autism and diet

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I'm new to this list and glad to be here. Just came across this

article on diet, lutein free, in relation to healing autistic

children. I was just wondering if anybody here has heard about this

and if it is, in fact, effective.

 

all the best,

Nicky

 

 

http://www.talkaboutrecovery.comalt.recovery/messages/52684.htm

l

'Redefining autism' by WCAP

by sojmed@[email PROTECTED] (WCAP) Aug 23, 2003 at 03:18 PM

 

 

 

World Community Autism Program

100 Khan Rd.,

Pietermaritzburg,

South Africa

 

Website: http://www.saras-autism-diet.freeservers.com/'>http://www.saras-autism-diet.freeservers.com/

Email: sojmed@[email PROTECTED]

Release 18/8/03

 

Redefining Autism

WCAP aims to develop model programs that can help redefine autism as

a treatable yet complex condition affecting millions of people in

many ways. Autism was once described as a rare, lifelong

psychological condition with no known cause and no proven treatment

options. Over the past 15 years, new approaches and philosophies have

grown up, offering alternatives to the conventional view. At the same

time, what was once a rare and little known condition has sprung into

the public eye, with controversies and conflicts raging on all sides.

WCAP has been deeply involved in the new movement that seeks to

redefine autism as a multi-systemic medical condition through our

writings and books, our unique work with lutein-free dietary

intervention as well as many years of on-line presence.

 

Sandra Desorgher - Programs Director, World Community Autism Program

Sandra was born in the USA in 1957. She grew up in a family who

dedicated themselves to looking after behaviorally challenged,

emotionally disturbed and special needs foster children in their own

home. From the age of 12, Sandra studied medical dictionaries and

medical journals in the various hospitals where she worked as a

volunteer and later as a special diets cook and medical secretary.

From this self-study and dedication, she developed a unique approach

to therapeutic nutrition which still forms the basis of her multi-

facetted work.

In 1991, Sandra adopted Sarah, a blind, epileptic, disturbed and

abused autistic girl of 5 years old. Using a unique blend of dietary,

behavioral and educational strategies, Sarah made enormous gains.

Then, in 1994, Sandra made a revolutionary discovery - lutein

intolerance as a causative factor in autism. Since that time, she has

travelled the world, sharing her vision of healing and recovery with

families with autistic children, as well as medical professionals and

experts in the field of autism.

 

Max Desorgher - Executive Director, World Community Autism Program

Max was born in the UK in 1960. He studied healing and alternative

therapies in Europe, and has worked with special needs children for

many years. He met Sandra in 1997 and they were married in 1998. Max

specializes in teaching and behavioral strategies for individuals

with an Autism Spectrum diagnosis.

 

Sandra and Max Desorgher are the authors of two books: `The Power of

Exile – Autism, a journey to recovery' (400 pages) is available in

soft cover from WCAP, and `Autism – The way forward' (554 pages) is

available online as an e-book. Both books explore autism in depth,

and are summarised below.

 

The Power of Exile - Autism, A journey to recovery

by Sandra & Max Desorgher

 

http://www.saras-autism-

diet.freeservers.com/Exile/Power_of_Exile.html

 

Synopsis

The book begins with a brief history of Sara, an autistic mentally

retarded child, who lands in an emergency care home at the tender age

of five after medical evaluations determine her to be also a sexually

abused child. We then meet Sandra (author), a married woman trained

as a `Professional Parent' who was willing to take this wild child

into her home. The story continues through Sara's struggles and the

family's challenges of raising and caring for Sara - the particular

challenges of autism coupled with attachment disorder and mental

retardation, sometimes humorous but always touching the heart. The

early chapters include details of Sara's personal life – the

evaluations, traumas and challenges. It includes the weird and

apparently unexplainable behaviors which accompany a diagnosis of

autism, followed by the `recovery' and the explanations directly from

the autist who experienced them, identifying the reasons and

rationales for the seemingly unexplainable rituals and self-abuse.

The story develops as Sara is transformed to a child who, at the age

of 11 and within weeks of starting a special diet program, no longer

shows the signs of autism or mental retardation. Sara emerges as a

`social butterfly', as Sandra's discoveries lead to a new and

controversial therapy and a new understanding of autism.

Sara's awakening leads to travels among the autism `experts' and

speaking engagements at conferences in the US. Other autistic

children begin this same approach and soon there are autistic people

from around the globe who are waking up. Sara's story is put to paper

and needs professional editing. Max, a professional translator who

has been interested in autism and alternative healing for many years,

comes to America and teams up with Sandra, and together with Sandra

and Sara they enter into the world of autism travelling and working

in India, the Middle East, the UK and finally Africa.

The story includes specific accounts of some of the individuals and

then turns to the cause of autism, which has become a modern

epidemic, hidden behind the blanket of the `psychological paradigm'

for 60 years despite mounting evidence that it is a treatable medical

condition. Sandra & Max's research into nutrition, pigment disorders

and genetics leads to the emergence of the `causal theory' that

autism is part of a natural evolutionary process as humanity adapts

to environmental and social changes, as well as science's endeavor to

protect the majority with `herd immunity' at the expense of the few.

By keeping autism hidden behind the shroud of psychology the truth

has remained clouded. Our book opens up a wealth of knowledge and

suggests the ways forward for researchers into this disorder. Part

three is written with the scientific elucidation which is required to

understand the true cause and treatment for this otherwise `lifelong

disability', as well as including the specifics of the `Sara's Diet'

protocol and `Desorgher Method' of applied behavioral analysis and

adapted education.

 

EXTRACTS FROM `The Power of Exile'

 

From Chapter 1 - Sara

 

Sara arrives

When Kathy Nallan phoned to make arrangements to meet Sara, we were

surprised by the information we were given. At six, Sara was so young

to be considered for the type of specialized care offered by

Professional Parenting. She was younger than Erika, and we thought

she might be just the little sister Erika so desperately wanted.

We became apprehensive as more and more information poured forth.

Sara had been identified as significantly developmentally delayed at

20 months. She had had a grand-mal seizure and had been resuscitated

by emergency medical workers at the age of twenty-two months just

after receiving her vaccination. Sara had been in rehabilitation and

special education for three years and had been diagnosed as

epileptic, hypotonic and hyperactive at four years of age with severe

delay disorder. Evaluations at five years improved her clinical

picture to include `possibly trainable' when testing included an IQ

score of 34. She had been in a special class for the `trainable

developmentally delayed' for less than a year when her behaviors

alerted the staff to the possibility of sexual abuse. She was

considered to be non-verbal although she was echolalic and could say

her name.

