Speaking of "autism" we mean a disease of the nervous system. And it is correct. But not quite. The book "Revolution in the world of autism" Dr. Martha Herbert, a pediatric neurologist from Massachusetts and one of the leading experts on the issue, offers a new perspective: autism is a disease of the whole organism. It must be borne in mind, developing approaches to its treatment.
We offer to your attention an excerpt from her book.
To achieve the impossible
Caleb just a few minutes away from playing with the girls, ran into the kitchen and asked my mom that it was preparing for lunch. It turned out his favorite gluten-free noodles and beef. He was about to return to the game, but paused in the kitchen doorway and turned back to her mother. "Mom, " he said casually, as if we were talking about the weather, my autism was".
"Why you did so? " - said the shaken woman, when he found the gift of speech.
"Now I am comfortable with people," he said as if nothing had happened ten-year-old boy, and went on to play with the girls.
Joey Petersen and stood thunderstruck. She could not believe what he said to her son. And only 2 months later she realized that he had told her the truth.
From Caleb blue eyes like my father, and dark hair like his mother, and skin color gives it Dominicano-American origin. Despite low growth and a child's voice, Caleb is already building adult plans. He wants to be a zoologist, and I need to leave home to attend College, although he understands that parents will be it entertainment.
Not so long ago, Joey took him to a specialist, who after talking with the boy and his mother announced that the state of Caleb no longer meets diagnostic criteria for autism. "Jess! "cried Caleb and began to jump with happiness. And Joey burst into tears. She dreamed about this day.
When Caleb was 4 years old, she could not believe that he will ever come. The boy still did not speak, and all were afraid, began to howl and cry when someone other than the parents, approached him. When Joey touched son fingertips, he groaned as if he was hit. Take care of the baby took so much mental energy that often joy could not hold back the tears of exhaustion and despair. There were moments when she was filled with anger, and she was so afraid to lose control and hurt Caleb, what went into the bedroom, locked it, and, weeping, fell on the floor.
Doctors and teachers were advised her not to lie to yourself. Most likely, her son will remain so forever. Of course, you can try all methods of treatment, but none whose effectiveness has been scientifically proven. Joey decided to try it anyway you want. And, to his surprise, found that all of these methods worked. We cannot say that any one of them cured Caleb from autism, but all together they helped greatly to overcome it.
When Caleb went to the first class, all believed that joy turned to mountains. The boy understood the simple instructions. His self-stimulation: continuous rotation round objects, knocking, screeching, mostly came to naught. He could learn in a regular classroom, being in it assistant. "What more do you want? asked experts in joy, " you already did everything I could. It is unlikely that you can achieve more".
But Joey couldn't stop. A mother's heart told her that potential Caleb is not exhausted.
"I wanted to look his son in the eye and tell him that I love him, and that he realized what it was. I wanted my son once looked me in the eye and said that he loves me. I wanted my boy was not afraid of this world and not run away from it, and understood and accepted it".
Now she has this boy.
To see what you believe, or believe in what I see
For decades doctors told his parents that autism is a disease of genetic origin, that it affects the child's brain, to cure it is impossible, and therefore need to accept the fact that the problems of the child will remain with him all his life. The definition of autism was based on the enumeration deficit areas, i.e. what a person with autism does not know how to do: to communicate, to control himself, to cope with the challenges of ordinary life in front of every person. Parents can only slightly improve the condition of the child: to reduce the frequency of tantrums, to limit inappropriate behavior, to teach children to navigate in space, but basically it will remain autistic forever.
For many years I researched autism and treated patients in the General Hospital in Massachusetts. Before my eyes have seen a lot of children, whose history is similar to the story of Caleb. And today, I believe that the traditional view needs to be revised.
I have met people in the past autistic, which lead quite a normal life. In their condition has changed so dramatically that their loved ones even could not even dream about something like. I saw not talking and closed child has turned into a student of excellence. I saw an adult, coping well with the work, and all that he had from the past autism is quite some excuse oddities. There are those who never learned to speak, but they communicate through painting, music, even with the help of glass-blowing skills. Some have a very expressive language, but only in writing, and communicate using the keyboard. Someone was a great professional, someone - a parent, an artist, friend, and sometimes all at the same time. It's hard to imagine having a 4-year-old child, which is much more screams than says. But it's a fact: many of the four-year become adults whose lives can be called happy and productive.
