Introducing MAPS: The Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs
By Teri Arranga
An important movement has been initiated that holds great promise for the future of autism prevention and recovery. The Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS) has as its mission to “provide education and long-term support for practitioners, ensuring the quality and consistency of medical care for children with autism and related chronic conditions.”
Although much of the focus will be on autism, MAPS will deal with all things pediatric, including allergies, asthma, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, immune dysfunction, and more.
Prolific author, researcher, and clinician Daniel A. Rossignol, MD, FAAFP, serves as president, and holistic, board certified pediatrician David Berger, MD, FAAP, serves as vice president. I interviewed Dr.
Berger, who has a superb track record of preventing autism and other chronic illnesses in his pediatric population, and I was excited and encouraged by what he told me of MAPS.
I first asked Dr. Berger why there was a need for MAPS. Dr. Berger began by telling me why MAPS is unique, exemplifying the need: “This is a program developed by physicians, organized by physicians, and taught by physicians for physicians. Clinicians will need to go through a series of requirements before obtaining the level of Fellowship.”
The MAPS curriculum will center on conferences that consist of two levels of training. MAPS will offer several levels of affiliation. Anyone who works with individuals on the autism spectrum can be a member of MAPS and attend MAPS conferences; however, only prescribing practitioners who can implement pharmacological strategies can move to the Candidate and then the Fellow levels of MAPS. The reason for this is that individuals with an autism diagnosis often have underlying conditions—what some people call “comorbid”—that may benefit greatly from some prescription medications.
MAPS takes accountability to children and families very seriously. A review board will be established where parents can file a complaint if a MAPS practitioner has gone outside the standard of care or treated a patient poorly. Loss of MAPS Fellowship status is a real consequence.
The take-home message is that MAPS is defining standard of care and prioritizes true quality control.
Dr. Berger is excited to be a MAPS physician: “By defining standard of care, I’m excited for the parents
—a parent will know who should be trustworthy, and doctors can know who is a safe referral from a collegial perspective.”
He described a logical and hopeful road forward: “Of course, we see the importance of properly educating
and evaluating doctors. Then, by establishing standard of care, we can build databases and do clinical research, data tracking, and compilation in standardized ways. We can then publish what biomedical therapies are doing, further defining standard of care. We can test new treatments. We’ll be able to encourage parents that further treatments are on the horizon—to check back and not to give up. We will publish, and these publications will spread hope and awareness to the general public.” I appreciated the value of comparing medical and behavioral databases in the future because that could potentially show how much biomedical therapies improve core ASD outcomes.
Something that I really got out of hearing Dr. Berger talk was that there is much to study. There are so many phenotypic presentations—the different ways that individuals on the spectrum “look” and function—and we need to rationally and in an organized manner tease these issues out. MAPS will do that. In this way, medicine can be tailored to the individual, and we can understand different factors that can go into a consequent autism diagnosis in an effort to prevent possible degradation of health for yet-unaffected children.
As MAPS progresses, papers will be published—this is so important. And it is hoped that universities will be more inclined to study this arena and participate in the type of training and investigation that MAPS is doing. It will be a wonderful day when MAPS physicians in academic posts are able to train other doctors.
Dr. Berger summed up our talk, outlining three reasons that MAPS offers hope: 1) parents will be able to find qualified, experienced physicians; 2) there will be research for new treatments to help children; and 3) we can stave off autism in siblings as parents consult with MAPS doctors for testing and treatment to prevent the development of autism. The big thing is just knowing that something CAN be done!
Dr. Berger’s own practice has beaten the odds of autism, diabetes, asthma, and more. MAPS is not just about autism—it’s about raising healthier kids!
AUTISM SCIENCE DIGEST: THE JOURNAL OF AUTISMONE ISSUE 04
Copyright © 2012, Autism International Association, Inc.
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Posted by: muscle pain relief jacksonville | June 08, 2012 at 02:23 AM
Well done Jenny for adding your support to this you will not get any brownie points,towards the next Oscar or whatever in doing so, thank you so much....
Posted by: Angus Files | February 28, 2012 at 05:54 PM
this sounds very exciting!! Can't wait until there are doctors who take insurance who can treat ADULTS with autism!!
Posted by: Jan | February 26, 2012 at 04:39 PM
@Lynn Johnson:
Jenny McCarty has done more for autistic kids than the AAP ever will.
Good luck if you are counting on them for treatment or prevention.
Posted by: Cassandra | February 25, 2012 at 08:19 PM
Where does the AAP fit in?
Jenny McCarthy on the cover will not help this cause - We need to be taken seriously -
Without a main-stream link this will go nowhere like DAN did.
Posted by: lynn johnson | February 25, 2012 at 07:58 AM
How about you MAPS people stop screwin' around, and put all your effort to finding out what is causing this scourge so that not one more child along with their supporting families will be damaged!
Posted by: Paul Shapiro | February 24, 2012 at 10:49 PM
I was disappointed that nothing was mentioned about the MAPS doctors agreeing and choosing to not vaccinate their patients so as to prevent the damage in the first place. To me, that is the most important thing one could look for in a doctor these days. Otherwise, the doctors are just getting paid to treat the messes they created in the first place, in many cases.
Posted by: Laura Hayes | February 24, 2012 at 05:32 PM
From the MAPS website: Bernard Rimland, PhD., father of the biomedical autism movement, helped give vision and direction to the MAPS program which embodies his passion for physician teaching and development. From Mothering magazine he is quoted in 2003 as saying:THE AUTISM EPIDEMIC IS REAL, AND EXCESSIVE VACCINATIONS ARE THE CAUSE. Let's hope this is the direction they will go!
Posted by: Melinda Kohn | February 24, 2012 at 05:32 PM
So, then does that mean lab test to find out if a child has mitrochondrial disorder - and they will also suggest a treatment of a low carb diet?
Would at last a diet be suggested and help given in the education of the family?
Posted by: Benedetta | February 24, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Teri,
This is very much needed. I am looking forward to seeing what comes from MAPS.
Posted by: Mary | February 24, 2012 at 08:48 AM
Sounds like drugs, drugs and more drugs, where is the part of avoiding or limiting vaccines when speaking of avoiding autism.
Posted by: victor pavlovic | February 24, 2012 at 08:41 AM
Teri, MAPS sounds like a much-needed replacement for the orphaned DAN! movement ... and more. The Autism Trust USA, which I chair, would like to discuss partnering with MAPS. Thanks for getting the word out.
Posted by: Dan E. Burns | February 24, 2012 at 06:15 AM