Guest guest Posted October 2, 2000 Report Share Posted October 2, 2000 Good Job! Sincerely , Donna ----------------------------------------------------- Click here for Free Video!! http://www.gohip.com/freevideo/ here is my faq sheet >4-7-2000 >So, your kid has Autism? >This is a fact sheet for parents or friends who just found out they have a >child or know of a child or adult with Autism or Autism-like issues. > >I have a 13 year old daughter with Autism. These are a few items I have >learned from my journey, other parents, professionals and the Internet: > >1. For discussions on Autism get on the Saint s Autism news list. Send >an email with text of " subscribe autism " to listserv@... > >2. Sign up for free evaluation and services, age 0-24, from your local >school district and state special education department and early childhood >intervention http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed >http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/child/index.htm > >3. Consider getting extra evaluation and services from Easter Seals >http://www.easter-seals.org they charge on a sliding scale based on >income. The state has to provide appropriate but not " all " or " best " >services. > >4. Learn the law and your child's rights http://www.edlaw.net > >5. Read everything you can and find out what works and does not work from >others who have done it. See the links at http://www.autism-info.com >http://www.autism.org/links.html http://www.isn.net/~jypsy/autilink.htm >http://www.autism-ascc.org > >6. Do only one new treatment, drug, or supplement at a time and keep >records on what is causing changes. Then, be sure to give each approach >plenty of time, several weeks, to work before passing judgement. Its OK to >to try things when you are sure they do no harm to your child and family >emotionally, financially, or physically. Its also OK to change your mind >about programs, treatments or theories. > >7. It looks like most things only help a percentage of the individuals >with Autism. What works for my kid might not work for you. > >8. Join a local Autism group in your area, talk to and meet local >parents and professionals. http://www.autism-info.com > >9. Watch out for magic cure-alls and snake oil salesmen, for advice >see http://www.autism.com/ari > >10. Take the best from all the various Autism groups and form the best >program for your kid. There is a lot of passionate debate and criticism >between camps of treatments and organizations. > >11. Watch out for the " Warrior Parent " syndrome where you go against the >school district and professionals as a parent to war. Work on win-win >collaborative, team building with all people who interface with your kid, >they will be the best allies, http://www.icsi.net/~stlevine/fault.html > >12. Volunteer with the PTA, help out at school, church, where ever you >can. Once they get to know you the return in favors and help for you child >will be more than you put in. > >13. Do not spend all your time and effort on the kid with Autism at the >expense of your marriage, family and friends. The best treatment for your >kid is a happy, healthy, and loving family to support them. > >14. There is not a doctor you can go to who will manage " all " your kids >issues. You, will have to become your kids expert and case manager. Many >of the treatments are non-standard and based on trial and error not double >blind published peer reviewed scientific studies. Some doctors scoff at >some of the diets and treatments that work because its often contrary to >conventional medical wisdom. Sometimes you, the non doctor parent, will >have to educate the experienced degreed professional. Strongly consider >taking the time to locate and work with physicians who are experienced >with your child's specific neurological disorder and who also network with >other doctors in this field. > >15. There is active research on a suggested link between the MMR vaccine >and Autism. See http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/vaccine.htm >http://www.909shot.com/autismto.htm http://home.swbell.net/prove > >16. There are 4 main categories of treatments for Autism: >Biological - with diet, vitamin, herbal and nutritional supplements See >http://www.antibodyassay.com , A new study of Vitamin A >http://home.att.net/~pediatricaac/main.html Look at gluten and casein free >diets http://www.gfcfdiet.com ,acidophilus, super vitamins, herbal immune >boosters, DMG, Epsom salt baths, melatonin, Monolaurin, probiotics like >Culturelle and Primal Defense and Essential Fatty Acids. >http://www.nutrition-warehouse.com http://www.puritanspride.com >or a local health food store. > >Therapies - such as auditory training http://www.teleport.com/~sait/ >sensory integration