On the “National” “Autism” Conference
Autism gains attention as experts meet: Research, celebrities raise profile of childhood disorder is the headline of a November 8th Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about the National Autism Conference, which is to be held this weekend in Atlanta. Some brief musings about the conference, the experts, autism, and who’s gaining “attention.”
The National Autism Conference is the annual conference of the National Autism Association, which notes that autism is “environmentally triggered,” perhaps by a vaccine or something in vaccines, and which may not be the most national of autism organizations.
The experts include keynote speakers Deirdre Imus, Katie Wright, and Jenny McCarthy, along with Andrew Wakefield, Jeff Bradstreet, Bryan Jepson, Anju Usman, David Kirby, Dan Olmsted, as well as a number of DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) doctors. While it sometimes seems that more parents than not try some sort of alternate autism treatment, the “experts” at this conference have their expertise in a somewhat specific area, biomedical treatments.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution headline refers to autism as a “childhood disorder.” What about all the autistic adults?
And in the long run, is it research or celebrities that matters more for raising the “profile” of autism—–for increasing understanding and knowledge about autism?
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POSTED IN: Autism Organizations, Environment, Health, Junk Science, Stereotypes, Treatment, Vaccines
10 opinions for On the “National” “Autism” Conference
Regan
Nov 8, 2007 at 5:34 am
A different conference, but also in Atlanta, and I believe even the same hotel, later on–
2nd Autism Conference
Title: Issues and Recent Advancements in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism: Practical Strategies for Changing Behavior at Home and School
Date: February 8 - 10, 2008
Location: Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, GA
http://www.abainternational.org/autconf/index.asp
Markus
Nov 8, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Easy answer:
Independent research, independent research and more independent research.
While it might comfort some in America to know that celebrities like Jenny McCarthy are trapped and trying to navigate through the same quicksand as other parents of autistic children, I choose scientific research over Hollywood, God and pharmaceutical elixirs to provide us the truth.
Chuck
Nov 8, 2007 at 2:36 pm
But scientific research offers many pharmaceutical elixirs to treat problems for ASD children.
Patrick
Nov 8, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Well Gayle, thanks to your limited understanding but promotion of a conference full of practitioners of questionable therapies, I doubt folks are going to leave with much more than recommendations to begin engaging potentially dangerous, useless, and or expensive treatment regimens that have not been properly documented to have benefit greater than regular growth/development and placebos.
Has one of their folks spoke to you and let you know after 55 rounds of chelation therapy things are still all not alright with the client? … They will always claim that progress is being made while the ca$h keeps rolling in from treatments that Insurance Comanies will not reimburse for as they are still deemed experimental.
Patrick
Nov 8, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Thats funny, I wasn’t aware of Any pharmaceutical products/drugs/elixirs approved by FDA for the treatment of Autism Chuck, can you be a bit more specific?
Please clue us in!
Chuck
Nov 8, 2007 at 4:36 pm
zoloft, adderal and risperdal just to name a few.
Regan
Nov 8, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Lisa Rudy had a list
at About.com
http://autism.about.com/od/treatmentoptions/p/drugtreatments.htm
To the best of my knowledge, Risperdal is the first drug “officially” vetted by the FDA (in October 2006) for autism–specifically for “irritability”, (aggression, deliberate self-injury, and temper tantrums in children from age 5 through adolescence ) and the others are off-label.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Nov 8, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Charlie takes Zoloft—for anxiety, not for “autism,” specifically. There do seem to be some practical-educational sessions at the conference—such as one on toilet training—-much of the schedule recalls that of DAN! conferences and Autism One.
Regan
Nov 8, 2007 at 6:08 pm
That toilet training book can be purchased for $6-$14 online (google the speaker).
I think that Dennis Debbault would be interesting to hear, and the updates from NIH by Insel and Schwartz, although I believe that that content can also be located online. But the conference is a chunk of change for what it is.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Nov 8, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I’m wondering what Insel might say to this particular audience.
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