For parents who are interested in learning about the biomedical approach to treating autism, it can be overwhelming to even know where to start. The sheer number of yahoo lists, Facebook groups, books, magazines, research articles, websites, blogs, etc etc is enough to make anyone dizzy. Below are links to some basic information that will serve as a jumping off point for what becomes, for many of us, a very long and winding journey.
This page from the Autism Research Institute lists symptoms that indicate that your child is likely to respond to biomedical treatment. Another page on the same site called Clinician Perspective: Treating Medical Symptoms explains some of the ways in which autism, traditionally considered a psychiatric illness, actually has a medical component. Other helpful pages from ARI:
Summary of Biomedical Treatments
Parent Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions for Autism
Parent Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions for Asperger's Syndrome
Selecting a Clinician Using a Biomedical Approach
An interview with Dr Kenneth Bock, MD, author of "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders" in which he discusses the basics of what biomed is and what it has to offer families affected by autism.
This article entitled "The Treatment of Autism" gives a brief overview of some of the basic steps in the biomedical approach, including removing allergens and other problematic substances in food, supporting detoxification systems, treating chronic infections and immune deficits that allow them to flourish, and healing from the toxic effects of mercury and other metals. This article makes the point that the underlying issues that need to be treated in autism are the same ones that underlie so many illnesses that are common today.
The site Published Scientific Data Concerning Autism has a wealth of information regarding most of the considerations involved in treating autism biomedically. There is a very good graphic on the home page that shows how these various considerations are related with each other, including immunological problems, mitochondrial damage, the use of special diets, and therapies such as hyperbaric oxygen treatment). This site gives introductory explanations of each of these considerations as well as in depth information and lists of published research.
This is a listing of pages on the site Dana's View that contain all sorts of biomedical information.
Several pages from the TACA website (Talk About Curing Autism) give an overview of many of the specific biomedical interventions involved in addressing the various factors involved in autism:
Beginner Biomedical Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism- The Biomedical Basics
The group TACA is a wonderful support group for families addressing autism with the biomedical approach. If you do not live in an area where there are in-person meetings, the website has a lot of really good info.