http://home.earthlink.net/~sensoryint speech therapy >http://www.mrtc.org/~duffy/yaack, occupational therapy and regular daily >physical exercise. > >Educational programs - such as TEACCH http://www.unc.edu/depts/teacch >ABA http://www.feat.org , >social stories http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/socialcarolgray.html >, sign language, picture systems, augmentative communication devices. > >Drugs - look at secretin, prozac, buspar, pepcid, PPA (dexatrim), see >http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/cise/ose/information/secretin.html >http://www.rxlist.com http://www.medscape.com >http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed >Max Wiznitzer MD O/A, Assoc. Prof. Pediatrics CWRU ph# > >Our kids respond to far less amounts of these drugs than are used on the > " normal population " . Autism is a neurological disorder affecting the >senses and is not a mental illness. We have met 40 year old adults who >spent years on mental ward treatments and heavy drugs only to find out >they were not crazy just a little weird because of Autism. Most people do >well with non drug approaches to reduce the over stimulation they receive >from their senses being on full blast all the time. > >And finally, understand, your kid will improve and grow over time. You >will go through the grieving process for the death of the child you had >dreamed of raising. Raising a child with Autism can be a very different >path than you had planned. It is OK to feel grief, guilt, depression, joy, >anger, frustration and job burn out. You can not avoid it, understand and >work through it. We are all here to help, laugh, cry and rejoice with you. >Its not an easy job, some think God picked us because we had the special >talents these kids need. For me, Lora, my daughter, is the best thing that >ever happened. She has made me more caring, considerate and passionate >about life. I still remember the day I came home from work when Lora was >about 6 and she looked up and said " hello daddy " , her first sentence. > > >Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 > >Here is my check list of Autism treatments: > >1. Get the urine test for gluten and or casein problems, try the gluten >and milk free diet. It causes no harm, cost little and you can do it all. > >2. Give the acidophilus and natural multiple vitamins, again it does no >harm and all kids and adults need these. > >3. Try the Cod liver oil vitamin A. Try the epson salt bath. If they have >problems sleeping try melatonin. Again the are all safe and cause no harm >unless you over dose, " all things in moderation " . > >4. Then start the ABA-TEACCH, Speech, Auditory and Sensory therapy, none >of these hurt and can be combined into a multiple approach. Don't let >anyone convence you into only doing their thing, thats silly, use them >all. > >5. Use Carol Grays Social Stories to teach these kids how to understand >the social world. > >6. Only after doing your best at all the above items look at prescription >drugs like SSRI's prozac, luvox or other ones. > >I see too many of todays parents who jump right to drugs by going to a >doctor who has little understanding of the current research. > >I also see too many parents doing only one therapy, like ABA or TEACCH, or >drugs, with out looking at the Gut problems or other ideas that will help >also. Many of the behaviors are symptoms of the gut and biological >problems and sensory and auditory problems. Drugs, ABA and TEACCH all work >on symptoms and might ignore the root causes of the problems. Its the same >as parents who give ADHD kids ritalin first without checking if the kid >might have a sugar high from a bad diet of starch and sugars with vitamin >shortages. The point is if you fix the biological problems first, the ABA >and TEACCH might work far better if they are able to hear, listen and >understand better. > >Do not expect a quick fix miracle cure like only Secretin or only ABA or >only drugs. Yes, there are kids who recover almost 100% with these. >However, it appears that the majority of the population with Autism have >multiple symptoms from multiple areas that take multiple approaches. I >know for many new parents the desire for a quick fix can take on a > " religious fever " for one idea. Just realize this journey might take a >long term multifaceted approach. > >Regards, >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > C.P.M., pwatson@... Senior Buyer UTD >The University of Texas at Dallas >President of ASCC Autism Society of Collin County >ASCC Home Page http://www.autism-ascc.org >These views are mine alone and not any organization >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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