Post as I go

I am trying to sift through information available about biomedical interventions used in treating symptoms of autism. I realize that my approach is not scholarly or academic, but I would like to write a series of posts that chronicle my efforts to discover what biomedical intervention options are and how I could implement them if I had a child with autism.

Questions

If I put myself in the role of a parent, I would have the following questions:

1)      What is wrong with my child; could my child be autistic?

2)      What are my options, if the initial screenings indicate autism?

3)      What are biomedical interventions?

4)      How do I know which interventions are appropriate?

In my first post about biomedical intervention, I defined the term; I also defined autism and the two-step autism screening process recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

A search for autism diagnosis and treatment revealed the following information from a number of different sources. Below, I quote from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:

“ASD varies widely in severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps.  Very early indicators that require evaluation by an expert include:

• No babbling or pointing by age 1
• No single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2
• No response to name
• Loss of language or social skills
• Poor eye contact
• Excessive lining up of toys or objects
• No smiling or social responsiveness.” [1]

The same site states that, although there is no cure for autism, various treatment plans can bring about improvement in reducing some of the symptoms. “Treatment options include educational/behavioral interventions, medications, and other therapies.” [2]

Specific biomedical intervention plan

On the Autism Society website, I found Summary of Biomedical Treatments for Autism by James B. Adams, Ph.D. [3] in which he lists a dozen or so interventions, primarily addressing proper diet and vitamin deficiencies. Dr. Adams listed interventions in the approximate order in which interventions are typically carried out. However, he states that a doctor must be consulted for each individual case.

This list brings up further questions in my mind

I would really like to know the process that doctors who treat autism use to determine the order of interventions. How does the doctor proceed from a checklist of behaviors to considering a specific intervention?  I would love to see a flow chart that would indicate when testing for digestive disorders are indicated; when environmental factors are considered; how identification of competing medical problems is accomplished.

Apparently the state of the art of autism treatment is in the dark ages

In a recent (2012) article, J.M. Perrin, et al, discuss the status of autism intervention research. [4] They emphasize that it is very difficult to systematize the treatment of autism, since there is so much variability between autistic individuals. They state that, although there are many treatments ‘in the pipeline’, effectiveness is measured against a placebo. Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) is in its early stages in autism research, and would compare the effectiveness of one treatment with another, according to the authors.

Feedback welcome

I would appreciate any feedback regarding the latest thinking about biomedical intervention for autism, or suggested resources to discover how doctors think about applying therapies to their autistic patients.