Author name: Ahmad

How much TV does your child watch? You may want to reduce it as much as possible due to the shocking results of a recent study in the April, 2004 issue of Pediatrics. This study says that very young children who watch television face an increased risk of attention deficit problems by school age, because TV might over-stimulate and permanently "rewire the developing brain". According to the study, for every hour of TV watched daily, two groups of children, ages 1 and 3, faced a 10 percent increased risk of having attention problems at age 7. According to the authors of the study, "ADHD affects between 4 and 12% of US children and is the most common behavioral disorder of childhood". Several studies confirm that the rapidly changing images, scenery and events on television may shorten children's attention spans. The author of the study, D. Christakis, M.D., says, "The newborn brain develops very rapidly during the first two to three years of life. It's really being wired" during that time. We know from studies of newborn rats that if you expose them to different levels of visual stimuli, the architecture of the brain looks very different" depending on the amount of stimulation..." As we all know, school/learning activities require a longer attention span and one of the most common complaints among parents and teachers, is that children just don't seem to want to pay attention. Here are a few suggestions to remedy the situation: 1. Limit TV watching to one or two hours per week. 2. If your child is younger, limit video game playing and computer time because it inhibits visual skill development needed for reading later on. 3. Take your child to visit with friends and play more outdoor games (this develops the visual skills such as eye-hand coordination and tracking they need for reading also) 4. Read to your child daily for at least 15 minutes and encourage them to create a "movie in their mind" of what you are reading to them about (this will increase their visual memory skills needed in all school activities and during test taking) 5. Expose your child to some classical music a few times a week because research says this enhances their cognitive thinking skills 6. For more information on ADD-ADHD solutions visit http://tinyurl.com/26t48

Panel Finds No Connection But Some Interest Groups, Congressmen Don't Agree By Kimberly Pierceall, May 15, 2004 Moving to put to rest a long-running debate, an Institute of Medicine panel said it found no link between autism and childhood vaccines. The institute, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, said studies linking the disorder and the mercury-based vaccine preservative thimerosal as well as the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella "lack supporting evidence and are theoretical only". The panel urged researchers to stop looking at vaccines as a cause of autism, and instead examine other possible ~ including genetic links and prenatal infections. Marie C. McCormick, a Harvard professor of maternal and child health who headed the Immunization Safety Review Committee, and panel member Steven Goodman, a John Hopkins University associate professor, said they would vaccinate their own children without fears of autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health formed the committee to investigate claims that vaccines cause health problems. The report issued yesterday is the last in a series, and it dealt solely with the question of whether vaccines cause autism, a developmental disorder that seriously impairs a child's ability to learn and socialize and is usually diagnosed at about the same time children receive many of the recommended childhood vaccines. Reported cases of autism have been on the rise in the U.S., but the reason for it has been a matter of debate. Many experts say It is the result of more awareness and thus more diagnoses; critics of that theory say there is an epidemic and want to know Why. Citing two studies, the committee said that one in every 1000 children is autistic. But some activists contend the condition may afflict as many as one in every 250 children. Based on reaction to the report yesterday, the debate is unlikely to be quelled. Rep. Dave Weldon (R., Fla, who introduced legislation in early April that would ban mercury from children's vaccines, called the report premature. "This report will not deter me from my commitment to seeing that this is fully investigated, nor will it put to rest the concerns of parents who believe their children were harmed by mercury-containing vaccines or the MMR vaccine," he said. Rep. Weldon, a physician, also has a personal interest in the matter: a friend's son was diagnosed as autistic around the time he was vaccinated. Rep. Dan Burton (R. lnd), a leading advocate of ridding vaccines of mercury, said the study is "bunk." Rep. Burton's grandson was diagnosed with autism also around the time he got vaccines containing mercury. A number of interest groups representing parents of autistic children also criticized the panel's report. Lyn Redwood, president of SafeMinds, a nonprofit group that wants to end all use of thimerosal In vaccines, said in a statement that the panel "issued a flawed, incomplete report that continues to put America's children at risk.' Thlmerosal had been used in some vaccines since the 1930s, but vaccine makers began phasing it out in 1999 and most vaccines today don't contain the preservative. Wyeth, a leading children's vaccine producer, welcomed the report. The report "strongly confirms that there is no evidence linking thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism, a conclusion previously reported by numerous U.S. and European scientists and public-health officials," said Wyeth spokesman Lowell Weiner. In 2001, the Institute of Medicine panel left open the possibility of a link between vaccines and autism, and yesterday's report aught to end that debate. though it left open the possibility vaccines could cause immune-system problems. 