Environmental and Genetic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think none of these kids in those videos had autism to begin with.

well, geeze, what did they have then? If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.....

hehe-totally agree. While I think there are many paths to autism and probably many, many types of autism some with better prognosis and more hope than others for now they all get the same label, so if these kids were diagnosed with autism and now they no longer fit the label then yes, they are considered to be recovered to some degree or they are considered to "no longer meet criteria for autism." It's all semantics. The thing is since we cannot figure out who will benefit most, I think it's worth trying anything safe.

[Anonymous]

I am the motehr of a child with an ASD who has made profound progress with nuts and bolts therapy, is doing very well -- happy, has friends -- but sitll very much has an ASD diagnosis. I used to post here, answering questions from parents of newly diagnosed kids because now that my DS is older, I have a lot to offer. And this was the one section of the DCUM boards that was mutually supportive.

But not more. There is now a poster (it appears to be the same person) who has decided to make this forum a platform for her very non-mainstream, not supported by science, views. I think its fine to have an occasional post by folks about DAN, even though I personally don't agree with any of it. But this person posts over and over again, arguing with anyone who disagrees, so that any thread that even mentions autism devolves into a screaming match until she shouts everyone down.

So I am done. Those of you with newly diagnosed kids I hope you find your way to mainstream medical professionals who give you the kind of sound advice we got from our developmental pediatrician, that has helped our DS thrive. I won't be passing on any more about what we've learned but I wish you the best of luck.

[Anonymous]

I apologize for all the typos in my previous post. i think you get what I'm saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the motehr of a child with an ASD who has made profound progress with nuts and bolts therapy, is doing very well -- happy, has friends -- but sitll very much has an ASD diagnosis. I used to post here, answering questions from parents of newly diagnosed kids because now that my DS is older, I have a lot to offer. And this was the one section of the DCUM boards that was mutually supportive.

But not more. There is now a poster (it appears to be the same person) who has decided to make this forum a platform for her very non-mainstream, not supported by science, views. I think its fine to have an occasional post by folks about DAN, even though I personally don't agree with any of it. But this person posts over and over again, arguing with anyone who disagrees, so that any thread that even mentions autism devolves into a screaming match until she shouts everyone down.

So I am done. Those of you with newly diagnosed kids I hope you find your way to mainstream medical professionals who give you the kind of sound advice we got from our developmental pediatrician, that has helped our DS thrive. I won't be passing on any more about what we've learned but I wish you the best of luck.

PP, as anotyher mom of a child with ASD who made a lot of progress through therapy I am 100% with you.

[Anonymous]

I am the motehr of a child with an ASD who has made profound progress with nuts and bolts therapy, is doing very well -- happy, has friends -- but sitll very much has an ASD diagnosis. I used to post here, answering questions from parents of newly diagnosed kids because now that my DS is older, I have a lot to offer. And this was the one section of the DCUM boards that was mutually supportive.

But not more. There is now a poster (it appears to be the same person) who has decided to make this forum a platform for her very non-mainstream, not supported by science, views. I think its fine to have an occasional post by folks about DAN, even though I personally don't agree with any of it. But this person posts over and over again, arguing with anyone who disagrees, so that any thread that even mentions autism devolves into a screaming match until she shouts everyone down.

So I am done. Those of you with newly diagnosed kids I hope you find your way to mainstream medical professionals who give you the kind of sound advice we got from our developmental pediatrician, that has helped our DS thrive. I won't be passing on any more about what we've learned but I wish you the best of luck.

I hear, understand, and respect your position.

Still, I'm sad to see your contributions go in favor of the witch doctor supporter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the motehr of a child with an ASD who has made profound progress with nuts and bolts therapy, is doing very well -- happy, has friends -- but sitll very much has an ASD diagnosis. I used to post here, answering questions from parents of newly diagnosed kids because now that my DS is older, I have a lot to offer. And this was the one section of the DCUM boards that was mutually supportive.

But not more. There is now a poster (it appears to be the same person) who has decided to make this forum a platform for her very non-mainstream, not supported by science, views. I think its fine to have an occasional post by folks about DAN, even though I personally don't agree with any of it. But this person posts over and over again, arguing with anyone who disagrees, so that any thread that even mentions autism devolves into a screaming match until she shouts everyone down.

So I am done. Those of you with newly diagnosed kids I hope you find your way to mainstream medical professionals who give you the kind of sound advice we got from our developmental pediatrician, that has helped our DS thrive. I won't be passing on any more about what we've learned but I wish you the best of luck.

I respect your position, too, but hope you change your mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the motehr of a child with an ASD who has made profound progress with nuts and bolts therapy, is doing very well -- happy, has friends -- but sitll very much has an ASD diagnosis. I used to post here, answering questions from parents of newly diagnosed kids because now that my DS is older, I have a lot to offer. And this was the one section of the DCUM boards that was mutually supportive.

