Your opinions of DAN treatments? | Autism PDD

I don't think Jaden would be where she is today (much improved) without the help of our DAN doc/diet/supps, etc.

You can get started before choosing a Doc--with the diet and basic supplements, using the resources Jenni gave you. Alot of people see improvements by simply taking thier children off of milk products. You can try that very easily.

I understand wanting to be careful of cost. We have a big family, too. I just remind myself that my girl has physical issues that need to be addressed, somehow.

Let us know how it goes!

We tried only after getting her tested for glutein and casien proteins and she was positive for both. We did it for one year straight and added in enzymes the last few months. We noticed within 2 weeks she started looking at us when called and responded more to her environment..we also were doing ABA & speech at the same time so I am unable to say for certain that the diet did it but my gut tells me it did since the things she learned in ABA were much more slower that kind of reaction to. Her constipation disappeared for the first time too..we were believers and kept her on it with no regrets. Best of luck!Our DAN! doctor s*cked. He was recommended by my son's SDC class teacher, too! She was all for it. She said another parent had gone through this doctor. I got there and the place was dirty. It smelled like dogs. They told me to go home and take Colin's hair sample myself but to be sure to do it correctly (um........thanks...yeah, like I'm the professional here?) per the instructions they gave me, which had obviously been cut off a page, a mimeographed page, no less, not even done on a printer (unless originally), with scissors, as it was jagged; the contents were rife with misspellings and inconsistencies. I was then to send the sample myself to an independent lab.

I did, and nothing out of the ordinary was shown except for low levels of some minerals indicating dehydration. We were given a mineral drink and also told to buy something called (something?) Calm...I don't remember the full name any more. I gave this to Colin for about a month and called to ask how much longer he should be taking it. They didn't seem to know. They "thought" maybe another month, or possibly permanently.

We did this too, regardless. They never followed up with us. It's been well over a year now. Not a single phone call. No follow-up at all. It's as if we never visited their office in the first place.

Not all DAN! doctors are like this, I'm sure. But we got zip out of DAN! and please be warned that none of it is covered by insurance. If you get a single hint at the office that it's not 100% professional and staffed by professionals, walk out without your appointment, don't pay a dime and find another DAN! doctor if you're still interested. I'm sorry I can't give better advice than that. These were our experiences. We were very disappointed.
If you do one thing, try the mb12 shots. I have known alot of kids who have
had positive reactions to this. It really did help my son and you do need a
Dan to prescribe it.

I suggest reading about the biomedical approaches to the treatment of autism first. "Children With Starving Brains" by Dr. J. McCandless is often recommended as a good start. Talk to other parents, visit some websites, do your homework. Then start researching the specific DAN! docs in your area, or if you are willing to travel, in your country.

Sadly, the autism community is sharply divided on certain issues. These "hot" topics include the DAN! docs and protocols and vaccination schedules, just to name a few.

We chose to see Dr. James Neubrander (www.drneubrander.com ) because my husband's first cousin's daughter did extremely well on his methyl-B12 injection regimen to the point of basically losing the ASD diagnosis. I researched the doc himself, published articles, the physiology of M-B12, etc. and felt that it was worth trying. Our son has improved since starting the shots and nutritional supplements in January. We kept very strict records in the beginning, but now we,and the office staff, are convinced of the improvement.

That having been said, every child with an ASD is different, and every doctor, DAN! or not, is different. You must find the match that is best for you. One more thing, I think my very first post on these bords a year or so ago was similar to yours. At that time there were some heated threads and serious debates that happened...Remember, you know your child. Do what you believe is best for each one. Seek out a doc who listens and cares. That's what we all deserve!

Blessings!

Thanks so much for your post! I really appriciate it, and thanks for giving me a starting point

Right now we are doing the GFCF diet, omega's, vitamins, enzymes and are getting ready to start with pro biotics. I also suggest Dr. McCandless's book. It is a great starting point.

Both of my children are being treated by a DAN doctor and it has been the best decision we have made. The doctors are treating the underlying health issues which allows my kids to be healthier and much more receptive to therapies and education. www.autism.com and www.tacanow.com and www.generationrescue.org and www.nationalautismassociation.com has significant amount of info. www.autism.com gives you a lot of info about DAN. www.generationrescue.org provides you with rescue angels who are parents located around the world doing biomed. You can find one in your area to discuss DAN doc in that area and expense. There are also numerous yahoo groups such as chelatingkids2, autisminfo and biomedheads. THere is also www.autismweb.com that has a biomed message board. This website also has an Other Treatments and Autism Diets section. My DH would like me to do more research on the treatments that DAN doctors do. What are your experiences? Do you think they help or hurt? Have you seen improvements? We have 5 children, so if this is to be done, we need to make SURE it will be worth the money we will have to pay the DAN doctors. Thanks for any information you may have to offer

I've decided to start with supps and the diet, like the other parent stated, and then decide on if a DAN is necessary. We still see 5 traditionals, for each specialty though, and they help me get most of the test I seek or prescriptions and formula, if needed.

Good luck and I'd love to hear about your experience if you decide this method.