Can Autism be cured?

[1PrincessMomma1]

What does everyone think about Jenny McCarthy's claim that her son has been "cured" of Autism? I am not a dr. but was under the impression that there is no cure for autism. Do you believe she is helping or hurting the cause? I believe she is hurting it. If her son is "cured" isn't it more likely that he was misdiagnosed?

 

[Pembo]

I haven't read any of Jenny McCarthy's stuff about her son's problems.

I do have a son with Autism, Asperger's Syndrome. There is documented evidence that the brain of a person with autism is different. I don't know how you can cure the brain?!

Yes I believe she is hurting the cause by giving the impression that Autism can be cured. It can be helped.

If her son is "cured" I would think he was either misdiagnosed or has received great treatment and care but I wonder what would happen if they discontinued treatment?

 

[lulugirl]

I think Jenny McCarthy is an idiot.

 

[jenfur]

Absolutely it can be cured! A few terms back I did a paper on early intensive behavior intervention or applied behavior analysis. It has amazing results that have been considered a "cure" in some instances. Of course everyone responds differently but most children who are diagnosed early and receive this type of intervention see tremendous benefits from it. I have dealt with a few children who have had other disorders along with autism, they may not benefit as much due to the complicated diagnosis. Behavior and cognitive therapies are the most effective in any area.

 

[EveDallas]

I think Jenny McCarthy is an idiot.

I agree. I also think she is a desperate mom who never really accepted her son's diagnosis and is now trying to prove that he is "cured".

 

[Wishing on a star]

I don't think that even the experts know much at all about these conditions.

I know that there is much disagreement and inconsistancies when it comes to any general understanding....

I have heard that what appears to be 'autism' can be caused by metabolic/autoimmune disorders, and not simply by any genetic differences in the brain. Metabolic/autoimmune disorders can affect the brain.

If her son is 'cured' (by diet, etc...) then I would have to wonder did he have a true (genetic) neurological Autism, or does he have a metabolic/autoimmune disorder that has been affecting him.

I don't think enough is known to say for sure.

 

[tw1nsmom]

No, Autism can't be "cured". However, with early intervention and consistent, intensive therapy, those on the milder end of the spectrum can be indistinguishable from neuro-typical children. The younger, the better. The brain can be taught things using different neural pathways when children are younger. So, while they will always be autistic, their autistic behaviors could change or disappear. I haven't read her book, but I really hope that this is what Jenny McCarthy is referring to when she says she "cured" her son.

 

[ChrisFL]

Well, if they can find why the amount of autism is increasing so much recently, then that help be stopping the problem.

 

[beckmrk04]

My take on it?

If whatever she tried worked (I believe she drastically changed her son's diet), then why NOT tell the world about it?

Maybe he isn't "cured." And if he changes his diet back then maybe he'll regress. I don't know. But I do know that doctors don't know everything there is to know about autism, and that a mother's gut instinct is there for a reason.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I think Jenny McCarthy is an idiot.

I agree. I also think she is a desperate mom who never really accepted her son's diagnosis and is now trying to prove that he is "cured".

I have to agree with both of you.

Suzanne

 

[jodifla]

Well, if they can find why the amount of autism is increasing so much recently, then that help be stopping the problem.

I can tell you one reason. Because there's no definite criteria used in many cases to define a child as autistic.

Too many doctors see a kid for a few minutes and label them "on the spectrum" sending families into financial ruin trying diets, therapies, chelation, etc to "cure" their child.

The school districts have wildly varying criteria for labeling a child austic. In some places in Oregon, they say 1 in 32 kids are autistic, because they school districts there hand the label out like candy.

A true DX takes HOURS AND HOURS of tests and observation by a PROFESSIONAL.

Even, then, you'll get doctors that disagree with one another.

 

[beckmrk04]

SO has anyone read her book?

She accepted his diagnosis. She just refused to accept, "Well, this is it."

I read her first book, and it was actually very touching and smart. I haven't read the second one yet, but as far as I can tell she isn't claiming to own any special cure- she just found what worked for her kid and is encouraging other parents to do the same.

 

[mytwotinks]

My sister volunteers her time to a family that she knows with an autistic son. They are following the "sonrise" program. (I'm not totally sure of the name, I'll check that.) It is basically someone interacting with the child 100% of the time and comunicating with him the whole time. Whatever he does, they talk to him about and try to interact with him. He leads the whole thing. They don't try to tell him what he has to do, they just follow his lead.

