Holistic Health International is proud to host Dr. Amy Yasko’s conference in Los Angeles, CA- October 7-9, 2011. Our conference in Boston last summer was a resounding success for both newcomers and veterans of the protocol. This year we look forward to meeting again and have a great event planned in sunny Los Angeles this coming Columbus Day weekend. We invite you to join us for a weekend of learning, science, hope and recovery. For more details call 1-800-768-8744 or log onto www.HolisticHeal.com  We look forward to seeing everyone there!

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

Get your 160-page August edition of Autism Science Digest -- the magazine that gives you the value of a book!  See what subscribers around the world are reading. Subscribe HERE.

The August issue's articles include:

• Cerebral folate deficiency in autism spectrum disorders
• Biofilm: A Cause of Chronic Gastrointestinal Issues in ASD
• Mitochondrial dysfunction and autism spectrum disorders
• Hope through Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
• Current Trends in ADHD/ADD Treatment
• The Thyroid-Autism Connection
• And much more!

AutismOne brings you your favorite authors and information you can share with your family, friends, physicians, patients, coworkers, and colleagues but -- most of all -- your kids!

A one-year subscription is just $24.95 in the US/Canada and $45.00 USD around the world.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

By Kim Stagliano

THE CONTEST IS CLOSED. We'll alert the winners by email.

We have ten sets of two free tickets (one for you and a friend) to the AMAB conference in Cleveland, Ohio on Friday July 22 and Saturday July 23rd compliments of the conference organizers and our wonderful sponsor Lee Silsby Compounding Pharmacy. Leave a comment to enter. Winners announced on Monday.Go to www.asdboards.org to learn more.

I'll be speaking and signing books on Friday afternoon and would love to meet you!

Speakers include Raun Kaufman of Son Rise, Dr.Patrick Elliot, a surgeon with twin boys on the spectrum, Dr. Derrick Lonsdale, a pioneer in Defeat Autism Now! (and our daughter Mia's first physician for autism treatment) and many others. The therapy panel on Sunday includes top speech, OT and cranio-sacral experts from the area. Click HERE for the complete list of speakers.

Lunches and refreshments are included each day

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

Countless families are rocked by the combination of autism and seizures.  More research is welcome indeed. What has been your experience with anti-epileptic drugs for your child's seizures? Click HERE to  read the full document.

Traditional and non-traditional treatments for autism spectrum disorder with seizures: an on-line survey. Richard E Frye Swapna Sreenivasula< James B Adams BMC Pediatrics 2011,37doi:10.1186/1471-2431-11-37

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Despite the high prevalence of seizure, epilepsy and abnormal electroencephalograms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is little information regarding the relative effectiveness of treatments for seizures in the ASD population. In order to determine the effectiveness of traditional and non-traditional treatments for improving seizures and influencing other clinical factor relevant to ASD, we developed a comprehensive on-line seizure survey.

Methods

Announcements (by email and websites) by ASD support groups asked parents of children with ASD to complete the on-line surveys. Survey responders choose one of two surveys to complete: a survey about treatments for individuals with ASD and clinical or subclinical seizures or abnormal electroencephalograms, or a control survey for individuals with ASD without clinical or subclinical seizures or abnormal electroencephalograms. Survey responders rated the perceived effect of traditional antiepileptic drug (AED), non-AED seizure treatments and non-traditional ASD treatments on seizures and other clinical factors (sleep, communication, behavior, attention and mood), and listed up to three treatment side effects.

  The "Your Healing Retreat" conference is this June 3-5 at the Kanuga Conference center in Henderson, NC.  

Carve out a few days for yourself and spend time with Elizabeth Mumper MD, Julie Buckley MD, FAAP, Maureen McDonnell RN, Nancy O'Hara MD and Stephanie Cave MD, MS, FAAFP, true leaders  of the autism treatment community. This is a unique conference designed with treating Mom and Dad to a gentle retreat that will also help your child.

Visit Your Healing Retreat today to learn more. 

Your Healing Retreat:
June 3rd – June 5th 2011
Sponsored by Hopewell Pharmacy and Compounding Center

By Maureen McDonnell RN

Parents Can’t Keep Going Without Hitting the “REFRESH” Button

Parents of children with autism are on a constant quest to discover all they can to improve the behavior, speech, cognitive function and general health of their children.  However in the midst of their ever-escalating activities and pursuits, they need to stop once in a while and take care of themselves. 

When I joined four of the top medical experts in the biomedical field (Drs Stephanie Cave, Liz Mumper, Nancy O’Hara and Julie Buckley)  for a weekend last year after Julie Buckley (a pediatrician and mother of a child with autism)  developed breast cancer, it wasn’t to compare power points or fill each other in on the latest research, it was to stop and acknowledge that with Julie’s diagnosis and surgery,  the early passing of Jo Pike and the general high level of stress and illness in the autism community,  something needed to shift.    

The concept that was born out of the five of us coming together for that weekend was not only our name (sisters in science, spirit and spunk), but a new model of education, hope and rejuvenation we call Your Healing Retreat.   Yes, all four of these docs (and I) realized that in addition to fulfilling our mutual  desire  to teach physicians and parents methods for improving the children’s health and behavior, we also  wanted to address the  very real needs of the caregivers.   

So, instead of doing what we had always done and renting a hotel where we would breathe re circulated air, eat processed food and ask every researcher and clinician we knew to present, we decided to do something more in alignment with our new vision.  We searched for a serene, resort-type setting and found such a place in North Carolina.  The Kanuga Conference Center has hiking trails, a beautiful lake, 100 year old cottages with fireplaces and to add some proverbial icing on the cake, we will be serving all local and organic food.   

