will a mainstream physician... | Autism PDD

...who specialized in AS disorder run a battery of tests for all of the supposed deficencies/allergies/toxins that are reputed to contribute to AS disorders?  I'm talking about things like heavy metal toxicity (mercury and lead), defeciencies in vitamins and minterals, allergies (whey, cassein, etc), gut problems, etc etc etc.

It's hard for me to tell how much of these causation theories are considered quackery by the mainstream medical professionals and which are considered valid and worthy of checking into.

I would be interested in knowing this also.  My ds has allergies but I have never had him officially tested and my dh and I were wondering about the heavy metal toxicity as well.  Great Question!No.  A doctor who specializes in autism will probably run a Fragile X test, may sign for a brain stem test (eeg that tests hearing) and that's about it.  For all that other stuff, people who are concerned go to DAN! doctors. I believe there is a section on alternative therapies right on this site.If you request these tests, they shoudl provide them. I have never  had them tested but it is worth a shot! Anything to help us understand more about how they react to certain things, etc.When I took my son to a mainstream allergist, he lectured me and dh for about 1/2 hour about how there wasn't a link between ASD and allergies of any sort.  He proceeded to do no food testing.  He did some skin tests for environmental allergies.

We never went to the follow-up appt.  He was quite arrogant.
Mainstream docs will not check vitamin deficiencies etc. Places like Pfeiffer treatment center will, but I hear they are expensive. There seems to be growing evidence that there is something to the idea that autism and gastro issues, vitamin deficiencies, immune problems are related. Unfortunately, we have to make decisions on this stuff before there are very good studies definitively showing their effectiveness or not. Some of the vitamins and diets don't hurt though, so I suppose they are worth trying. I'm trying to find time to start some of the diet stuff. I think DS has a sensitivity to milk and I need to go milk-free after the holidays to see if I notice a change, etc.
Nowwhat

I am an osteopathic family doc and consider myself to be "mainstream" AND open to alternative/complementary medicine.  If the doc is open minded and really wants to help, they will probably start by ordering the blood tests that are the most easily available from the labs they use and are the easiest to get covered by insurance.  After those come back, the next step is exploring the more obscure labs and lab tests.  You will help your cause by bringing whatever information you can about whatever tests you're interested in if you decide to see an open minded mainstream doc....And yes, I have ordered labs that other docs normally don't order!

I would think a mainstream Dr. such as a ped can run a battery of tests. My husband just had them requested by his GP because of his Asthma. They did a full blood panel looking for food and airborne allergies. I think its worth asking for...the Fragile X test was done by our ped on our son Jesse before they moved to Autism diagnosis when he was 2. In order to get his hearing evaluated I had to ask for it...they never even thought to check and make sure his lack of verbal skills and eye contact wasn't actually do to hearing loss. THe only reason why I knew to request it was because I have a deaf niece, her deafness was caused by Chemo treatments when she was 9 mos. We did both the regular hearing tests and then I asked for a 2nd opinion doing the Brain stem test.
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