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Oxygen treatment for autism to be tested
HONOLULU, April 24 (UPI) -- A Honolulu clinic and 20 others across the United States will soon begin a study into whether oxygen treatments help children with autism.
Some doctors say hyperbaric oxygen therapy, during which large doses of oxygen are delivered to patients in pressurized chambers for an hour a day for weeks, can transform brain neurons and improve the lives of autistic children, the Chicago Tribune reported.
But many autism specialists remain unconvinced.
"I understand that what all parents want is to be able to look back and say they did everything they possibly could to help their child," Dr. Tina Iyama, an autism expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison told the Tribune. "That's why they are trying all these experimental new treatments. But ... there is absolutely no reason to think that improving oxygen levels in a child with autism will be helpful."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that 500,000 children in the United States have autism.
More than 30 children have undergone oxygen treatment at the Hyperbaric Medicine Center in Honolulu, where patient-care coordinator Maryellen Markley said "every single child ... had consistent quality-of-life improvements," the Tribune reported.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
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Hmmm...interesting....I wonder if that affects the child's vision at all, or if they're not using straight O2. (Straight O2 can cause blindness if delivered at too high of levels. Back in the days before pulse ox machines, they used to give you enough oxygen to make you pink, and a lot of babies lost their eyesight.) Maybe that's only for babies though. And, maybe they're titrating it. I don't know....
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I....don't know. Didn't help Michael Jackson much, and isn't it expensive? I smell a door opening for scams. But geez, keep the research going, huh? It is getting more press!
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I remember hearing about this about 6 months ago and I think I just filtered it thru as not something I would look into. It seems a bit dangerous and not very scientific but research is research.
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I agree that anything that could work should be looked into. What breaks my heart though is when people take the money of disabled children or adults to promote a "cure". I saw this when I worked with spinal cord injured patients a lot. They'd win some sort of settlement if the injury was on the job or caused by someone else, then they'd go off somewhere (seemed like they were usually in California for some reason ) and blow all their money on some "experimental" treatment with "promising results" and come home poor and no better. I know they were looking for any hope, and I can't blame them for that, but I always thought how much better that money could have been spent buying them a wheelchair equipped van, or paying for home health aides, or adapting their house to make it wheelchair accessible. I always thought "If there was a cure, we'd already be sending you there". But somehow many of them got this idea that there WAS a cure and we just didn't want them to know so we could make money off them Instead they gave it all to the rip off that WERE just trying to make money off them. Sorry....got off on a tangent here....will get off my soapbox now
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I loved your tangent and thought it brings up a very good point. I remember that desperate feeling when first reading the DX on our DS. I would have spent any amount of money on any "cure" out there. Thank God I didn't! But the initial desperation makes folks believe in anything that might help.
It is a good warning for everyone to make sure that of how we spend our money for our products for our SN children. There are so many people out there that would love to take our money and offer a piece of hope....for a price.
For me, I will just stick with ABA and making programs. I have spent about 2K on supplies for ABA, software, picture cards, etc.
I need to go right now, ABA needs me.
Thanks Aliadam for a great response and reminder.
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Originally Posted by tacoma_ranch
I loved your tangent and thought it brings up a very good point. I remember that desperate feeling when first reading the DX on our DS. I would have spent any amount of money on any "cure" out there. Thank God I didn't! But the initial desperation makes folks believe in anything that might help.
It is a good warning for everyone to make sure that of how we spend our money for our products for our SN children. There are so many people out there that would love to take our money and offer a piece of hope....for a price.
For me, I will just stick with ABA and making programs. I have spent about 2K on supplies for ABA, software, picture cards, etc.
I need to go right now, ABA needs me.
Thanks Aliadam for a great response and reminder.
You're right, I'm sure it was the desperation, but I always felt so sorry for them after they'd blown several hundred thousand dollars and came home no better. I just can't believe there are charlatans that would knowingly rip off disabled people. Ugh....