Parallels between autism and PA

river, While I do agree with some of the similarities you have listed, I cannot compare the two afflictions. My very good friend has an autistic son only a month younger than my son. She has known all along that something wasn't right. He didn't want his mother or his sister or anyone else anywhere near him at all. My lifestyle change to accomodate PA was significant; hers was dramatic. He has been taking 3 different forms of intense therapy classes several days a week for well over a year now. Manuel's crying spells if he doesn't get the candy bar he wants in the grocery store are nothing compared to "Joe's" fits if someone touches him or even gets too close. When our children have a reaction we can hold them and reassure them and hug them. My friend cannot at any given time pick her son up and love him physically. He cannot tolerate it. And, I have to say, even without the social norms you referred to, Joe would be far from perfectly okay. An autistic child can suffer from severely heightened senses; what feels like a cool breeze to me could feel like pricking needles to him. Softly playing 'elevator' music sounds like piercing noise to him.

I do not wish to come across as antagonistic or confrontational. We all know the board has had enough of that. It is just that my heart goes out to my friend, her husband, and her 3 children. Their lives have been turned up-side down in a way I cannot begin to imagine. I started not to post, but had to respond in support of her. Please take this as it is intended; as another view, not a discounting of someone else's opinion.

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Little Man's Momma
a*k*a Kendra

I'll mention the comparison to my friend who has a 6-year old Asperger's Syndrome daughter. Perhaps she'll have time to discuss the issue after she's finished brushing her daughter's entire skin surface with a plastic curry comb to stop her from literally trying to jump out of her skin. Socials norms? Oh, there is so much more to it than that.

Why would you ladies think that my intention was ever to suggest that Autism was not in many cases serious? It was a very basic comparison, that's all.

One big difference is that Autism has incredible ranges. There are many autistic people who you would not think were autistic at all, and then there are extreme cases as mentioned here. I'll tell you what, I'll go back and edit my post to say "Mild Autism."

river - Asperger's *is* mild autism. If you think it's an apt comparison, that's fine, but knowing how my daughter and her daughter function with their respective challenges - I'll take PA and all the challenges that go with it.

River,

I for one would not think your questioning or comparison of Autism and PA was wrong. We are all dealing with something that our modern world and lifestyle probably caused. It seems natural to make a comparison without downplaying the horror of autism or PA.

Thank you for asking the question, it makes for interesting discussion.

Peg

river- just a side note. We seem to end up on opposite sides of the fence a lot, but I truly mean no disrespect. Opinionated individuals such as ourselves are drawn to contentious issues like moths to a flame. As long as we have an understanding that it's "nothing personal"!

Peg - I do have reservations about the comparison identifying autism as a newly diagnosed epidemic. While there is no doubt that PA numbers are rising exponentially - it's documented - where are the same facts about autism? My above mentioned friend, for example. Her husband see a lot of himself as a child in his Asperger's daughter, but of course, there was no name for it "back then". He had a lot of social struggles - still does. I can't quite believe that "epidemics" of children are suddenly acquiring this "disease". I certainly think we have more advanced tools to diagnose autism, but I don't think more children have it than had it - it used to be called "mental retardation". Just because folks didn't use the term "leukemia" a few centuries ago, doesn't mean children didn't die from it. A rose by another any name...

Carolyn

Carolyn,

There is a lot of documentation about the surge in Autism in the past 10 or 20 years. Maybe it is better diagnosis, but I have seen it all over TV and medical literature.

I have at least 6 friends who have children with some form of autism, two friends have TWO children with autism. As a child and young adult I knew no one with autism, or even close.

I (of course) cannot cite chapter and verse as to the documentation but it was on the front page of the NY times just last week. It has been all over the news as well. I'm especially alert to stories about autistic children since so many of my friends are living with this every day.

I just did a search on NY times.com and you have to pay to access the articles that appeared 30 days ago. There are at least four articles addressing the upsurgence in Autism.

Peg

[This message has been edited by Peg541 (edited March 07, 2003).]

I also have a friend who has two children, both of whom are autistic. It is so heartbreaking. I remember when her second son "turned" at about 15 months old. He was such a bright, sunny baby and it's like the lights just went out.

I'm an Aspie.

River, After reading your edited post I see more clearly the point you were trying to make. And again, I do agree with some of the similarities you have noted, but I still don't think the 2 can be compared. Sort of an apples and oranges type thing.

