Needing some advice~ | Autism PDD

Just got back from the speech ther. Josh bit one of the students in there! That was great, she kept taking his blocks that he was playing w/ trying to get him to ask for them back but it didn't go the way she planned it. They also said autism and wants me to take him to a neurologist for dx. I called his doc and asked the nurse about doing the mercury test and she said he didn't need it that it was just something that a doctor did some research on nothing for sure, it had nothing to do with autism. She also said that to test him for it would be nothing simple they had to take hair samples and other things and there wasn't that much mercury in vac. Should I push the issue of the mer. test or is it just hopeful thinking? Has anyone done the test or does there doc. say the same?

Our doc says the same thing; that it's just one of the things that they don't know anything about for sure but it seems like it might be an okay place to start looking for an explanation.

Seems like a reasonable thing for the doc to say. I guess I have gotten to the point with the Dr. that if he says it's not a big issue, I just believe him on it. He hasn't steered us wrong so far. Knock on wood.

Penny38510.6062268519Hi There! There are a limited # of doctors who actually will do the tests/research regarding heavy metal poisoning, they follow what's known as the DAN ( defeat autism now) protocal. to find a dr near you, go to www.autismresearchinstitute.com . a side note, many insurance companies do not cover the cost of testing/ treatment of heavy metal poisoning.I have really wondered about this issue. I have heard too many stories of people who have the kelation (sp?) therapy to remove the mercury and their children improve. It'd be worth it to find out what the cost of the test is and save up for it so that we can know if there is anything to it or not. Our ped tells us that he doesn't know enough about it to tell us one way or the other but that he doesn't think we should rule anything out until we have scientifically or medically proven that it can't be the cause for our son, regardless of the uproar. To me that is really good advice.

I have heard quite the opposite. That the therapy doesn't help the child improve. And also that the therapy will make the child really sick. Sorta like the effect that chemotherapy has on your body.

Tammy

Just my 2 cents ...

If it would make you feel better to get your child tested for mecury poisoning, then I think you should go for it (keeping in mind what dear shakes said that you'll probably have to pay for it out of pocket). Frankly, I am fed up with doctors (and their nurses) who don't support the concerns of their patients' mommies! (But maybe I'm just bitter at this point.

) From the bits I've read about mercury and children with autism, it's not so much that there was a huge amount of mercury given to them at any one time, but the fact that the children's bodies couldn't excrete it ... thereby causing a buildup over time in their systems. I'm not sure exactly where I stand on the issue, but we're thinking of having Luke tested, too.
Good luck with your decision.