MAPS or the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs provides training and educational programs to medical practitioners so that they can provide with quality and consistent treatment for Autism and other related disorders. The training programs are designed based on the latest developments of the medical world. With eminent aficionados heading the organization, MAPS remains to be one of the premium systematic pediatric programs providers.
Educational Programs Which Collaborates On Autism and Related Disorders

Dr. Daniel Rossignol, the President of MAPS, believes in evidence based programs which would embody research and its practical application proving itself to be beneficial for both the patient and the doctor. Dr. David Berger, Board Certified Pediatrician, believes in stopping autism before it can happen. With continuous awareness programs Dr. Berger shares his knowledge with parent support groups.
MAPS Practitioners Provide the “Full Measure” Care
The difference in the ideologies makes the MAPS practitioners the more preferable choice for the treatment of autism. The biomedical intervention of MAPS enables the practitioners to look beyond the actual implementation.
MAPS Spectrum Standard of Care Conference, 2012
This year, MAPS is holding one of their prestigious training conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada in March 2nd and 3rd. The course enunciates treatment techniques beyond the typical lecture series. Correlating with case studies and supportive evidence of the treatment techniques, the practitioners would leave the conference enlightened and educated.
Conference Schedule: On March 2nd the notable speakers at the conference would speak about the Oxidative Stress, Methylation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction. On 3rd March the focus would be on the GI, Environmental and Immune. The last day would have the illustrious speakers tell about how to make the practice effective enough.
Speakers of the Conference:

• Dan Rossignol, M.D. FAAFP, MAPS President: A thorough practitioner, Dr. Rossignol has been researching the medical literature for the cure of autism and the related disorders. With a Doctorate of Medicine from the Medical College of Virginia, Dr. Rossignol is a member of Americal Academy of Family physicians.
• Richard Frye, M.D., Ph.D: The director of Autism Research and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Dr. Richard Frye specializes in these neurological disorders.
• Anju Usman, M.D.: One of the directors of True Health Medical Center in Naperville, Illinois, she has been involved in the research of copper/zinc imbalances, metallothionein dysfunction, biofilm related infections and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
• Martha Herbert, M.D., Ph.D: A trained pediatrics of neurological disorders, she is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, a Pediatric Neurologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She is also an affiliate of the Harvard-MIT-MGH Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging.
• Elizabeth Mumper, M.D, FAAFP: With an integrative approach towards autism and the relevant disorders, Dr. Humper is an eminent practitioner in Lynchburg, Virginia.

The conference also has other speakers like Dr. David Berger, Dr. Judy Van de Water, and Dr. Quig, and Algis K. Augustine. The registrations lines are still open to partake in the conference. For further details on the variant topics covered, the speakers and other related topics call 855.447.4200 x 251. To view other details of the conference please visit http://www.medmaps.org/conference.html.

When a child is born, it gives birth to parents who plan beautiful dreams for their bundle of joy. It’s not easy for parents to deal with the fact that your child is suffering from Autism and comprehending that your life will be utterly different than what you have planned earlier. You child will not behave or laugh or move like others. Your day to day life with a special child can be very challenging but there are ways to deal with it. Autism Treatment has come up as a boon to those families who are fighting with Autism patients.

The child who is distressed with Autism will be deficient from proper response to social and environmental stimulations. The child will communicate less, he will not be able to express his feelings properly. You need to show your patience and unconditional love for the child. You should make him understand that though they are unable to deal with it; you can understand his pain and disabilities and will be always there by his side. Your child will go through a phase of denial where you will feel hard to cope up with the situation but do not lose hope and fight with it. Children who are suffering from Autism often found deficient with Vitamin-A, Calcium, Zinc ratio, Sulfate deficiency etc. so take special care about his diet.

Always appreciate small victories of your child as this will motivate him to engage in various other activities as this is a very important aspect of Autism Awareness. Living and dealing with Autism can be difficult but it’s not impossible.

Tags: Autism News

While there are a huge number of organizations working towards spreading autism awareness and creating more and more options for autism treatment for those who can’t afford it, here is some news that can add further relief for families affected by autism.

A new bill under the state’s general assembly in Rhode Island has clearly stated that insurance companies would now have to bear the cost of therapies required to treat autism in this state. While a hearing is still being waited for on the Tuesday evening, the residents are looking very hopeful.

It has been observed in several occasions in the past that families treating autistic children have not been able to reach out to insurance companies for the cost they saw towards the involved therapies and treatment procedures. This proposed bill is one of the results of such complaints made by RI families and from several others from the other parts of the US.

While such bills have been introduced in some of the other parts of US in the past, it has not yet been so for Rhode Island, where the residents had to bear the cost of autism treatment completely on their own, unless they were eligible for aids from the government or other organizations working with autism treatment.

