Educational

Family  

Secretin
CARS Scale (no longer available online)  The company who made this (for use only by professionals) requested that we remove it.  It will be rewritten in a form more useful to parents and for the use of parents copyrighted by myself.
Good Description of complete medical exam

Allergies, Constipation, Diarrhea  Vitamins

Children with these sorts of issues have been put on a Gluten/Casein Free Diet with great success. 
From:  Hillary Hays
http://www.princeton.edu/~serge/ll/gfpak.html  
http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/durham95.html#gluten
http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/dietinfo.html

Diet Information

Books on Candida/Yeast (By Carole )
Allergy & Candida Cooking made easy by Sandra K.Lewis
Coping With Candida by Sally Rockwell
The Candida Control Cookbook by Gail Burton
Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook by Jeanne M. Martin
The Yeast Connection Cookbook by Dr. William Crook
Easy Bread Making For Special Diets by Nicleete M.Dumke
http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/reichelt.html g/f diet; research and background (see note with next URL)
http://www.princeton.edu/~lisas/gfpak.html   Gluten & Casein Free Diet. An Experimental Intervention For Autism. Dr. Lisa S. Lewis. (Article)--Many of us have had very good results using this dietary intervention
http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/durham95.html g/f diet research

Who to contact when you just can't find it:
DMG:  http://www.smartbomb.com   the DMG is under the B6 vitamins and they do ship outside of the USA
           http://www.mtnaturalsvt.com/dmg.htm  sorry but they don't ship outside of the USA
Mother Nature.com on DMG

Homeopathy

The Complete Homeopathy Handbook, by Miranda Castro. A good introductory book.  It covers a great deal of daily life and includes methodology, an abbreviated materia medica and repertory. It's a good starting point for an introduction. (review by Anat S)
Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines by Stephen Cummings, M.D.and Dana Ullman, M.P.H.  For a general understanding and day-to-day care  (review by Melissa W)
Homeopathic Medicine at Home by Maesimund B. Panos, M.D. and Jane Heimlich  For a general understanding and day-to-day care  (review by Melissa W)
The Homeopathic Treatment of Children, by Paul Herscu, N.D.  For a deeper picture, this is excellent.  This books gives detailed descriptions of eight different constitutional types of children.  Constitutional treatment is deeper acting than just treating colds, aches and pains, etc.   (review by Melissa W)

Illness, Yeast Infections

Description at http://www.autism.com/ari/editorials/candida.html

Immunizations
http://www.autism.com/ari/editorials/vaccinations.html

Each family must make a personal choice to immunize their children or not.  Most will agree that most immunizations are completely safe for most children, BUT there seems to be quite a controversy over who fits in with "most" and what constitutes normal.  Bad reactions happen, and some children seem prone to allergies and reactions.  About the only rule of thumb that I've been able to see is that children with known egg allergies should ask about what exactly is in the shot.   Children with siblings or cousins with Developmental Delays that aren't attributable to Antibiotics or Yeast Infections should be very cautious about certain types of shots like MMR and DPT.

Autism Autoimmunity Project

Vitamins

DMG  http://www.autism.com/ari/dmg2.html
B6, Magnesium, Folic Acid  http://www.autism.com/ari/editorials/dosage.html
Vitamin C  http://www.autism.com/ari/editorials/vitaminc.html

From:  Hillary Hays  (a great lady and a great source of information)
1) http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/index.html
2): http://www.princeton.edu/~serge/ll/gfpak.html

Paul Shattock at the URL: http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/durham95.html Sulphur Transferase Abnormalities
http://www.kessick.demon.co.uk/aia2.htm    

Seizures

American Epilepsy Society
Epilepsy Foundation of America  You can get a lot of information directly from the American Epilepsy Foundation . They will send a large package of general information. (from Lisa S)
Washington University Comprehensive Epilepsy Program

Parents Guide to Seizures and Epilepsy from Johns Hopkins (from our public library), and I do think these folks have some very knowledgable people who are really dedicated to assisting their patients, particularly children. Their book was open minded about using or avoiding various medications, as well as diet and particularly identifying stress factors that play an important role in triggering seizures. Johns Hopkins Medical Centre has a book "Seizures and Epilepsy in childhood: A Guide for Parents" by Drs. Freeman, Vining & D. Pillas. Here is a summary of information from that book. (The book is often available through public libraries)

Generalized Seizures

ABSENCE (non-convulsive) ("petit mal")
- starts without warning
- glazed look and stares
- does not know what is happening
- can not recall things that occurred before the seizure
- seconds (brief)
- ends abruptly, with child alert
- no confusion afterward
- may occur many times a day
- can often be produced with hyperventilation (20 deep breaths)
- consciousness is altered
- EEG pattern is three per second spikes and waves
- easily treated; usually outgrown

ATYPICAL ABSENCE SEIZURE
- similar to absence seizure
- may have more pronounced motor symptoms (tonic or clonic spells)
- may have automatisms (like in complex partial seizures)
- more common with a damaged nervous system
- often associated with other types of seizures
- often has "a typical" EEG
- may last longer than typical absence seizure
- more difficlut to control with medictions thatn Typical Absence Seizures

MYOCLONIC SEIZURE
- abrupt (sudden) jerks of muscle groups
- abrupt increase in tone in a muscle group resulting in sudden movement of that part of the body
- in extensor muscles, head thrown back, back arches, legs extend, may be thrown backward to the ground
- often only one manifestation of a mixed seizure disorder commonly assicated with mental retardation
- like being jolted by an electric shock
- repeated myoclonic jerks can be a difficult to control form of epilepsy