But not more. There is now a poster (it appears to be the same person) who has decided to make this forum a platform for her very non-mainstream, not supported by science, views. I think its fine to have an occasional post by folks about DAN, even though I personally don't agree with any of it. But this person posts over and over again, arguing with anyone who disagrees, so that any thread that even mentions autism devolves into a screaming match until she shouts everyone down.

So I am done. Those of you with newly diagnosed kids I hope you find your way to mainstream medical professionals who give you the kind of sound advice we got from our developmental pediatrician, that has helped our DS thrive. I won't be passing on any more about what we've learned but I wish you the best of luck.

Your ego seems easily bruised and beaten. Why is that? Can you not handle anyone who thinks a bit more out of the box? Mainstream is not always right. And I'll have you know that I may or may not be the witch-doctor supporter that you are talking about. I certainly post about alternative things, but I've noticed other posts that support my point of view, that were not my own posts. And sometimes I'm the one chiming in to support someone else. Either way, there are more alternative folk here than you care to recognize.

It's not a battle of who is right and who is wrong in their approach to cure/treament/management of symptoms. It's all about giving new posters ALL THE INFORMATION, not just a one-sided view of "autism is genetic and cannot be cured". One could take several approaches at once to hedge their bets on this. Why does it have to be mainstream or the highway for you?

Perhaps you've been here longer and your child is older, but you've said it yourself that your child is still very autistic. There are many of us who have been able to affect real change in our children in a non-mainstream approach. We don't yell at anyone for not trying alternative approaches, but we do get angry when we are shut down at giving alternative suggestions. Ultimately it is up to the OP to make their choices, but shutting down anyone with different experiences does not help anyone.

So if you want to pout about not being the one and only way to do things around here, then by all means, go on your merry way where you can be a big fish in a smaller pond of followers who don't want to open their minds to all the possibilities.

[Anonymous]

So PP, then why are you alternative folks so fast to dismiss the mainstream treatments? I am frankly tired of reading about people bashing and blaming vaccines and toxins for ALL of autism. It's nonsense. It's not true. I have relatives who are the living proof that it wasn't vaccines that caused autism. I have relatives who grew up in a much less toxic environment than my kids do and yet they are autistic.

You don't know PPs child, PP did not say "very autistic", but she said her child is still autistic. I have a friend with a very autistic child who tried every alternative approach out there. Guess what, the child is still non-verbal. So how can you say that YOU know the cure and that the ONLY way is the alternative way? It doesn't work for EVERY child on the spectrum, when are you going to accept that?

I have yet to see anyone of you alternative treatment people acknowledge mainstream therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So PP, then why are you alternative folks so fast to dismiss the mainstream treatments? I am frankly tired of reading about people bashing and blaming vaccines and toxins for ALL of autism. It's nonsense. It's not true. I have relatives who are the living proof that it wasn't vaccines that caused autism. I have relatives who grew up in a much less toxic environment than my kids do and yet they are autistic.

You don't know PPs child, PP did not say "very autistic", but she said her child is still autistic. I have a friend with a very autistic child who tried every alternative approach out there. Guess what, the child is still non-verbal. So how can you say that YOU know the cure and that the ONLY way is the alternative way? It doesn't work for EVERY child on the spectrum, when are you going to accept that?

I have yet to see anyone of you alternative treatment people acknowledge mainstream therapy.

What exactly do you mean by mainstream therapy? If you mean drugging my kid, then you are right, I will never acknowledge that as a viable therapy. I am a huge believer in non-pharmaceutical treatments, but that doesn't mean that my child has never been to ST or OT. And, I did not say that others should not use traditional therapies. I have always said that they can be done in tandem. It doesn't have to be one or the other. What is annoying is when the older crowd refuses to acknowledge that a child can be cured of autism, when I have seen it with my very own eyes, several times over. And what is also annoying is that I have also seen kids damaged by vaccines (a vaccine reaction so strong that the child stopped speaking the very day of his 18 month vaccines)....granted not everyone's autism is caused this way, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen this way.

There are many roads of possibilities and causes out there. There is room here for everyone to have a point of view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So PP, then why are you alternative folks so fast to dismiss the mainstream treatments? I am frankly tired of reading about people bashing and blaming vaccines and toxins for ALL of autism. It's nonsense. It's not true. I have relatives who are the living proof that it wasn't vaccines that caused autism. I have relatives who grew up in a much less toxic environment than my kids do and yet they are autistic.

You don't know PPs child, PP did not say "very autistic", but she said her child is still autistic. I have a friend with a very autistic child who tried every alternative approach out there. Guess what, the child is still non-verbal. So how can you say that YOU know the cure and that the ONLY way is the alternative way? It doesn't work for EVERY child on the spectrum, when are you going to accept that?

I have yet to see anyone of you alternative treatment people acknowledge mainstream therapy.

Not all alternative treatments are created equal. You have to research and research and research. It takes more than a purple pill to cure autism. And to answer your question about how I know that the alternative approach is the only way to cure autism....it's because mainstream medicine doesn't even acknowledge a cure.

