SOCIALIZATION FACTOR (PART 3)

BEHAVIORAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL TREATMENTS FOR THE SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL OF AUTISM

In the vast, complicated community of autism professionals and caregivers are many ideas about the cause, nature, and especially the treatment for autism. Some of these have been around for years; others gain notoriety for a while then seem to fade away. There is, however, one feature of these diverse concepts that is similar—all of them measure success in their ability to change socialization. After examining the variety of treatment methods which have some success, it is difficult to believe that any one treatment is ever going to be the single “cure” for this disorder.

3-A) INTENSE BEHAVIORAL PROGRAMS.
Certain behavioral programs have provided autistic individuals with treatment which at times seems to be curative. Two of these have recently been reported as highly successful.
3-A1) GREENSPAN: Article in Dec 03 Readers Digest about the “circles of communication” technique of Dr Stanley Greenspan. “Using this approach Greenspan had helped more than 50 percent of his 200 patients become fully functional children.

3-A2) MULICK/ Lovaas. 2003 report of the work of Dr. James Mulick from Columbus, OH. Using intense (40 hours a week) training patterned after Lovaas model, he claimed that all of his children greatly improved in intellectual and education function. (Neuropsychiatric Reviews, Oct. 2003) (“The Lovaas Method is also called the UCLA project).

These two treatments claim similar results of over 50% gaining normal social function. Both produce better results than seen with any medication treatment alone. These programs may seem nearly impractical because of the intensity of the required therapy. In the footnotes is included a defense of the amount of therapy the Lovass method requires.

3-A3 (footnote) COMMENTS IN DEFENSE OF THE UCLA YOUNG AUTISM PROJECT. Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D., August 2nd, 2000 University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563. Los Angeles, California 90095-1563 FAX (310) 206-6380. www.lovaas.com
Recently, five well-known commentators with diverse theoretical orientations unanimously agreed that the Lovaas (1987) study and the later McEachin et al. (1993) follow-up presented compelling evidence that the experimental clients improved and that the improvement was due to treatment rather than some extraneous variable (“Commentaries on McEachin, Smith, & Lovaas,” Baer, 1993; Foxx, 1993; Kazdin, 1993; Mesibov, 1993; Mundy, 1993).
The price of treatment is often mentioned as a reason for not funding forty hours per week of one-on-one intervention. The cost is estimated at $60,000 per year, or $120,000 for the average of two years required for normal functioning at which point the best-outcome children no longer require further special services. This contrasts to the cost of more than $2,000,000 dollars of life-long protective care. Regarding expense,
“ It is possible that Lovaas overestimated the minimum number of treatment hours per week needed for therapeutic effect.” Correction: There are no data to support that an intervention of less than 40 hours per week will result in 47% rate of normal functioning. If we had evidence that 30 hours or less a week would generate the same outcome, then we would have been able to serve that many more children which would be the goal of any treatment agency.

3-B) TREATMENT STORIES OF INDIVIDUALS. There are various stories of individuals who have lost all or most of their autistic characteristics through the benefit of a personalized, intense treatment regime. Two of these are well-known—having been made into television movies.

Case Twelve
3-B1) SON - RISE. A well-publicized case of the Kaufman’s from England who spent hours sharing the world of autistic self-stimulation with their son. The child suddenly became communicative, then regressed, then recovered. ®(Son-Rise : The Miracle Continues. Barry Neil Kaufman. H J Kramer 1995).

Case Thirteen
3-B2) THE WOMAN WHO WILLED A MIRACLE (a Movie)tells of a woman, May Lemke, who worked for years with her foster son Leslie, who was autistic, blind, non-verbal and had cerebral palsy. When he was in his twenties, he suddenly started playing the piano and singing songs and demonstrating communicative speech. She had worked for years with him walking and talking with him and acquainting him with his environment.
Reports of these behavior techniques demonstrate very important features of successful behavioral therapy.
[19] That individuals with severe autistic symptoms can develop normal socialization.
[20] That behavioral techniques based on extensively sharing time with the individual in his or her autistic world and introducing contact with the outside world seem most likely to produce normalizing results.
[21] That the improvement may be gradual, or may be sudden.
[22] That there is the possibility of reversion from socialization to autistic isolation again.

3- C) THE “ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS” FOR AUTISM. There are a number of treatments that have attained some notoriety for helping in autism. Belief in their benefit comes and goes, but it is not fair to call them just fads. Some have provided great benefit for some, but none of them have proven to be a highly effective cure for a large percentage of autistic individuals.

Notice that the following reports of improvements or cures all tell of increased verbal and social activities. Not one of them demonstrates that there is one single chemical imbalance that causes autism; nor do any of them represent the cure for every case of autism. The concept of the inhibition of the socialization factor provides a theoretical basis for understanding why so many treatments can sometimes be helpful in treating autism. In autism, inhibition of socialization maintains its domination for any number of reasons, and it can be modified by change in any of them.
Below are stories gleaned from various sources. Note how the cases are similar except for the therapeutic maneuvers used. The type of treatment used will not be given until after the cases are presented to emphasize this similarity.

