Physician Seeks To Educate Parents

"One of the most frustrating things we parents face is a multiplicity of anecdotal information. You could spend your whole life hopscotching from one hope for a cure to another without any real sense of what is going to help."

This was said by Dr. Louis Vismara, a cardiologist and parent founder ofThe MIND Institute. He, like I and so many of us, is in a quandary as to what direction is the right one for our Autistic child. Do we put all our trust in medicine with their prescription drugs? Is detoxification and special diets the answer? Should we take stock in any of the latest studies? All of these ''hopes for a cure" -- is there no end?

Figures released in 2007 by the Center for Disease Control shows the prevalence of developmental disorders among 8-year-old children (rate per 1,000)

Mental Retardation ~ 12.0

Autism ~ 6.6

Cerebral Palsy ~ 3.1

Hearing Loss ~ 1.2

Vision Impairment ~ 1.2

Here is the California Department of Developmental Services findings for the number of residents diagnosed and served with Autism:

December 1995 ~ 6,527

December 1997 ~ 8,781

December 2005 ~ 29,424

December 2007 ~ 36,952

As long as the statistics are mounting at such a high rate, there will continue to be theories, hopes and cures coming from all directions.

Dr. Michael Chez, a neurologist specializing in child Autism at Sutter Health, has written a book called "Autism and it's Medical Management." Through this book he seeks to educate parents and therapists by exploring traditional and alternative theories and approaches to Autism, including his own, unconventional drug therapies. He compares talking about Autism to discussing politics and religion. "Many times, I have wanted to give it up, because it's hard to keep your ego from being beaten up all the time. You're portrayed as part of the Evil Empire of the Darth Vader Medical Society," says Chez

My son, ER, takes medication, but are they the right ones? Dr. Chez treats some of his patients with an anti-convulsant drug called Valproic Acid since he has found that up to 30 percent of Autistic children may have seizures and as many as 70 percent showed abnormal patterns on an electroencephalograph test used to measure electrical brain activity. Dr. Chez has reported those treated with Valproic Acid have demonstrated a vast improvement in language function. ER and I have gone through the 'possible seizures' diagnosis only to find that he is not in the 30 percentile. But, what if this treatmentcouldimprove his language function regardless?

To be honest, I'd rather not read articles and books on the 'cures' for Autism. It takes my focus off of what is most important to me. It's not about the latest prescription drug, the best diet, 'no-no' foods and controlling how much TV he watches. No, I am not out to cure my son, but rather to love him as he is. In an effort to make their child 'normal', I think some parents loose sight of that.......

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