ATONIC SEIZURES
- like myoclonic; are sudden single events
- difficult to control
- sudden loss of tone or posture; head slumps forward
- generalized seizure
- seizures involving sudden changes in tone may have either myoclonic or
atonic seizures, and often both

TONIC-CLONIC SEIZURES
(Tonic Phase)
- stiffens and loses consciousness and falls to the ground
- eyes roll back , head goes back, back arches, arms stiffen, legs stiffen
- like myoclonic, but tonic phase happens more slowly
(Clonic Phase)
- rhythmic jerking - fists clenched, arms repeatedly flex at elbows, then relax briefly
- legs flex at the hip and knee joint in a similar fashion
- head may flex and fall backwards
- movements are rhythmic and rapid, several per second and then slowing (NOT flailing or trembling seen in imitationor pseudo seizures)
- end of jerking is usually accompanied by a deep sigh, after which normal breathing resumes (Post-Ictal State)
- seizure over, child is NOT awake and will not respond
- can be wakened, but may feel tired and confused
- muscles may be sore
N.B. Seizure may only have tonic, or only clonic before post-ictal state

CLONIC SEIZURE
- rhythmic jerking of an extremety or the whole body
- rare
- seldom occur without a preceeding tonic phase (usually second component of tonic-clonic seizure)

Partial (Focal) Seizures

- eyes, head and body will turn away from the side of the body where the seizure is located: for the right side of the body, vision is in the left brain occipital lobe, and speech is in the left brain Temperal lobe
- abdominal sensation (cramps, discomfort) may indicate mesial temporal lobe - Insula (middle)
- emotions of fear, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, paleness or facial flushing and memory storage (flashbacks or feelings) may occur, and may indicate mesial temporal lobe - hippocampus
- seizures beginning in temporal lobes may stay focal or may spread rapidly to other structures in the brain, and may spread throughout the brain (generalized seizure)
- if a focal seizure spreads to the central structures (Corpus callosum) near the frontal lobe, then there may be
* loss of awareness
* staring
* lip smacking
* picking at one's clothes
* wandering around aimless and confused (automatisms)

COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURE (or partial complex seizure)
- alters awareness or consiousness
- starts focal, then,
* both sides of cortex dysfunction at same time, or,
* interuption of the communication between cortex and more central part of the brain
- seizure starts (like absence seizure) and child stops, stares, and is unaware of his environment
- in addition, there is often a period of confusion after the child stops staring
- child may get up and wander around the room, pick at his clothes, and fail to respond appropriately
- if child is restrained, the child may lash out and even become highly agitated
- gentle guidance and supervision at such times is far better than trying to make him sit down
- child may remember the beginning of the seizure, when he possible felt the aura (warning signs)
- may be vaguely aware of people responding to his behavior during and after the seizure

SIMPLE PARTIAL SEIZURE
- causes sensation or movement
- sensory symptoms include individual sensations in a part of the body
(temporal lobe source produces smells, tastes, fears or memories)
- movement can involve motor control of face, hand and leg


TERMS USED REGARDING SEIZURES AND EPILEPSY

Aura - if the child does have an aura, point out that it can be a useful warning; encourage him to pay attention to an aura so that he can avoid harmful situations

Deja Vu - deja vu may occur, which is a sensation that you have seen something or someone before, whether or not you have. This sensation is normal and common, but when it occurs repeatedly, it can be a manifestation of Complex Partial Seizures eminating from the temporal lobe

Epilepsy - Recurrent (two or more) seizures not provoked by sepcific events such as trauma, infection, fever, or chemical changes. Seizures may take many forms. Patterns of epilepsy that are similar and have a predictable outcome are termed epileptic syndromes

Epilectic cephalalgia - The headache that follows some seizures. Seizures increase blood flow to the brain, resulting dilation of blood vessels may cause a post-seizure headache. Migraine headaches can be mistaken for epileptic cephalalgia.

Epileptogenic - Susceptible to a seizure. Areas of the brain more susceptible to seizures than other areas are considered epileptogenic. The temporal and frontal lobes are usually more epileptogenic than other regions

Hyperventilate - To over-breathe. A physician may instruct your child to take a number of deep breathes for two to four minutes. This over-ventilation may couse an absence or complex partial seizure, which can then be observed by your doctor. Rapid breathing during exercise is rarely assoicted with a seizure. Anxiety may cause an individual to over-breathe or to hyperventilate

Idiopathic - Of unknown cause. Seizures are called "idiopathic seizures" if no cause can be found. Causes are found in more than half of the children experienceing seizures. Idiopathic seizures often have a better coutcome than those that are "sympomatic," that is, for which cause can be found.

Lennox-Gastout syndrome - A condition that includes two or more types of seizures, one of which is the akinetic (a tonic, falling-down type). Absence seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures, occuring particularly at night, are common. The EEG shows generalized slow spike or poly-spike and slow wave abnormalities. Mental retardation is common and often progressive. This is a severe seizure type and one that is difficult to control.

Pseudo-seizures - Events that resemble seizures but are not caused, as a seizure is, by electrical abnormalities in the brain. Pseudo-seizures may be a child's conscious imitation of seizures, a way of coping with stress, or it may be subconsious. Pseudo-seizures often occur in persons who also have true seizures and may be difficult to differentiate from true seizures.

Seizure - A paroxysmal (episodic) electrical discharge of neurons (nerve cells) in the brain resulting in alteration of function or behavior. There are many different forms of seizures, depending on where in the brain the activity starts and on the direction and rapidity of its spread in the brain.

I also hope you understand I am not a doctor or seizure specialist. I am just trying to pass on information I found very helpful as we learned about the seizures our son was experiencing. (from Lisa S)

Educational

Family