c





 
 (say:
-tih-zum) causes kids to experience the world differently from the way
most other kids do. It's hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express
themselves using words. Kids who have autism usually keep to themselves and many
can't communicate without special help.

They also may react to what's going on around them in unusual ways. Normal sounds
may really bother someone with autism ² so much so that the person covers his or her
ears. Being touched, even in a gentle way, may feel uncomfortable.

Kids with autism often can't make connections that other kids make easily. For example,
when someone smiles, you know the smiling person is happy or being friendly. But a kid
with autism may have trouble connecting that smile with the person's happy feelings.

A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words to their meanings. Imagine trying to
understand what your mom is saying if you didn't know what her words really mean. It is
doubly frustrating then if a kid can't come up with the right words to express his or her
own thoughts.

Autism causes kids to act in unusual ways. They might flap their hands, say certain
words over and over, have temper tantrums, or play only with one particular toy. Most
kids with autism don't like changes in routines. They like to stay on a schedule that is
always the same. They also may insist that their toys or other objects be arranged a
certain way and get upset if these items are moved or disturbed.

If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense
of the world. Every day, your brain interprets the sights, sounds, smells, and other
sensations that you experience. If your brain couldn't help you understand these things,
you would have trouble functioning, talking, going to school, and doing other everyday
stuff. Kids can be mildly affected by autism, so that they only have a little trouble in life,
or they can be very affected, so that they need a lot of help.

c

 


Autism affects about 1 in every 150 kids, but no one knows what causes it. Some
scientists think that some kids might be more likely to get autism because it or similar
disorders run in their families. Knowing the exact cause of autism is hard because the
human brain is very complicated.
The brain contains over 100 billion nerve cells called   (say: ahns). Each
neuron may have hundreds or thousands of connections that carry messages to other
nerve cells in the brain and body. The connections and the chemical messengers they
send (called  

) let the neurons that help you see, feel, move,
remember, and work together as they should.

For some reason, some of the cells and connections in the brain of a kid with autism ²
especially those that affect communication, emotions, and senses ² don't develop
properly or get damaged. Scientists are still trying to understand how and why this
happens.

c


Figuring out if a kid has autism can be difficult. A parent is usually the first to suspect
that something is wrong. Maybe the kid is old enough to speak but doesn't, doesn't
seem interested in people, or behaves in other unusual ways. But autism isn't the only
problem that can cause these kinds of symptoms. For example, kids who have hearing
problems might have trouble speaking, too.

Usually, the results of lab tests and other medical tests are normal in kids with autism,
but doctors may do them to make sure the kid doesn't have other problems. These
medical tests can include blood and urine tests, a hearing exam, an EEG (a test to
measure brain waves), and an MRI (a picture that shows the structure of the brain).
Intelligence (IQ) tests also might be done.

Often, specialists work together as a team to figure out what is wrong. The team might
include a pediatrician, a pediatric neurologist, a pediatric developmentalist, a child
psychiatrist, a child psychologist, speech and language therapists, and others. The
team members study how the child plays, learns, communicates, and behaves. The
team listens carefully to what parents have noticed, too. Using the information they've
gathered, doctors can decide whether a child has autism or another problem.

 


There is no cure for autism, but doctors, therapists, and special teachers can help kids
with autism overcome or adjust to many difficulties. The earlier a kid starts treatment for
autism, the better.

Different kids need different kinds of help, but learning how to communicate is always
an important first step. Spoken language can be hard for kids with autism to learn. Most
understand words better by seeing them, so therapists teach them how to communicate
by pointing or using pictures or sign language. That makes learning other things easier,
and eventually, many kids with autism learn to talk.

Therapists also help kids learn social skills, such as how to greet people, wait for a turn,
and follow directions. Some kids need special help with living skills (like brushing teeth
or making a bed). Others have trouble sitting still or controlling their tempers and need
therapy to help them control their behavior. Some kids take medications to help their
moods and behavior, but there's no medicine that will make a kid's autism go away.