I arrived at the Professional Parenting office for a meeting with the

staff and with Sara's teacher. I listened as specific details of the

events leading to Sara's placement in the emergency shelter were

given. The teacher, Alene was inquisitive, and I felt as though I was

being cross-examined although the concern for Sara's well-being was

evident. Her love for the child, whom I had not yet met emanated from

her every gesture, and her obvious faith and determination had been

directed towards what was best for the child. The details of what

Sara liked to eat, what simple accomplishments she had made under

this teacher's tutelage, and details of bizarre behaviors spilled

forth.

Then there was the bigger picture. The teacher had risked so much to

get this child to safety and would have taken her into her own family

if the courts had allowed it. Even in the safety of the emergency

shelter, threats from the biological family demonstrated the need to

find Sara a safe haven. The professional recommendations indicated

that institutionalization would have been the most rational course of

action, but the difficulty of finding an institutional placement for

a five-year-old whose parents' parental rights had not been

terminated, as well as the need to get her into long-term care, led

to the evaluation by Professional Parenting.

 

Sara's early life

The first three years of Sara's life are not at all clear. She had

first been evaluated before she was two years old when her Sunday

School teacher had become concerned that she was no longer meeting

developmental milestones. She had had some language development but

regressed noticeably after a bout of chicken pox and was absent for

several weeks. Her interaction ceased and she became withdrawn and

echolalic. Sara just wanted to flip the light switch off and on again

and again, or rock back and forth. She screamed when it was time to

go home from church, did not want to be touched and would scream and

kick if an adult attempted physical contact. Her Sunday school

teacher persisted and it was because of her involvement that Sara was

initially evaluated. She was found to be severely delayed/disordered

and was placed in a special education pre-school.

At 22 months Sara received her regularly scheduled vaccinations: DPT,

MMR and polio. During that night and through the following day she

developed a high fever which continued to increase even after she was

given Tylenol™ (acetaminophen). When this developed into a grand-mal

seizure, Sara was transported to intensive care by EMS - she had

turned blue. Whilst in the intensive care unit she continued to

seizure until her fever was brought under control.

At the end of several months of rehabilitation, speech therapy as

well as continuing in the special education pre-school setting, Sara

was again evaluated. The report described her as `. . . a 3 years and

4 months old child who has made immense strides and can tolerate up

to 10 minutes of one activity. She can maintain eye contact for

several seconds. She can follow one-step instructions such as " look

at . . . " . She imitated some sounds and could sign " me " and " more "

with 80 percent accuracy.' In summary, the evaluation stated: `Sara

continues to be severely delayed/disordered in her speech/language

development. Since Sara exhibits some autistic tendencies, a TEACCH

referral is recommended.'

 

From Chapter 4 – Sara joins our family

At home Sara spun in circles; she pushed buttons on the T.V., VCR,

and microwave; she flipped light switches on and off every time she

encountered them; she ran from place to place; she tripped on the

hearth and the steps; she fell down but did not cry; she patted the

faces of everyone she came into contact with, harder and harder until

we stopped her by holding her wrists; she pulled away, she rocked

back and forth, she screamed, scratched our hands and wrestled when

being restrained, using every ounce of energy she could manage from

her 38 pound body .

Once we were home with her it was a struggle to keep my eyes on Sara

and get the car unloaded. My husband sighed and rolled his eyes in a

look of despair. Sara was in a frenzy. She didn't stop moving,

spinning in circles, running into things, tripping over the door

step, pushing the buttons, rubbing the walls and flipping the light

switches in every room. I tried to hold her and she wriggled,

wrestled, banged her head into my chin. I turned her and tried to

hold her to me and she buried her chin in my shoulder. I sat her down

and she ran, spun; I followed and watched. " Stop, stop Sara, " I

requested but there was no indication she heard my words; there were

only guttural sounds and maniacal laughter.

We had dinner. Sara was sat on a tall step-stool. Her plate was fixed

and the food was cut into pieces and allowed to cool. We said the

blessing. I peeked at her through squinted eyes. First she sat

looking away and then she reached out and put her fingers into the

glass of tea. She rubbed her thumb across her fingers and felt the

cool liquid, then she quickly touched her fingers to her lips. Her

tongue came out and she licked her lips and then she spat, waited and

then picked up the glass. I watched as she took a small sip and again

she spat out the beverage. She waited a second and then drank. The

food was touched and then her fingers were touched to her lips. She

finally picked up a piece of food and put it in her mouth and then

took it back out, waited, then returned the food to her mouth and

swallowed. No chewing. She got up and went to Erika's plate. She

reached and got a piece of Erika's food, put it in her mouth and

swallowed. I got up and returned her to her own chair. Later, I

described her weird eating behavior to my (foster) brother David and

he said it reminded him of survival training in the military.

Upon placing her in bed, the raging began - screaming, kicking,

scratching the wall, scratching herself, scratching me. I placed one

arm across her legs and one across her chest. I talked calmly to her,

I told her no one would get into her bed with her. I stayed kneeled

on the floor until she finally slept, 2 or 3 hours after we went

upstairs. She slept with her eyes open.

 

The night rages lasted for 2 weeks. Of course we did not know they

were going to end, so we made preparations for B.J. and Erika to

spend the week of July 4th with Bud's aunt and uncle, 4 hours away.

It was early summer and I am still thankful we had the whole summer

to work with her before school began.

Our goals for Sara now were language development, interactive play

and developing enough skills to pass DIAL screening for placement in

a regular kindergarten. Our approach was to talk to her in plain

complete short sentences about everything we did. For example I would

say: " I am going to set the table " ; " I am opening the silverware

drawer " ; " I am getting out the forks, the spoons, and the knives " ;

" I'm putting them on the table - a fork, knife, and spoon at Sara's

place; " etc.

We asked Sara questions, and answered for her with the response we

would expect from a young child, for example: " Would you like a

banana, Sara? . . . yes, please " . After a week, we added the trick of

answering for Sara with the `wrong' response, such as: " Would you

like a brownie Sara? . . . no, Sara does not want a brownie " . She

protested loudly: " Want one, want one. " We asked her to repeat after

us: " Yes, Sara wants a brownie. " She complied with " Sara wants " .

I made alphabet cards, number cards, dot-to-dot pictures and dot-to-

dot words. She would give us her attention for minutes at a time, and

we made full use of every alert moment. We sat for hours trying to

get her to push a ball: " Come on Sara - roll the ball to B.J. " We

played for hours until, finally, she reached out and touched the

ball. Praise, hugs, claps and cheers were her reward for these simple

acts of compliance. This work was stressful for B.J. and Erika, so

they received exaggerated rewards too - trips to the movies or ball-

park, shopping with aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and

neighbors. We would pay for whole group outings in return for B.J.

and Erika's respite from home. They too were greatly pleased with

Sara's progress, although her behavior in public was still outrageous

- she would run if she got the chance, mashed cash register buttons

and reached for fire alarms. When she passed elderly men, she would

reach for their genitals; in restaurants she would lift her shirt or

dress and slide under the tables.