'The committee doesn't dispute that mercury containing compounds can be damaging to the immune system," said Dr. McCormick. She said parents should choose a thimerosal-free vaccine if one is available but if it isn't, parents should have their children vaccinated anyway. A large-scale Danish study published in 2002 found no relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism. Researchers reviewed the records of all children born in Denmark from 1991 through 1998-a total of 537,303 chlldren and found no difference in autism rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

Article By: Nicholas Bartell Article Date: 07/14/2008 I went 30 years of my life and did not know I was Autistic or Dyslexic, If you think the movie (Catch me if you can was good mine is times 10 but, I need to be interviewed because Typing is to slow, but I had $1,000,000 million worth of credit cards at 16, not bad for a kid that had to live in a Abstract setting his whole life and never knew how to ask for help!,

By Sandra Chapman If you have an autistic child you may never have heard of methylocobalamin B12. The following story is one that a Belfast mother wants told because this vitamin, she believes, is bringing her autistic son out of his twilight world and it could help others. To protect her son's privacy she wants to remain anonymous. Few medical conditions evoke as much controversy as autism, a complex neurodevelopmental disorder which presents in early childhood. The condition is thought to be influenced by genetics and environmental factors. Many parents blame the MMR vaccine for triggering the condition in their child. Autism causes regression in children who were otherwise developing normally. Doctors in this country are sceptical of 'new' treatments for autism. And one of the those treatments is the use of the vitamin MB12 - methylocobalamin. Yet there is some evidence of its success. Children with autism, according to one expert in America, have an impaired metabolic imbalance which damages cell growth through oxidation. This can be treated with MB12. Dr James Neubrander runs a private clinic in New Jersey and he was at a medical conference in the UK last month discussing his use of MB12 since 2002. He told the conference he has given more than 75,000 injections of methycobalamin B12 with 94 per cent of the children showing improvement. The treatment is available privately in Northern Ireland and this Belfast mother describes her experience with it. A mother's story ... My son was fine until he was about a year old. By the time he was 16 months he had lost all the words he had learned. I watched in despair as he regressed. The classic red flag signs appeared when I realised he had stopped pointing and wasn't using language. He was also pacing up and down the room constantly. I knew instinctively it was autism. I kept saying to people that my son had autism just to prove what I was seeing. They kept saying to me that he couldn't have. But I knew I was correct. Incidentally my son didn't have the MMR vaccine. My doctor told me he would grow out of it but I persisted. And when he was two years old I finally got the diagnosis. My son was autistic. I walked out of that doctor's office with little or no help. I had no-one to turn to. I looked up everything I could about the subject on the Internet and there was lots of it, including the work of Dr James Neubrander of New Jersey involving MB12. He was claiming 94 per cent success with it. I tried my best to find a doctor who would prescribe it for my son but none would touch it at all. It's the attitude of medical people in this country that autism is genetic and there is nothing you can do about it and you are being stupid in trying to prove otherwise. I soon learned that the medical profession is rife with politics and ego. Then I heard of Dr Finbar Magee in Belfast who practises in environmental medicine and who has a private clinic. I approached him about getting MB12 for my son. He had also heard of Dr Neubrander's work and he explained to me the science behind the vitamin. There was a lot of information about it on the Internet anyway; lots of case histories. I already had an NHS metabolic profile on my son and when I showed that to Dr Magee he detected a high toxic metal overload in the results. I think many of us are full of toxins and it is possible we are passing them on to our children. On November 4 this year my son got his first injection of MB12 in his buttock to enable slow release. If it goes into the arm it is used up too quickly. Three days later he was due for his second injection. On that day he appeared to be agitated and this I believe is a side effect which shows that the MB12 is working. Then I noticed he had starting pointing at things, something he hadn't been doing. He was watching CBB television and he uttered the letter B. Later that day he went up to the television and said monkey because there was a monkey on screen. I also noticed an improvement in his eye contact. I knew that if I took him to my GP he would attribute this improvement to the Applied Behavioural Analysis programme I had my son on. He had his second injection three days after the first and by Friday last week he was sitting looking at a picture book, something he