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Little Man's Momma
a*k*a Kendra

Link entitled:

"What is Asperger's Syndrome?"

[url="http://home.att.net/~ascaris1/what_is.htm"]http://home.att.net/~ascaris1/what_is.htm[/url]

Disclaimer: The posting of this link is not intended as advice in any manner or form.

[This message has been edited by MommaBear (edited March 08, 2003).]

River,

I think your questioning/comparison of Autism and PA was great. It is food for thought.

I have spent years in daily and weekly therapy sessions with both of our daughters. This includes behavior management, sensory intigration, body brushing with a surgical brush (every two hours for 15 minutes), "putting her back together" after the brushing, weight vests, occupational, physical, speech, and feeding therapies. I can't even remember all the names of the therapies - they included dealing with the RAGE that should have been a mild upset, the lack of eye contact, the constant flicking of any shiny object, the total lack of social interaction skills, the constant spinning in circles, not wanting to be touched, the list goes on and on.

One daughter has PA, FAS, OCD, ADHD,vision problems and "autistic behaviors". Our other daughter has FAS, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, a cleft palate with a deformed upper jaw line and hearing loss.

I think our family has a sampling of many challeges and all of them have their own set of limits and restrictions.

Thank you River for your thoughts.

Sue in Sunny Arizona

I can see two similarities between autism and PA...even though I agree that is an apple/orange type of thing (comparing them, I mean).

With PA and autism, you either have it or you don't.

And even if it's diagnosed as "mild" or "severe", it doesn't change the fact that you have it.

However, I would think that the life change for the family would be huge for autistic kids, while significant for PA kids.

However, I don't think the two can be compared, either.

Wow, Sue, I have always held you in high regard, and now even more so.
I have a brother with "severe" autism and worked for 12 years with adults with developmental disabilities. I can appreciate the daily (and nightly)commitment it takes. I never liked when someone said that it takes a "special person" to do it, because you do what you do because it's what needs to be done. But now, having been out of the field for awhile, I can appreciate the sentiment. Sue, and all of you facing challenges, you will be in my thoughts.

River, I can see your point, and in my mind, a similarity is related to the media, how they both are being seen as a sort of new epidemic, though have actually been around for a long time. (My brother was incorrectly diagnosed as mentally retarded, mainly because that was the only way he would recieve services. There wasn't an "autism" diagnosis back then. Reminds me of the struggles some parents face getting "services" -504 plans- for their children's pa. It's a shame parents have to fight to get others to believe that some children need special accomodations.)

------------------
Be safe,
~Dawn~

Sue, you and your family will be in my prayers and my thoughts forever. I don't think I can ever complain about my lot in life after reading your letter.

One day I was talking to someone about the challenges we face in my home with my 95 year old MIL living with us. That person said "it takes a very special person to take care of the elderly." Boy did that p*** me off! I'm not special, I just got her thrown in on my home and I had no choice but to take care of her. I AM a good person however and will do what I have to in order to make her life comfortable.

Peg

Dawn,

You posted:

"Reminds me of the struggles some parents face getting "services" -504 plans- for their children's pa. It's a shame parents have to fight to get others to believe that some children need special accomodations."

A similiar sentiment: One of my main reasons for getting a 504 that adequately addressed my pa son's needs (re: PA) was to achieve a safe environment to have his physical and learning needs addressed in the public educational system. (Our sole reason for choosing "public education"). Sorry to say this was not possible. Fortunately, he has parents who understand EXACTLY what he needs in more ways than one. It is a "Been There, Done That" situation----------- *personally* speaking.

MommaBear

Dawn and Peg thank you for your very thoughtful and caring comments. We are very blessed with our two angels.

By the way, I appreciate all of the support everyone here has given us. It has made our life safer and happier to have such nice friends.

Sue in Sunny Arizona

My 7 year old PA son is also 'Asperger's.' I think this is an interesting thread and have often wondered if there is some correlation between PA and autism (a LOT of autistic kids have food allergies). I have no answers.

Adjusting to having a PA son (and now daughter, age 2) was pretty hard, but it was definitely harder to adjust to the autism diagnosis ~ and sometimes I still want to say, 'no, my son is perfectly normal.. it's just YOU that's wrong!'