The person who has appeared to be the chief sponsor for this legislation is the Cranston Democrat, Rep. Peter Palumbo. While this drive would help families affected by autism, it may result in higher premium rates for all the policy holders in RI if the autism coverage is made mandatory.

Tags: autism awareness, Autism Treatment, organizations working with autism treatment

Amongst the many events that are working towards raising money for autism affected families, the West Palm Beach Annual Autism Walk is quite noteworthy. Not only is this event organized to raise the money that can help families affected by the disability, but it also adds a good deal of awareness in the general civilians about autism. Moreover the funds are also used towards research work being done towards treating autism.

The number of people participating in this event has been seen to be 3000 to 4000. During the event, the co-chairperson of the 2011 Walk, Denise Negron-Hernandez shared her thoughts with the other participants –

“When I attended my first walk I realized I wasn’t alone anymore,” she said. “It gave me a chance to be my child’s voice.”

Denise is mother to Alejandro, who is affected with Autism. She makes it a point that she is always a part of this walk. There are a huge number of other such events taking place all over the US. In fact, around 80 of such walks are organized each year in the US.

A large number of autism awareness organizations have taken the lead towards teaching people everything about the disability. About 1 child is affected by autism in every 110 children. Autism awareness not only teaches you how to treat an autistic child, but also on how to make their life more comfortable and have the confidence and faith in yourself to help them better!

Tags: autism awareness organizations, treating autism

If you were not aware of it, today 1 out of every 100 children are being affected by Autism. While this can come as a shocking news to most of us, the more disturbing part to it is the fact that this number was much lower even a few years back. If we go back by 30 years, we will see that only 1 child in every 2500 had been affected by this disability back then. So what can we do about it?

The good news is that today autism sees much more awareness programs and aids for autism today and people are well knowledgeable on it than they were even 5 years back. And there are a number of therapies and treatment procedures that can show a significant development in an autistic child if not cure them completely.

HBOT therapy is definitely one of the most popular and successful treatment procedures for autism today, even though medical experts and the FDA have not yet certified it as a cure for Autism. Awareness programs have united a whole community affected by Autism, which has made it easier for parents to work towards helping their children get better.

Recently, Todd Drezner directed a movie depicting how he has fought through towards helping his autistic son Sam get better. Even though a first time director, his work on Autism depicted in his very first direction, “Loving Lamposts: Living Autistic” has seen a great response.

Yet to be released throughout Canada and the US by the end of March, Todd has talked about a number of different unconventional treatment procedures including HBOT Therapy. While most people who are aware of the release are waiting eagerly for the release, it will be interesting to see if the movie features any singular information that can add value to autism treatment and therapies.

Tags: aids for autism, HBOT Therapy

Use Of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy In Neurodevelopment Disorders Like Autism :

Multiple studies have revealed that autism is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by cerebral hypoperfusion, neuro and GI inflammation, and increased oxidative stress. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) causes increased oxygen perfusion, has potent anti-inflammatory effects, reduces oxidative stress and increases the production of stem cells.

Hypoperfusion refers to decreased blood flow. In the case of autism, numerous studies have shown decreased blood flow to the brain, especially to the temporal regions of the brain. This hypoperfusion correlates with many core autism symptoms.

A case report is mentioned wherein Heuser treated a four-year old autistic child using lower pressure HBOT at 1.3 ATA (and 24% oxygen) and reported “striking improvement in behavior including memory and cognitive functions” after only ten sessions. Furthermore, the child had improvement of cerebral hypoperfusion as measured by pre-HBOT and post-HBOT SPECT scans. Dr. Rossignol also speaks about the results of his study entitled Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may improve symptoms in autistic children in Medical Hypotheses. The interesting finding from this case series was that the younger children had more significant improvements in clinical outcome scores than the older children who also had hyperbaric treatment in hyperbaric chambers.

What happens during a hyperbaric therapy -

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy uses a special chamber, sometimes called a pressure chamber or hyperbaric chamber, to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood. Some, but not very many, hospitals have a hyperbaric chamber that is used for hyperbaric treatment. Smaller units may be available in outpatient center.

The air pressure inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber during a typical hyperbaric therapy session, is about two and a half times greater than the normal pressure in the atmosphere. This helps your blood carry more oxygen to organs and tissues in your body. Hyperbaric therapy can help wounds, especially infected wounds, heal more quickly.

Tags: Autism Treatment, children with autism, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Recent studies in the medical world, on autism symptoms and autism treatment, brings not only hope, but actual help, to families with autistic children. Lead physician and researcher, Daniel Rossignol, M.D., treats children with autism. Seeing his patients improve with hyperbaric oxygen treatment led him to conduct the first large scale, double-blind, controlled study to examine the effectiveness hyperbarics for autism treatment . And, the results of this study demonstrate positive improvements.

