Dr. Phil Demio is one the country's most progressive researchers in the biomedical treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. He is a kind, compassionate man who has made it his quest to find effective medical treatments for the symptoms of ASD.
To learn more about the biomedical treatment of ASD, contact Dr. Demio Summary of Biomedical Treatments for Autism By James B. Adams, Ph.D. To access the full article, visit http://autism.asu.edu or www.autism.com Overview This document is intended to provide a simple summary of the major biomedical treatments available to help children and adults with autism/Asperger's. Biomedical treatments will not help every child, but they have helped thousands of children improve, sometimes dramatically. This summary is primarily based on the excellent book "Autism: Effective Biomedical Treatments" by Jon Pangborn, Ph.D., and Sidney Baker, MD,. published by the Autism Research Institute. That book provides much more depth on the testing and treatments which are briefly summarized in this document. Another good source of information is "Children with Starving Brains," by Jaquelyn McCandless, MD. After reading this document, it is highly recommended that you go to those sources for more information. This summary generally follows the DAN! philosophy, which involves trying to treat the underlying causes of the symptoms of autism, based on medical testing, scientific research, and clinical experience, with an emphasis on nutritional interventions. Many of the DAN! treatments have been found by listening to parents and physicians. |
.Summary of Biomedical Treatments for Autism
By James B. Adams, Ph.D. To access the full article, visit http://autism.asu.edu or www.autism.com . ARI Survey of Parent Ratings of Treatment Efficacy Most of the treatments listed on the following pages were evaluated as part of the Autism Research Institute (ARI) survey of over 23,000 parents on their opinion of the effectiveness of various treatments for children with autism. For a full copy of the latest ARI Survey, see the last page. (For Asperger’s see www.autism.com) Other Interventions: Behavioral interventions, such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), can also be very helpful to children with autism, and are recommended to be used in conjunction with biomedical treatments. Similarly, speech therapy, sensory integration, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and a good educational program can be very important. Finally, social interventions (such as Relationship Development Intervention) and social groups can be very helpful in building social relationships and skills. Biomedical therapy may help improve the efficacy of these other interventions, by improving brain and body health and making it easier for the child to learn. Treatment Order: We have listed the various treatments in approximate order of what is typically recommended, but every child is different, and initial assessment by a physician may suggest a different order. Also, some physicians have their own preferences as to order of treatment. The key point to remember is to observe the effect of each treatment on your child, both behaviorally and through testing where possible.
Note: This summary is not intended as individual medical advice, and people should consult their physician for how to best treat their individual child. Autism is a spectrum disorder, and a treatment that helps one child may not help others. |