Fw: [LymeInfo] [sci] Long term antibiotic therapy may be an effective treatment for children co-morbid with Lyme disease and Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Long term antibiotic therapy may be an effective treatment

for children co-morbid with Lyme disease and Autism Spectrum

Disorder.

Kuhn M, Grave S, Bransfield R, S.

Medical Hypotheses, online before print, February 21, 2012.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2012.01.037

Abstract

Patients diagnosed with Lyme disease share many of the same

physical manifestations as those diagnosed with an Autism

Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study four male children

(ages 26-55 months) who have an ASD diagnosis and one male

child (age 18 months) who displayed behaviors consistent

with an ASD, were assessed using the SCERTS Assessment

Process Observation (SAP-O) form. The SAP-O meets state and

federal requirements for providing a comprehensive, ongoing

assessment of a child with an ASD [33]. The SAP-O form

measures children's abilities using observational, authentic

assessment procedures in the domains of joint attention,

symbol use, mutual regulation, and self regulation via

observations of specific behaviors in familiar settings [33].

The five children tested positive for Lyme disease and their

SAP-O score was evaluated before and after 6 months of

antibiotic therapy. Each child was prescribed 200 mg of

amoxicillin three times per day and three of the five

children were prescribed an additional 50 mg of Azithromycin

once per day. All of the children's scores on the SAP-O

assessment improved after 6 months of antibiotic therapy.

The assessors also reported anecdotal data of improved

speech, eye contact, sleep behaviors, and a reduction of

repetitive behaviors.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2012.01.037