Autism/Defeat Autism Now! Successful Treatment of Autism Despite the pessimism of the government and medical establishment which for decades have insisted that autism is not treatable, here at MIW we have proven conclusively that the 'Experts' are wrong! In the past few years all of the autistic children in our practice have made substantial and significant gains and many have even lost their autism diagnosis completely, primarily through treatment protocols pioneered and advocated by the Autism Research Institute, as part of its Defeat Autism Now!. Most pediatricians, child psychiatrists, and neurologists have been trained to believe that little or nothing can be done to bring about major improvement in autistic children. Conventionally trained physicians typically tell parents to, in effect, "keep them warm and dry, and if they get out of hand, we will give them drugs. Get counseling for yourselves and learn to live with it." This is bad advice. Due largely to the Defeat Autism Now! Project, initiated in 1995 by the Autism Research Institute (ARI), thousands of formerly autistic children throughout the United States are now no longer considered autistic, or are well on their way to being mainstreamed. Since every autistic child is unique, the Defeat Autism Now! Approach requires specialized testing to determine what each child individually requires, then utilizes safe, natural methods to correct the child's specific biomedical disorders, avoiding drugs if at all possible. Highly effective dietary changes, i.e., the gluten-free/casein-free or Specific Carbohydrate diet, are usually required and behavioral and lifestyle issues are addressed to improve quality of life for both the child and the parents. EARLY INTERVENTION IS IMPORTANT! Since it's founding in 1967, the Autism Research Institute has recommended both early behavioral intervention, now referred to as ABA (applied behavior analysis), and early biomedical intervention. The biomedical intervention is best achieved by physicians trained in the Defeat Autism Now! philosophy who recognize that: - Autistic children have biomedical problems that cause their autism. If these problems are identified and corrected, the result in most cases can be the child's functioning at normal or near-normal levels.
- Many biochemical problems may cause autism, and no two autistic children are alike in their configurations of causal problems.
- Unlike most conventional doctors, Defeat Autism Now! doctors consider using psychiatric drugs, all of which have serious side effects, only as a last resort.
Many clinical laboratory tests are useful in determining the optimal treatment regimen for each child. Appropriate tests can be determined by a Defeat Autism Now! Doctor. Best results are seen in children who receive both early behavioral intervention and Defeat Autism Now! - type treatment. Resources for Understanding Autism The books listed below are the best "parent-friendly" sources of information about these tests and treatments. - Treating Autism: Parent Stories of Hope and Success. Edelson, Stephen M., PhD, and Bernard Rimland, hD, eds. Autism Research Institute, 2003
- Facing Autism. Hamilton, Lynn M. Waterbrook Press, 2000
- Children with Starving Brains, McCandless, Jaquelyn, MD. Second ed. Bramble Books, 2003.
- Autism Research Institute, 4182 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116 - on the web at www.autismresearchinstitute.com
Testimonial After my son was diagnosed with autism in August of 2004, I was told that he would be autistic for life, to get him into an Applied Behavioral Analysis program and to get myself some counseling to deal with this. I knew that this was not to be a lifetime disability for my son. He was fine until a DT immunization at about 16 months of age and he would be fine again. I started doing research and found myself at a Defeat Autism Now! Conference in Boston, MA., where I learned that I had indeed been correct, that Autism is treatable and that Kaleb could and would recover. The only problem at that time was that I did not know one physician in my area that would perform the Defeat Autism Now treatment "protocol". When I went to the Defeat Autism Now! Website I found Dr. Shotz listed as a Defeat Autism Now! Practitioner. I called and was pleased to find that we would be able to get in the following day. We live near Bangor, Maine so it is a long distance to travel, but after the very first meeting with Dr. Shotz, we knew it would be worth every mile and gallon of gas. Dr. Shotz spent over 2 ½ hours with us, listening to all our concerns. From that visit on, Dr. Shotz began treating Kaleb with the Defeat Autism Now! "Protocol". We have seen tremendous results with the treatments including Methyl B12 injections. When I told my primary care physician about what I was doing, she asked for more information on it. When I explained that it would be an injection in the buttocks once every three days, she gasped and said, "An injection every three days! That doesn't should like do no harm to me!" Despite her ignorance to the treatment, we did the injections and saw dramatic results the next day. We got more eye contact, and he started to play with toys. This was also a treatment that the clinician at the Children's Metabolic Clinic in Boston refused to prescribe. We have recently seen more dramatic results from the process of chelation. I was hesitant to start this treatment, but this has proven to be the most beneficial so far. I met with Dr. Shotz briefly before starting the treatment and we were planning to us DMPS. I didn't have to say a word and Dr. Shotz seemed to read my mind and offered to prescribe the DMSA, which I was more comfortable with. Since starting that treatment five weeks ago, my son has started to point, blow kisses, clap and wave. Again, this was a treatment that our primary care physician refused to undertake. Many times I have called the office and have requested many various things from Jennifer, Melissa and Dr. Shotz and many times I am overwhelmed with how helpful and supportive they are. Dr. Shotz has even answered the phone personally at times, which is a wonderful surprise. The most important aspect of our relationship with Dr. Shotz and his staff is that they are always listening to what is important to my family and me. I have met many physicians in my lifetime, but I can honestly say, the only one that has ever treated me as an expert on my child is Dr. Shotz. I have recommended many parents to him and will continue to do so. He is the first physician in the state to be trained and to follow the recommendations of the Defeat Autism Now! group, and he does it with compassion. I owe many great thanks to Dr. Shotz, Jennifer and Melissa for all the great things that they have done for my family. I am sure that with the results we have seen regarding Autism, that Dr. Shotz is able to treat many of today's illnesses with great success. Holly Austin |
ZAC is the first web browser developed specifically for children with autism, and autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), and PDD-NOS. We have made this browser for the children - for their enjoyment, enrichment, and freedom. Children touch it, use it, play it, interact with it, and experience independence through ZAC.
ZAC is the zone that will permit your child to interact directly with games (a LOT of games) and activities (focused on MANY interests) that cater specifically to kids who display the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders, like impairments in social interaction, impairments in communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. ZAC has been an effective tool for kids with low, medium and high functioning autism.
ZAC focuses on the children and their interaction - But we also provide an excellent forum for parents, caretakers, teachers, and others to share their experiences, tools and resources and to unite as a caring, compassionate, and extremely knowledgeable community. It is said that "it takes a village to raise a child", and that is exponentially true for raising a child with autistic spectrum disorders. The power of your experience yesterday is going to be instrumental in helping someone successfully tackle the circumstances of today.