Yes, there will be lectures on mitochondrial dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and GI distress as well as talks for parents and primary care providers on practical solutions for reversing and repairing these conditions.  But there will also be a lakeside wine reception,  massage, yoga and dance sessions in the morning,  whole food cooking classes,  workshops on toxin-free dentistry and ways to create a healthy home or office,  sessions on stress management, healing relationships and meditation as well as a chance to sample  low pressure hyperbarics.  

Will parents and clinicians who attend learn cutting edge treatment strategies to help their children heal?  Absolutely!  But in addition, those who come to the healing retreat will leave feeling rejuvenated by both new perspectives on, and practical tools for, achieving healthier more balanced lifestyles.   

Spring is a time of renewal and Your Healing Retreat is an opportunity to experience this new model for learning and healing….. Press that REFRESH button and register today!

Register at a discounted rate for the month of April at www.YourHealingRetreat.com

The sisters will not let finances get in the way of parents and clinicians attending.   Any questions call or email Maureen McDonnell, RN at MauraHealth@aol.com or call 609-240-1315 and we will assist you.

By Teresa Conrick

If you have a preteen or teen daughter(s) with autism - Please Read!

A group of parents who have daughters with an autism diagnosis are networking to form a group for researching the similar health issues our precious girls are having to endure.  We want to see the common patterns or differences so that we can gather data to help pinpoint valuable information.  A website for this has been developed, a treatment tracking system for autism called ChARMtracker (check it out at http://www.charmtracker.com). It is free to families and there are over 2,000 users worldwide now, all tracking histories, interventions, diets, medications, supplements etc. of their children. The pre-teen/teen girls would be done in a similar fashion but kept together as a group for data and specific age/sex similarities.  This is parent-driven and has no connections to any government or pharmaceutical companies.  We will be in communication with each other and the researchers as we journey.  This will not take the place of a doctor or a medical plan but will hopefully aid in determining any correlations in our girls thus, guide treatment planning.

As I had discussed with my own daughter, Megan, just recently (Autism Estrogen and Seizures)  about hormones and seizures, there seems to be some unique and challenging issues that may affect females diagnosed with autism.  We would like to explore these ideas by using innovative data-gathering and parental involvement.  What better way to the answers than looking at the affected children?

It is our hope that by systematic gathering of testing, data collection and a good source of researchers, we can find the missing answers to health issues that many of our daughters and loved ones suffer with so that treatments can be matched and health outcomes changed for the positive. As seizures seem to represent a very scary reality for our teen girls, we will also be reaching out to parents of girls injured by the Gardasil vaccine http://truthaboutgardasil.org/ to join us in our quest.  Please wish us luck as we start on this innovative and trailblazing journey.

Please email me if you are interested:

tconrick@gmail.com

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

Check out this great promotional offer from our friends at OurKidsASD.

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The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

Register HERE for Pieces of HOPE

A conference for those affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders 
April 2, 2011 8:30am - 5:00pm
Highland Colony Baptist Church, Ridgeland, MS 
NAA Mississippi

April 1, 2011- Meet & Greet, Meet the Author Night 5:30-8:00pm

Keynote Address:
Piece of Body, Piece of Mind, Piece of Hope - Autism, A Treatable Whole Body Disease
Speaker: Dr. Julie Buckley 
 
Working from Leo Kanner's initial description of autism, Dr. Julie Buckley will show how many behavioral manifestations of autism have their origins in metabolic and physiologic dysfunction. At the conclusion of this talk, attendees will have fundamental understanding of autism as a whole body physical illness which, when appropriately treated, results in improved behavioral, cognitive, and social functioning in the classroom and at home.

Keynote Address:
Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum
Speaker: Chantal Sicile-Kira 
 
To become as independent in adulthood as possible, teenagers of all different ability levels must learn self-care, appropriate behaviors, modesty and sexuality. Areas to be covered include: explaining about puberty and changing bodies, hygiene and self-care and how to problem-solve difficulties in teaching self-care routines, and what to do about masturbation. For safety reasons and in preparation for adulthood, all teenagers need to learn about relationship boundaries, and sexuality.

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.

By Judy Converse

How many kids do you know who would turn down a birthday cake? Few, if any.  But there are now millions of kids in the US who must, due to life threatening anaphylaxis from foods, dangerous food allergies, gluten intolerance, or a painful condition called eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) – all conditions that have risen dramatically in the last twenty-five years.[1]

How many moms do you know who would mow you down with a tractor if you suggested their kids reject a fake birthday cake? Apparently there are a lot of them, and I made them furious with a recent blog post on this topic.  In my pediatric nutrition practice, I’ve worked with kids with EE diagnoses. And, with kids who have severe food allergy, growth failure, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, gluten sensitivity, asthma, and autism - all conditions that usually involve inflammation of some sort.  These problems can overlap, when it comes to nutrition interventions. My own son, now 14, has jostled multiple food allergies and sensitivities since infancy. Still, I had never heard of the fake cake strategy.  For kids with EE who simply can’t eat food, a prop cake is a meaningful and important symbol.  A small niche has grown to serve these kids inedible cakes made of playdough or foam. These cakes are vehicles for candles, wishes, hopes, and dreams – but not ice cream, forks, or spoons.

So why the mom-rage? Because the last thing a parent wants is to be judged or criticized. Especially parents who are embroiled in difficult, frightening, expensive, and uncertain journeys with their children’s health, like EE. By saying that I thought kids with EE shouldn’t need play dough cakes, I tapped the anguish these parents juggle daily as they navigate life with little to no real food for their kids. The play-dough cake is the best they can do at birthday time, and the kids are grateful for it. Who am I to question, or suggest I might know something that the expert teams they consult did not? If they’ve seen the highest experts in the land and their children still have no prognosis of ever eating food, who am I to wonder aloud that this is wrong?

Has diet played a role in your treatment program?

The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.