Now that my son is 7 and some serious life changes have been made all around (we home school!!!), he is thriving! I don't find life any where near as difficult as I did in those early years not knowing why his behavior/sensitivity problems were so extreme or why he was constantly in and out of the hospital/after hours clinics with uncontrollable asthma.

We got both dx's within 3 months of each other. This helped in terms of being slammed with routine changes, as opposed to having them dribble on down the line and add to depression.

I have found, however, that now my son is peanut free he is no longer asthmatic. Now that I have taken him out of school, I don't have to worry about cross contamination or peanut issues any longer, or sound sensitivity (autism) or distractions or social issues (aspergers) and our regimine for the DSI/Asperger's has gone from daily brushing (skin, mentioned earlier in this post), weekly OT and SLP and PT, to no longer utilizing OT, SLP or PT services at ALL and seeing VAST improvements.

Home schooling has brought out the best in my AS/PA son. He gets daily lessons on social stories and is now very friendly with kids in our neighborhood. His self esteem has sky rocketed and he's bold and bright. He doesn't cry for 45 minutes at a time 20+ times a day anymore. We do exercises together, art therapy, he did AIT which eliminated his hearing sensitivity issues. Aspergers kids have major problems with transitions, so we do a lot of bear hugging, spinning, etc. to transition between projects.

Both PA and autism change the direction of your life and how you will raise your kids, but it is not so much of a burden that our lives will never be the same or that we can't derive as much joy from the parenting experience, nor does it mean we need to become overprotective monsters for parents. My son brings more joy to my life than I ever imagined possible. I know with all my heart that he is going to turn out to be a very productive, creative member of society and be every bit as independent as anyone else, if not more!

All the services that we were offered did more harm then good when we did them. My Asperger's kid thrives on feeling as normal as possible and making games out of the things that regulate his body and mind, such as transition games. Brushing never worked for him and made him wackier than ever.

For autism, I highly recommend the GFCF diet, or a modified version. We pretty much just cut out food dyes and carbohydrates and the improvement was almost immediate and unbelievable! WOW.

To all you parents with autistic kids, and all you parents with PA kids... we are truly blessed 100% of the time. Life isn't meant to be easy... And these kids are special because it is THEM who have to overcome the obstacles and it's our job to teach them how to do it. And if we can bring these kids up safe and alive and independent and capable, we have more reason to be proud of it.

No longer depressed about dx's...
~Melanie

MeCash

Quit reading my mind. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] As of Monday, this week, we are homeschooling. It was our intention to homeschool after the disasterous attempt to attend public school. Unfortunately, small minds and even smaller hearts abounded at the private school and church we attended. We were basically under the assumption that certain modifications regarding PA/Nuts and "special needs" were being made, but apparently I needed a larger shovel than last time to wade through. I also am dealing with finding another house of worship. Home is where the heart is and I am beginning to believe the same holds true regarding school for us *personally*. In no way am I making recommendations for others, just stating our own *personal* situations and *personal* choices. Contact me off boards if you feel inclined. We are using ABeka curriculum. Again, not a recommendation, just what we are using *personally*.

Melanie, you wrote:
" Life isn't meant to be easy... And these kids are special because it is THEM who have to overcome the obstacles and it's our job to teach them how to do it."

That's my credo and you phrased it so well. Thank you.

MommaBear, sorry to hear about your troubles with the private school. How frustrating. I'm sure homeschooling will go well for you.

------------------
Be safe,
~Dawn~

Hi,

I must be missing something here, what I don't understand is what is to be gained or learned from being enlightened on the parallels of the peanut allergy & autism (a developmental disorder). And/or for that matter, comparing the peanut allergy to anything at all even another health impairment. I do think that the seriousness of the peanut allergy is strong enough to stand on its own w/out making comparisons, etc. I'm still missing something, so I will ask.

Hi River,

Did you post the topic to raise our consciousness about autism?

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Of course, there is a song running through my head right now. Turn, turn, turn.

[img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]

Melanie, what a wonderful story and what a lucky boy your son is to have landed you as his mother! One day when he becomes more independent, (and it sounds like he's headed that way), I hope that you work with other autistic children.

*Personally*, I like this thread.