I started out early one morning to try to get her behavior to a

manageable level. I told her what reward she would get for acceptable

behavior and held her hand until we reached the desired reward.

" Sara, I will buy you this toy if you stay with me and keep your

hands to yourself. Look with your eyes not your hands. " She laughed

and ran, knocking the wigs off mannequins, hiding under clothes

racks: no reward. Next stop she was offered a pretty shirt: no

reward. Next stop, she chose a bracelet and carried it through the

store without running or causing mayhem. Success! That afternoon we

went from store to restaurant to video store to grocery store and by

late afternoon Sara was exhausted, her stubbornness subsided. She now

held my hand and walked quietly beside me, listening for what new

treasures she might get for her calmness.

 

From Chapter 6 – Impressions

 

Charlotte writes:

" When I first met Sara at the age of 5 years, she was like a wild

animal unleashed on the world, wearing a huge plaid black/yellow

flannel shirt layered over the top of other clothing in the heat of

summer. Her physical appearance and emotional problems were obvious -

no attention span and obsessive/compulsive behaviors that seemed

impossible to overcome. But, after a few days it became apparent that

there was a higher intelligence than stated in her evaluations, an

intelligence that was not easily recognizable in the span of a brief

encounter.

" Although she seemed to have little reasoning skills, she could

manipulate knobs and buttons, and seemed to do so with an

understanding of the cause/effect relationship. She had a small

indestructible Fisher Price phonograph record player that Sandy had

brought with her to occupy Sara's time and she played the same record

over and over until a reward like ice-cream pulled her away (she got

lots of ice-cream!). Her verbal skills were almost non-existent,

however she could repeat phrases over and over several hundred times.

Sara referred to herself in the third person when she did attempt to

communicate and was most upset over spilling a drink on her flannel

shirt. She let me have the shirt to be washed, and after talking to

Sandy about it, it didn't go home with her since this was the final

day of work for Sandy, and Sandy was pleased that she had taken off

the shirt as she was so attached to it that it would be easier on

Sara to accidentally leave it then to have to give it up on her own

or have it wrestled from her.

" At times Sara was violent and destructive, but with no obvious

malice intended - she did not seem to understand that hitting someone

hurt them. She showed no signs of pain, cold, heat or discomfort.

Sara was very self-centered, and although she noticed the environment

she seemed to be the only one in it. She showed no emotion unless you

counted the occasional maniacal outbursts of laughter. She shied

away from all attempt at affection.

" Even with all her problems, Sara had a `light' about her that hinted

at great potential. She was like a little vacuum sucking in all that

was new. She memorized phrases that interested her, and in only a few

weeks her verbal skills had improved. It was as if the words were

there and she was struggling to put them to use. I knew in my heart

this child would someday excel at something. "

 

My Mom's first impressions:

" I thought of Sara as a severely wounded animal. She ran from place

to place pushing buttons on TV's and VCR's with a wild look on her

tiny, odd-shaped face. Sandy would remove her from one object and she

would run to another uttering unintelligible sounds. Then she would

run to the front door, or gaze out the window, in her own world

rocking back and forth, no longer interacting with our world, the

occasional hysterical laughter. She had an overwhelming need for

pain. She inflicted it on herself in any way she could: she bent her

little fingers back until they touched the top of her hands. We

thought they would break off.

" I finally managed to get her in my lap and tried talking to her

gently. Her response was to pat my face with both hands, first gently

then harder and harder. I thought to myself: this child may be beyond

help.

" I watched a few days later as she was in a total screaming rage and

Sandy picked her up, sat down on the couch with this kicking,

screaming wild child and held her until she couldn't scream anymore.

Sara was exhausted, she laid her head back and slept with her eyes

open. I witnessed this scene many times. I noticed each time Sandy

was perfectly calm and consistent far beyond what I could have been.

I also observed from the first day that Sara was aware of what pushed

Bob's buttons. The things that annoyed him the most were behaviors

she reserved for visits to our house. It would be nearly six years

before Sara could tell us why she behaved the way she did towards

Bob. Bob also realized that Sara saved these special behaviors for

him, so he chose to ignore her completely. He would even leave the

room when she came in the house. After several visits, she came in

one day and Bob's little tattoo caught her eye. She finally

approached him and put her finger on it and looked at him. He said

" Tattoo " . Sara repeated " tattoo tattoo " . The next time, she came in

and went straight to him, pulled up his sleeve, and with a strange,

almost artificial grin, put her finger on the tattoo and repeated

" tattoo " .

" That was the beginning of her acceptance of Bob. For months she did

her best to aggravate him, but it slowly became less and less. After

her first few visits, when Sara came into the house I told her I

wanted a hug, I hugged her, and she put one arm around me with my

help. I told her I wanted a hug with two arms and when she put her

other arm around me it brought tears to my eyes as it does right now

as I write this. I've had hundreds of hugs since the first one and

still occasionally have to ask for two arms. "

 

Bob writes:

" By her actions and the expressions on her face I thought her to be

severely mentally retarded, dangerous to herself and others, beyond

help. My thoughts were that Sandy should send her back or on to

someone else right away, possibly to professional people in an

institution. As time went on my fears were re-inforced by Sara's

actions. Sandy had to watch her constantly to keep her from hurting

herself by causing herself nosebleeds, digging at her eyes, slamming

her hands in doors, throwing herself off steps. Her fits of screaming

rage were so intolerable I would sometimes get up and leave the

house. "

 

From Chapter 9 – I believe in miracles

It could only be Divine intervention that brought Sara and I

together. I learned the power of food and nutrition from my own

experiences and the power of the environment from foster children and

Sara. Together a greater power would help us to use what we had

learned to help others.

 

`Sara's Diet' began November 9, 1994.

Within two weeks:

1. Her oppositional behavior dissipated to a normal 11 year old

level, flaring only during sibling rivalry.

2. Her inappropriate laughing and giggling subsided except for two 4-

hour periods directly corresponding with dietary infractions

(wheat).

3. Her sense of danger became measurably increased to typical

11-year-

old standards. Her apparent insensitivity to pain became replaced

with average complaints to typical discomforts. There have been NO

 

incidents of self-abusive behavior since her diet was changed and

NO

periods of withdrawal into the autistic psychological state that

she

previously often entered, in which she was unreachable by our

attempts to communicate with her.

4. She initiated interaction with family members and peers,

including: sitting next to siblings to watch TV and game playing

(checkers and chess). She made us aware of her desire to

participate

in competitive sports and exhibited skills which indicated she

could

do so successfully. She has joined the indoor soccer team and is

doing great. She is trying to decide between baseball and

softball.