Case Fourteen
3- C 1 In December 9th, 1998 my niece received (rx 1.) Within 24 hours we could see a difference. She asked "why?" started to write her name, she started drawing detailed pictures of things. We could not believe it. My sister has continued to keep her on (rx 2) for the past 10 months. My niece received (rx 1) again in March. In the last 10 months my niece has dramatically improved!! Today she does not TRY to play with other children she IS playing with other children. She draws detailed pictures and tells you a story about her picture! She looks perfect. You can not tell there is a problem! She looks at things around her and notices people like a normal 5 year old does.
ASD Support Group | mailto:Webmaster(at)3service.freeservers.com | Autism Page
(rx 1= Secretin) (rx 2 = gluten free diet.)
Principles gained from the Secretin experience.
[23] That a short-acting medication can have prolonged results.
[24] That the capacity for increased socialization can suddenly be turned on –implying that it was already present but not available for voluntary use.
[25] That there may be problems in one area of the body that indirectly affect brain socialization function. (A number of responders to Secretin had severe gut dysfunction; Secretin is a hormone which regulates gut function.)

Case Fifteen
3- C2) Tony was diagnosed with autism but in actuality had a cerebral allergy to (substance-3). When given rx 3, he began to respond and eventually fully recovered. (note: the allergy may not have been a “cerebral allergy”, but a gut allergy which affected the brain indirectly.)
® Hamilton, Lynn M, Facing Autism, Waterbrook Press 2000 Page 125
Substance 3 =Milk, Rx 3 = casein free diet

Case Sixteen
3- C3)“The benefits of using (Rx4) have ranged from improved language, eye contact, and behaviors.”
Rx3 =Vitamin B6 and Magnesium
® Hamilton, Lynn M, Facing Autism, Waterbrook Press 2000 page 163

Case Seventeen
3- C4) “A mother was driving on the freeway, three-year-old Kathy in the back seat, five-year-old mute autistic son Sammy in the front. (Rx5) had been started the day before. Kathy began too cry. Sammy turned and spoke his first words: Don’t cry Kathy.” Rx5 = DMG Dimethylglycine..
® Hamilton, Lynn M, Facing Autism, Waterbrook Press 2000 page 165.

Case Eighteen
3- C5) “Dr Mary Megsoon began (Rx6) therapy with some of her autistic patients and produces exciting results. Some patients began speaking more frequently and clearly than ever before. Others made tremendous gains in eye contact.” Rx 6 = Vitamin A
® Hamilton, Lynn M, Facing Autism, Waterbrook Press 2000 page 167

Case Nineteen
3- C6) “The Goldenberg’s began (Rx7) with Garrett, along with vitamin and nutrient therapy. Garrett at nearly three years old, began to show tremendous improvement . Before (Rx7), Garrett had been distant and non-compliant. Afterward, he suddenly became focused and started to respond to our requests Rx 7 = IVIG Intravenous Immunoglobulin
® Hamilton, Lynn M, Facing Autism, Waterbrook Press 2000 page 189

Case Twenty
3- C7) The author, Annabel Stehli, has a daughter with autism who struggled with hypersensitive hearing. Georgie received (rx8) from Dr. Bernard and after twenty sessions her autistic symptoms were alleviated. Rx8 = AIT (auditory integration Training)
® Hamilton, Lynn M, Facing Autism, Waterbrook Press 2000 Page 223

3- C 8) Rx 9 Chelation , which is aimed at the projected cause being mercury which was present in the Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccine – but sometimes is credited with removal of other toxic substances – and with improving socialization .There are no absolute conclusions to be made from these various stories, but several ideas seem to be valid principles.
[26] There is no one “cause” of autism that will respond to one cure, but many modes of therapy can improve socialization.
[27] Intense behavioral programs have the best statistical proof of being curative.
[28]. Most other treatments cure a very few, provide some improvement for others, and do nothing for a significant number. There is one other observation to be made.
[29]. Our society has not made a meaningful attempt at communication or integration of the skills of the three major treatment concepts – standard medicine techniques, diet and supplement treatments, and behavioral methods.

3-D) Possible explanation for the failure of seeing “cures” with medication plus “ordinary behavior methods”. As stated, there are not many claims of individuals actually losing their autistic characteristics except by the highly intense early programs. In the experience of this clinic, individuals who have a breakthrough in socialization when given prosocialization medications often do not persist in these actions. Such persistence seems to be seen in the intense programs – possibly because the autistic individuals in these programs have spent much of their time in a structured social setting and are involved at an earlier age. Other individuals do not have the habit of early involvement in an interactive situation; therefore they do not tolerate continued socialization. It is like children spending at time at Disney World. At first, there is interest in the new adventure, but in a few days there is a longing for the old familiar.