Students with mild autism sometimes can go to regular school. But most kids with
autism need calmer, more orderly surroundings. They also need teachers trained to
understand the problems they have with communicating and learning. They may learn
at home or in special classes at public or private schools.

Ö

c
  


Some kids with mild autism will grow up and be able to live on their own. Those with
more serious problems will always need some kind of help. But all kids with autism have
brighter futures when they have the support and understanding of doctors, teachers,
caregivers, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD

Date reviewed: April 2008
Originally reviewed by: Wendelin A. Burdo-Hartman, MD
 Health magazine

Autism is one of serious developmental problems called Autism Spectrum Disorder

(ASD) occurring in early childhood, generally before three years. Symptoms and
severity of autism have variation, so all autism affects children¶s ability to communicate
and interact with others.

There is no cure for this condition, early and intensive treatment can make a big change
in the lives of many children with this disorder.

( 
Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas of development,
social interaction, language and habits. Because the symptoms of autism vary widely,
two children with the same diagnosis can have different habits and abilities. In many
cases, severe autism is characterized by total inability to communicate or interact with
others.

Some children show symptoms of autism in the early period of growth. Another child
grow normally in the first few months or years and then suddenly deteriorate, become
aggressive or lose language skills they already have. Although children with autism
have unique pattern each others, there are some common symptoms of autism, among
others:

- Ability to socialize

- Failed to mention his name

- Eye contact is less

- Often didn¶t listen to people who talked to him

- Do not want to be hugged or handheld

- Appearing unconsciousness about other feelings

- Enjoys playing alone in their ³world´

Ö


y Beginning to speak after the age of two years and having the delaying ability in 30
months.
y Missing conversation skills , which have been held previously.
y Don¶t make eye contact when asking for something.
y Speaking with tone or rhythm abnormally ± maybe using sounds like: singing or robot.
y Unable to start conversation or keep the conversation.
y May repeat words or speech, but do not understand how to use.



y Showing repetitive motions, like: swinging, spinning, or clapping their hands.
y Showing certain rituals or routines.
y Moving constantly.
y Being astonished to the specific part of things, like: toy car wheels spinning.
Children with autism also have a hard time to share experiences with others.
Development of social skills at early age is crucial to the development of language and
socialize at a later date.

As adults, some children with autism become more familiar with others and show little
interference with the habit. Some of them usually have to live normally or nearly by the
end of the severe problems. Several others have difficulties in language or socializing
skills, which adult age can mean as the worsening of this problem.

Many children with autism are slow to improve capabilities or new experiences, some
have signs of low intelligence. Other children with autism have high intelligence
normally. Children learn quickly when they have trouble in communicating, applying
what they learn in life every day and adapting to social situations. Any children with
autism are ³autistic expert´ and having remarkable ability in certain specific things, like:
art, math or music.





Causes of autism are complex problems. Two children with autism are not similar. In
many cases, the cause of this condition include:

 
!. Some genes show links to autism. Some may make children more
susceptible to interference; affect brain development or the way of brain cells used to
communicate.
" 
  
! #
. Many health problems are caused by genetic and
environmental factors. For example: experts found that viral infections and air pollution
played role in autism.
 
 #
$Autism affects children from all races and nations, but certain factors
increase the risk. Among others:
y Boys are three or four times more likely to get autism than girls.
y Families who have a child with autism has the increased risk of having another child
with this disorder.
y Children with certain medical conditions have higher risk of having autism, such as:
conditions include fragile X syndrome, a hereditary factor that causes the problem of
intelligence, tuberous sclerosis, conditions which occur in benign brain tumors,
Tourette¶s syndrome (neurological disorder that causes seizures and epilepsy).
y Having a child at an older age increases the risk of having a child with autism.
X 

There is no way to prevent autism. Treatment of autism can improve children¶s
language and socialize skills. If your child is diagnosed with autism, tell your pediatrician
about making a strategy of care for your child. Keep in mind that you may need to try
several different treatments before finding the best combination for your child.
 