With her new-found interests she is leaning towards the co-ed

baseball, whereas we are pushing towards softball with same-sex

typical role models for her to develop friendships in the little

time

she has left to fill in so many blanks before entering her teenage

 

years.

5. Her use of verbal language became normal and interactive, even to

the point of causing her to blush initially when she became

embarrassed by her excessive elaborations about daily events and

interactions with classmates. Her intonation and expressive

capabilities no longer have the mechanical qualities and are

spontaneous and original.

6. She voiced concerns over distressful situations for family members

 

and peers.

7. Her autistic gait dissipated within 4 days.

8. She was running and walking in a typical 11-year-old gait.

9. Her perception became clear as did her writing and drawing,

replacing the odd distorted drawings and overlapping letters we

had

become accustomed to.

10. Her rocking decreased greatly and became occasional after 3

months, with 3 to 4 days passing between episodes of brief periods

of

rocking lasting only minutes.

 

She also: voiced references using aesthetic choices; increased her

assertiveness and began to try things she had refused to attempt

prior to the implementation of `Sara's Diet' with the strict

regulation of nutrient intake and removal of the colored fruits and

vegetables: rolling her hair; opening a can; coloring for fun;

division; fixing her own cereal; choosing her clothes; folding

clothes; learning to do dishes; taking out garbage; care for the

pets; using the stove, blender and microwave.

In addition to her new skills, she was able to: explain behaviors and

events going back to age 2 using specific details and dates,

including naming all the children from the developmentally delayed

program she had attended; recounting field trips with same and even

naming the foods the other children had eaten while on these field

trips; giving detailed accounts of specific abuses that had created

anxiety for her when she was exposed to stimuli that reminded her of

those past events, proving to us that, like Temple Grandin states in

her accounts of childhood autism experiences, although they do not

appear to have reasoning skills nor coherence, they in fact are aware

of the world around them and are simply unable to respond to it, much

like a person under the influence of anesthesia. She no longer

requires a schedule, nor does she approach strangers to ask

repetitive questions about birth dates, addresses, or phone numbers.

Although Sara had no obvious signs of allergy, I knew that many

allergic reactions take place internally (smooth muscle reactions)

and that these reactions have the potential to create metabolic

chaos. It had taken me from 1969 to 1993 to find the answers to my

own food intolerances. In the Journal of the American Dietetic

Association (March 1993) was an article entitled `Carotenoid content

of fruits and vegetables: An evaluation of analytic data' and another

one entitled `The development and application of a carotenoid

database for fruits, vegetables, and selected multicomponent foods'.

As I read the foods which were listed to contain beta-cryptoxanthin,

I was amazed that these foods were the ones which produced diarrhea

and burning of the skin if I ingested them, yet I craved mango as a

child so much that my grandmother would peel it and carefully place

the fruit on my tongue, being certain not to let it touch my face or

lips, knowing the next day I would suffer diarrhea. I had the same

reaction with those scrumptious fried papaya pies served at the local

mini-markets in downtown Miami, and even after marriage, I chose one

day a year when mango was in season. I would buy the heavenly ripened

fruit and wait for my husband to peel it and bring me a large slice

of chilled mango, knowing the next day I would pay for my

indiscretion. Then my eyes turned to the list of foods containing

lutein pigment, and all the pieces of my `food intolerance' puzzle

came together. I removed all lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin foods from

my diet. I no longer have to worry about stomach cramps, incoherence,

altered depth perception, profuse sweating, diarrhea, spontaneous

incontinence, and I don't have to carry allergy medication, Alka-

Seltzer and anti-nausea medications every time I leave home.

Within two days of removing the pigmented fruits and vegetables, Sara

walked into the living room and saw a rainbow reflecting off a glass

of water. She said " Awe what a beautiful rainbow " . She had never

spoke of anything in an aesthetic manner nor had she used such

emotional expression previously. On the fourth day of her diet we

attended the `N.C. Conference on Autism'. I packed Sara's special

lunch and off we went. I learned many things at that conference, but

as much of it came from speaking with other parents as from the

lectures. When I picked Sara up from the playroom where she had spent

the day with many autistic individuals, I was given some original

drawings Sara had done and I was perplexed. One drawing was of an ear

of corn, symmetric and outlined, colored perfectly with bright yellow

kernels and green leaves. After questioning the care-giver, I was

convinced Sara had done the drawing. Sara had never chosen to do an

original drawing to the best of my knowledge and she did not like

corn. On the way home she talked more freely than I could ever

remember. " Mom, I like Fall the best " . " Why " , I asked. " I like orange

leaves " she simply answered as if we had interactive conversations

every day. We stopped at a restaurant when we were nearly home. On

the walk across the parking lot, Sara grabbed my arm and said " Look

Mom, I'm walking like you! " and she was walking like me. Not in the

odd roll-off-the-balls-of- her-feet with her elbows as high as her

face, hands dangling, bouncy walk. I had been able to spot this child

a football field's distance away just by looking for her bounce. Not

only had I never thought that she was capable of walking differently,

but I was not even aware that she was aware that she walked

differently from everyone else.

I cried many happy tears over the changes in her those first two

weeks. Every day we watched miracles unfold. Simple things brought

overwhelming emotion: on the sixth day I took her to school as usual

and apologized for forgetting her chapstick. She threw her hand in

the air in a nonchalant manner and said " It's O.K., don't worry about

it. " as she slid out of the van, swung her book-bag over her shoulder

and walked off across the school yard. Previously she had never

comforted me or even acknowledged that I had feelings; and she had

always eased her behind to the floor of the van before stepping out

before turning to face the van, working her arms slowly into her book-

bag straps while rocking back and forth and then turning to bounce

her way to class.

 

From Ch. 10 – Miracles in abundance

I finished the manuscript, typed on a word processor with two

fingers, and had it copyrighted, but Sara's story was incomplete

without the additional knowledge of whether it was an `isolated'

occurrence or whether others could get the same or similar results. I

received inquiries and people began to receive copies of Sara's diet:

Portia Iverson before there was CAN (Cure Autism Now), Adair Renning

who waited a while before she tried the diet with Asia. A woman

called who had been advised to place her son in residential care -

she was willing to try anything. Her son is now `symptom free'.

Jean's son improved. Debra stopped trying to feed her son all those

colored vegetables. Jean and Debra went to work with Feingold

Association to write articles for their Newsletter. Another parent

began who had a 2½ year old son - he too is now declassified. A

little girl in Iowa was started on the diet and a year later she

passed the diagnostic testing to enter regular kindergarten without

needing any special services. Her doctor is said to have stated " If

one more parent of an autistic child says dietary intervention to me

I am personally going to spank their bottom. "

 

There have been multiple reports of eye-color change and some of hair-

color change after 3 weeks on the diet. 28% were already gluten and

casein-free, and in this group 90% reported positive improvements

with the additional restrictions. Several have been declassified, and

others state their child is now `symptom-free'. Some have begun the

use of verbal language for the first time - the oldest to begin to

speak is a man aged 23 after 3½ weeks on Sara's Diet.

