It sounds too good to be true - but British scientists are in the late stage of developing a brain scan that can detect autism in children in a total of 15 minutes! Britain has used the scan on adults, to date, and it has proved to be 90 per cent accurate.

Presently the scan is being used as an ‘extra’ diagnostic tool. It is believed that the scan can replace most observational assessments in the future. The scan has been developed by scientists at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London. The scan takes pictures of the brain using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This is similar to those used in hospitals. The scans are then turned into 3D images. Next they are analyzed by computer software. The software has been programmed so that it is capable of spotting hallmarks of autism in the structure of various brain areas. Although it has been highly accurate in testing adults with autism it is believed it will work even better with children.

Those of us going through the autism diagnosis, in the United States, know it takes days, weeks, and months (sometimes longer) for doctors to reach the conclusion that the person has autism. This does not mention the expense involved. It is said the scan will be at least 20 times less expensive. This does not take into consideration the delay it causes in making the diagnosis - this delay in making the diagnosis is valuable time lost in offering the child different therapies and treatments.

Today a number of doctors often use observation during their diagnosis. They also include various tests that have been created to make for a better conclusion. In the U.S. we always use an entire team of professionals, working together, to conclude the child is autistic. How amazing it might be if this can be done is as little as 15 minutes in the future! This is not to say that the doctors do not play the key role in the diagnosis. Further, this is not to say that doctors will not play a major role in diagnosis in the future.

Scientists involved in the work hope that the scan will be widely used within the next two years in Britain. Hopefully, it will quickly be adopted in the United States and other countries.

I have previously suggested that you thoroughly review any treatments, such as stem cell and chelation therapy, before you decide to have your autistic child participate in such therapies. I suggest you do the same with biomedical treatment. While there are people who say this has done wonders to improve their child’s disability - you must be the person to determine if this is a therapy you wish to try.

Biomedical therapy involves several different ingredients both medical and dietary. One of these includes chelation – which I have previously written about. Chelation is a system to remove metals from the body. There is no scientific study to indicate chelation is successful; however, there are reports available that indicate it can pose a danger. There are indications it can damage the body. It has also led to the death of one five year old child.

The other part of the biomedical therapy includes nutritional supplements and dietary changes. It is a fact that a number of parents (the statistic of “how many” is not available) believe that different biomedical treatments have helped to improve their autistic child. However, most of them will agree that there has been very little scientific study in this area; one can question if it is the actual treatment or if it might be a period in the child’s life where autism sometimes shows a positive change.

It is totally up to the parent to determine if they want to take their autistic child down this route – just like it is their decision to decide on stem cell or chelation therapy. I always encourage parents, and care-providers, to thoroughly research any alternative therapy they may choose for their autistic child. There are a number of ‘fad therapies’ available on today’s ‘market.’ I realize how much you want your child cured of this disability – the point I must continue to emphasis is that there is no known cure as of today. There are different therapies that can help your child to improve but there is not a cure for autism.

There is no scientific evidence that indicates chelation therapy is an effective treatment for autism let alone a cure.

What is chelation therapy? It is a treatment used medically to remove heavy metals from the body. This is based on some people’s theory that autism is caused by heavy metal poisoning. There is no proof, of any kind, that metal poisoning causes autism.

One father, of a seven year old autistic son, is suing two doctors who used the treatment on his boy. The clinic, located in Naperville, Ill, says the father, made a lot of money from the treatments. He says many other families are also spending a lot of money on the treatment. According to the suit the clinic offered intravenous chelation therapy. They gave his son 37 treatments.

It is reported that chelation can actually cause damage to an autistic child’s body – everything from kidney failure to death. One five year old boy, Abubakar Tariq Nadama is a case in point. After chelation treatment he died. Although the therapy has been approved for more than 50 years for lead poisoning it is not approved for the treatment of autism.

Any parent considering going the chelation therapy route should ask the doctors what type of test is offered to determine if the child’s body has heavy metal poisoning – if the doctors say they use the Urine Toxic Metal Test then you should research the pros and cons of this test. There are reports that when a patient is offered this chelating agent it causes a chemical to bind to metals in the body. They are then excreted via the urine. The end result is that unusually high levels of metal will show in the urine – it is believed this is because they have been drawn out by the chelating agent. So, the test often gives a false impression that there are major levels of metal in the autistic child’s body when this is not necessarily the case.

