EBD Blog

Writing for the New York Times, Melissa Fay Greene provides a sympathetic view of the variation on D.I.R.-Floortime (D.I.R. stands for “developmental, individual-difference, relationship-based) methods employed by The Community School of Decatur (GA, US). In “Reaching an Autistic Teenager,” Ms. Greene describes several youths behavior and progress at the school, which was started by a parent of one of the students.
Continue reading ‘Greene on Floortime’

According to a story on a CBS (US) television station, a controversial therapy may yield miraculous results. As a reporter for the CBS, Dr. Holly Phillips covered the use of hyperbaric oxgen chambers as a treatment for Autism. She told the story of a family who sought treatment from a New Jersey (US) doctor; the doctor, James A. Neubrander, MD, treated the child with vitamins and oxygen delivered at high pressure. Despite substantial reasons not to cover it, and Dr. Phillips notes them, the popular press continues to report stories such as the one in my lead.
Continue reading ‘Miracle or mistake?’

As exploring readers will know, I long ago doubted that food components (especially sugar and dyes and flavorings) were causes of hyperactive behavior in children. There are good reasons for my doubt. Meta-analyses of studies that tested additive-free diets revealed essentially no benefits of the diets. Other studies showed that suspected factors—especially sugar—were not culpable in hyperactive behavior. Indeed, other analyses have provided plausible explanations for why we are misled by apparent causal connections.

But, the idea persists and is even getting renewed coverage in the popular media. Melinda Fulmer provided an article to the Los Angeles (CA, US) Times describing recent examinations of the effects of additives on child behavior. Here’s her lead:

Almost every parent has a story about their [sic] kid bouncing off the walls after downing a package of jelly beans or eating a neon blue-frosted cupcake at school. Most blame the sugar.

But some new research suggests that the rainbow of artificial colors may have a bigger effect on children’s behavior. And in other parts of the world, some organizations are starting to take action on these ingredients.

I guess it’s time to revisit this topic. Do I have time to do so? No, but if I presented a mistaken perspective earlier, I should correct it.

More importantly, if Ms. Fulmer and the LA Times are promulgating untrustworthy information, they need to correct it.

Link to Ms. Fulmer’s story. Link to learn more about Ms. Fulmer’s reporting. Link to my previous (AKA “ancient history”) observations about the food additives research.

As most folks who’ve been around the block a few times know, old bologna seems to get resurrected every so often. Secretin as a therapy for Autism illustrates this. Even though some of us watched it closely in the 1990s, and found it wanting, there is apparently a resurgence of interest in the use of secretin to reduce—if not eliminate—the problems associated with Autism.
Continue reading ‘Revisiting secretin’

I recently learned of the existence of the The Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation, and I wanted to note it here. Alert readers (I know I make you feel snoozy most of the time) probably noted that a link to the JBRF appeared in the Web Resources section a few days ago, but this is the first post that refers to the organization. Here’s a snippet from the about page at the foundation.

The Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation is the first charitable organization solely dedicated to the support of research for the study of early-onset bipolar disorder. Our board is a remarkable one, made up of dedicated parents, treating professionals and world class clinical investigators and basic science researchers.

JBRF has organized a consortium of collaborating research groups and individual investigators from a number of medical schools and treatment centers including the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and SUNY-Syracuse, and will continue to establish collaborations with researchers from other centers around the world to further the goals of the foundation.

JBRF sponsors research, maintains discussion lists, provides links to clinical services, and more. Visit the site at http://jbrf.org/