Child just diagnosed with autism?

Posted By Phyllis on October 2, 2009

This week, D. emailed me and said her grandson had just been diagnosed with Asperger’s. Where should she start in learning about this? she asked.

Here’s my reply:

You will find that the autism world is divided into two camps: mainstream doctors and parents (including some renegade doctors).

The doctors’ line: we don’t know what causes autism, but we’re working on it, so be patient and in 25 or 30 years we’ll have some research answers. In the meantime, take some drugs.

The parents’ line: let’s figure out what helps and treat our kids. Let’s minimize the drugs. Let’s take a good look at the overwhelming anecdotal evidence, which points to some kind of link to vaccines.

If you go with the parent camp, a good place to start is with the Autism Research Institute web site at www.autism.com. You should also investigate Generation Rescue at www.GenerationRescue.com . They can assign your family a “rescue angel” who has a child recovered from autism and can coach you. Or you can find a doctor who is associated with Defeat Autism Now! Such doctors typically have autism-spectrum kids of their own, and wanted to find out what helps and do it.

Blessings,
Phyllis

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