The urine test routinely and predictably does cause an elevation in the urine mercury several times. The laboratory report will generally show values listed as normal in the first test, without the chelation agent; then, the results will be much higher than normal – so high they will usually alarm any parent of an autistic child.

In 2008 Federal officials called off a study for this controversial alternative treatment. It was originally put on hold after animal trials linked a specific chelation treatment to brain damage in rats. “The Board determined that there was no clear evidence for direct benefit to children who would participate in the chelation trial and that the study presents more than a minimal risk,” according to the statement from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

It is unfortunate, but true, that many parents of an autistic child are desperate to cure the disability. This can sometimes lead them to unproven, sometimes dangerous alternative therapies. In his book Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure, Dr. Paul Offit states, “…none of the treatments has held up to scientific scrutiny, but many remain popular because parents have few other places to turn…these fringe therapies have appeal because there is not much else out there.”

Another interesting statement Offit offers is this, “…very young children with mild symptoms of autism often get better on their own later in childhood, which may explain why many parents believe so strongly that alternative treatment works. There is a natural wax and wane with this disorder. Symptoms that seem very bad between the ages of 2 and 5 may get much better between the ages of 6 and 10.”

All alternative therapies for autism come with a price tag. Often this price tag is very high as desperate parents are willing to try anything to cure their autistic child. If you are considering chelation therapy for your child – first, please do your own research and homework before making the decision.

We are entering a new frontier when we talk about stem cell treatment. Although it is available in several countries such as China, Costa Rica, Germany and Mexico it is still in an experimental stage. Basically the therapy involves introducing new cells into areas of tissue that have been damaged. Since stem cells have the ability to self-renew this offers a potential to take diseased tissues and replace them. It is possible that the future may open the door for stem cells to one day assist in improving those people who have been diagnosed with autism.

In the United States, President Obama has cleared the way for embryonic stem cell research. The key word in the last sentence is research. Stem cells have the ability to develop into a different type of cell, sometimes to many different types. These exist in our bone marrow, our brain, and under our skin. It is difficult to understand how stem cells work and what they can do. Any parent considering taking their child for such treatment should first do a considerable amount of research. Understanding this type of therapy requires more than simply understanding some terms – it requires an education in and of its own.

Since we still do not know what causes autism this creates the questions: How can we use stem cells to treat the disability? How do we know what areas to treat since we do not know the cause? We do suspect that genes, brain development and other issues might be possible causes. Even so, we do not know which genes and we do not know which parts of the brain are involved. This causes me the concern of how and where are these stem cells being placed (in these countries where the therapy is offered). This leads me to think of this very low-level comparison: I do not have a recipe to make fudge; however, I want to make a batch and I want it to turn out perfectly. Hmmm, should I choose plain milk or chocolate milk? Should I add chocolate chips or, instead, should I add marshmallows? Should I remove the ingredients once they begin to boil? During what part of the process should I add some walnuts?

The point I am trying to make with the simple example is this: How does a doctor use this treatment when there is no given menu, or plan? Where will the doctor concentrate when we are not sure of where the disability originates? How many stem cells should be injected when we are not certain what one injection may or may not do? I am certain you can come up with your own questions – and, you want your questions answered fully before you embark on such a treatment. Since I am not a doctor I certainly am not in a position to recommend this treatment. However, I am in a position to strongly recommend that you first do your homework before you decide this is a treatment you want to offer your child.

Stem cell treatment for autism may have a great deal to offer in the future; however, at present, in my opinion it is risky. Make certain you understand everything: carcinogenic transformation, pluripotent stem cells, viral vectors, autologous embryonic stem cells and so forth. Once again, if you are a parent determined to offer your child this treatment make certain you fully understand the concept along with what you can expect – as well as what you may not expect.

Since I first started teaching children with autism I was repeatedly told that there is not a cure for the disability. I firmly believed this to be the truth of truths. However, I have recently been doing a lot of studies, readings, and video viewings of the possibility that this is not a 100% fact as I formerly believed so strongly.