[Anonymous]

I like 10:53's post in that you can't simplify this issue. A lot of kids with the autism label have very different neurological issues that result from very different origins. Years from now there will probably be at least a dozen different conditions that are now all lumped under "autism".

In the meantime I take a critical view on any current autism study, because those kids being evaluated likely have very different conditions.

I have no doubt that kids can benefit from diet changes and supplements based on their specific needs. I also have no doubt that ST, OT, ABA, PT and the rest can also help kids with developmental challenges.

It seems silly to criticize people for treatments they try when we don't even know what the real problem IS

[Anonymous]

DAN and Operation Rescue promote a lot of quackery.

http://www.autism-watch.org/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Your ego seems easily bruised and beaten. Why is that? Can you not handle anyone who thinks a bit more out of the box? Mainstream is not always right. And I'll have you know that I may or may not be the witch-doctor supporter that you are talking about. I certainly post about alternative things, but I've noticed other posts that support my point of view, that were not my own posts. And sometimes I'm the one chiming in to support someone else. Either way, there are more alternative folk here than you care to recognize.

It's not a battle of who is right and who is wrong in their approach to cure/treament/management of symptoms. It's all about giving new posters ALL THE INFORMATION, not just a one-sided view of "autism is genetic and cannot be cured". One could take several approaches at once to hedge their bets on this. Why does it have to be mainstream or the highway for you?

Perhaps you've been here longer and your child is older, but you've said it yourself that your child is still very autistic. There are many of us who have been able to affect real change in our children in a non-mainstream approach. We don't yell at anyone for not trying alternative approaches, but we do get angry when we are shut down at giving alternative suggestions. Ultimately it is up to the OP to make their choices, but shutting down anyone with different experiences does not help anyone.

So if you want to pout about not being the one and only way to do things around here, then by all means, go on your merry way where you can be a big fish in a smaller pond of followers who don't want to open their minds to all the possibilities.

It's not that you have a different opinion. It's that you spam threads with that opinion, so that no one else can get a word in edge-wise. It's that you refuse to accept any evidence other than anecdotal evidence. It's that your mind is so open your brains have fallen out.

[Anonymous]

Let's remember that the SN board is supposed to be one of the nicest boards on here. That's why I like it. Nobody has all the answers. Even Autismspeaks the most mainstream site out there is starting to be open to the fact traditional therapies may not have all the answers. Many mainstream doctors I have met and open to some things you may consider alternative like vitamin D supplementation and fish oil. Heck there is great research supporting some of this stuff. If mainstream only works for your wonderful. If alternative only worked for your kid -fantastic. We use a combo and it's been incredible. I used to be a skeptic myself.

To the poster who wanted us to know why she will no longer post here, there are multiple posters who talk about things like toxins in the environment and special diets. There is not one hippie dippie person out there doing voodoo dancing. Now there are alternative things that scare me and I think are way too risky and I would hope people would not promote them. I will not consider some forms of chelation or not getting vaccinated, though I have no problem whatsoever with someone who spreads out the vaccines. The thing is-if someone promotes these things it does not get my feathers ruffled. I do what most people I know do-I read as much as possible and talk to varioud professionals and make my own informed decision.

This is like the whole Autism Speaks vs. the daughter of the founders blow up, but as I said even Autism Speaks is coming around to realizing just as there are multiple paths to autism, there are multiple therapies out there and not all of them have the empirical data behind them. I went to a talk by Ami Klim (sp?) of Yale-an autism guru and they seemed to think Sensory integration therapy can be useful, though many consider that vodoo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Your ego seems easily bruised and beaten. Why is that? Can you not handle anyone who thinks a bit more out of the box? Mainstream is not always right. And I'll have you know that I may or may not be the witch-doctor supporter that you are talking about. I certainly post about alternative things, but I've noticed other posts that support my point of view, that were not my own posts. And sometimes I'm the one chiming in to support someone else. Either way, there are more alternative folk here than you care to recognize.

It's not a battle of who is right and who is wrong in their approach to cure/treament/management of symptoms. It's all about giving new posters ALL THE INFORMATION, not just a one-sided view of "autism is genetic and cannot be cured". One could take several approaches at once to hedge their bets on this. Why does it have to be mainstream or the highway for you?

Perhaps you've been here longer and your child is older, but you've said it yourself that your child is still very autistic. There are many of us who have been able to affect real change in our children in a non-mainstream approach. We don't yell at anyone for not trying alternative approaches, but we do get angry when we are shut down at giving alternative suggestions. Ultimately it is up to the OP to make their choices, but shutting down anyone with different experiences does not help anyone.

So if you want to pout about not being the one and only way to do things around here, then by all means, go on your merry way where you can be a big fish in a smaller pond of followers who don't want to open their minds to all the possibilities.

It's not that you have a different opinion. It's that you spam threads with that opinion, so that no one else can get a word in edge-wise. It's that you refuse to accept any evidence other than anecdotal evidence. It's that your mind is so open your brains have fallen out.

That is not me then that you are talking about. It is another voodoo poster.