ASD can be reliably diagnosed between 2 and 3 years of age.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an overlapping group of conditions, including Asperger’s syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD).  This condition typically presents before the age of three years though the condition may go undetected for years especially in those at the more able end of the spectrum.

Although ASD is a behaviourally defined disorder, it is the end-point of several organic causes and is not primarily psychological in origin. The estimated prevalence rate of people with ASD in the UK is almost one in a hundred and rising. Overall, the disorder is four times more common in boys than girls. There has been a sevenfold increase in ASD in the last ten years; it can be reliably diagnosed between 2 and 3 years of age. There are complex, life-long developmental disabilities affecting communication, imagination and social interaction. Affected individuals on the autistic spectrum may be very different and intellectual ability ranges from severe learning disability to normal or above-average intellect. There is often altered sensitivity to, and abnormal processing of, sensory information and stereotypic behaviour.

There are two distinct forms of autism: “classic” autism (once called Kanner’s Syndrome) is present from birth and remains relatively rare, and “regressive” autism, where development progresses normally until the child is typically one or two years old. Regressive autism is epidemic; a recent study estimated that one in one hundred and fifty children in California has regressive autism.

The causes of ASD are not clear. It is generally agreed that genetic and environmental factors are both implicated. Children with ASD have been found to have a range of abnormalities affecting different body systems. These abnormalities and systems interrelate but can be usefully separated into the following categories:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) abnormalities
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Toxic metals
• Other toxins
• Allergy
• Infection
• Autoimmunity
• Immunology(including vaccination)
• G protein defects      
• Genetics

 

At Breakspear Hospital, we start with an examination of the patient’s medical and family history and follow with a series of laboratory tests to measure levels of toxic metals and nutritional state as well as other investigations in order to understand which areas must be addressed through nutrition, chelation, treatment of allergies by using low-dose immunotherapy, which is a neutralising technique that stops allergic reactions, giving respite to the body and building immunity. Often a special diet and supplements are recommended; these have produced success in most of our patients, though it must be emphasized that each child is different and response to a given treatment varies from one to another. Combination therapy appears more effective than treatment with single agents.

New ASD Team

For many years, Dr Christopher Heard has had a special interest in ASD patients at Breakspear Hospital and had been DAN registered, however, Dr Heard retired from practice at the end of March 2008.

In order to provide complete, targeted care, we have formed an ASD Team. Each member has a special area of interest and unique set of skills to help the many different needs of all ASD patients. We all have been extremely fortunate to have been able to recruit two new specialist doctors to our clinical team and we have arranged their future schedules to provide a comprehensive and full-time biomedical service in order to ensure that someone from our ASD Team is available at all times.

The members of our ASD team are:

Mr Ron Leon has 10 years’ training in nutrition. He completed the Institute for Optimum Nutrition training, a BSc at Westminster University, further training at Oxford Brookes University and then an MSc at Bastyr University in Seattle, before joining the staff at Breakspear, where he has worked for the past 15 months as a Clinical Nutritionist. Ron has been shadowing Dr Heard since the beginning of this year and has completed his DAN! training.

 

Dr Magdalena Cubala-Kucharska is a Polish-trained doctor with many years experience as a GP with special interests in Natural and Biological Medicine. She completed her Masters Degree in Nutrition in 2006 and she has been a DAN! physician for several years. Dr Cubala-Kucharska will be joining us in May, working one week per month and continuing her busy DAN! practice in Poland the rest of the time.

Dr Mark Westaway, who joined us recently, is an Australian-trained doctor and has extensive experience in Environmental Medicine, having also worked at the Dove Clinic in the United Kingdom and in the Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland.  He is also a qualified Osteopath and is currently undertaking his specialist status training as a

Paediatric Osteopath. He has also completed the DAN! training and has applied for registration.

Dr Christabelle Yeoh has her MBBS from St George’s Hospital Medical School in London, British postgraduate degree: MRCP and a Kings College London MSc in Nutrition. She has been working with us for two years and is experienced in nutritional, environmental, toxicological and metabolic medicine. Dr Yeoh will be attending the DAN! training course in May this year.

Dr Jean Monro has worked in environmental medicine for the past 28 years and the biomedical management of children with behavioural disorders has always been part of her practice. She has known Dr Sidney Baker, Dr Bernard Rimland, Dr Jon Pangborn, Dr Doris Rapp and Dr Paul Shattock personally for many years and has lectured with them in the USA. Dr Rosemary Waring has collaborated with us in testing patients since the 1980s. In 1987 Dr Monro co-authored ‘Chemical Children’ (published by Century/Hutchison) with Dr Peter Mansfield.

 

Ron Leon will be co-ordinating the clinical administration for the ASD team and will be in daily contact with the rest of us. He will be your primary email contact for the whole ASD team and will be able to respond to, or pass on your email queries promptly. All emails should be sent to asd@breakspearmedical.com

A consultation with one of the doctors will be necessary for Prescription Only Medicines. If your consultation is with Ron Leon, it will normally be possible to make an appointment for a brief medical consultation on the day of your visit. Please phone Reception on 01442 261 333 ext. 300 to make appointments.

.

For prices, see Patient Information.

_________

References:

Baird G, Cass H, Slonims V. Diagnosis of autism. BMJ 2003;327:488-93.

Bradstreet JJ. Testimony before the US House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform, April 25, 2001.

California Health and Human Services Agency. Department of Developmental Services. Changes in the population of persons with autism and pervasive developmental disorders in California’s Developmental Services System: 1987 through 1999. A Report to the Legislature. Sacramento, CA: Department of Developmental Services, 1999.

National Autistic Society. Diagnosis of autism: a brief guide for health professionals. London: NAS; 2001.

Wing, L, Gould J. Severe impairments of social interaction and associated abnormalities in children: epidemiology and classification. J Autism Dev Disord 1979;9:11-29.