What happens in the HBOT Chamber –

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy traditionally involves inhaling up to 100% oxygen at a pressure greater than 1 atmosphere (atm) in a pressurized chamber. In the first randomized, controlled, double-blind multicenter trial, published in BMC Pediatrics and entitled “Hyperbaric treatment for children with autism: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.” Dr. Rossignol and colleagues, from 6 centers in the USA, studied 62 children, aged 2-7 years, to assess the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen treatment in children showing autism symptoms.

The research trial concludes that children with autism who received hyperbarics for autism treatment in HBOT Chambers at 1.3 atmospheres and 24% oxygen for 40 hourly sessions had significant improvements in overall functioning, receptive language, social interaction, eye contact, and sensory/cognitive awareness compared to children who received slightly pressurized room air.

The children were randomly assigned to either 40 hours of hyperbaric treatment at 1.3 atm and 24% oxygen (treatment group) or slightly pressurized room air at 1.03 atm and 21% oxygen (non-treatment group). Clinical outcomes were evaluated by three different scales: the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), and the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC).

Dr. Rossignol said, “In our study, we observed significant improvements in several core autistic behaviors with the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment at 1.3 atm compared to children receiving near-placebo treatment. These findings confirm what we are seeing in clinical practice–that many children with autism may benefit with the use of this treatment.”

Tags: autism symptoms, Autism Treatment, children with autism, HBOT Therapy

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) should be diagnosed by a medical professional with support from physical, occupational and speech therapists. Ideally, everyone involved with a diagnosis should have significant experience with ASDs, their diagnosis and proper autism treatment.

What does it mean to have an ASD?

The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) which defines all known medical disorders for the purposes of diagnosis, describes six characteristics of ASDs in order to treat autism. To qualify for a diagnosis, a person must have a total of six or more items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1) and one each from (2) and (3):

1. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, manifest by at least two of the following:

• A. Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures and gestures, to regulate social interaction
• B. Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
• C. Lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)
• D. Lack of social or emotional reciprocity

2. Qualitative impairment in communication, as manifest by at least one of the following:

• A. Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)
• B. In individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
• C. Stereotyped and repetitive use of language, or idiosyncratic language
• D. Lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe, or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

3. Restrictive repetitive and stereotypic patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

• A. Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
• B. Apparently inflexible adherence to specific nonfunctional routines or rituals
• C. Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
• D. Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects.

Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:

• 1. Social interaction
• 2. Language as used in social communication
• 3. Symbolic or imaginative play

The disturbance is not better accounted for by Retts Disorder or childhood disintegrative disorder.

_{Sources: National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) 2004.}

Tags: autism symptoms, Autism Treatment, treat autism

Autism’s False Prophets is a must read for any parent who has questioned their decision about vaccinating their autistic child , is delaying getting vaccines because of worries about reports of links between vaccines and autism, and everyone else who wants more information about the quest for treatment for autism, why vaccines were blamed for the rise in autism, and what may have motivated everyone involved in the autism debate.

• Details all of the players in the vaccine debate
• Easy to read, even for people without a medical background
• Provides a history of autism ‘cures’ that don’t work
• Gives the viewpoint of parents of children with autism who do not think that vaccines were to blame

• A timeline and appendix with biographies would have made it easier to put everything together

• Learn about the conflicts behind the people who are against vaccines
• Describes facilitated communication, secretin, and other treatments once touted as cures for autism
• Review the scientific debate on the safety of vaccines
• Watch a case unfold in vaccine court

Source – About.com

Tags: Autism Treatment, treat autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) should be diagnosed by a medical professional with support from physical, occupational and speech therapists. Ideally, everyone involved with a diagnosis should have significant experience with ASDs, their diagnosis and their treatment.

Hyperbaric medicine and treatment in maximum hyperbaric centers for children with autism has reportedly led to improvements in the condition, though previous studies were uncontrolled. Now, a new study is the first controlled trial to report clinical improvements.

Hyperbaric therapy conducted in a hyperbaric center traditionally involves inhaling up to 100% oxygen at a pressure greater than 1 atmosphere (atm) in a pressurized chamber.

Clinical outcomes were evaluated by three different scales:

1. the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale,
2. the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), and
3. the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC).

The study found that children with autism in the treatment group had significant improvements in overall functioning, receptive language, social interaction, eye contact, and sensory/cognitive awareness compared to children in the non-treatment group.

Rossignol wrote “Hyperbaric treatment is a safe treatment modality at 1.3 atm and … appears to be a promising treatment for children with autism“.

Source – Science Daily.

Tags: Autism Treatment, children with autism, treat autism