That's very nice about ATN and I hope some kids are helped by ATN's
involvement.

Anything that involves Margaret Baumann, however, is suspect and
needs to work double time to establish its bona fides. Dr. Baumann was
quoted in Newsweek as suggesting that GI problems in autistic kids
helps improve behaviors--she even said what we all learned long ago,
that many "behaviors" are the result of gut pain in children who cannot
speak.

THe problem is that Dr. Baumann categorized the gut pain as a comorbid
condition that was unrelated to the autism--as another disease process
unrelated to the neurological problems that she sees in "autistic"
children.

One reason many of us may have a problem with ATN is the involvement,
and more substantively, the retrograde view of someone like Dr.
Baumann. [Dr. Bauman coauthored with Karen Nelson the March '03 review
article in Pediatrics that tried, unsuccessfully, to debunk the
Thimerosal hypothesis].

I applaud Richard Fade's investment and the idea of the ATN project.
However, until I see an integrated approach by ATN that recognizes the
environmental, vaccine, Thimerosal, MMR hypotheses I will view ATN with
suspicion, and regard it as an effort by mainstream medicine to coopt
the difficult pioneering work by ARI and BernieRimland and others.

Sure, five years from now mainstream medicine will claim to have
"discovered" biomedical intervention and therapies for autism and will
take credit for what we are struggling to give to our children now.
Where are they now? They are taking baby steps when bold steps are
necessary.

In the meantime, hopefully ATN will help some kids. But we should not
be fooled into thinking they are the answer. They represent the old
paradigm grudgingly coming to terms with a reality they do not want to
accept. And the fact that they have come even this far is because of
courageous efforts by those who have sacrificed mainstream esteem and
sometimes career just provide real help to some kids.

We should keep pushing and challenging them and not excuse their
shortcomings. Yes, they are doing something, but they should do more.
There are too many kids suffering.

Bob K.





On May 5, 2005, at 5:30 PM, AutismHelp4WA wrote:

> Christine, I would like to make one point with you in regards (or in
> defense
> of) CAN. CAN recently merged with Autism Treatment Network- the
> brainchild
> and soul of Richard Fade- a wealthy business man and former Microsoft
> VIP.
>
> Richard's own son is mostly recovered due to biomedical
> interventions. You
> can see Richard's testimony on line at the Nov 2003 Autism summit in
> DC-
> he's on the same track as Dr Geri Dawson- after her.
>
> Richard donated $5 million and got a matching grant from the Gates
> foundation to begin the UW Autism Center- a place that was supposed
> to be
> 50% research and 50% treatment, but it seems to have been turned into
> a
> behavioral therapy only center.
>
> Richard then began, 2 years ago, the Autism Treatment Network. The
> ATN was
> created to create a " best practices"  in (bio) medical treatments.
> His aim?
> To prove which of these treatments work and get the dreaded
> "experimental"
> label off them so they do not continue to be denied medical insurance
> payments. Richard fully knows the plight of families who can not pay
> for the
> treatments because insurance and medicaid refuse to cover them. 
> Again,
> biomedical treatments are the entire focus.
>
> Richard and some of the other members of the ATN and I are in regular
> contact, FYI.  He was recently asked at a CAN lecture here in Seattle
> about
> other kinds of therapies such as behavioral and he very strongly told
> the
> person that the ATN is only for biomedical treatments and he is not
> going to
> let anything get the ATN off track.
>
> Richard's head G.I is Tim Buie, his medical director is Margaret
> Bauman.
> He's got Kirkman labs on board. If you go to Kirkman labs website-
> please
> see the 2 new enzymes they have created based on Tim Buie's gut
> studies.
>
> "The importance of this missing enzyme fraction was confirmed in
> January
> 2004 by R. Kushak, Ph. D. and T. Buie, MD of Massachusetts General
> Children's Hospital in an intestinal biopsy study involving 100
> special
> needs children. The study showed that 60% of these patients had weak
> lactase
> activity and 25-45% had weak isomaltase/palatinase activity, which
> evidenced
> their special dietary need for an enzyme providing
> isomaltase/palatinase
> activity."
>
> After reading the small blurb on the enzymes, go dowload the 12 page
> guide
> on-line to Kirkman's enzymes, and look at page 2- see who the doctors
> were
> that participated in the study on the use of these enzymes. See anyone
> familiar there? (let's see...Neubrander, Cave, Jepson, Jang, Usman,
> Levinson, Green, McCandless.....)
>
> http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/products/enzymes/enzym_dppiv/
> Enzym_Complete_II_Isogest.html
>
> Kirkman needs to get an NDC number for their new enzymes and get them
> on the
> list of approved drugs still- something I beleive they are working
> on. My
> son has shown very good results from them.
>
> Tim Buie is also storing samples of gut tissue from scopes for a
> study to
> prove other issues with our kids guts- I understand it will be
> published
> soon. In addition to that, Dr Buie will be doing physician's training
> beginning this fall for doctors who treat kids with autism.
>
> Richard's ATN is bringing biomedical into mainstream medicine.
> Richard told
> me months ago -"don't worry Tami, we WILL change minds".   He and his
> ATN
> already are- and they are doing it with large based studies that
> prove what
> our kids needs and issues are. Help is on the way, honest.
>
> http://www.autismtreatmentnetwork.org/index.htm
>
> Tami G.
> WA state
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <christine@...>
> To: <EOHarm@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 1:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [EOHarm] Re: jane pauley show - Anthony Edwards
>
>
> > on 5/5/05 1:54 PM, nevergiveup883 at ynot2@... wrote:
> >
> > > Anthony Edwards doesn't have a child with autism.  I'm sure he
> thinks he
> is
> > > using his fame to help a very good cause.  I think he has helped
> to
> raise
> > > awareness of autism.  Now, if only he understood the "truth"
> about it
> all.
> > >
> > > Laurie
> >
> > I met Anthony last week when he and CAN got an award from Spectrum
> Magazine.
> > It seemed like just another event for him.
> >
> > It's ok when groups like NAAR and CAN raise money- but then when i
> see
> other
> > groups like NAA or Unlocking Autism struggle, it breaks my heart. 
> They
> are
> > the one's out there helping our kids NOW.  Then society gives money
> to
> NAAR
> > thinking it's goes to help autism, and the other groups lose
> funding,
> > because they don't have the celebrity PR campaigns, etc.
> >
> > I'd really, honestly like to know what CAN or NAAR has done to
> improve my
> > son Michael's life.  They are raised money for research, which has
> found
> no
> > cure or cause.  They have raised awareness- well my son's doctor
> didn't
> > think he was autistic.  People on the street think he's rude.  The
> other
> day
> > my 5 yr old son ran into a kid on a swing and knocked him off.  The
> 10
> year
> > old said to me "you need to watch your kid".
> >
> > Seriously, someone, anyone, correct me if i'm wrong.  Please
> convince me
> to
> > accept the fact that millions will go to Autism Speaks, CAN and
> NAAR- and
> > this will help our children- any children.  I should be supporting
> all
> other
> > Autism groups, right?  I did help organize a local autism
> fair/conference
> > last month were we had 750 people, different groups and schools
> involved
> > (some I don't agree with), but the point is we got people
> together.  NAAR
> > and CAN didn't get a vendor table.  None of these groups I
> mentioned gave
> > support.  If they are ALL about awareness and the community- why
> did they
> > not support a community effort?  Where does their money go to? 
> racecars?
> > over priced award dinners?  ads in magazines?
> >
> > I really hate bitching and moaning about this sort of thing, but it
> gets
> > really tiring.  I just have to believe that WE need to do OUR thing
> and
> know
> > in the end that the "truth will get you free".  You can't worry
> about
> other
> > groups and do what you believe is right.  That's why i feel David
> Kirby is
> a
> > blessing and a hero.   He speaks the truth in a time where money
> and power
> > are more important than people.  I'm also grateful for all of you-
> the
> > leaders, the advocates, the parents, the teachers, the
> journalists...
> > this list me hope- thanks.
> >
> > -Christine
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
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