Lisa, my very personal opinion is that this discussion is merely an observation of some parallels. "What is to be gained or learned"? Perhaps nothing but insight. It's not a contest. Just a thought provoking discussion for some. I agree that "the seriousness of the peanut allergy is strong enough to stand on its own" but we do not live in a vacuum and hopefully do not have tunnel vision. There are many conditions out there. It seems to me that it is human nature to find parallels and empathize with others. Perhaps it is not in everyone's nature. We all have different ways of looking at things. That's what makes the world go 'round.

Quote:Originally posted by LisaMcDowell:
[b]I must be missing something here, what I don't understand is what is to be gained or learned from being enlightened on the parallels of the peanut allergy & autism [/b]

Then why enter a thread called "Parallels between PA and autism"?

.

[This message has been edited by MapleLeaf (edited March 11, 2003).]

Dawn,

You posted:

"I agree that "the seriousness of the peanut allergy is strong enough to stand on its own" but we do not live in a vacuum and hopefully do not have tunnel vision. There are many conditions out there. It seems to me that it is human nature to find parallels and empathize with others. Perhaps it is not in everyone's nature. We all have different ways of looking at things. That's what makes the world go 'round."

Cyber hug headed your way. {{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}

I need to go back to the Sensory Integration boards and see if there is still a link to a thread on that board regarding a discussion asking how many people who's kids have DSI (Sensory Integration Dysfunction) or Autism/Asperger's also have food allergies, because I remember the responses to be phenominal. It was a significant number of people, as I recall, whose AS/DSI kids were also had either food allergies or environmental allergies. People would sign their posts like:
~Melanie, Mom of G, Age 7, AS/DSI/peanut allergic/asthmatic or the like. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img] Most people's kids on those boards had some kind of allergies and some people's strings were LONG!! I'll look tomorrow.. the link is at the office.
~Melanie

Quote:Originally posted by MeCash:
[b]I need to go back to the Sensory Integration boards and see if there is still a link to a thread on that board regarding a discussion asking how many people who's kids have DSI (Sensory Integration Dysfunction) or Autism/Asperger's also have food allergies, because I remember the responses to be phenominal. It was a significant number of people, as I recall, whose AS/DSI kids were also had either food allergies or environmental allergies. People would sign their posts like:
~Melanie, Mom of G, Age 7, AS/DSI/peanut allergic/asthmatic or the like. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img] Most people's kids on those boards had some kind of allergies and some people's strings were LONG!! I'll look tomorrow.. the link is at the office.
~Melanie[/b]

God, I love you.

MommaBear, mother to son, age 7 sid,as,peanut,nut,atopic,asthma,sweetest little bear you will ever know,drop your jaw intelligent.

and

mother to son, age 3, most likely just like his brother (as, sid),speech delay,waiting on asthma diagnosis, no pa, no nut, and sweetest little brother bear you will ever know,drop your jaw intelligent.

MommaBear

btw,

cant wait to have another child.

MommaBear

(everyone should be as blessed.)

Hi All,

I am the mother of an autistic son who is also peanut allergic. Today, for the first time I heard that there may be some link between the two. I'll tell you first hand, there is mild autism (PDD-NOS, like my son, and Aspergers), and there is severe autism. Autism is a spectrum disorder meaning it ranges in extremes and characteristics, and one autistic child with, lets say, a PDD diagnosis may not have the same characteristics as another child with the same diagnosis. I loved the comparison done by another board member. It's pretty much on the money.

There was a time when peanut allergy was my only concern. My son, who's now 5, was diagnosed at 19 months with peanut allergy - the eczema had been there within days of his early birth. I followed all of the protocols suggested by this website, FAAN, and other parents, and planned every step we took inside and outside of this house. I still do to this day. Shortly thereafter, I began to notice that his speech ability was slipping. Then the evaluations began. I thought I was pretty well versed in the peanut allergy arena, and I'd done a fairly well job in all of my biology classes, but the new medical terminologies just kept coming. Phrases like Pervasive Developmental Delay, Sensory Integration, speech, occupational therapy, special schools ... I could go on and on. I was responsible for a peanut allergy support group here in the Atlanta metro area - I had to let that go just to keep up with this new diagnosis. It was probably about a year later that my son also developed severe food allergies to egg, milk, and (milder) wheat. The list has gotten longer, I suspect, and alternative testing methods will be proving me right, I'm sure.