( 


 #




Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASM's) officially belong to a group of illnesses known as

'developmental disabilities'. They are characterized by problems with social and
communication skills of varying degrees. Autistic people also commonly display unusual
ways of learning, reacting to different sensations and paying attention. Sufferers also
tend to repeat certain behaviors and have difficulties when required to change their
usual daily activities. ASD's are commonly said to start in childhood and last for the
persons whole life ,but as you will see below, there are many new theories as to the
cause(s) of these disorders and many offer the hope of effective treatments.

The following definition of Autism is taken from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM IV), which is used to diagnose Autism:

DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR 299.00 AUTISTIC DISORDER

$
!#
%&'
#&(')&*')
&+')
 
!
#&(')

 
 #&*'
&+'

((',
!





 


!


 )


# 
!
#
 #!!
-

a) Marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye

gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction

b) Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

c) A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with

other people, (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to
other people)

d) Lack of social or emotional reciprocity ( note: in the description, it gives the following
as examples: not actively

Participating in simple social play or games, preferring solitary activities, or involving

others in activities only as tools or "mechanical" aids )

&*',
!





 



 


# 
!
 # 
#!!
-

a) delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language

(not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of

communication such as gesture or mime)
b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or
sustain a conversation with others

c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language

d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to

developmental level

&+'



 
 #

)






)


# 
!
# #!!
-

a) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of

interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus

b) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals

c) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g hand or finger flapping or twisting,
or complex whole-body movements)

d) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

.$!

 
!# 




!
 # #!!


)
 
 

+ 
-

(1) social interaction

(2) language as used in social communication

(3) symbolic or imaginative play

$ 
 

 
 # /

! 







(Rett's Disorder and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder belong to a group of illnesses

called 'pervasive developmental disorders', as do Autism Spectrum Disorders)

Conditions Included in Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Autistic Spectrum Disorders include autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder

- not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger's syndrome. The definition quoted
above is specifically for autistic disorder but both PPD-NOS and Asperger's disorder
have some of the same symptoms, but they differ in terms of when the symptoms start,
how fast they appear, how severe they are, and their exact nature.

Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders

Early detection of autism is considered essential for the effective use of many
behavioural therapies. Various screening techniques have been developed utilizing
questionnaies, interviews, and clinical observation. A combination of these methods is
usually used.

A number of different questionnaies have been created to help doctors and researchers
diagnose autism in children. The CHAT (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) is considered
to be a HIGHLY accurate and simple autism screening tool for early autism diagnosis.
Research supporting the CHAT has been published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Studies have found that the CHAT is 85% accurate in diagnosing children with autism
and 100% accurate in diagnosing a developmental delay in general. The CHAT can be
used for children 18 months old or older.

Recently a modified CHAT (M-CHAT) has been developed to increase accuracy even
further.

M-CHAT Autism Questionnaire

Possible Causes of Autism

At present, no definitive cause has been identified for autism. Both genetic and
environmental factors are being studied as possible causative factors. Studies carried
out throughout the developed world have found that around 6 in every 1000 children
have at least one ASD. A US government report published in January 2003 stated that
incidence had increased ten fold in only 10 years. There is also evidence that this
number is still increasing and that cases appear in clusters, both of which tend to lend
weight to the theory that ASD's involve a significant environmental factor. On the other
hand , with regards to increasing numbers of cases, it may just be that doctors are more
aware of these illnesses and are better able to diagnose them but this wouldn't seem to
account for such a large increase. It should be stressed that it is known that ASD's are
not caused by parental actions.

Below are the leading theories for the cause(s) of Autistic Spectrum Disorders:

Genetic
One of the strongest indicators of the role that genetics plays in Autism Spectrum
Disorders comes from research involving identical twins conducted at the MRC Child
Psychiatry Unit at the Institute of Psychiatry in London (1). The researchers found that if
one identical twin had a autism then there was a 60% chance that the other would
develop the condition. This was in contrast to non-identical twins where there was no
increase at all in the chance of the second twin developing autism. Even when the
criteria were expanded to include the other ASD's a similar correlation was observed.
This study suggests that ASD's have a definite genetic factor as being the identical twin
of an autistic person markedly increases your chances of also having the disorder.
However, it also suggest to us that ASD's may also involve significant environmental
factors due to the fact that not every identical twin of an autistic child also develops the
condition.

