Hi, new with some questions

[Guest guest]

Hi! My name is Esther, I have two kids - Brendon is 2 and Hypatia is

1. (26 months (almost) and just turned 1.) My husband is Steve.

Brendon is in Help Me Grow because everyone suspects an ASD. We have

a Dev Ped appointment (our second one) on the third, so maybe it will

be an official diagnosis?

So - I'm still trying to figure out message boards, but I know

all sorts of other boards - go figure, right?

What does this group entail? What's the prevailing thought process

about Autism here? I see a lot of posts about Biomedical stuff - does

that mean everyone's trying to cure Autism here?

I have to admit, I'm a total newbie in the Autism world. But the

floks on MDC brought up a valid point - that Autism could simply be a

variation on the norm, and that there's nothing to cure. It would be

like trying to " cure " someone of perfect pitch. I have to admit, I

LIKE that logic. But I'm still trying to figure out what this all MEANS.

So - any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Hi, and welcome to the group!

IMO, the diagnosis is ASD until and if you and your docs ever find out what's really wrong with your kiddo. My son is 6 and 1/2 and pretty severely affected. I have tried many biomedical and educational/therapeutic interventions with him, with little windows of hope opening up, but then quickly closing back in. I believe we just haven't found all of the causes for HIM ALONE that other children with ASD may not have. He just started having seaizures not long ago, and they found a cyst on his brain. Not big enough to consider 'significant' and pursue it surgically (I am still going to get a 3rd and 4th opinion on this) but you have to wonder. What I read about these cysts from verbal adults having them, the symptoms can range from visual and auditory disturbances to hallucinations, difficulty with speech, memory loss, temporary and/or specific, learning issues,

seizures.....just totally fits the symptoms of my son, well, as much I can tell as he does not speak.

So, I believe it is different for each kid. Some have mitochondrial issues, some allergies, some may have a cyst, some may have chiari malformations (very often undiagnosed), some brain inflamation, some has it all. Some loose their 2,000 word vocabulary right after a flu shot...some never get a shot and they are diagnosed nonetheless.

Bottom line, IMO: It is wrong and misleading to polarize the autism community suggesting that one should choose one approach over the other. Simply put, JUST DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO HELP YOUR KIDDO. That's how moms are programmed anyways. But honestly, I believe that there will be no educational therapy working for your kid if his or her body is hurting, inflamed here and there, and if he or she lives in a constant brain fog because of allergies or anything else. I personally will not stop searching and trying different things until my son can be truly helped. But I am painfully aware now that while some get lucky, others don't.

In my case, I have no doubt in my mind that my son's medical and biomedical issues are the cause of his 'autism'. Whether we can help him or reverse his condition successfully, that is another question and I am beginning to think that this may not be in the cards for us, very sadly. But just because of our complex medical history and only fleeting progress I will not denounce biomedical inteventions or doubt the efficacy of behavioral interventions for some, for that matter. Some children do miraculously recover despite the odds, one way or the other!

This group though, is not specifically biomedical. n, the moderator, is doing a good just trying to keep it balanced and not to offend anyone. You can get help with all and any topic related to autism or any aspect of living with it.

Good luck on your journey, and feel free to ask more questions from the veterans on this list!