With all of the research I've done personally, there is one comparison that's been left out ... there is the suspicion that food allergies have something to do with an ineffective gut. There is also the suggestion that autism has something to do with the gut (leaky gut syndrome).

Yes, it's heartbreaking to have a healthy child suddenly take a turn with food allergies and autism. I don't know if I should laugh or cry that someone in the medical community is now suggesting a link between the two. It's a blow in some ways - I only ate peanut product when I was pregnant because of the necessary and beneficial factors of the folic acid and protein. As medically advised. Gee, did I give him autism, too? No matter what, my son is my joy, tantrums, food allergies, and all. He is my life.

I'm having a hard time finding the actual source of the PA/autism link on the web. Does anyone know? Your help would be sincerely appreciated.

Beth in Atlanta
Alex's mom

Beth,

you posted:

"Phrases like Pervasive Developmental Delay, Sensory Integration, speech, occupational therapy, special schools ... I could go on and on."

So could I. I/We knew the first night. My first son wanted to be held. And rocked. Nonstop. He also wanted to nurse. Nonstop. By 7 weeks, he was 21 lbs. At a year about 56 lbs. As parents, we were very "intune" to our children. Why? Well, we are both Aspies. We (hubby and I)"found" each other, so to speak. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Disclaimer: This is not intended as advice in any form. It is only my *personal* feelings and experience.

Thank you, MommaBear. Hugs to you as well!
Thank you for the wonderful link on Asperger's Syndrome. I think I've recognized someone who is a relatively new friend. Her bluntness took me off guard, but I've appreciated it as just her way. It's nice to have a friend who will always tell it like it is!

------------------
Be safe,
~Dawn~

[This message has been edited by Dawn (edited March 11, 2003).]

Dawn,

Love and Hugs,

as I am quite capable of it [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]

MommaBear

I can tell you are, MommaBear. I've always regarded you as rather [i]passionate[/i]!

Dawn,

just to share:

as a child in school, despite being "teacher's pet", I was described as "a lightning rod for trouble" (wonder why, lol) and asked "don't you want to be like the other kids?" I was exceptionally close to my parents. (who by the way were symbiotically close to me) and my father's parents were told to "Put XXX to work, he is unfit for schooling" circa 1925. My father taught himself to read several languages, and spoke them all fluently. He was intuitive, loving, and could see things for what they were. I have yet to meet a man as intelligent. He was, by far, the most respected person I will ever know or love. Death no longer holds fear for me, as I hope to meet my father again afterwards. Of course, my mother is held in similiar esteem and continues to live in our household to this day.

MommaBear

MommaBear, you're right, "everyone should be as blessed."

------------------
Be safe,
~Dawn~

I spoke with my friend tonite and we talked some about this thread...she was intrigued and promises to check it out as soon as she gets a chance. I had forgotten until she mentioned it that her son also suffers from several environmental allergies. But, not from PA. In fact, while we were discussing the "similarities" of the two syndromes, she pointed out the biggest difference: PA can cause death. While I have been seeing her life as so different from the "norm" and thinking how hard it must be and I couldn

Lilmansmom,

You post was insightful, loved your reference to "reality". Thank you. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

You posted:

"In fact, while we were discussing the "similarities" of the two syndromes, she pointed out the biggest difference: PA can cause death."

Just a reminder. In regards to Aspergers and sensory integration. If your senses and your ability to "take in" and "integrate" the world around you are affected, would you say that "Safety" could be a concern? I think I have described the value as a family we put on fences, video cams, alarms, etc. before (I'll try to find the thread) [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] I also know my children are both incredibly trusting (naive?) and willing to talk to anyone anytime. (Although the younger one has a serious speech delay, he still "talks" [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] ) As a child, I was very very social and friendly. I excluded no one. As an adult, and through cruel lessons learned at the hands of children, I have learned to invoke my penchant for critical thinking and tread wisely. (At least I think [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] ) However, I am still a very friendly and social person. (This I attribute to my parent's undying support and love for me)

Of course, there are also more practical considerations for safety. Crossing the street, for example.

Disclaimer: The previous was only our (as a family) own personal situation, it is not intended as advice in any manner or form.

Link entitled:

"Sensory Integration Dysfunction

'The Misunderstood, Misdiagnosed and Unseen Disability'"

[url="http://home.ptd.net/~blnelson/SIDWEBPAGE2.htm#Integration"]http://home.ptd.net/~blnelson/SIDWEBPAGE2.htm#Integration[/url]

Disclaimer: I do not guarantee the accuracy or content of the link in this post

[This message has been edited by MommaBear (edited March 12, 2003).]