hadn't been able to do before. He sat for 20 minutes with this book and his focus was good. To me this is miraculous. I would have been happy with any improvement. I certainly wasn't looking for a miracle. I have always believed that intervention at an early age in this condition is the key but that's not what the medical profession in the UK appears to believe. I'm 'talking' to other parents on the Internet and that's their view too as they see progress with MB12. My son will have to have injections of MB12 every three days for the next 18-24 months. Many parents wouldn't want that but then if their child was diabetic they would have to accept it. As far as I'm concerned this treatment is creating my child's life. In fact, I fully intend to recover my child from the autism that has been imposed on him. I'm more convinced that the toxins in our environment are causing this condition. By the time people get to my age - I'm in my thirties - we have a lot of toxins in our system and I probably have passed those on to my son. MB12 has been in existence for a long time. Some doctors who have tried to use

Autism Management Limited - #4 in a series of informative papers Vitamin C is an essential in the body's defences against infection. Susceptible children will not tolerate relatively unimportant infections and this can lead to prolonged illness and in the case of behaviourally disturbed children exacerbations of symptoms previously well managed. Echinacea is an effective activator of T cell lymphocytes which fight infection. The method: Use Vitamin C I gram (1000mg) fizzy tablets - they can be bought as Redoxan or Own brand. Buy the plain type; for some children the colourants can be upsetting. Bioforce Echinacea is the best available at the Pharmacy or health store. Dose: I gram (1000mg) three times a day until 10 tablets have been given. Do not give more; there is some evidence to suggest that persisting with large doses can cause cell damage in the bowel. Give Bioforce 10 drops three times daily for 5 days starting at the same time as Vitamin C. Don't give them together; the Vitamin C is a powerful agent and may destroy the Echinacea, This is effective from age 18 months in a normal body mass infant. In a child younger than this the dosage should be halved and given over the day in drinks. When to give it: On the first sign of a cold or the flu settling in, or if the child is exposed to a family member with a cold. Results: You will normally see a recovery within a couple of days. Echinacea has been shown to be as effective as antibiotics for sore throat, and other mild infections. Do not persist with treatment longer than the above period, and seek help if the symptoms do not resolve or get worse. *********************************************************** Copyright (c) 2000 [Autism Management Limited]. All rights reserved. Revised: September 07, 2000 . ***********************************************************

Written by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D. Center for the Study of Autism, Salem, Oregon An effective intervention for many autistic children and adults is the use of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and magnesium. For over 30 years, parents have given B6 and magnesium to their children and have observed benefits ranging from mild to dramatic. B6 and magnesium are safe and inexpensive. B6 and magnesium have received more scientific support than any other biological intervention for autism. There are 18 studies showing that B6 and magnesium are beneficial to about half of autistic individuals. Eleven of these studies involved a double-blind placebo design. These studies have documented decreases in behavioral problems, improvements in appropriate behavior, and normalization of brain wave activity and urine biochemistry. There is also evidence that B6 and magnesium may reduce seizure activity. Parent reports also include: improvements in attention, learning, speech/language, and eye contact. Information about these research studies along with other relevant information can be obtained from the Autism Research Institute (e.g., answers to frequently asked questions, dosage/weight chart). Kirkman Laboratories in Lake Oswego, Oregon has been manufacturing a flavored B6/magnesium formula, Super Nuthera, for use in autism since 1968 (1-888-Kirkman; www.kirkmanlabs.com). The average effective dose is 8 milligrams (mg) per pound (lb.) for vitamin B6, and 3 mg per lb. for magnesium. These recommendations are for the average autistic person; thus, a person may respond better on a lower or higher amount. Parents should first give about one-fourth of this dose (i.e., 2 mg per lb. for B6 & 1 mg per lb. for magnesium) and gradually increase the amount every 3 to 4 days. Parents should keep track of their child's behavior to determine the appropriate dose. It is very important to give magnesium along with B6 because B6 requires extra magnesium to be effective, and thus may cause a deficiency. Problems associated with magnesium deficiency include: enuresis (bedwetting), irritability/agitation, and sound sensitivity. Occasionally, an autistic person exhibits one or more of these behaviors when given B6 along with magnesium. In these cases, the person may need more than the recommended amount of magnesium. Magnesium is relatively safe--too high of a dose will cause diarrhea (e.g., Milk of Magnesia). A comprehensive multivitamin/multi-mineral supplement is strongly recommended since vitamins and minerals assist in metabolizing B6 and magnesium. Be careful: many children's vitamins contain Aspartame (or Nutrasweet) which is used as a sweetener. Parents should try to avoid products with Aspartame because research has shown that Aspartame can cause neurological damage (see Russell L. Blaylock's 1996 book entitled Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills). There is some discussion on the side effects of high doses of B6. The only documentation of an adverse reaction to very high doses (higher than the recommended doses for autism) is peripheral neuropathy, but this is extremely rare. Peripheral neuropathy refers to tingling or numbness in the fingers and/or toes. Reducing the amount of B6 will usually eliminate the tingling or numbness within a day or two.

