Special Messages From Dr Thomas

Welcome to the new “Prevent Autism Blog!”

With this blog, I hope to share known truths, facts, and information that will empower parents to make decisions that will ultimately lower their child’s risk of becoming Autistic. Discovered in the 1940’s, Autism is a condition that may be present at birth but typically manifests in children between the ages of one and three years.

Symptoms of Autism include:

• Poor eye contact
• Social isolation
• Delayed language development
• Repetitive hand movements like hand flapping and spinning objects

There is no diagnostic test for Autism. Similar to other neurological conditions like Aspergers, Autism Spectrum, ADD, and ADHD, Autism is diagnosed by the cluster of symptoms a child has.

The prevalence of Autism was once very low. Just 30 years ago, only one or two in 10,000 children were known to have Autism. But today, nearly one in every 100 children have Autism. It is my belief that the rise in neurological conditions of unknown cause (Autism, ADD, ADHD, Aspergers, sensory processing disorders, etc.) are the result of the environments action on one’s genes (epigenetics) or direct toxic effects from neurotoxins. There are also rare genetic mitochondrial (the energy center for our cells)

and other disorders associated with Autism, but for the vast majority, the cause is likely environmental (THINK TOXINS!!!)

In upcoming blogs, we will look at some of these environmental toxins, which include mercury, aluminum, lead, arsenic, pesticides, and so on.

April is Autism Awareness Month!

To promote this cause, I encourage you to utilize the following links to access some of the important organizations that are leading the way to a better understanding of Autism so that someday we will see a significant reduction – if not total elimination - in the number of children who are afflicted by Autism.

 Thoughtful House - A great link for data on the number of cases in this nation over time and by state.  www.thoughtfulhouse.org

ARI (Autism Research Institute) - Sponsor of Defeat Autism Now! a leading educational program for parents and professionals.  www.autism.com

Autism Society of Oregon - Good resource for local experts and services   www.oregonautism.com

Generation Rescue - Working to prevent Autism and support parents.  www.generationrescue.org

TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) – Great information.  www.Tacanow.org

National Autism Associations – Lots of information and contact information. www.nationalautism.org

Unlocking Autism– Has a really good parent network. www.unlockingautism.org

Disclaimer: At no time should this blog be used as a substitute for medical advise. Parents should always consult with a physician when making health care decisions for their children.  The only purpose of this blog is to educate and inform, it is not intended to diagnose.