Physicians Feel Ill-Equipped To Treat Autism - is this a surprise?
Kenneth P Stoller,
pediatrician
International Hyperbaric Medical Assoc

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When the medical community refuses to recognize what autism is... it only follows that physicians would feel ill equipped to treat it. First, there were the years of denial that there's been a real increase in the rate of autism, and the ever present mantra of no know cause-no known cure. Is it any wonder that parents are turning to complementary or alternative medicine for help? Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed.

Even though in 2005 a researcher from the University of Arkansas, Dr. S. Jill James, published an article which reported findings of low glutathione levels in 75 autistic children she examined, and normal levels in a group of 75 children without developmental problems. The problem of low glutathione has been a focus of bio-medical interventions for years. Only now is Stanford Univ joining in on this as being an important biomarker of metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction.

While it is not the answer for every affected child, the removal of gluten and casein from the diet has been another keystone in bio-medical interventions. If I had a penny for every academic physician who has said there is no evidence that dietary interventions help autism, I would be rich, but the fact is there is a plethora of literature providing ample scientific reason for using this intervention as many parents have known for years (see references below).

Since there are no genetic epidemics... all available evidence points to an environmental trigger and pesticides and heavy metals are on the top of the list (especially mercury). There has been a complete lack of accountability for intervention in this area because those that would normally intervene have unclean hands. Well, great!

So, now we have a lost generation who will go on the dole and only a handful of physicians that have the slightest clue as to what is going on.

This is not just about autism... connect the dots to breast cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, diabetes, asthma, etc and it will point to toxic exposures that we have miserably failed to responsibly address. And why have we failed?

Look in the mirror.

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Conflict of Interest:

None declared