Quote:Originally posted by MommaBear:
[b]If your senses and your ability to "take in" and "integrate" the world around you are affected, would you say that "Safety" could be a concern? I think I have described the value as a family we put on fences, video cams, alarms, etc. before (I'll try to find the thread) [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] [/b]

Found my quote:

"The first thing we did when we bought our home (ranch style)** was put up a big freekin 6ft privacy fence with locked gates. The next thing we did was put video surveilance cameras up on every angle. It is monitorable on every tv and continuous record. Lastly a pool with a fence around the top, locked gate on the ladder, and pool alarm. (check your building codes)I taught my children to swim. I do not allow them in the pool unsupervised (in person). If the three year old is in the pool, so am I and holding him. I know cpr.

I want my kids in my yard In my pool currently, I still stay in the back yard with them when they are out. Granted, the 7 year old is gaining more priveleges as time goes on. No one comes in or out of my back yard unmonitored, and cameras can never take the place of parental supervision. I still like the idea of them (the cameras) there anyway. (When I hear a bump in the night, I just flip the tv on and cruise the place.)

**Ranch style comment: I lived in a quad style house when both my children were born and infants. Laundry was in the deepest darkest corner of the basement. I love my ranch."

From the thread:

[url="http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/Forum1/HTML/003259.html"]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/Forum1/HTML/003259.html[/url]

Both my children have some "motor planning" considerations. We find a ranch a blessing.
Although there ARE stairs, it is not littered with them. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

MommaBear, I do see your point about safety concerns. I think for me it would have to be a concern. Again, I will admit, I hadn't thought of it from that perspective. I am learning more from this topic than I thought I would!!

My friend was referring to 'hidden' dangers of PA like cross-contamination or contact with residue. Do you think the risks with Asperger's and SID are also hidden? Are there concerns that aren't immediately evident to the eye?

Thank you and the others for their input to this topic.

------------------
Little Man's Momma
a*k*a Kendra

Has anyone considered the link between immunizations/vaccinations and food allergies and autism?

What about mecury poisoned thimerasol?

Just wondering.

I posted in this thread:

"So could I. I/We knew the [b] first night [/b] . My first son wanted to be held. And rocked. Nonstop. He also wanted to nurse. Nonstop. By 7 weeks, he was 21 lbs. At a year about 56 lbs. As parents, we were very "intune" to our children. Why? Well, we are both Aspies. We (hubby and I)"found" each other, so to speak.

Disclaimer: This is not intended as advice in any form. It is only my *personal* feelings and experience."

Again, the same disclaimer applies.

Bold added for emphasis.

Wow Mommabear! You bring up another good point.. even though I haven't read farther than this, I have to say.. Wow.

"In regards to Aspergers and sensory integration. If your senses and your ability to "take in" and "integrate" the world around you are affected, would you say that "Safety" could be a concern?"

You also went on to talk about the social implications and SAFETY of being AS. I worry about that constantly with my son. For the first five years of his life, he was very much strictly family oriented. He was afraid of other kids and didn't open up, because he didn't have the social skills to do so, or the speech compitence. Now, with being home schooled and getting daily social stories and not being forced to socialize with kids he knows he doesn't like and visa versa, he is VERY outgoing with adults, toddlers, strangers, teeners AND finally, kids his own age. But he is wreckless and naive to the fullest and I worry about letting him go around the corner where I can't see him, even in our neighborhood, whereas I don't worry about his step-brother.

It's also interesting you should mention in this thread that size/growth was an indicator for you that your child was AS. I would have never made the correlation. My son was always completely off the charts.. and very physically clingy (he was always in our arms or sleeping with us). Right now he is 7 years old and a whopping 4'8" tall and 87lbs. He's bigger than many of the 10 year olds around here!!! But, I still fear for him when he's out of my sight, because he probably would just walk right up to a bad guy and 'make friends.'

