AAP Autism Toolkit: "Insert Sound of Crickets Chirping."
By Anne Dachel
The President of the AAP, Dr. David Tayloe, recently released a letter to doctors entitled, Autism: opportunities for pediatric leadership, partnership. (HERE)
In the midst of an unprecedented epidemic of neurological disorders among our children, this is the best response from the organization that claims to be focused on the health of our children. In his letter, Tayloe advises doctors to use the "Autism toolkit" provided on this link. (HERE) This amounts to a pathetic joke in the face of the struggle faced by countless thousands of parents.
At their national convention in Oct 2007, the AAP recommended early screening at well-baby checks. "AAP Recommends Autism Screening for All Infants" (HERE)
Autism wasn't a crisis for the AAP in 2007 and it isn't today. The AAP had no answers in 2007 and they have no answers today.
In his letter, Tayloe could only say that autism "appears to be increasing." For our country, autism is an epidemic and a disaster. For parents, it's a heartbreaking nightmare. But to the AAP president, autism represents "opportunities for pediatric leadership, partnership."
Tayloe announced that the AAP "will continue to work hard on correcting misinformation that unduly worries the public and encourages unhealthy practices.
"The AAP concurs with scientists and parents who find no linkage between vaccines and autism and continues to encourage all parents to bring their children for their life-saving immunizations."
Tayloe shows an appalling lack of concern for a generation of suffering children that the rest of society will eventually have to provide for. His main effort seems to be to pretend that autism is an acceptable condition and to re-enforce the tired mantra of "no known cause, no known cure." He offers nothing for America's children.
Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.
There is always a place for prescription medication in most cases of autism. However, there is always the risk and caution for the possibility of suffering minor to serious side-effects, especially with long-term use.
Posted by: Elaine S | January 18, 2012 at 03:03 PM
Specialized education and physiotherapy are drug-free natural remedies for autism. Therapy approaches like occupational therapy, sensory integration and music therapy are helpful in offsetting the developmental delay caused by the disease.
Posted by: Gregg | November 19, 2011 at 03:05 PM
What exactly is it going to take to get the appropriate response from the AAP, CDC, AMA, White House, State Gov'ts . . . I guess if all of our children were losing an ear or going blind daily, we'd have an epidemic worthy of attention. While I try to keep a positive attitude and diligently help parents with biomed autism diet information, it's hard not to wonder when help (cause, cure, treatment, enough resources, education, insurance support for all therapies) will come for an entire generation of children and their parents. The tied will turn--won't it? J
Posted by: Jeannine Olson | February 04, 2009 at 12:19 AM
I agree with Not an MD--the things the AAP does openly and publicly are absolutely sickening.
Imagine the level of contempt they express for parents behind closed doors.
To some degree, they will succeed in frightening parents away from actually healing their child.
There are parents out there who might be persuaded to use diet and supplements to heal their child, but with the constant drumbeat of "mainstream" medicine still so vigorously against helping our children. . .it will just be too hard for some people.
They will turn away from healing because their doctor, and likely their spouse, and possibly their parents, siblings and/or friends all mock them for it, or suggest that natural healing is "dangerous" in some way!
I talk to mothers frequently who are attempting to be strict with the GFCF diet, for example, but face all kinds of opposition from family and friends, and (of course) from their pediatrician.
Remember when the AAP was going to work with DAN doctors, and learn from them, and the DAN protocol was going to go mainstream? Last April, I believe.
Yeah, right.
Terri Lewis
Posted by: Terri Lewis | February 02, 2009 at 09:47 PM
I highly recommend that someone at AOA obtain a copy of the January 2009 issue (Volume 38 - Number 1) of Pediatric Annals. In it is an article entitled "Autism Spectrum Disorders: What's New and What to Do." I was shown this article by a friend, and it is positively chilling that pediatricians are being advised to steer parents away from natural remedies for autism/ADHD as they could be harmful. The best part is the a large chart devoted to which SSRI's and anti-seizure medicine are to be prescribed for each different ADHD symptom, and what the frightening side effects could be from these very dangerous Rx. (The anti-seizure Rx is not even recommended to prevent seizures in this article, but to treat depression!) Am I to be more afraid, after reading this article, of the dangers of GFCF food, probiotics, natural supplements and organic food than SSRI's, etc. that can cause high blood pressure, sudden death, and suicidal ideation? Really? There is definitely the fodder for an AOA article in this "medical" journal. Very scary stuff, indeed.
Posted by: Not an MD | February 02, 2009 at 03:03 PM
Here's my toolkit..no vaccines, safe birthing without asistance (no immediate cord clamping/c sections, birth drugs) great diet, sunshine, laughter and love...bouya.. Oh, and the most important, it's called a naturopath...and or God given wisdom of mothers and the endless Grandmothers advice (CLO, eat your vegees, no man made crap, etc etc)
Posted by: Kathy Blanco | February 02, 2009 at 01:29 PM
"The AAP continues to support the call for basic research on autism spectrum disorders and other serious pediatric conditions..." By supporting the National Children's Study -- which is going to look at 100,000 random children... This is ridiculous! When are they going to start looking at large groups of children with autism???
Posted by: ObjectiveAutismDad | February 02, 2009 at 12:36 PM
That Pediatric leadership, partnership thingy is what made my child so injured and sick with chronic disease.
So lead, man up, and partner with getting neurotoxic poisons out of vaccines.
Posted by: karenatlanta | February 02, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Tayloe shows himself to be truly diabolical. His statement that the AAP concurs with scientists and parents who find no linkage between vaccines and autism is a joke, given what continues to be revealed about the sham that are "vaccine safety studies."
Autism represents opportunities for pediatric leadership alright-but not the blind, sheep-like,pharma-partnership response that Tayloe wants. I see some bright, questioning, honest Pediatricians who will actually press the questioning about vaccine safety to where it should be and DEMAND proper studies and call a halt to this vaccine madness.
The autism epidemic provides an opportunity for TRUTH, plain and simple. Nothing less than that is acceptable.
Posted by: jen | February 02, 2009 at 11:40 AM
The "Autism toolkit" is more than just pathetic, it is actively dangerous. One of the drugs they list as acceptable to prescribe is valproic acid. The "toolkit" also wants pediatricians to warn parents away from things that many of us have found which improve our child's functioning/cognition - GF/CF diet, chelation, supplements, antifungal treatment, antiviral treatment, etc. Of course, the pediatrician is supposed to do it in an "empathetic" manner. Is this "toolkit" also being promoted to family physicians?
Posted by: Carolyn M | February 02, 2009 at 10:50 AM