Research is now being conducted all over the world to determine specific genes that
increase the likelihood of someone developing autism. A group known as the
International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism Consortium, which includes clinicians
and researchers from the USA, UK, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, and
Greece, has pinpointed four chromosomes which they believe play critical roles in
autism. The chromosomes they identified are numbers 2, 7, 16 and 17. The evidence
for involvement of chromosomes 2 and 7 is particularly strong as these had also been
previously identified by other independent researchers (2,3,4,5). Chromosome 7 is
known to be associated with many language disorders and chromosome 2 plays an
important role in early brain development. These findings are further demonstrated by
research showing dyslexia patients also have abnormalities on these chromosomes (6).
This is not surprising as dyslexia also produces deficits in learning ability and
information processing in the brain.

These findings are based on a study involving 150 autistic children. A further study
involving up to 500 people is now underway that should provide an even better picture
of genetic involvement in ASDs.

In February 2008, the US government conceded that vaccines had caused an autism-
inducing reaction in one little girl, Hannah Poling. At the time most experts stated that
her underlying condition, a mitochondrial disorder, was very rare and so the case had
no implications for other children with autism. The United Mitochondrial Disease
Foundation (UMDF) however has said that mitochondrial disorders are at "the core of
many well known diseases and chronic illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease,
Parkinson's disease and autism spectrum disorders." Subsequently the Foundation
published research demonstrating that at least one in 200 healthy humans "harbors a
pathogenic mitochondrial mutation that potentially causes disease." The study was
published in the American Journal of Human Genetics (21).

Vaccinations
Aside from vaccines now being implicated in triggering mitochondrial dysfunction and
possibly autism as a result, it has been proposed that the combined measles, mumps
and rubella vaccine (MMR) may be a causative factor in autism. This has been a
subject of hot debate however. The study that brought this to the attention of the public
was conducted in the UK in 1998 (Wakefield et al)(7).
See the full research abstract here.

The researchers reviewed reports of children with bowel disorders and regressive
developmental disorders, mostly autism. The researchers suggested that the MMR
vaccination may have been one possible environmental trigger that led to intestinal
abnormalities, resulting in impaired intestinal function and developmental regression.
This hypothesis was based on 12 children. In nine of the cases, the child's parents
and/or pediatrician felt that the MMR vaccine had contributed to the behavioral
problems of the children in the study.

Since this study was published many other researchers have questioned its validity. It
should be noted that this criticism only refers to a link between MMR and autism. The
research by Dr. Wakefield demonstrated a valid link between autism and
gastrointestinal disease with findings of chronic intestinal inflammation in 11 of the 12
children and reactive ileal lymphoid hyperplasia in 7. Haemoglobin and serum IgA (an
antibody produced by the immune system) were found to be low in 4 of 12 children.
Finally, methylmalonic acid was found to be consistently high, this is a strong indicator
of vitamin B12 deficiency. None of these other findings have been disputed and offer
indicate a need for further study in these areas.

One valid criticism of the MMR connection is that it was a very small study, having only
12 subjects. However this doesn't negate the findings entirely, it just means that larger
studies should be conducted in this area. Another major criticism is that in at least 4 of
the 12 cases, behavioral symptoms preceded the onset of the bowel disorder and thus
the line of cause and effect between MMR vaccination and autism, is broken.

From an environmental illness perspective the criticism itself seems simplistic.

Research into gut ecology and its role in illness is increasingly showing the link between
disturbed gut microflora and symptoms distant from the gastrointestinal tract. Examples
of this are multiple studies providing evidence for the role of Klebsiella pneumoniae in
ankylosing spondylitis and Proteus sp in rheumatoid arthritis. Given this, it is entirely
plausible that behavioral symptoms could precede overt bowel symptoms in autistic
children even though the root cause is a bowel disturbance. Accordingly this possibility
should not be dismissed out of hand.

