From the Book - 1st Sentient Publications ed.
Introduction : coming to terms with autism
1. An important note to readers
2. The rise and fall of the "refrigerator mother" theory
The refrigerator mother theory
Progress in behavioral intervention
3. Autism isn't purely genetic
What about the rest of the country?
What about other countries?
Changes in the diagnostic criteria
The hidden horde theory refuted
5. Autism is a disease, not a disability
Autism : an environmental illness
The multiple hit hypothesis
6. Basics of the immune system
The first line of defense
The non-specific or innate immune response
The antigen-specific or adaptive immune response
Antigen-presenting cells (APCs)
7. The problem of immune dysregulation
Do individuals with autism have immune dysregulation?
Abnormal response to infections
8. Measles and the MMR controversy
9. Is autism a gut disease?
Diagnostic confirmation of upper GI disease
10. Why can't they detoxify?
The importance of glutathione
Impaired methylation in autism
11. Does mercury cause autism?
The EPA reports concern about mercury
12. Further evidence against mercury
Where does ethylmercury go?
Is ethylmercury as bad as methylmercury?
Cell death in the brain and the immune system
Thimerosal inhibits glutamate transport
Thimerosal affects nerve differentiation
Can you be genetically at risk for thimerosal injury?
Other effects of thimerosal on the immune system
Thimerosal inhibits methylation
Thimerosal depletes intracellular glutathione in brain cells
Other effects of thimerosal
Autistic children and mercury exposure
Environmental mercury exposure and autism
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report
Neuroanatomy (brain structure)
14. The autism web, making sense of the disease
The multi-tiered treatment approach.
16. Correcting nutritional deficiencies
Treating autistic enterocolitis
Preventing oxidative stress
Supporting the detoxification pathway
19. Treating the immune system
Breaking the inflammatory cycle
Removing false neurotransmitters and neurotoxins
Modulating neurotransmitters
Supply the brain with oxygen
Appendix A. Parent ratings of behavioral effects of biomedical interventions
Appendix B. DSM III-R and DSM IV criteria for autism
