The autism epidemic exploded into mainstream news in the 21st century, outnumbered in media stories only by 9/11 and the Iraq War. At the center of the disorder has been its core mystery. What causes autism? Or more precisely, what is the root cause for its exponential growth?
The tired refrain given by psychologists and pediatricians that they were ill-equipped to recognize the signs of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the past, thus claiming there were always thousands of these children all along, has been crushed by the weight of reality.
Each year thousands of new cases, combined with deepening fiscal crises on state budgets and an overwhelmed, understaffed special education system, have obliterated that flimsy theory. Perhaps the most damning indictment against such an argument has been the experts' inability to explain how heavy metals in general, and mercury in particular, have poisoned the bulk of autistic children.
To compound the insult, by not fully acknowledging the environmental angle, insurers and healthcare professionals have refused to help in the crucial role of detoxification. This has aided the CDC's two-road approach in tackling autism. Take the low road by shielding the baby vaccine schedule regardless of conflict of interests with the vaccine makers or evidence that points back to an excessive 24-shots in the first 24 months plan. Take the high road by launching benign educational programs, such as the autism "Listening Sessions" or developing the "First Signs" list for pediatricians to spot the symptoms of ASD in infants early.
To this day, the CDC has not developed a single program to purge heavy metals from children. If only they were as aggressive in helping parents procure alternative treatments to combat autism as they are in building a moat around its mandated vaccine schedule, the controversy surrounding autism wouldn't be as acute or acrimonious.
The policy to defend thimerosal—the mercury-based preservative used in many baby vaccines—and the vaccine producers has only inflamed the debate. By rejecting parents of autistic children, the CDC has given us the impetus to break out on our own. We have taken charge in developing a detox regiment with limited financial resources, while being guided by a handful of DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctors willing to join the fight.
For my six-year-old son, Fridrik, detoxing him of mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium has been a three-tier process. First, we tackled what we knew was missing from his collapsed diet by giving him an array of vitamin supplements, fish oil, neurotransmitters, and fatty acids.
Since his mother is a nurse, we gave an "IV (intravenous) push" of glutathione, the brain's natural chelator, every other day, which over several days showed immediate results in improved speech.
Finally, Fredrick, unlike the majority of ASD kids, who have gastrointestinal (GI) issues, could take industrial strength oral chelation therapy. The risk was that it could cause bouts of regression, which it did with unflinching regularity. But the upside of the pill form of chelation, as opposed to a transdermal cream used by children with GI problems, was not only its shorter duration but also more aggressive ability to "de-claw" the metals embedded in my son's brain and tissues.
Four months after we stopped giving Fridrik chelation therapy, the question has become what other steps can we take to augment the healing process of a non-verbal autistic boy?
Next week: The next step in the healing process: The Treatment of Autism Goes High-Tech