Bowel problems are are common finding in all environmental illnesses as any sufferer
will reveal. Studies looking for changes in gut microflora using stool, urine and blood
testing have also confirmed a high rate of abnormality in environmental illness patients
(see Eaton et al). It is also widely accepted that these illnesses have a prominent
immune dysfunction component. Studies have also shown that patients with
compromised immune systems have a high incidence of abnormal gut microflora. Given
that the MMR vaccine subjects the immune system to three different antigens at once it
is a possibility that the child's immune system, while dealing with these becomes more
susceptible to pathogenic changes in the bacterial composition of the intestines or
causes other detrimental immunological or neurological changes not yet identified.
Indeed, an increasing number of medical professionals are voicing concern about the
immunological changes caused by vaccinations, especially regarding multiple
vaccinations over a short period of time, which is what the MMR vaccine effectively is.
One recent report (Nov, 2004) that lends weight to this feeling is the UK's independent
study into Gulf War Syndrome which found it to be an organic disease and pointed to
multiple vaccinations given to troops, amongst other factors, as a possible trigger for the
illness. Similar conclusions were also drawn by two US studies in 2004.

Although the media coverage of the MMR debate has died down, the debate is sure to
rage behind closed doors for a long time to come as parents continue to see their child's
health deteriorate following vaccinations.

Another possible cause of symptoms stemming from vaccinations is the inclusion of

mercury preservatives in vaccines. Mercury in vaccines is discussed in the 'heavy
metals' section below.

Yeast/Candida
Following on from the previous paragraphs above about gut microflora disturbances,
we'll now look at the possible role of yeast, specifically Candida, in ASD's. Dr. Shaw
of The Great Plains Laboratory and formerly of the Centers for Disease Control has
found that people suffering from ASD's (and other environmental illnesses) consistently
have elevated levels of certain organic acids in their urine. He first noticed this in two
autistic brothers who also had occasional muscle weakness and published his findings
in the Journal Clinical Chemistry in 1995 (8).

Dr. Shaw was originally looking for metabolites characteristic of congenital errors of
metabolism that are associated with muscle weakness. All of these metabolites showed
normal levels, however, other more unusual substances were consistently elevated.
One in particular, tartaric acid, stuck out. One autistic child had tartaric acid levels 600
times higher than the normal value. Dr. Shaw also found that when he looked at the
medical records of his other autistic patients, they too had this abnormality. Dr. Shaw
noted that this substance is primarily produced by yeast. The next logical step was to try
a course of an anti-fungal agent to see if this improved symptoms. Dr. Shaw
administered Nystatin, a common anti-fungal drug, to a 2 year old boy who was being
evaluated for autism. The boy had developed normally up until 18 months of age but
had then been given repeated courses of antibiotics (repeatedly shown to increase
intestinal yeast levels) for an ear infection and had subsequently developed behavioral
problems. After only a few days of Nystatin treatment the boys eye contact returned to
normal and his tartaric acid level markedly decreased. It took 60 days for the tartaric
acid level to return to normal however. Tartaric acid accounts for the muscle problems
because it is a known muscle toxin. It is also similar to malic acid which is an important
part of the Krebs Cycle which in humans accounts for most of the energy production
from food. An important note with regards to tartaric acid being a muscle toxin is that
high levels are also found in fibromyalgia patients.
Other complementary findings come from Dr. Sidhir Gupta, a clinical immunologist in
California. Dr. Gupta has found that a large percentage of autistic children have
significant immune dysfunction and this may include a genetic weakness that impairs
the body's ability to kill yeast as well as deficiencies of IgG and IgA. IgA antibodies are
responsible for killing pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Shaw believes that
most of the tartaric acid is produced by yeast in the GI tract as Nystatin, which isn't
absorbed into the body, has been successful in returning tartaric acid levels to normal.
Other substances that Dr. Shaw finds to be raised in autistic children, and attributes
to intestinal yeast, are citramalic acid and 3-oxoglutaric acid.

