ACC holds a monthly support group, family get-togethers and a teen social skills group.
Early signs of autism can often be detected in infants as young as 6-18
example, if a baby fixates on objects or does not respond to people, he or
she may be exhibiting early signs of an autism spectrum disorder. Older
babies and toddlers may fail to respond to their names, avoid eye contact,
lack joint attention (sharing an experience of observing an object or event
by gazing or pointing), or engage in repetitive movements such as rocking or
arm flapping. They may play with toys in unusual ways, like lining them up
or focusing on parts of toys rather than the whole. Parents who notice these
signs, or are concerned their children are not meeting developmental
milestones, should contact their pediatricians and request a developmental
screening. Learn more about the early warning signs of autism here.
In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network reported that approximately 1 in 88 children in the United States has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This represents an increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders compared to earlier in the decade when prevalence was cited as 1 in 110 and 1 in 166. In the 1980’s autism prevalence was reported as 1 in 10,000. In the nineties, prevalence was 1 in 2500 and later 1 in 1000. It is problematic to compare autism rates over the last three decades, as the diagnostic criteria for autism have changed with each revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). In 1983 the DSM did not recognize PDD-NOS or Asperger's syndrome, and the criteria for autistic disorder (AD) were more restrictive.
Scientists agree that the earlier in life a child receives early intervention services the better the child’s prognosis. All children with autism can benefit from early intervention, and some may gain enough skills to be able to attend mainstream school. Research tells us that early intervention in an appropriate educational setting for at least two years prior to the start of school can result in significant improvements for many young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. As soon as autism is diagnosed, early intervention instruction should begin. Effective programs focus on developing communication, social, and cognitive skills.
The most effective treatments available today are applied behavior analysis (ABA) and occupational, speech and physical therapy. Many “cures” for autism are touted on the Internet, but these interventions are not backed by science and in many cases can cause harmful side effects. Most individuals with autism will need support and services their entire lifetime.
Some service providers, celebrities, parent groups and medical practitioners may talk about “recovery” from autism. “Recovery” is a subjective term, and what one family calls "recovery" may be different for others. Parents should be skeptical of any health care provider holding out "recovery" as an option, as it often leads to expensive and ineffective treatments that can burden families with needless debt. Remember, autism is pervasive developmental delay, which means children will continue to develop, learn, gain skills and adapt as they age. Sometimes children lose their diagnosis altogether, leading to claims of recovery. Keep in mind that symptoms of autism change as a child develops.
Research has shown that children who are diagnosed by the age of two are more likely to eventually lose their autism label because early diagnosis leads to behavioral treatment, which benefits the child, and because these children are more likely to be misdiagnosed altogether. (Turner and Stone, 2007). “Recovery” can be a useful concept, but only if defined as the ability of individuals with ASD to lead fulfilling lives, given the challenges of their condition.
Parents can protect themselves and their children from expensive and ineffective treatments by learning to critically evaluate various claims. Before having their child begin any treatment, parents should question whether there is a coherent scientific rationale behind the intervention and whether it makes biological sense. They should also ask their health care practitioner whether the treatment has been proven effective and safe in objective scientific studies (with comparison to controls – i.e., patients who did not receive the treatment), and whether those studies have been published in well established, highly reputable, peer-reviewed medical journals. It is important to know that anyone can publish a study on the Internet or start a new journal.
Health care fraud is a huge business in the U.S., and parents of children with autism are often targeted. Fringe treatment providers prey on desperation and fear, and deceive parents with numerous unfounded claims. You may read about the following non-evidence based treatments:
Chelation: Chelation therapy involves administering chemicals designed to bind to heavy metals and eliminate them from the body. Chelating agents have a legitimate use in the treatment of poisoning from lead, mercury and other metals. However, there is no evidence in the medical literature that chelation is safe or effective for the treatment of ASDs. Autism is not metal poisoning. In 2005, a child with autism died from chelation therapy, when the chelating agent administered bonded with calcium in the child’s body, causing his heart to stop.
No paper published in the peer-reviewed literature has reported an abnormal body burden of mercury in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Mercury poisoning is associated with bilaterial constriction of visual fields, paresthesias (tingling or numbness of the skin), hypertension, skin rashes, and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count). These conditions are seldom seen with autism.Exposure to mercury and other neurotoxins in fetuses and infants is associated with microcephaly (small head size). In autism, increasing evidence indicates that both head and brain size tend to be larger than population norms.
Lupron protocol: Lupron is a testosterone-inhibiting drug used in the treatment of precocious puberty (which is rare) and prostate cancer, as well as for the “chemical castration” of sex offenders. Its use for autism is based on the hypothesis that testosterone magnifies the toxic effects of mercury (see above). There is no evidence that Lupron is safe or effective for the treatment of autism. Side effects of Lupron include hives, difficulty breathing or swallowing, numbness, tingling, weakness, painful or difficult urination, blood in the urine, bone pain, testicular pain and osteoporosis.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: HBOT is proven effective for gangrene, carbon monoxide poisoning, “the bends” and various other conditions related to oxygen in blood. There is no evidence that ASD is related to insufficient oxygen. There is insufficient evidence to determine if HBOT is safe or effective for the treatment of autism. Furthermore, the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen delivered in a soft-shelled chamber are no different than with a less expensive oxygen tent, or nasal cannula.
Free-Casein Free (GFCF) Diet: Promoters
of a gluten (wheat) and casein (dairy) free diet claim that children with
autism have "leaky guts" that allow opioids to escape into the bloodstream,
where they travel to the brain, causing autistic behaviors. There is no
evidence for this claim, and at least one study has found that children with
autism have no more opioids in their blood than a control group.