I haven't read that much about it, but she has and she is convinced that autism can be helped. I don't know if she believes that there is a 100% cure, but I think that the program claims to have cured children.

 

[Scurvy]

I do not believe her son was actually autistic. I've heard her talk about her son and about autism and I really hope that people don't believe the nonsense she spouts. I feel really terrible for any parents of autistic children who listen to her and have false hope that their children can be "cured". Which is not to say that I think there are no ways to lessen the symptoms, but there is no cure.

One thing I saw about her on one of the morning shows (sorry, I don't remember which one) said that there is a seizure disorder that can manifest with many of the symptoms of autism and that is was far more likely that her son had that.

 

[perla75]

I am a behavior analyst (ABA) and I have been working with children with autism for almost 10 years.

The term "cured" in our field means that the child progresses to a point where he/she reaches age appropriate developmental level abilities in all domains, as evidenced by norm-referenced tests. Children who have been "cured" (and I have colleagues who have worked with children that met this criteria) still need to receive maintenance therapy to ensure that they continue to meet grade level educational goals and developmentally appropriate social skills.

I'm not sure "cured" is the best way to word this-maybe "caught up to a point where they are no longer behind" might be better wording, but it is a phenomenon that occurs.

With regards to ABA therapy, the earlier they get started on ABA, the better the outcome.

I do not know much about Jenny Mccarthy's cause-but I think she focuses on the immunization cause theory. I *believe* her son was using supplements through DAN doctors, but I'm not sure....or did he go through chelation? In my field we are less focused on the cause, and more focused on what we can do to increase their skills. Regardless of this, I really like Jenny I think she's got spunk and I appreciate her using her celebrity status to draw awareness to an important cause.

 

[jodifla]

I do not believe her son was actually autistic. I've heard her talk about her son and about autism and I really hope that people don't believe the nonsense she spouts. I feel really terrible for any parents of autistic children who listen to her and have false hope that their children can be "cured". Which is not to say that I think there are no ways to lessen the symptoms, but there is no cure.

One thing I saw about her on one of the morning shows (sorry, I don't remember which one) said that there is a seizure disorder that can manifest with many of the symptoms of autism and that is was far more likely that her son had that.

And as I recall, her son had seizures and was dxed with that, but she seized upon autism and ran with that.

 

[Jenvenza]

My take on it?

If whatever she tried worked (I believe she drastically changed her son's diet), then why NOT tell the world about it?

Maybe he isn't "cured." And if he changes his diet back then maybe he'll regress. I don't know. But I do know that doctors don't know everything there is to know about autism, and that a mother's gut instinct is there for a reason.

I agree with what you said 100%!!

 

[karynnix]

My son has Asperger's. I do not believe that he will be "cured" but he is outgrowing some of the characteristics. In my research, autism can not be cured, but you can lessen the characteristics. That's all Jenny McCarthy did.

 

[KirstenB]

I really don't know. I read a very compelling book by Karen Seroussi who's son Miles was autistic. She radically changed his diet, and he really came out of the autism fog he had been in. I don't remember if she claimed he was cured, but she made a strong case for trying a gluten and casein free diet. One thing I've learned about autism, in dealing with this with dd, is, what works for one child doesn't work for another. Many kids with autism have digestive issues, like Miles Seroussi.

Our daughter will eat anything under the sun, and has no food issues.

Some children developed the regressive form of autism around 18 mths old. Then again, some kids have been different from day 1. Then you have Hannah Pohling, who's autism was caused by vaccines triggering a rare mitochondrial condition.

Bottom line, I think autism is WAY too complex for Jenny McCarthy, or any other person to talk about someone being cured. It sounds like her son Evan has come a long way, and that's wonderful. That's all I want for our dd too.

 

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

I am no fan of Jenny McCarthy but I think what she is saying has merit. My child started experiencing Autistic-like symptoms after a round of vaccinations when she was two. She has been in speech therapy and occupational therapy for two years now and her "recovery" has been amazing. She most definitely is not autistic but we are still working to overcome her lingering speech issues.
I am convinced that vaccinations caused my daughter's "illness" and think something similar may have happened to McCarthy's son.