The debate over the role of intestinal yeast overgrowth in chronic illness has been going
on for decades. The confusion is mainly due to the lack of a definitive marker that can
be used reliably to detect the presence of increased growth of yeast in the intestines.
This situation has hampered research efforts and understanding for a long time now.
Recent research has strongly suggested that D-arabinitol may be a candidate for this
definitive marker (9, 10). D-arabinitol is a 'sugar alcohol' produced by yeast when they
feed on a sugar called arabinose.

Circumstantial evidence that also points in favour of a role for yeast in ASD's is the fact
that the increase in these illnesses has paralleled the increase in the use of antibiotics
which tend to wipe out beneficial bacteria in the gut allowing yeast such as Candida to
proliferate (11).

It can only be hoped that agreement over a definitive laboratory test for intestinal yeast
overgrowth will lead to research looking at the role it may play in chronic, poorly
understood illnesses, such as autism.

Heavy Metal Toxicity

Another finding in autistic children is a higher level of heavy metals than normal. One
source of mercury exposure in early life is through vaccinations. Thimerosal is a
preservative used in many vaccinations to prevent contamination. Thimerosal is 49.6%
mercury by weight. Shockingly in 1999 the American Food and Drug Administration
released a report stating that children who received thimerosal containing vaccinations
at multiple visits may be exposed to more mercury than is recommended by federal
guidelines. In fact, children may have been receiving 100 times the 0.1 micrograms per
kilogram of daily exposure considered safe by most authorities worldwide. This report
has, however, resulted in positive action being taken. Following the publication of the
report, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) recommended that thimerosal be removed from all vaccines given to children.
Whether this move has reduced new cases of autism is still open for debate however. A
study of 2 US government databases in March 2006 showed that in the 4 years
following the recommended removal of thimerosal from childrens vaccines, exposure of
children to this toxin was reduced to almost zero, and most importantly, new cases of
autism actually began to decrease. On the other hand California public health officials
examined state records for the period 1995-2007 and found that cases of autism
continued to rise in the 6 years after thimerosal was removed from children's vaccines in
2001.

Mercury is a known neurotoxin and could be especially harmful to the developing brains
of young children. A study conducted in 2005 by Burbacher p
 and published in the
journal  
p 
p 
pp pfound that ethylmercury (the form found in
thimerosal in vaccines) had a higher affinity for the brain than other forms i.e. much of
the mercury from thimerosal-containing vaccines ends up in children's brains (20).
Mercury also disrupts biochemistry and can result in dysfunction of multiple enzyme
systems and damage to cell membranes and many proteins involved in all bodily
functions. As can be said for the MMR vaccine, increases in vaccinations correlate well
with increases in incidence of ASD's.

In a paper published in the journal Neurotoxicology by The Coalition for Safe Minds in
2001, the authors seek to determine the levels of mercury that could be expected upon
hair analysis, based upon the amounts of mercury in vaccines routinely given to infants
and children.(12). The paper predicts, based upon a proven model, that giving children
all the usual vaccinations, using thimerosal containing vaccines would result in a hair
concentration of greater than 1ppm (parts per million) of mercury for up to 365 days with
various peaks during that period. 1ppm is the safe limit set by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). Research at the UCLA Medical Center in California has also
shown that Thimerosal (when bound to human albumin protein) triggers an immune
system reaction in autistic children, resulting in the production of antibodies (17). This
indicates a possible autoimmune reaction as the immune system could react against
any of the child's own tissues that happen to have Thimerosal bound to them.

Obviously children are exposed to mercury from other sources as well so their actual
mercury levels could be expected to be even higher than this. The paper notes that:

"exposure to low levels of mercury during critical stages of development has been
associated with neurological disorders in children, including ADD, learning difficulties,
and speech delays, the predicted hair Hg (mercury) concentration resulting from
childhood immunizations is cause for concern."

