Autism Awareness

A San Francisco Bay Area autism treatment workshop, Autism: Hope in Action, is offering hope and resources to families as autism rates continue to rise nationwide.

A 2007 study conducted by Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health revealed a dramatic increase in autism rates for the Bay Area. According to Autism: Hope in Action, more than 50,000 cases alone are centered in the San Francisco Bay Area.

CDC has now called autism a national public health crisis with one in 110 children in the United States diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects sensory and social development, -impairing a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. While autism may express delays in social development, language and behavior, many children faced with ASDs also suffer from nutrition and gastrointestinal disorders.

Parents have been coming forward in their fight against autism and reporting their success with treatments to help other parents seeking treatment for their children. According to a parent survey conducted by the Autism Research Institute, parents reported which drugs, biomedical treatments and diets had the greatest success. The data was collected from more than 26,000 participating parents.

The Autism: Hope in Action workshop will feature three leading experts that will provide parents and caregivers with valuable information and resources. Topics explored will be: action plans, early intervention protocols, medications and supplements, diet and nutrition, support resources, and answers to parent questions.

The workshop will provide information on integrative medicine lead by Dr. Kurt Woeller, Founder of the  Stillpoint Center for Integrative Medicine and AutismActionPlan.com; Autism Nutrition Specialist and Certified Nutrition Consultant, and founder of NourishingHope.com, Julie Matthews; and Stan Kurtz will share his experiences, knowledge, and successes of his recovered son from autism through biomedical intervention.

"Autism: Hope in Action is the first workshop for autism held on the west coast with over several hundred participants expected," stated Julie Matthews. Matthews is an internationally respected autism nutrition specialist and Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) Practitioner. She supports parents, nutritionists and physicians from her private practice located in San Francisco.  

"Parents will be provided with local resources at this workshop and there will be a local practitioner panel available for questions and answers. We want parents to leave the workshop knowing what they want to do next for their child," said Matthews.

Julie Matthews is the author of Nourishing Hope for Autism, a 2009 award-winning parent and clinicians guide regarding the fundamentals of autism nutrition, diet implementation and supplementation. 

Matthews will be conducting one of the many symposiums offered at the workshop. She will discuss the biochemistry behind autism-why and how diet helps, nutritional advice, suggestions for picky eaters, menu ideas and Gluten-Free/Casein-Free (GFCF) diets among many other topics.
 
The actual cause of ASDs remain unknown; however, researchers continue to explore environmental and possible genetic factors. Parents are reporting that autism is treatable and with treatment comes recovery.

Peter Nilsson shared his personal experience about biomedical treatment with his son, Blake. As Nilsson referred to his journal, citing log entries starting in February, he shared the very emotional triumphs of his son's recovery from autism.

Nilsson spoke of how his son suffered from sensory issues, his very limited vocabulary of five to 15 words by age 3 1/2, and the finicky eating issues that so many children with autism experience. 

After the autism diagnosis, Nilsson started his son on biomedical intervention therapy. "Blake tested at high levels for aluminum and mercury, but his level for lead was off the charts," stated Nilsson. 

Nilsson also implemented a special diet for Blake and started chelation to detoxify his body that harbored the heavy toxic metals.

"Within three days after starting treatment for Blake. . .,"  Nilsson paused to recollect himself as he emotionally shared the triumph of hearing his son speak to him and engage in conversation for the first time.  ". . . Blake spoke in very clear words to me and said, 'good morning' and then asked, 'how are you?'" 

Nilsson recalled the advances his son made within 10 months time. "By Christmas his vocabulary had reached 200 words, he participated in a two-mile hike, and he was eating steak, salad, rice and bread." Nilsson stated Blake takes 20 to 30 supplements a day and he continues to reach developmental milestones.

The Autism: Hope in Action workshop is aimed to inform parents, caregivers, clinicians, therapists, grandparents and anyone else who is affected by or supporting someone with autism and provide resources for those with ASDs to aid in the recovery of autism.

Registration, directions and hotel accomodations may be found by visiting the Autism: Hope in Action website.

EVENT:

Saturday, January 30, 2010
Workshop:  8:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Location:

South San Francisco Conference Center
255 South Airport Boulevard
South San Francisco, CA  94080

Phone:  (415) 235-2960

For more info: 

Elizabeth Mary: Autism is treatable and beatable! (Elizabeth's Poem)

Generation Rescue
Defeat Autism Now
Autism Speaks
Autism Research Institute
CDC Developmental Milestones Checklist
Parent Resource and Child Development Kit

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