Jim’s Reviews > The Autism Revolution: Whole-Body Strategies for Making Life All It Can Be > Status Update
Jim
is 19% done
"Children are generally exposed to more toxins than adults. Children spend more time on the floor than adults, kicking up, breathing, and swallowing the dust and dirt that collects there. They put all kinds of things in their mouths that adults are never exposed to. They get sick from germs to which adults are already immune. They take more medications to get rid of those..."
— May 11, 2012 12:26PM
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Jim’s Previous Updates
Jim
is 60% done
Many doctors believe, like Ana’s Dr. Cosford, that autism, chronic fatigue, and a variety of other chronic illnesses all involve a deterioration of the biological systems that help us cope with the environment. To Cosford and others, the autism is not a “thing” or “specific disease” but the way the brain and body behave when their cells are having a hard time.
— Jul 08, 2012 06:04AM
Jim
is 50% done
What's going on in the brain? ~35%: Examining why children with autism have big brains, studies show a lower density of cell metabolites, more fluid where there should be cell fibers, and lower brain activity where these problems occur. Brain-imaging studies suggest that the extra “stuff” making the brains bigger could be made up of fluid. It’s more evidence that the cells are not working at their best.
— Jul 01, 2012 06:29AM
Jim
is 40% done
All of the questions regarding treatment options are complicated. 25%: "There are three issues here: 1) Is there really any toxic body burden in the first place, and if so, does it matter? 2) Do the body’s detoxification processes really need help? 3) If so, is helping them with good nutrition and other natural support enough? On all three of these, medical evidence is thin and controversy is substantial."
— Jun 09, 2012 07:49PM
Jim
is 40% done
22% "Toxins almost definitely made things worse for Ana. She grew up in an industrial town, and her childhood home backed up onto a regional airport. The air often smelled like a steel mill, she says. Tests in her mid-twenties revealed that Ana’s bloodstream had high levels of contaminants from jet fuel and heavy metals found only in industry."
— May 25, 2012 07:05PM
Jim
is 25% done
"When Ana’s chronic fatigue syndrome was treated at the cellular level, her autism melted away... Ana did not simply have a mind problem causing her fatigue, or a brain problem causing her autism. She had a whole-body health problem causing both."
— May 14, 2012 05:57AM
Jim
is 10% done
"I believe that autism is not a genetic tragedy, but rather an unfolding and unprecedented challenge related to many other health and environmental crises. We need to build a world that makes us healthy."
— May 08, 2012 01:23PM
Jim
is 7% done
3% "If I believed that autism was a genetically determined, lifelong brain impairment, then I would have to deny to myself the extraordinary capabilities and changes I saw in my patients. If I believed what I saw, then I would have to rethink everything I knew about autism. That’s what I proceeded to do, and you are reading the result of that exploration."
— May 06, 2012 07:56AM
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Jeffrey
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May 11, 2012 12:33PM
I've really been shocked about all the studies that are coming out that shows a much higher rate of autism for military families. I don't really understand why their rates would be higher.
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I was not aware of that, but I can give you a good guess: stress levels will generally be much higher in military families, both while the parent(s) are overseas and after they come back, assuming they do... And stress is a primary trigger for autism, according to Martha Herbert (and others). Martha Herbert is an authentic genius, one of the most original and deepest thinkers I have ever had the privilege to meet. This book is completely awesome. My highest recommendation, if you or others in your circle are interested in the subject, or dealing with its consequences.
Does it seem like a good book so far? I've been interested in autism ever since I've worked with special education children years ago, and it's been a while since I read any good literature on this topic.
Jim wrote: "I was not aware of that, but I can give you a good guess: stress levels will generally be much higher in military families, both while the parent(s) are overseas and after they come back, assuming ..."My wife teaches special education and has many autistic children on her caseload. I will definitely link this book over to her.