 

Mark Leventer, MD, Grass Lake Medical Center, Michigan, USA writes:

Tom is patient of mine for the past 8 months. He is now six years old

and has autism and hyperlexia. Prior to coming here, he had a history

of chronic sinusitis and otitis media, bronchitis and upper

respiratory infections. He was hospitalized once at the age of three

for dehydration and has chronic yeast infection of the genitals. He

had tubes placed in his ears at the age of 19 months.

Autism was diagnosed at the University of Michigan at around the age

of 2½. He was nonverbal until the age of three and had echolalia. He

was very socially isolated and would play with himself and not with

others. He did not know how to play with toys or other children.

During the first office visit 8 months ago at the age of five, he was

playing with toys for 20 minutes appropriately. His mother was also

giving him acidophilus. Two days later he was instructed on the

lutein free elimination diet for autism. Six days later he was noted

to be doing better by his mother. He enjoyed the diet!

His mother reported that at school, the teacher and consultant

compared the notes from the prior year and felt that his learning and

behavioral objectives were being met. The patient was seen again one

month later. It was noted that there were some problems at school. He

seems to have more sensory awareness and is acting more over-

stimulated. He is having more contact with his environment.

The patient was seen again 2 months later. He is doing better at

school now. His language abilities are reported to be progressing

along as he is learning. He is interacting with and playing with the

other children in a near normal fashion.

Comprehensive digestive and stool analysis was reviewed. He showed

excessive growth of pseudomonas and candida and also abnormal short-

chain fatty acids. The patient was started on Uva Ursi.

Also reviewed is 24 hour urinary amino acids. Several of these were

low as can be found in autism. The parents were going to obtain an

amino acid supplement which was low in methionine.

The patient was again seen in 1 month, now using the lutein-free diet

for 5 months. Doing well in school. Interacting with me during the

office exam, he was calm and appropriate. Reviewed the supplement

with essential amino acids that were deficient. He is also taking

treatment for Candida. He has some noted eczema on his cheeks.

Advised to eat more fish for essential fatty acids.

Seen again in 1 month. Still doing better in school. His attention

span, cooperation and playing with other children have all improved.

Sometimes he has a tantrum, but now recovers in a few hours whereas

before it used to take weeks. The teachers have reported improvement

also in his drawings. Hair analysis results were reviewed. There was

a possibility of elevated lead and a possible thyroid problem. He

will have further testing.

 

Marie A. Kemner, M. A., CCC-SLP writes:

I am writing this letter in regards to Sara's diet. It was created

and tested by Sandra Johnson. My desire to learn more about Sara's

Diet stems from my occupation as a Speech Language Pathologist who

has worked with several children with a Pervasive Development

Disorder. I currently provide service for a young boy with Autism who

began the diet last year. Since that time I have observed many

changes in this child. He has met and achieved all of this past

year's goals already which focused primarily on the pragmatics of

language such as increasing eye-contact, conversational turn-taking,

initiating and increasing his number of communicative intentions.

Although I am inclined to believe these accomplishments may be

partially the result of Sara's Diet, I cannot make that conclusion

without scientific research proving these changes are the result.

The word about Sara's Diet is spreading fast. Many parents have

approached me with inquiries about the effects of the diet since I

first heard about it last year. There continues to be more and more

positive testimonies about the effects it has on children with

Pervasive Development Disorders. The only thing holding this

information back is the lack of `peer reviewed' scientific research.

I would greatly appreciate anything that could be done to begin this

process.

 

Linda Cronk writes:

Three weeks ago, we started Sara's Diet. Jonathan's eyes went from

cloudy to very clear and sparkly. We have seen no adverse responses

to food since we started. His speech is much better. Every therapist

is thrilled, because his ABA sessions are going so well. We took him

for his 6 month standard evaluation at University of Iowa Hospital

this past week. The Head of Pediatric Psychology said that Jonathan

has caught up in all deficit areas. More importantly, he said he saw

NO AUTISTIC SYMPTOMOLOGY whatsoever during the testing. Jonathan (4

years and 3 months) was outgoing, charming, talkative, focused and

cooperative for over two hours.

If it weren't for Sandra I don't know how long it would have taken me

to figure out what seems so obvious now.

 

Lyn Larue Chenoweth (RMT-BC Registered Music Therapist, Board

certified), Michigan, writes:

I have provided music therapy for Charlie for 14 months. 8 months ago

Charlie's mother reported he had begun strict adherence to Sara's

diet. Within 4 weeks I noted significant changes in Charlie's

response level and behavior during music therapy sessions as

demonstrated by increased eye-contact, attention span, attention to

task, spontaneous speech and language usage, motor skills, social

interaction, and compliant behavior. Decreased mood swings were also

noted. Charlie's ability to understand and follow directions with

minimal verbal and/or physical prompt improved significantly. To

date, Charlie has continued to maintain and/or improve abilities to

respond to music stimuli using cognitive, communication, motor,

social and emotional skills.

 

K. Terrillion writes:

Stephen no longer has the chronic abdominal pain; he sleeps through

the night; stools no longer loose; he is a happy affectionate child

and has lost his sensory defensiveness to people, touch, lights,

commotion, as opposed to constant screaming. Able to go to new

places, shows curiosity and exploration, wants to interact with

people, likes to be held and will seek comfort when hurt, instead of

not noticing when he gashed his head open. Within 2 months of diet

intervention, he has developed gross motor skills to nearly age

appropriate. Eyes changed color, eczema patch going away, skin good

color, rear not broken down. He is a totally different child. His

Neurologist is surprised, but also surprised that Stephen's sister

Sara (ADHD) is off her 100 mg Ritalin with no ill effects - now

that's a success story.

 

A. Renning (author of `The Ultimate

Treasure Hunt. Finding the hidden child inside') writes:

When I first read the information on `Sara's Diet', my first thought

was, " No way, this is too hard. " But after seeing our daughter's

reactions to sweet potatoes, carrots, and winter squash, (she was

swearing at her aide, throwing her lunch box against the wall, and

talking to herself in different voices) none of which tested positive

on her most recent allergy test, I was ready to try it. After all, we

had already eliminated everything but the pigmented foods.

Antifungals alone did nothing until we started `Sara's Diet'. Asia

has taken most of this in her stride and we have found substitute

foods for the ones she can't have now. . . The amount of research

that has gone into perfecting this diet is phenomenal. It is fitting

that the answers are coming from a mother. Her dedication is not only

to her own daughter, but to all our children.