A paper published in March 2006 in Environmental Health Perspectives would seem to

shed more light on the mechanisms by which thimerosal can damage a childs health.
Researchers at University of California, Davis, have found that in mice at least,
thimerosal can disrupt the immune system. This large, well funded study for the
university's MIND Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
is sure to be an important indicator of where future research should be focused. The
researchers in this study looked at dendritic cells which can be described as
messengers within the immune system. These cells take up invaders such as bacteria,
viruses and other antigens such as vaccine ingredients and process them. They then
migrate to the lymph nodes to present their information to other immune cells, which
can activate a systemic immune response. The research shows that these dendritic
cells, especially the normal biochemical signals they process, are highly sensitive to
thimerosal. With low concentrations of thimerosal, an inflammatory response occurs and
with higher concentrations the cell is actually killed. These reactions could lead to any
number of unwanted, and uncontrolled, effects within the immune system.

Autistic children often show signs of immunological dysfunction with allergies, gut
disorders and frequent infections being common. The effects of thimerosal on the
immune system, that this study demonstrates, provides one possible explanation of why
this is the case.

Of course, mercury is not the only heavy metal that can cause health problems and
vaccinations are not the only source of exposure to mercury. Other possible sources of
heavy metal exposure are contaminated food and water supplies. Fish is particularly
associated with contamination as oceanic pollution becomes more concentrated as it
moves up the food chain to predatory fish..

Chemical Exposure
A number of researchers and institutions are now studying the possible role of exposure
to chemicals in ASD's. A major study is underway at The UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute,
Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences. Professor Isaac Pessah who is involved with this study states:

" Environmental exposure to mercury, pesticides and other contaminants during early
childhood development could easily alter the normal function of a child's systems".

The UC Davis Institute will conduct research using a large sample of 2000 autistic
children and will look at possible chemicals and levels of these chemicals that the
children were exposed to during early childhood to see if there is a correlation. The
researchers are working on the assumption that there is a genetic susceptibility to
autism in a proportion of children but there may be an environmental factor that has to
be present during their early years that "pushes their nervous system over the edge into
autism". They study will also assess blood levels of environmental toxins in autistic
subjects compared to healthy subjects and will aim to find out the impact of exposures
on the brain's ability to send signals and on cell growth in the nervous system, as well
as identify the underlying biochemical process.

This is a large well funded study that should provide valuable evidence of any
correlation between chemical exposures and ASD's. There is similar work going on in
other locations around the world.

There have already been a significant number of studies published that have tried to
determine the role that environmental chemicals play in the development of autism
spectrum disorders. Dr's Edelson and Cantor of the Environmental and Preventive
Health Center of Atlanta in the US suggest that "chronic exposure to toxic agents, i.e.,
xenobiotic agents, to a developing central nervous system may be the best model for
defining the physiological and behavioral data found in these populations (children with
ASD's)". In their own study of 18 autistic children the doctors carried out a range of tests
to measure levels of toxic chemicals in the children's bodies and how well their livers
were able to detoxify them. It was found that all of the children had liver detoxification
profiles outside the normal range, indicating an increased toxic load on the liver. The
results showed that 16 of the 18 children had levels of chemicals exceeding the
maximum safe limit for adults. In the 2 children where high levels of chemicals weren't
detected directly, they were found to have raised D-glucaric acid in their urine which is
an indicator of a high level of toxins being metabolized by the liver. The paper goes on
to discuss how these findings of toxicity could cause immune system disruption and
lead to the behavioral symptoms associated with autism (13).

In a report published 2004, 'toxic contaminants' are linked to increases in the

prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and associated
neurodevelopment al and behavioral problems in developed countries. The author also
suggests that exposure of the foetus to chemicals while still in the womb could lead to
development of these disorders. Particular note is made of the high sensitivity of the
unborn foetus to thyroid disturbance and the many chemicals in common use that could
interfere with the thyroid functionof mothers (14).

