 'invasion' alarm. This Exposure Anxiety (EA) was so severe and entrenched it developed to a secondary level so I not only was triggered into involuntary avoidance, diversion, retaliation responses when responding in fight/flight mode to the initiations of others but progressively also when I too desperately wanted to initiate something for myself- be that getting a drink, something to eat, going to the loo, getting a coat or taking one off, staying in a room or leaving it etc and I could usually do what I DIDN'T want to do at the time but generally not the thing I DID want to do. I found strategies around the EA rules of 'can't do it as myself', 'by myself' or 'for myself' (of course being prompted counts as 'doing as someone else' but doesn't lead to independance in EA) and how to use the yes=no/no=yes mechanism to actually get relatively functional even if these strategies made me seem just as difficult to comprehend as the problem itself. (this is all written about in Exposure Anxiety; The Invisible Cage ) Recently, Chris and I visited two 'high functioning' friends diagnosed with ASD (diagnosed with Aspergers ). One of them also has Avoidant Personality Disorder. At a glance, on the surface APD looks a bit like EA, but where EA has nothing to do with confidence (one can be full of confidence and have severe EA), APD severely effects confidence. Where EA causes a range of involuntary behaviours, APD is a bit different. Where those with EA often desperately try to challenge the often impossible and self defeating confines of the invisible cage of EA (sometimes with self injurious results) , those with APD by it's nature may, through no fault of their own, be lacking motivation to challenge their condition. Though their behaviour often draws attention and is generally mistaken for attention seeking, EA is generally made worse through overt directly confrontational praise and encouragement and those with it are often most productive when there is no 'threat' of praise or attention (though they can constantly force others to prompt them). Those with APD, on the other hand, may need that encouragment constantly, even dependantly. What was interesting was that whilst APD isn't generally recognised until late childhood, it is possible that it goes overlooked or hidden in early childhood and it is fairly possible to imagine that misunderstood APD could compound the developmental and information processing issues inherent in autism. If this is so, its important to be informed about what it is so the right environmental approach can be used with those it most fits with. Something like ABA, for example, would likely need to be modified or exchanged for something more fitting where APD or EA compounded or underlied the person's autism. It's important that even though I have never had APD, to recognise that there is no one thing called autism and that understanding APD may hold some solutions for others. In case its of use to others who may also have both APD and and autism-spectrum condition, here's some info on it (albeit rife with words like 'disorder', 'abnormal' etc). bye for now... Donna Williams www.donnawilliams.net here's an article from the web on APD: Here are the diagnostic criteria for Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD), taken from the DSM-IV and the ICD-10 World Health Organization classification. US definition European definition The symptoms of APD may appear to overlap with those of Generalized Social Anxiety, and many people with SA will be able to relate to the description below. What is SA? Introduction More information Treatments Definitions » Social anxiety » Avoidant Personality Opinions vary as to where SA ends and APD begins, although with APD the emphasis is perhaps more on deeply ingrained thought patterns and beliefs, than actual anxiety. Diagnostic Criteria A pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following: - avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact, because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection - is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked - shows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculed - is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations - is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy - views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others - is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassing Associated Features - Depressed Mood - Anxious/Fearful/Dependent Personality Differential Diagnosis Social Phobia, Generalized Type; Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia; Dependent Personality Disorder; Schizoid Personality Disorder; Schizotypal Personality Disorder; Paranoid Personality Disorder; Personality Change Due to a General Medical Condition; symptoms that may develop in association with chronic substance use. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Version, 1994 © American Psychiatrists Association Personality disorder characterized by at least three of the following: (a) persistent and pervasive feelings of tension and apprehension (b) belief that one is socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others (c) excessive preoccupation with being criticized or rejected in social situations (d) unwillingness to become involved with people unless certain of being liked (e) restrictions in lifestyle because of need to have physical security (f) avoidance of social or occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact because of fear of criticism, disapproval, or rejection. Associated features may include hypersensitivity to rejection and criticism. Personality Disorders A personality disorder is a severe disturbance in the characterological constitution and behavioural tendencies of the individual, usually involving several areas of the personality, and nearly always associated with considerable personal and social