“The Autism Spectrum”         

     “Autism is one of five disorders that falls under an umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”  Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 110 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, February 2010). Roughly translated, this means that as many as 3 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise!!!

The five disorders under PDD are:

•             Autistic Disorder

•             Asperger's Disorder

•             Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)

•             Rett's Disorder

•             PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

Each of these disorders has specific diagnostic criteria which been outlined in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).

“Treatment Options”

 There is no single right or wrong treatment for all children with Autism; however most respond well to highly structured educational programs, as well as diet and behavioral modifications.  According to the Autism Speaks organization, some of the most common interventions are Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), floor time therapy, gluten free and/or casein free diets, speech therapy, occupational therapy, PECS, SCERTS, sensory integration therapy, relationship development intervention, verbal behavior intervention, and the school-based TEAACH method.

Please ask your doctor about any (or all) of these treatments for your child, and visit Autism Speaks website here for more information. For more information on these treatments, please visit the ‘Related Links’ Page.

“Theories of Origin: Information as cited by the CDC (Center for Disease Control)”

Several studies have looked at whether there is a relationship between vaccines and autism. The weight of the evidence indicates that vaccines are not associated with Autism. But CDC knows that some parents and others may still have concerns about this issue. CDC is committed to protecting the health of children and to identifying the biological and environmental causes of autism and other developmental disabilities, so we will continue to study the role of vaccines. 

Is there a relationship between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders?

CDC’s National Immunization Program website has many materials about vaccines and autism, including frequently asked questions about whether there is a relationship between autism and the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine or the preservative thimerosal. You can also get information on vaccines and vaccine safety by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO.

Some Other Relationships

1) Genetics - as of now, most geneticists believe the answer lies in not one, but several different genes, thus explaining the variation of Autism between each child affected.

2) Environmental - Many theories are being examined and trial studies being performed by the DAN practitioners, as to the causes and treatments for Autism. Many of these theories look to a genetic predisposition in the child and something within the child's environment that "triggers" the dormant gene, thus leading to the onset of Autism.

3) Some theoretical causes could be- MMR vaccination secondary to Mercury or Thimerisol. Not just the amount within the MMR vaccinations, but also the number of vaccinations all children are receiving in a small window of time. This is several times over the amount I (at 45 years old) received when I was a child. Other contributing factors they believe can be linked to triggering Autism are: Dental amalgam fillings, toxic amounts of these minerals in the water we drink, the soil we grow our crops in and the products we place on and into our bodies.