That was just a thought on the size thing.. maybe coincidence, but hey.
~Melanie

There are many forms of autisum , and some of these children do seem to have food concerns,most common are food intolerances. these children sometimes also have epilepsey (excuse spelling , should be concentrating on getting kids to bed....) these children are also better on a diet that produces higher levels of keytones in brain etc.
Some autistic children do get benifit from some complementry medicine.
There is a web site for food allergic autisum, if I can find it I will post it here.
sarah

[B]Has anyone considered the link between immunizations/vaccinations and food allergies and autism?

What about mecury poisoned thimerasol?

Since my son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (age 5, can you believe how late Mommabear?!), I have done a LOT of research into the thimerosol/autism theoretical connection. A lot of scientists want to blow it off, but my son received five vaccinations (including MMR) about a week before his first uncontrollable crying fits began. He had other signs of AS prior to that, but after the vaccinations, he was suddenly irritable, narcoleptic, irrational, and unconsolable and began extraordinarily sensitive to touch, where he had not been before.

Another reason I am inclined to believe there IS a connection, despite the governments recent decision to hold the pharmaceutical companies harmless for administering above adult toxic levels of mercury in thimerosal to our children in the form of vaccines throughout the 1990's, is my brother in-law. Back in 1995 he was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to go to Ghana and study tribal percussion music and transcribe the music, which had never been done before. He was given 11 immunizations before being allowed to go. Shortly after receiving these vaccinations, he suffered a grand mal seizure. Since 1995, he has had several seizures, is now destined to spend the rest of his life a slave to Dilantin (an anti-seizure medication) and has intermittently lost his license due to the disorder which we believe was brought on in a perfectly healthy person by the vaccinations.

A VERY good website which delves into the scientific support of of this correlations is [url="http://www.safeminds.org"]www.safeminds.org[/url]

They also have under research a link to a Calgary University website which has a short documentary done regarding very minute amounts of mercury and it's effects on the denuded neurofibers in the brain. They were linking mercury in amalgam fillings (dental) to alzheimers.

Only time will tell, since I believe the government will supress any scientific proof in this matter, and has already made the class action lawsuit against the thimerosal companies MOOT by passing the Homeland Security Act INDEMNIFYING the pharmacuetical companies from any damage related to thimersosal (why? there is no thimerosal in LIVE vaccines like 'small pox'). What will end up happening, is since thimerosal vaccines are no longer being widely used in childhood vaccinations, is if there IS a connection, we will see a dramatic DECREASE in autism related disorders over the next 20 years. That's my hypothesis.

And as Mommabear always says in her disclaimer: these are my feelings based on my personal experiences.

~Melanie

Sarah:

I did post something on this earlier, but you hit on a key thing in your post. DIET can very much cause enormous changes in any child, but I have found with MY autistic son that using a modified version of the GFCF diet works wonders. ([url]http://www.gfcf.com[/url])

There was also a time, shortly after his last round of vaccinations (5 in one swoop) that he became narcoleptic and would pass out on the stairs going to his room, face first on his bedroom floor (he still does this sometimes, I don't know why!), during dinner, playing outside, etc. My first thought was, OMG - he's having a seizure! Well, we did the sleep deprived EEG and we did the 48 hour EEG and he had his narcoleptic episodes, but they were not seizures.

But, there are a lot of children in the autistic spectrum who do have seizures...

~Melanie

Hi, I'm new to this board. This is the first day I've read it...the first day I've looked for pa info. So far I've found almost too much info to take in. I know it will take time. My younger son (33mo) was diagnosed with moderate/mild autism (depending on who you ask) last summer. We do the brushing thing every 2 hours, and therapy sessions in/out of home at least 3times/week.

My older son (4 last week)tested a 6 on the RAST for pa last week. The nurse mentioned something about scoring over 100, but i'm not sure what that referred to. Older son is also allergic to milk (but can eat yogurt, cheese...kinda strange). His RAST for that was a 6 at 11 mo but now it's a 3. He also has asthma usually triggered by virus. In other words, baby gets a cold, older one gets bronchitis, URI or pneumonia.

I have mounds (literally) of info to read about autism. And now this. Our ped gave us a script for an epipen, actually for two. We gave one to the mother's day out and one we keep at home. The mother's day out would not keep it in his backpack in the cubby. I had to turn it in to the office admin. Is that normal? Acceptable? It really made me nervous. Especially after reading some of this.