 

T. Mullens writes:

Kirsten's hearing seems to have normalized substantially since going

on SD. Some things still bother her (motorcycles), but she doesn't

seem to be bothered by noises that used to make her cover her ears

and run to me. Kirsten is still improving daily. She interacts more

with her friend, lets Katie push her on the swing, laughs when I

tease her or act silly, falls asleep quite easily, and on and on . .

... I'm going to write to `Autism Research Institute' and let them

know

what happened with DMAE. She seemed more aware of her surroundings,

less clingy, went to bed by herself . . . You're unfolding a miracle

before our eyes.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Autism - The Way Forward

an e-book by Max and Sandra Desorgher

 

http://www.saras-autism-diet.freeservers.com/'>http://www.saras-autism-diet.freeservers.com/AWF/autism-way-

forward.html

 

The Preface

This book has been written with the aim of helping the world face up

to the reality of autism. It won't all be easy reading. Over the past

ten years enormous strides have been made in understanding this

condition, developing programs and treatments, and many parents,

especially those in affluent countries with financial resources, or

with the political or legal clout can obtain the best available for

their child and for others in their community, including early

diagnosis, behavioural intervention, relevant medical treatments and

strategies, inclusion in mainstream schools with classroom

modifications, onsite therapists, transport to and from school etc.

etc. Autism is a very variable condition, and those with the mildest

symptoms and in the best circumstances, can now live lives of

fulfilment knowing that society is beginning to understand and make

accommodation for their difficulties. But what is the reality for the

rest? And how is that reality changing in a world where resources are

being stretched thinner and thinner just as the incidence of autism

is exploding into a worldwide epidemic?

We are already seeing evidence that the best programs being offered

in progressive states in the USA are being swamped, not only by the

increase in numbers in their own locality, but by mass migrations as

desperate parents seek services for their children. Poorer states in

the USA cannot hope to keep up, or to answer to the rightful demands

of parents that their children receive full inclusive education with

all the supports and services in place. We have all heard the

statistics, and they are frightening. There is a shortfall of some

42,000 special education teachers in the USA, at a time when we are

approaching, and in some areas have already passed, a situation where

1% of school age children have an autism spectrum diagnosis. Millions

more are being diagnosed with the related and often just as

challenging condition of ADHD, and this is at a time when family

breakdown, AIDS deaths, and all the other pressures and problems of

our world are putting increasing pressure on schools to deal with

delinquency and problem behavior, drug use and violence in schools.

In the USA and other countries, the search is on for the ideal

program or programs to educate and care for autistic individuals.

Early identification and intervention are seen as the way forward,

with special pre-school programs, ABA therapists, speech therapy,

sensory integration and adapted classrooms and educational materials

aiming to give the child every opportunity to develop educationally

and socially, without compromising their uniqueness or undermining

their rights to be treated as equal citizens who need to be

accommodated in many ways. The approaches are positive and affirming,

but we believe that they are not addressing the underlying issues,

and to demonstrate that, we have to turn our attention to the

political controversies that have surrounded autism from the

beginning, and have led to a polarization, with those researching the

biological basis of autism and looking for possible medical

interventions being sidelined for many years by behavioral

psychologists who still see autism as a purely behavioral problem. In

between are those who see that there are obvious deficits in sensory

and motor areas that have a neurological basis and educationalists

who see children with unique learning styles and special needs

stemming from their different ways of perceiving the world, and with

brains that are `wired differently'. What they don't necessarily see

is the possibility that this is not `how they are' and `how they were

meant to be', that they are suffering from a biological condition

that is standing in the way of learning and progress, not a

genetically predetermined state. What if we could bring all of this

together, and show that the biological findings – an altered immune

system, serotonin deregulation, digestive problems, visual and

hearing differences, differently wired brains, an immature

development of the emotional-language center of the brain,

differences in nutrient needs – lie behind the behaviors, social

difficulties and different learning styles of the autists, and that

underlying the biological differences is a single cause, identified

and treatable? We have been saying since 1994 that the underlying

cause is an immune response to lutein and that the primary treatment

is a lutein-free diet.

Central to the understanding of recovery is the realisation that an

immature development of the limbic (learning-emotional-language)

system means simply that – an immature development. When we take away

the block to its development, an immune system response to a dietary

pigment, this emotional system can wake up and learning can begin,

although the complexity of the condition means that the path to

recovery is by no means straightforward, and may involve other

therapies which are available now or are in the process of

development. Our results show that, after a positive response to

dietary intervention, development proceeds at a normal pace, so a

child who starts the diet at age 5 might maintain a developmental

delay of about 3½ years but progress through the developmental stages

in a year-on-year basis with proper educational, emotional and

environmental support.

Our work is in healing, finding solutions, strategies for recovery,

community-based options for caring and educating. One option that we

envisage is for an individualized program that combines dietary,

educational, behavioral and sensory methods as well as additional

therapies and treatments where needed, which can be put together in

any locality using information, resources and professionals locally

available. Another strategy is the development of multi-functional

vocational training centers which also function as crisis and foster

care program centers, deflecting the crises that are destroying

families and providing real, flexible community-based solutions.

We have shared information on the lutein-free diet approach for

years. In this book we provide more information as well as share some

of the stories of people we have lived and worked with, pulling

together the stories of the people who have lived with this

condition, and how their lives have been impacted, not only by the

condition itself, but by the ways they have been treated, the

indignities they have suffered, the care, or lack of, that they have

received. We also include success stories from our work. The recovery

model (The Desorgher Method) that we have developed and used most

successfully is based on the `magic of the family' model developed at

Appalachian State University by Dr. Bob Jones, a method of intensive

therapeutic foster care, of professional parenting based on

unconditional love. Both Sarah and `Sam' (see Chapter 2) came out of

their autism using this model. It is not the only model of recovery,

but it is one that we have used successfully.

 

From Part 2, Chapter 2

Diet

 

Introduction

When we first began providing diet consultations for people with

autism and gathering information the word lutein did not pull up many

hits on an internet search. Today lutein pulls up a tremendous number

of hits on a web search. In the past six years, the medical community

and health food industry have been more or less persuaded by the

theory that this carotenoid pigment may be active in the prevention

of macular degeneration (blindness, usually in old age). The research

has not supported this conclusion. Research confirms fish oil as the

most effective, well-researched prevention for AMD. We have provided

consultations for more than 300 children whose parents are medical

doctors and at least 3 parents of children with autism who are DAN

(Defeat Autism Now) doctors.