Low Glutathione and Oxidative Stress

Glutathione is one of the bodies most important antioxidants, especially in cells
important to the process of detoxification and elimination of environmental toxins,
primarily in the liver. Researchers at the biochemical genetics laboratory at Arkansas
Children's Hospital Research Institute have found that about 80% of children with
autism have reduced levels of glutathione and its precursor nutrients such as the amino
acids, cysteine and methionine (18). Reduced levels of glutathione would increase the
level of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when antioxidants aren't able to clear
the body of free radicals (highly reactive chemicals), which can damage cells in the
brain, gastrointestinal tract and immune system. Professor Jill James, who headed the
research states:

"[Our findings] suggest that these kids would be more sensitive to an environmental
exposure and would be less likely to detox from heavy metals,"

This is a very interesting fact when placed in the context of children developing autism
after being givenvaccinations containing mercury compounds.

This is by no means the only study indicating that those with autism have decreased
antioxidants and resulting increased oxidative stress. In a recent Turkish study of 27
autistic children and 30 healthy controls, findings such as increased Nitric Oxide (NO) in
the autistic children were also indicative of increased oxidative stress (19).
Gluten and Casein
I'm sure everyone is familiar with the opiate drugs such as opium, morphine and heroin.
It would be reasonable to ask what these very powerful and potentially damaging drugs
have got to do with autism and children's health. All will be revealed shortly.

As you are probably aware, gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, oats
and barley. Casein is a milk protein found in the milk of all the animals whose milk
humans in the western world regularly consume, cows milk, sheep's milk and goats
milk.

As we've already talked about, autistic people often have gut problems including
frequent gut dysbiosis. As a result, digestion is impaired resulting in the incomplete
digestion of gluten and casein. What is disturbing is that when not properly digested,
gluten and casein can end up as peptides (protein building blocks) with a chemical
structure that resembles that of the opiates. There is a significant, and growing, amount
of published research showing that gluteomorphin and casomorphin (the offending
peptides) have been detected in the urine of autistic children (15, 16). These peptides
can pass easily through the blood-brain barrier and interfere with the functioning of
neurotransmitters such as Sheraton and dopamine, just as the opiate drugs do. As a
result the patient suffers a range of neurological and psychological symptoms.

Investigators at the UCLA Medical Center in California have also shown that both gluten
and casein peptides trigger an immune response in children with autism, resulting in the
production of antibodies to these substances (17).

As a result of these findings, the gluten and casein free diet (GFCF) has been
developed. By avoiding both gluten and casein, both children and adults with autism
can be helped a lot.
Learn more about the GFCF diet

Parental Age
Research has consistently made a connection between the increasing age of fathers
and the incidence of autism. A major study published in 2008 which used data from the
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 'Autism and Developmental
Disabilities Monitoring Network' found that the age of both mothers and fathers was
linked to the risk of a child developing autism.

The research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that older
parents, both mothers and fathers, are more likely to have a child with an autism
spectrum disorder (ASD). The study results suggest that mothers aged 35 or older have
a 30% greater chance of having an autistic child compared to mothers aged 25 to 29,
while fathers older than 40 had a 40% higher risk than those aged 25 to 29. In addition,
the study noted that firstborn children were the most likely to be affected by ASDs;
firstborn offspring of 2 older parents being 3 times more likely to develop autism than
third or later-born offspring of mothers aged 20±34 and fathers aged less than 4022.


Introduction

y Autism is a disability that infected in pre-natal post.

y Most of the autism child caused by similar disorders runs in their families.
y Usually child with autism have same physical with normal child.
y Autism causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other
kids do.
y A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words to their meanings.
y The child also likely have their own world thus there were do not understand
normal people world.
y They like to see thing that are spinning such as fan.

Body

y Autism child always have problems with social and communication skills of
varying degrees.
y Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level.
y A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements
with other people.
y Lack of social or emotional reciprocity.
y Stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language.
y Lack of social interaction
y There is no cure for this condition; early and intensive treatment can make a big
change in the lives of many children with this disorder.

Conclusion

y In backward time many autism child been abandon by their family.

y Today cause of the awareness of these disabilities, their family started to take
care of the autism child.
y Much invention was found today to help the disability child.
y They have right to live a normal life like others.
y There been also a law for this disability group.
y They have right to get education in school.
y Allowance has been given to this child to help they live.
y We must treat this special child with special treat as they deserve.