I remember when Jennie McCarthy told the world that her son had been cured of autism. It almost made me feel angry inside. Why? Well, because I had been taught by everyone that there is no cure for autism. I felt that McCarthy was offering false hope to many parents who have a child with autism.

I am thrilled to see, as I grow older, that I still have some flexibility left in this body of mine. I am pleased to see that I can still be open to new possibilities and not solely hold on to ideas people have instilled in me – in this case that there is no cure.

I do not want to give false hope to any parent of a child with autism. No matter what I believe I still hold inside me that not every child can be cured. I have always held the belief that every autistic child can learn – some more than others. This, in my opinion, depends on where the child falls on the Autism Spectrum.

Those children and adults who have been severely attacked with the disability will not be cured but they can be helped and they can learn. I know this as a fact as I taught some of the most disabled autistic children enrolled in the San Mateo County Office of Education, in California. Most of the children I taught would never learn to read; however, they could be taught to do other things which required fewer skills.

As I have watched many videos, read many stories, and so forth I realize that some parents are turning to various resources such as Stem Cell Therapy, Biomedical Interventions, Discrete Video Modeling, and so forth. What I have learned is this: these parents are saying their autistic child has been cured – or, their child has improved tremendously after undergoing whatever type of treatment the parent chose for their child.

This brings me to this new way of thinking about autism: how can I, or how can any other person, say that a child has not been cured, or shown tremendous improvement following a specific treatment if their parent says they have? The parent knows the child better than anyone else in the world. When they film their child during his/her initial diagnosis of autism, showing the flapping, tantrums, and so forth; followed by seeing the child performing and behaving in a much more positive manner following specific treatments, how can this improvement be denied?

So, at this point in my life, I have changed my opinion about the possibilities of curing an autistic child. I am still not ready to say that an autistic child can be cured but I am ready to say that a high-functioning autistic child can improve greatly from different types of therapies.

It has been known in autism circles that such activities as swimming and horseback riding often helps to reduce stress, tantrums, body rigidity, and other issues an autistic person faces. Recently a new sport, that of surfing, has been added to the list of programs that can offer calming to those suffering from the disability.

However, before you rush out, buy a surfboard, and travel with your child across the country to find the most perfect surfing area, you first need to look at some possibilities with surfing just like you would before you introduced your autistic child to any other new activity.

Perhaps the most important thing to determine is if your child will even be willing to enter the world of the ocean with the pounding waves. For some children this can be overwhelming – for an autistic child it will most likely open an exciting new world or it might be one of the most traumatic scenes you can expose him/her to.

While some will disagree, I strongly oppose forcing your child to enter the world of surfing. If s/he begins screaming, flailing about, even reaching a point of showing panic – this is not a positive way to begin a new adventure. There are some programs that ‘force’ the autistic child or adult to participate – no matter what fear the person might be expressing. The child will be physically forced onto a board. Is this wise? Might the trauma lead to additional issues and behaviors?

Today there are surfing camps that believe they can help those people with autism – even if it involves ‘forcing’ participation. You, the parent or care provider, must first determine if you want your child ‘forced’ even if some authorities believe it is a necessary step in order to get your child out into the waves. If you do not want your child forced then this may not be the sport for you to look at to help your child (as a teacher I cannot condone forcing a child to participate – but, perhaps I would feel differently if I was the parent of a child with this disability).

Once you have made the decision – go with it!

If you are one of the parents who has decided to expose your child to surfing you might feel relieved to know that many parents find that the experience seems to soothe the child. It is not being offered as a cure it is simply being offered as a new, exciting adventure – much as if s/he went bowling. Experts say the child ends the experience feeling exhilarated and feeling great that s/he has conquered the waves. Experts say that surfing brings smiles to the child’s face. It is said that taking the risk of surfing does something positive for both the brain and the body. It is believed that the body reacts by causing the muscles to move more quickly as well as the heart.

Surfing – I cannot imagine that this is something that every autistic person can engage in; however, not every autistic child will play baseball, lift weights, dance, or involve him/herself in a number of other sports. This is just another activity that your child may find exciting and exhilarating.

Autism Handbook

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