by Nathan E. Ory, M.A. Registered Psychologist (B.C.) Challenging Behavior Analysis and Consultation challengingbehavior@home.com These values and methods apply equally well to any area of concern. Teaching gross and fine motor skills such as piano, guitar, golf, yoga, squash, swimming. Teaching verbal skills such as English as a second language. Teaching any unknown skill such as horseback riding, car repair, wall papering, etc. Teaching RRSP investment strategies, or any educational content to an uncertain or confused, new learner. The same principles apply to teaching social or life skills to a person with developmental disability. Imagine yourself "coaching perfection" in each area of concern. In each area of deficiency, "fill in the blanks" with and for person who does not or can not make the connection for or by themselves. Break the subject down into smaller and smaller parts. Teach the learner "tricks" which allow them to self-cue (visual imaging, lists, metaphors.) Developing "independence" in persons who are functionally dependent. "Insist", persist, and assist! Children with autism will often only respond to "imperatives" or "absolutes". If the intent for their action is not made clearly enough they may be unable to focus on what is expected of them. How to do this without creating a sense of "pressure", initiating a "power struggle", or triggering explosive resistance? When a child is very resistant to participating, often it is easier for a caregiver to simply do it yourself for the child. Independence will never be developed unless an opportunity is given for independence to occur. However, this needs to be done in a manner which will "set up" the learner to be successful. 1. First, "come alongside" the child by becoming involved with whatever they are doing at the time. "Tune in" to the child's point of view. Get them interacting with you on their own terms. Then, engage the child in watching you do the task. Perhaps they can become involved in helping you. Remove any sense of pressure to perform. 2. "Insist" that the task be accomplished in an exact manner, with whatever level of participation that can be maintained. "Insist" by being explict, clear, precise, and black/white about the way things need to be done. Be structured in your approach, one step at a time. Follow through until you and the learner are successful in doing the activity together. Expect success. Insisting without persisting will not lead to development of skill or independence. Once you determine that a particular skill is worth developing, carry on as long as necessary until a level of independent competency is developed. 3. Persist in your expectation that the person will eventually develop a level of at least partial independence. Repeat your expectation as often as necessary. Persist, even if at best this is to have the child passively "tolerate" the caregiver doing the task for or with them. Where life has been full of explosive, resistant behavior "peaceful coexistence" is a worth while goal to achieve. Persisting without assisting will not lead to development of skill or independence. Simply telling the person what to do, each step of the way will only make the person dependent upon you to be able to function. 4. Assist as necessary. The value statement to guide our actions is to "Give as little help as is possible, but give as much as is necessary" for the person to be successful in accomplishing whatever you are attempting. Nathan Ory, M.A. Registered Psychologist Island Mental Health Support Team, November, 1999

One encephalitis strain is only exception as new law takes effect. By Dorsey Griffith for the Sacramento Bee Vaccines containing a mercury-based preservative are now largely off-limits to children under 3 and pregnant women in California. The only exception to the new state law, which took effect on Saturday, is the vaccine against Japanese encephalitis virus, a deadly mosquito-borne illness endemic to certain parts of Asia. The new law, by Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, was aimed at reducing the risk of neurodevelopmental problems such as autism, which many parents believe can be traced to exposure to thimerosal, long used as a preservative in many vaccines. Several large federal studies have shown no link between childhood vaccines and autism, but additional research is continuing. The U.S. Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1999 began to advocate the elimination of thimerosal from vaccines because some infants who received them were exposed to mercury at levels that exceeded Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Except for trace amounts, which are allowable under the new law, thimerosal has been removed from childhood vaccines. The flu vaccine had been an exception. But concerns about its safety re-emerged in 2004, after the federal government recommended that babies between 6 months and 2 years be added to the list of those who should get annual flu shots. Aventis Pasteur, the company that manufactures the lion's share of flu vaccine, has increased the supplies of its thimerosal-free version in response to demand. "Based on what we know, we anticipate there will be an adequate supply of thimerosal-free flu vaccine for pregnant women and children under 3," said Department of Health Services spokesman Ken August. The state has ordered 684,480 doses of flu vaccine to be distributed to counties for the upcoming season. The total includes 50,000 doses of thimerosal-free vaccine for children ages 1-3 and 15,000 doses for pregnant women. In addition, the state ordered 10,000 doses of FluMist, also thimerosal-free, for use in healthy people ages 5-49. Aventis had opposed the Pavley bill, citing in a statement concerns that the ban could "undermine public confidence in immunization and ultimately deprive children of access to needed influenza vaccine." In response to industry worries and related concerns cited by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the legislation ultimately was amended to give the industry more time to stock up on thimerosal-free flu vaccine. The new law also allows for exceptions when no other alternatives are available or during public health emergencies. August said Kim Belshé, health and human services secretary, issued an exception for the Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine: "Given the absence of a mercury-free vaccine against Japanese encephalitis virus and because the risks of fatal disease or brain injury far exceed any risk of mercury in the vaccine, the secretary is exercising her authority and temporarily exempting the vaccine from the provision of the law for a 12-month period." About 50,000 cases of the disease are reported annually in Asia. There is no cure, and up to 25 percent of those infected die from the disease. August said that California distributes about 32,000 doses of the three-dose vaccine annually. Last year, 19,000 went to the military and the rest to people traveling to certain parts of Asia. It is unknown how many of those doses went to very young children or pregnant women.

By Tanya Thompson The government has been accused of blocking imports of measles and mumps vaccines, sending prices soaring to force parents into using the controversial measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) triple jab. Doctors in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London are now charging more than £100 for a single measles or mumps vaccine because it is increasingly difficult to get them in the UK. In recent months, the government has cut supplies further, restricting them to only 25 doses per day. Dr Richard Halvorsen, a GP in central London who provides the single vaccines for parents concerned about MMR, says the government will be responsible for a measles epidemic unless it changes its policy. He said: "The government is blocking the amount coming in. Some believe they are putting pressure on importers and producers not to sell to people in this country. They control the amount coming in to make it more difficult for us to get the single vaccines." Concern that the MMR vaccine could be linked to autism and bowel disease in children has sent immunisation levels plummeting. Campaigners who want the single jabs to be made available on the NHS believe the triple vaccine is too much for a baby's fragile immune system to cope with in one shot. Stringent Department of Health rules state parents can only have single vaccines if they apply for a private prescription. Suppliers must go to a licensed importer on a named patient basis, resulting in further bureaucracy and cost. Doctors say they are struggling to meet demand, which has increased prices, and many parents are prepared to pay £300 or more for a course of injections. The vaccines are imported from Switzerland, France, Germany and the United States, but the shortage has left a backlog of children waiting up to six months. The concern for parents and health officials is that children could get infected in the meantime. "Everyone I know has had trouble getting the single mumps vaccine and it's also difficult to get measles," added Dr Halvorsen. "I charge £100 a vaccine, which sounds astronomical but my overheads are huge. It's so bureaucratic. Getting hold of the single vaccines is a nightmare." Yohani De Silva, of Direct Remedies, which also sells single vaccines, said: "We're worried about supplies because the government has introduced a new rule where you're only allowed 25 doses a day. Previously you could get as many as you liked. When we ask the Department of Health why we can't get the vaccines they refuse to comment." Paul Shattock, the director of the autism research unit at the University of Sunderland, said: "This is a political decision to force people to get MMR." But a spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We categorically reject that we're restricting the single vaccines. "The mumps vaccine is getting scarce because the main manufacturer in the US has halted production. All the issues surrounding manufacturers tying up the single vaccines is a matter for them." Although MMR is the most controversial vaccine in the UK, autism campaigners in the US believe the source could be the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTwP ) jab given three times to babies by 16 weeks. The UK still uses the low-cost DTwP brand, which deposits 25 micrograms of ethyl mercury into a child. US health authorities have said the substance has a "biologically plausible" link to autism and DTwP has been ordered out of medicine in the US, but remains the recommended injection in the UK.