The longer I worked with patients, the more he realized that I was standing before a choice: to see what you believe, or believe in what you see. Believing that autism is an incurable brain disease, I would have to refuse to recognize the amazing ability to overcome, which I have repeatedly observed in their patients. If I believe in what I see with my eyes, I'll have to revise the conventional views on autism. That's what I decided to do, and the result of this review, was this book.
Not only the genes and the brain, but the entire body
Everything I've read about autism, as well as my own research and experience suggests that the model with autism - irreparable damage of the brain - the result of a breakdown genes" has no Foundation. Defects in genes affect the brain, but there is still no scientific evidence that they are the only necessary and sufficient cause of the disease. Genetics for more than ten years looking for the cause of autism, and only a small group of autistic managed to establish the presence of genetic changes, most cases of the disease are still not clarified.
At the same time, there are children who are developing quite normally on the first or second year of life, but then gradually regress to the autistic condition. Previously, scientists believed that autism always comes as a result of brain damage before birth, and indeed, some children seem to be "not so" from birth. But many are looking up, and then within a few weeks or months slide down. A lot of home videos of supporting evidence by parents that their child was not born autistic, and regressed. The existence of regressive autism makes you think about the fact that the gene may not be the only player in this field; rather, external factors also come into play.
Many of regressed children subsequently demonstrate progress. There is no evidence that if you were able to diagnose chromosomal anomaly (as, for example, in the case of fragile X-chromosome or Idic 15), it is a life sentence. In 2008 I participated in the working group of researchers, which then published the article "Can children with autism recover? If Yes, how? " The article said that from 3 to 25% of children diagnosed subsequently lose it. It is clear that the mutated genes are unable for several years to change to a healthy. We have to assume that either the diagnosis was wrong, or these children, like Caleb (whose diagnosis is not in doubt) after long-term treatment of different methods have largely overcome their illness and no longer meet diagnostic criteria for autism.
When possible autism dramatic improvement even for a few minutes, hours or days. Unfortunately, these improvements are unstable. Little autistic demonstrate a better ability to communicate and interact with other people, when, for example, have a high temperature, or when taking hormonal medication (asthma or other diseases). Alas, when the temperature drops or taking hormones stops, go with them and improve. However, if autism was solely a genetic disease, such facts would not have been possible.
And finally, despite the fact that I am a neurologist, educated at Harvard, an expert on the brain and nervous system, my experience has forced me to reconsider much of what I believed before, and now I believe that autism is a disease of the whole body. I have seen so many autistic children who have had the same physical (not neurological) symptoms, that I have come to the conclusion that this cannot be a mere coincidence. Thousands of scientific papers, great clinical experience accumulated by generations of doctors, suggests that the condition of the body influences how the brain works.
Reason for optimism
The incidence of autism is increasing in most countries of the world, and it is impossible to explain from the point of view of genetics. When in 1995 I first started doing research in the field of autism, it was thought that autism occurs in a ratio of 1:3300. When I write these lines, the ratio almost reached 1:100. Such a sharp increase in the frequency of genetic diseases is impossible. It is necessary to assume either that we have in the past missed a very large number of cases of autism, or new external factors that cause autism. It still remains a subject of debate in the medical world. But there is growing research showing that under-diagnosis in the past can explain the rise in autism only half full.
Most researchers today agree that genes determine susceptibility to the disease, "load the gun", but in many cases "pulls the trigger" only external factor. I believe that the epidemic of autism is associated with the General crisis of the environment and its impact on human health. Our world makes us sick. We need to create an environment that will contribute to our health.
I believe we now have enough information to say with certainty: autism, as, undoubtedly, a brain disease, is a disease of the whole organism, involving all levels - from molecular to cellular, from metabolic processes to the organs of the immune system to the gastrointestinal tract. And it's a very different picture than the one to which we are accustomed: problems are solved, the disease is largely treatable, and extraordinary abilities, hiding deep inside a sick child, can manifest fully and to be demanded by the society.
Thousands of children, such as Caleb, show us the way to success. They passed it, despite pressure system that does not recognize the potential cure for autism. Imagine how revolutionary breakthrough in the treatment of autism we can do, if you get serious about the success of these children, we will analyze their experience, and find ways to apply it to help others.
Source: miloserdie.ru
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