Nataliya wrote: "Does it seem like a good book so far? I've been interested in autism ever since I've worked with special education children years ago, and it's been a while since I read any good literature on this..."This book is awesome, Nataliya! I hope we get a chance to discuss soon - I would definitely recommend it to any caregiver or affected parent, or anyone else who is interested. She is talking about taking kids OFF the spectrum with whole-body approaches. Complete with case studies.
Interesting. I think I will try and find this book then.
Jeffrey wrote: "My wife teaches special education and has many autistic children on her caseload. I will definitely link this book over to her. "I would be extremely interested in your wife's reaction to this book. There are also tons of links to Martha Herbert's work online - truly an amazing person.
Gotta go get my two urchins now, but will be back later.
Thanks, Catie! This is really a great book, full of hope and constructive ideas instead of despair.
Nataliya wrote: "Interesting. I think I will try and find this book then."I just saw this, Nataliya. The book is new, out for maybe a couple months. That may be a problem for you pricewise at this point. I have the Kindle version and would be happy to 'loan' you mine when I finish - just have to figure out how to do that. I can't remember if you have a Kindle or not.
It is definitely worth the time and trouble to get a copy in your hands. Maybe you can get it through Pediatrics or the med school library?
I have a Kindle app for Mac and for iPhone but not an actual Kindle, so I'm not sure how/if that would work. Unfortunately I don't see it in my med school library. I will have access to Stanford medical library when I start my residency, so maybe I'll be able to find it there.
I can look into the lending mechanism and get back to you.I hope the med school libraries start picking this up. It is written so parents can understand it, but the approach and ideas are not in general practice and are not yet familiar to a lot of pediatricians.
I know you have your hands full timewise. I will continue to update as I go through the book, and you can decide on its relevance to you. She was just talking about known toxins in cord blood as a potential risk factor for autism...
Well, if you figure out how the lending process works, I would love to read this one. In the meantime, I'll be keeping an eye out for your updates.
Nataliya, here are two quotes from the book - too long for the update box:"Even though there are upwards of eighty-five thousand chemicals being produced, we have little data about their impact on our health and even less on children’s health, according to a 2006 study published in The Lancet. Currently there is no requirement to screen chemicals for their impact on the developing brain; as a result only twenty to thirty chemicals have undergone such testing before hitting store shelves. In essence, we are flying blind about what risks these substances are posing to our babies and children. And yet the whole scientific field of developmental neurotoxicology supports the idea that the developing brain is exquisitely vulnerable to toxic impacts."
"The cord blood of babies contains at least trace amounts of hundreds of chemicals, meaning babies have already been exposed while in the womb. There is plenty of science showing that even low levels of exposure during this time creates vulnerability to epigenetic changes—that is, altered gene expression. We know almost nothing about the long-term impacts."
I realize that you will have covered a lot of these points in your training. But she is going through all of the body systems, and all of development, with respect to autism.
This is interesting, and quite scary.
Definitely scary.I looked into the Kindle lending process. Good news - it looks pretty straightforward; I just need an email address, and you can use any Kindle reader to access it.
Bad news - only some Kindle books have been authorized for loans, and this isn't one of them (yet).
But the process is something to keep in mind going forward. I do have a lot of Kindle books, and at some point we can work together on a list of 'loanables' and 'would likes'. Loans are one-time for a given book, for 14 days.
I will be out of town starting Monday for a week, but will keep reading and posting updates when I can.
Happy reading! Always fun to chat with you.:)
I like the idea of a loanable list. By the way, are Kindle books available only for a one-time loan or it is only once to the same person?
Looks like just a one-time loan:"Eligible Kindle books can be loaned once for a period of 14 days."
Hopefully there is an efficient way to make the loanable list. The help page is not very helpful on this (you have to look at each item description to see).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custome...
But, we can definitely do some more digging and see what can be done - probably in about 10 days for me.
I think there is a group on GR that is based around this idea - saw it once, hopefully I can find it again.