By Jim Ritter When Alexandra Lentz was 16 months old, she wouldn't point, like other toddlers, or make eye contact. Rachel Lentz, Alexandra's autistic older sister, behaved the same way when she was that age. So their mother took Alexandra in for tests, which confirmed that Alexandra also has autism. Autism is the most heritable neurological disorder. Researchers think there may be at least a dozen autism genes, and two large research projects aim to find them. University of Chicago researcher Dr. Edwin Cook is participating in both projects. Identifying autism genes would help researchers discover what causes the disorder. Knowing the genes also could lead to drugs to treat autism, and prenatal tests to detect autism in fetuses. Dramatic rate increase "Our understanding of the disease will grow exponentially once genes are identified," said Andy Shih of the National Alliance for Autism Research, which is coordinating one of the gene hunts. Johns Hopkins University is running the other gene project. Estimates of the number of autistic children range from 1 in 166 to 1 in 1,000. The rate has increased dramatically in recent years, although it's unclear how much is due to better diagnosis For example, many children who in past years were classified as mentally retarded now are being diagnosed as autistic. Autism likely is caused by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, with genes playing the dominant role. For example, if one identical twin has autism, there's a 60 percent to 90 percent chance the other twin also is autistic. A child normally inherits one copy of each gene from each parent. Autism might involve mutations of certain genes, or extra copies or missing copies of certain genes. Lasts a lifetime Some parents blame vaccines, but there's no scientific evidence of this, according to the American Medical Association Family Medical Guide. "Doctors do know that autism is not caused by bad parenting," the Guide said. An autistic brain appears to be unable to prune unnecessary pathways, resulting in a signal overload. Autism usually develops by age 3 and lasts a lifetime. Autistic children have an impaired ability to interact socially. They may, for example, appear remote, resist being touched, avoid eye contact and not answer to their name. They tend to talk in a singsong manner, do the same behaviors over and over, and erupt in titanic temper tantrums. Rachel Lentz, now 5, is at the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. She's in the advanced class in her kindergarten, has a terrific memory and is doing well academically. But Rachel does not express herself well. If she's sad, she can't say why. She doesn't socialize much with other kids, and if she finds herself in a room with other people, she might run out. "She was always in her own little world," said her mother, Roxanne Lentz, of Naperville. "She loved to be in a room all by herself." At age 3, Rachel was given the vague diagnosis of "pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified." Only later was she correctly diagnosed at the University of Chicago. Rachel has since undergone intensive therapy and is doing better. Alexandra was diagnosed at an earlier age and began therapy earlier. "She is doing much better than Rachel did at this age," her mother said. Roxanne Lentz hopes the hunt for autism genes "will answer a lot of questions about how this happened or why this happened." Finding autism genes, Lentz said, also could provide reassurance "that it wasn't something I did." Dr. Cook is looking for families with at least two autistic children to participate in the studies. For information, call (773) 834-3864.