Furthermore, children on the GFCF diet have been found to have lower bone
density than controls, which could lead to osteoporosis. A large scale study
of the safety and efficacy of the GFCF diet is currently underway.
Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by significant impairments in social interaction and communication skills, as well as by the presence of extremely challenging behaviors. Such behaviors include stereotyped motor behaviors (hand flapping, body rocking), insistence on sameness, resistance to change and, in some cases, aggression or self injury. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder have significant cognitive impairments, although some have typical or even above average IQs. 30-50% of people with autism have seizures.
Autism was first described by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943. He reported on eleven children who showed a marked lack of interest in other people, but a highly unusual interest in the inanimate environment. Initially, autism was thought to be an early form of schizophrenia, which led to the belief that its onset could be caused by negative experience or bad parenting. We now know that this is not the case.
No one is sure what causes autism. Through twin studies, scientists have determined that autism is a genetically based condition. If one identical (monozygotic) twin has autism then there is an 80-90% chance that the other twin will also be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. For non-identical (dizygotic) twins there is a 3-10% chance that both twins will develop autism spectrum disorder. The chance that siblings will both be affected by ASD is also approximately 3-10%.
Scientists are unsure what, if any, environmental triggers may be involved in autism. One theory popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, that vaccines may cause autism, has since been disproven by numerous studies conducted in multiple labs around the world.
Early signs of autism can be detected in infants as young as 6-18 months. For example, if a baby fixates on objects or does not respond to people, he or she may be exhibiting early signs of an autism spectrum disorder. Older babies and toddlers may fail to respond to their names, avoid eye contact, lack joint attention, or engage in repetitive movements such as rocking, or arm flapping. They may play with toys in unusual ways. Parents who notice these signs, or are concerned their children are not meeting developmental milestones, should contact their pediatricians and request a developmental screening.
Scientists agree that the earlier a child receives early intervention services the better the child’s prognosis. All children with autism can benefit from early intervention, and some may gain enough skills to be able to attend a mainstream school. The most effective treatments available today are applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and occupational, speech and physical therapy. Many “cures” for autism are touted on the internet, but many of these interventions are not backed by science and can often cause harmful side effects. Most individuals with autism will need support and services throughout their lifetime.
Beyond the Autism/Vaccine Hypothesis: What Parents Need to Know about Autism Research
It’s been so rewarding to see the scientific progress being made toward understanding what causes autism and in developing better treatments for individuals with autism. While there are still a handful of parents who, in almost a religious way, cling to the notion that vaccines cause autism, the vast majority of parents and scientists have accepted what the data clearly show. There is no data to support an autism vaccine link. There never has been. Vaccines don’t cause autism.
A decade ago most agreed that we need to study vaccines in relation to autism. We had to reconcile the fact that the number of vaccines children were receiving was increasing, and at the same time, the number of children who were being diagnosed with autism also was on the rise. But fortunately this was a question that could be studied – and answered – by science. We looked at children who received vaccines and those who didn’t, or who received them on a different, slower schedule. There was no difference in their neurological outcomes. We’ve done multiple studies looking at the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination in relation to autism. We’ve looked at thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, and its relation to autism. The studies are very clear; there is no relationship in the data between vaccines and autism. Read the studies themselves below.
It’s Time to Ask New Questions
If we ask the same questions we’ll get the same answers. We’ve asked the autism vaccine question over two dozen times and each time we get the same response; no relationship. We need to move on; We need to invest in studying genetics, the brain structures of children with autism, and environmental factors that may be playing a role.
Read the Science
Literature Reviews: Autism and Vaccines
Vaccine Receipt in the First Year Does Not Adversely Affect
Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses
"Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism"
Too Many Too Soon?
Addressing Parents' Concerns: Do Multiple Vaccines Overwhelm
or Weaken the Infant's Immune System?
Immunization Safety Review: Multiple Immunizations
and Immune Dysfunction
Cellular Immune Responses in Neonates
Neonatal and Early Life Vaccinology
The Problem with Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccine
Thimerosal and Autism Studies
Neuropsychological performance 10 years after immunization
in infancy with thimerosal-containing vaccines.
Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to
California's Developmental Services System
Early Thimerosal Exposure and Neuropsychological
Outcomes at 7 to 10 Years
Lack of Association Between Rh Status, Rh Immune
Globulin in Pregnancy and Autism
Comparison of Blood and Brain Mercury Levels in
Infant Monkeys Exposed to Methylmercury or Vaccines
Thimerosal Exposure in Infants and Developmental
Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study in the United Kingdom
Does Not Support a Causal Association
Neurotoxic Effects of Postnatal Thimerosal Are Mouse
Safety of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: A
Two-Phased Study of Computerized Health Maintenance
Association Between Thimerosal-Containing Vaccine
Thimerosal and the Occurrence of Autism: Negative
Ecological Evidence from Danish Population-Based Data
"Autism and Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: Lack of
Consistent Evidence for an Association"
Thimerosal and Autism?
Mercury concentrations and metabolism in infants
receiving vaccines containing thiomersal: A descriptive
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine and Autism Studies
Association Between Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism with
Enteropathy: A Case-Control Study
Measles Vaccination and Antibody Response in Autism
Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Montreal,
Quebec, Canada: Prevalence and Links With Immunizations
MMR Vaccination and Pervasive Developmental
Disorders: A Case-Control Study
Association of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and the
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine
Neurologic Disorders After Measles-Mumps-Rubella
No Evidence for a New Variant of
Autism and Vaccines in the Media
On January 21st, 2011, Dr. Paul Offit was on The Colbert Report speaking about his new book, "Deadly Choices: How The Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All." Click Here to Watch the Interview.
Autism Caregivers Connect websites
www.AutismCaregiversConnect.org www.AutismCaregiversConnect.com www.ACCBrevard.org