Autism Treatment Study

by John Marc Green
CBS 42 News 2008-07-11 16:55:07.0
http://www.cbs42.com/news/local/24540294.html

Birmingham HBOT is the only treatment center in Alabama offering large pressurized tanks used to immerse the brains of autistic children in oxygen, to try to reverse some of the effects of the disease.

Now, some children undergoing hyperbaric therapy are also being treated for toxic metal exposure with a treatment called chelation. "Chelation is basically using either natural or drugs to remove either lead or mercury," said Dr. David Adams. He says the medical community has been slow to accept the treatment due to lack of evidence, but a new study could soon change that. "I think the NIH is listening to parents and listening to parent reports of improvement with chelation and are attempting to scientifically evaluate that," Adams said.

Parents of autistic children say whether you're talking about hyperbaric oxygen therapy or chelation, the medical controversies don't matter as much as the actual results they've seen in their children's lives. "Once we started adding the chelation to it we had a lot of his people that work with him in school, therapists and so forth, really start to see a big difference in how responsive he was," said Rodney Allison. "It's like they've come alive, gradually by gradually I'm getting my kids back cause it was like they died," said Tracey Martin, the director of Birmingham HBOT.

Dr. Adams says children may become exposed to mercury and lead from fish, coal fired steam plants, and certain vaccines.