The most current edition of the DAN protocol (2002) just arrived. The

information included in this document authored by Dr. Sidney Baker

and Dr. Jon Pangborn contains considerable and sometimes confusing

information on dietary intervention, suggesting at times the need to

remove gluten and casein and at other times the need for a wide

variety of essential nutrients in the diet for growth of good flora

which specifically lists the grains and does not exclude the gluten-

containing grains. The document does not include information on the

use of the lutein-free diet although many of the DAN doctors are

fully aware of the success of the lutein-free diet. In our opinion

the DAN protocol will provide physicians with information on testing

which can show that something is indeed in need of medical evaluation

and treatment and those treatments are often related to dietary

changes, dietary restrictions, supplements and sometimes

pharmaceuticals and particularly antifungal medications.

The use of the lutein-free `experimental' diet is indeed

controversial. The medical community refers to the diets of people

with autism as `faddy'. We alternatively suggest the diets are self-

protective. Trying to force foods which are likely the root cause of

the problem is not sound advice. However difficult it is to accept

that certain food substances may be at the root of the problem, it is

more difficult to accept that recoveries, people with autism who

reach symptom-free when avoiding specific carotenoids, occur when the

`faddy' or self-protective diet is respected and supported by adding

the nutrients from foods and/or supplements which do not contain the

problem food substances.

Carotenoids remain defined as `not essential to the human diet' by

Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease 7th edition. However we are

not advocating a carotenoids-free diet generally. A carotenoids-free

diet has been medically utilized for some conditions in recent

history including Meniere's disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Refsum's

disease and as treatment for canthaxanthine retinopathy. Specifically

we recommend that the dietary intake of lutein be eliminated and that

dietary beta-carotene be eliminated for a trial period of four

months. This approach has resulted in numerous recoveries (10% of the

initial trial group of 1000) and reports of significant and

measurable improvements in 80% of those choosing to use this

experimental diet.

 

Part 2 Chapter 2

 

Behavioral Nutrition

Families faced with raising a child with autism or one of the autism

spectrum conditions such as Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive

Development Disorder (Not Otherwise Specified) or global delay, or

who are raising children who have conditions such as Oppositional

Defiant Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder and Attachment Disorder

need support and training.

Already gangs, criminals, homeless children and displaced persons

live on the streets of all major cities and many small towns. This is

the price society pays for ignoring the demands of families in

crisis. We have written about some of the problems which arise in

care homes, institutions and schools when the care of special needs

persons is provided by people employed for this task who are not

prepared, not well paid, not supported by their employers, or when

the system of care breaks down through overcrowding and underfunding.

Families with sick and disabled family members have an increased

financial burden and also an increased demand for their time and

energy while providing in-home care. Transporting the special needs

person to the medical facilities and welfare offices takes time and

money and the results for the efforts are often little or nothing.

Frustration mounts in the home under the burden of a single income

and often families separate. The lone parent left to provide the care

for the special needs family member becomes isolated and in this

isolation and often poverty there is the rising incidence of

depression. A crisis is sometimes the only respite from loneliness,

the only act which will bring in outside help. Do we have to wait for

the crisis?

Why is it that we as a society are willing to pay three shifts of

employees who have no vested interest in the life or well-being of

their client to care for a disabled person, the management staff to

oversee the staffing, the government staff to oversee the management

of the care agencies and service providers and politicians to make

these policies but we are unwilling to support a family in crisis or

predict that these same circumstances which repeatedly result in

crisis and breakdown will produce the same outcomes again and again?

We will say it again – families need support, training, respite and

inclusion so that families can avoid crisis and stay together.

 

Behavioral science

Behavioral intervention is more than just the evaluation and

recommendations prepared for a special needs child or adult.

Behavioral intervention has come into being as a new science and over

many decades of research and with many books written it is understood

as a tool used in the prevention and treatment of behavioral

disorders. Behavioral science comes under the psychological paradigm

and is not considered as mainstream medicine. Complicating this

further, science and medicine provide substantial evidence that

behavior is a combination of nature and nurture. There is a genetic

component which affects some people more than others and this can be

exacerbated by environmental factors and to complicate matters

further a person's diet plays a vital role in providing nutritional

support for optimal functioning whereas poor diet and nutrient

deficiencies are generally factors aggravating behavioral,

psychological and medical conditions. Education is sorely lacking

and inadequate to teach even the basic nutritional elements to the

human population. Medical training does not include nutritional

education. Psychology does not teach nutritional education. And

nutritionists are neither medical doctors nor psychologists.

 

One food can make a difference. Let me be very specific here and

relate how one food can make a difference. If a person is allergic to

a food and the food substance causes an anaphylactic immune response

and they are exposed to this food again then they could die. If one

essential nutrient is not supplied in a baby formula then infants who

receive this formula will have mental deficits which are permanent

and some will die. Many times in recent history feeding formulas used

for infants and people requiring tube feeding have left out an

ingredient, through lack of knowledge, which was later found to be

essential. The essential elements of the diet were not discovered

through research in the laboratory but rather through human

`experimentation' in the market place and in the hospital settings.

Over the past century through food manufacturing and distribution

practices, including the addition of non-food substances to marketed

products and animal feed, crop spraying and farming practices which

include use of genetically modified foods to increase yield and

extend shelf-life and also the use of seasonal foods for year round

consumption our human diet has been altered and there has been a

decreased use of natural wholesome year round foods including nuts,

dried fruits and oils.

In recent history substances which are not widely distributed in

foods have become recognized as essential. Rarely has an essential

nutrient been identified which was not widely distributed in food

sources. These types of findings represent an increasingly fragile

human population who will be susceptible to illness which arises as a

result of a missing essential nutrient.

 

Behavioral symptoms which are alleviated with proper nutrition do not

respond to behavioral intervention. These are symptoms and not

behaviors. As conventional and alternative medicine shake hands and

education begins to fill the void, there will be a greater awareness

evolving which will mean that patients can get sound medical advice

which includes providing them with appropriate information for using

over-the-counter supplements to support their diet and metabolism.

Medical testing can point out the areas which are not responding to

their diet of choice. A healthier and well-informed population will

be able to make better decisions when it comes to questions such as

`should I vaccinate my child?' We would hope that one day doctors

will be able to be impartial enough to support parents in this

decision. In the present climate of intimidation, it is difficult for

patients and doctors to trust each other in these vital areas

affecting our health.

 

Educational

It has been our experience that an individual diagnosed with autism

can be at the most severely delayed disordered end of the spectrum

and can also reach the highest level of educational potentials. An

individualized educational program designed to reinforce strengths

and identify deficits and then address those deficits through

teaching coping skills using whatever modifications and teaching

tools are required will result in the better outcomes. People who can

reach their true potential and enter the adult community as active,

integrated and when needed supported members of society have better

self-esteem and require less resources than those who are fully

dependant.