A few days before his b-day I gave him a girl scout cookie (pb ones) and encouraged him to eat it. He is VERY picky, won't drink anything except water, won't even try juice or soda or anything. (i realize that could be a good thing.) He took two little bites and starting making faces we thought he was being silly and dramatic as 3/4 yr olds can be. Soon he was vomitting, had hives and the wheezing started. We gave a couple of neb treatments, benadryl. He was fine but the nurse says reactions tend to get worse w/exposure.

I've never really avoided pb in anyway. In fact this is his first semester to be in care out of our house (mother's day out). I usually make his lunch and mine at the same time. He always gets turky and cheese and i get pbj. None of the other foods he eats have ever caused a reaction like this. We've been to that chain restaurant where there's peanuts on the floor and all over the place. He was fine.

I want to be careful but I just have so much to balance right now. Lipstick has peanut in it? OMG! Where do I start? Could it be possible that some children are really NOT that allergic? (I read some from that string already.) Yet he's a 6 on the RAST. They told us to avoid milk at all costs but by accident he had yogurt and he eats that regularly, never had a problem. Certain ice creams he can eat and of course cheese (he loves it!) Is it possible to grow out of pa? Should I change any part of our diet since it has never caused reaction before? That would be too easy probably.

Sorry to unload. It just sorta happened. I WAS just going to introduce myself.

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MommaC

MommaC:

First of all, welcome to the boards. You pose some very valid questions and it seems like you are overwhelmed by all of this, and I can completely relate! However, I have to beg you to do your PA child a BIG favor and remove everything from your house that has 'peanut' or 'may contain' listed on it. PA is very, very unpredictable. Sometimes a PA person may react mildly and the next time it might be anaphylactic. Are you really willing to take the chance with your child's life? It may seem unfair to the other kids, but my non-PA son has adapted just fine and doesn't even seem to miss it.

It was one of the hardest things in the world for me to give up peanuts myself. I'm a lifelong addict. Peanut butter, shelled peanuts, veggie chili w/peanuts, etc. I love peanuts, but I have two PA children who both react VERY differently, and for my love of THEM, I won't risk having anything 'peanut' in my home. Please don't play roulette with your child's life. I still occasionally eat something with peanuts when I'm at work (like a much missed snickers bar), but I make sure I have thoroughly washed my hands and face and brushed my teeth before I go home. I know that might seem insane, but my daughter is extremely sensitive to peanut oil and will get hives on contact from the most minute amount!

Anyway, having once dealt with schools and preschools (we homeschool now), I thought I'd address this question: "I had to turn it [EpiPen] in to the office admin. Is that normal? Acceptable? It really made me nervous." For younger children, generally under the age of 7 or so, and almost ALWAYS in public schools, the school nurse and home room teacher should both have an EpiPen (of course, that's in an ideal world, too!). They also need to be trained in the use of the EpiPen and WELL advised as to the signs of anaphylactic shock. I found that my son (also autistic) was being bounced around so much between regular ed, special ed, PE, OT, PT, SLP and God knows what else and he was under the supervision of so many different people, some of whom I never met to even know if they knew anything AT ALL about my son being PA, etc., etc. that I was horrified about it. But, it was the rules of our school and a 'safety' concern for younger children. I mean, the last thing you want is some kid like mine (and he WOULD do this because he is AS and doesn't understand a LOT of social issues or consequences to actions, etc.) pulling his EpiPen out of his backpack and going and popping someone in the leg with it! Imagine the liability concerns the school would have to contend with over THAT issue!!

Anyway, there is peanut bi-products in a LOT of non-consumable goods. My daughters first reaction to peanuts was from Banana Boat's Baby Boat SPF 36 sunscreen. Hives ALL over. My son's first reaction was to Tide detergent. Proctor & Gamble admits they use peanut bi-products in the "Mist" scent of Downey and some of their other products. They do claim Tide does not have peanuts (maybe now, but my son had eczema all over from contact with it and we had to call an ambulance because he couldn't breathe shortly after he was exposed to the 'dust' from sitting on the machines when I threw the detergent in.

My recommendation to you is to realize that like autism in one sense, there are accommodations you HAVE to make for the safety and well being of your child, however, you do NOT have to make ALL those changes at once.

Learn as much as you can, ask as many questions as you want. Read A LOT. Also check out the food recalls and safety alert section of the message boards here, too. VERY valuable information there.

Welcome again MommaC. I look forward to seeing more posts from you in the future.
~Melanie

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