It is a sad situation still that in our society we have

valedictorians who are entered into residential care homes after

graduation because their mental strength is accompanied by physical

impairment. A speaker at the Inclusion conference held in the state

of Georgia, USA 1999 spoke of his life after graduation as the class

valedictorian, he also had CP. His physical impairment forced him

into the residential care home and with much personal effort he

finally was granted a supported living arrangement. He spoke

eloquently to the parents and educators at the Inclusion conference

and the reality that mental sufficiency was not adequate to prevent

his incarceration made a dramatic impact on the more than one

thousand people attending the conference. How could this happen and

what is the benefit of full inclusion if after graduation there is no

accommodation in society for even those physically handicapped people

who have strong minds?

Temple Grandin continues to speak and write papers as well as

contribute to the autism community in many ways. Her views on job

skills training must be taken seriously. People who are more self-

sufficient are happier. They have more choices and more freedom.

People who are employed also have communication with other people in

the community, whether that community is the internet community,

people in the work place or people they meet on their way to and from

the job site. In Autism Asperger's Digest Magazine, March-April 2002

Temple Grandin writes in an article entitled `The way I see it':

`Several years ago I visited autism programs in Japan. I met a large

number of high functioning people on the autism spectrum. Every one

of them was employed in a good job. One man translated technical and

legal documents. Another person was an occupational therapist and

there were several computer programmers. One man who was somewhat

less high functioning works as a baker. What I noticed is that the

attitude in Japan is to develop skills. These people with autism/AS

benefited from that attitude, and would for the rest of their lives.'

This attitude is far from that which allows a class valedictorian

with CP to be warehoused in a residential nursing home after

graduation.

 

From Part 3 Chapter 2

 

The Desorgher Method

The Desorgher Method is a holistic approach to bringing about

emotional, spiritual, mental and physical well-being in people

suffering under the condition of autism. It grew out of the

Professional Parenting model known as `the Magic of the Family', and

has been most successfully used for those exhibiting the stresses and

conflicts of adapting to a world where their condition is poorly

understood and their survival has depended on developing coping

strategies which have come to be labelled as `problem behaviors'. It

can be adapted for uses in many settings and for a wide range of

problems and age groups, wherever struggle and survival strategies

are standing in the way of relationship, growth, fulfilment, health

and happiness.

 

The Desorgher Method uses the following tools:

 

· Unconditional Love

· Ethnomethodology – Teaching individuals with autism

how to `join the tribe' by joining theirs

· Functional Behavioral Analysis and method of application

· Setting the child up for success

· Symptom or behavior?

· Breaking down behavioral complexes

· Meeting the child's needs (re. Maslow)

· Keep it simple – identify what the child likes and dislikes

· Re-framing (replacing negative experiences and

associations with positive experiences and associations)

· Identify problem behavior(s) to be targeted

– not working on too many things at once

· Limiting unnecessary verbalization to focus on what is important

· Role modelling

· Describing behaviors

· Tracking

· Coping skills for the carer – Don't take it personally

· Dealing with guilt overload

· Peer Role Models

· Overkill

· Expectations

· Increasing participation

· How to achieve compliance – Pre-teaching, rewards and consequences

· Schedule

· Goals and objectives – Short term, long term

· Results

 

Simply, we are trying to find in ourselves the potential for

accepting responsibilities which come with working and living with

people who are not ordinary and have not had an ordinary life, people

who may have very little or no emotional maturity, sometimes no

guilt, no remorse, no culpability. Attempting to manipulate people

who do not have emotional maturity, culpability or who have not been

able to develop a sense of who they are will be unsuccessful.

When we offer ourselves, our help, our love unconditionally, without

expectation, then we are not as fragile, not as likely to be upset or

disappointed. Forming a relationship with unconditional love means

that under every imaginable circumstance you are willing to accept

responsibility for the well-being of the individual who needs

unconditional love. They will experience, in your care, that their

essential human needs are respected and accommodated. When they are

in your care they will not suffer from unnecessary physical

restraint, they will not fear for their safety, they will not be put

in extreme conditions of cold or heat for which they have not been

prepared, they will have food and water, rest and access to toileting

facilities. When they are in your care they will be respected and

protected.

 

It is a long journey through childhood and some are able to see

themselves as others see them at an early age, others never reach

this level of self-awareness. If you have never known what it is like

to see clearly, hear properly, taste and smell without fear and

experience loving touch then the tools for looking at yourself as

others see you simply are not there. In order to help people with

autism reach this level of development we first have to be able to

see the world through their eyes, hear the world through their ears,

feel as they feel, and acknowledge the food and feeding relationship

of the individual as part of who they are. We might also need to

realise that they are seeing, hearing and experiencing things beyond

the range of `normal' human experience.

 

They are learning about their world with different priorities. The

priority is survival. Often they see differently and they learn to

use tools of the environment to see how well their bodies are working

at that moment. Which eye is seeing the best now? Which picture, the

one from the left eye or the right eye, is the more accurate? How am

I hearing now? Humming, listening to the same video again and again

and beginning to understand – it is not the sounds which are

different coming from the video but me who is hearing them

differently. My eyes cannot be trusted, my ears cannot be trusted.

Allergic symptoms and their metabolic responses to food and

environment with internal swelling of the nerve ganglion, puffy

bodies, lethargy, swollen eyes, red lips, numbness of the upper lip

and fingers, constipation, diarrhea, stomach aches, itchy skin,

burning skin, candida (irritation of the genitals, rashes, lethargy),

metal poisoning, disturbed digestion, pain, headache, distorted

vision, auditory processing differences. Parents watching their child

slip farther and farther away and the child fighting under the

influence of biochemical madness to cope with their world – a world

distorted, different and constantly changing. They must fight for

survival, limit the stimuli, control the variables, understand their

bodies and for some it is too much to cope with. They are indeed over

the edge and in the world of their own – hiding inside their own mind

is the only place from which they can sustain life.

 

The combined approach

The combination approach of dietary and behavioral therapies are

designed to effect powerful changes, and we have to watch intensely,

24 hours a day. As they experience changes to their eyes, ears,

sensory experience, physical bodies they may be frightened. Some may

feel more capable and able to assume control of their environment and

others less capable. As they are `waking up' from the most deeply

withdrawn state of autism, how any one individual reacts depends on

their circumstances, their attitude, what they experience and how

others are responding also to the change. Of course having carers in

place who have been through the process themselves or seen others go

through the transformation is invaluable. Family members, especially

siblings of autists who have experienced this process will be a

tremendous asset to us in the future, as well as those who have

experience of other transformational therapeutic programs.

 

This press release also available in HTML and MS-Word

formats on the WCAP website.

 

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Sandra & Max Desorgher, directors, World Community Autism Program

http://www.saras-autism-diet.freeservers.com/'>http://www.saras-autism-diet.freeservers.com/

 

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