LDDI - Scientific Consensus Statement on Environmental Factors

Immediately following is the press release from the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative about the Scientific Consensus Statement on Environmental Factors in the development of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders. Here are the links for the complete LDDI Scientific Consensus Statement and the executive summary.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

CONTACTS: Elise Miller, MEd - (360) 331-7904; emiller@iceh.org
Steve G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT – (206) 527-0926; sgilbert@innd.org

CONSENSUS STATEMENT: http://www.iceh.org/LDDI.html

Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI) Publishes Scientific Consensus Statement on Environmental Factors

February 20, 2008, Seattle, WA. The Collaborative on Health and the Environment’s Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative published today the Scientific Consensus Statement on Environmental Agents Associated with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (available at http://www.iceh.org/LDDI.html).

This statement, signed by more than 50 scientists and health professionals nationally and internationally, summarizes the latest science about environmental contaminants associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disabilities and developmental delays.

The statement, which has a glossary and over 200 references, was drafted and reviewed by a prestigious committee of scientists and health professionals based in North America. They concluded:

“Given the established knowledge, protecting children from neurotoxic
environmental exposures from the earliest stages of fetal development through
adolescence is clearly an essential public health measure if we are to help reduce the growing numbers of those with learning and developmental disorders and create an environment in which children can reach and maintain their full potential.”

“We know enough now to move on with taking steps to protect our children. This document pulls that knowledge together to further this vital effort," said reviewer Martha Herbert, PhD, MD, an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and a pediatric neurologist with subspecialty certification in neurodevelopmental disabilities at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Other researchers on the review committee underscored the cost-savings, policy-related and ethical implications of this consensus statement. “We could cut the health costs of childhood disabilities and disease by billions of dollars every year by minimizing contaminants in the environment,” said Phil Landrigan, MD, MSc, of the Children’s Environmental Health Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “Investing in our children’s health is both cost-effective and the right thing to do.”

“The overwhelming evidence shows that certain environmental exposures can contribute to life-long learning and developmental disorders,” noted Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, with the Science and Environmental Health Network. “We should eliminate children’s exposures to substances that we know can have these impacts by implementing stronger health-based policies requiring safer alternatives. Further, we must urgently examine other environmental contaminants of concern for which safety data are lacking. ”

“The proportion of environmentally induced learning and developmental disabilities is a question of profound human, scientific and public policy significance,” said lead author Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT, of the Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders, “and has implications for individuals, families, school systems, communities and the future of our society. The bottom line is it is our ethical responsibility to ensure all children have a healthy future.”

This document is designed for researchers, health professionals, health-affected groups, environmental health and justice organizations, policymakers and journalists to use as a resource for understanding and addressing concerns about links between environmental factors and neurodevelopmental disorders.

autism

Autism and the Environment - Time To Get A Grip

One of the most consistent points of controversy, amongst the many that dominate world discussion of autism issues, is the extent to which autism disorders are caused by environmental as opposed to genetic factors. Our environment today is polluted with a variety of toxic substances and we are also now experiencing a dramatic increase in diagnosed cases of autism disorders around the globe. Some of the more frequently mentioned potential culprits in influencing current autism surges are mercury and lead. We have recently seen the advancement of a unified autism theory based on genetic mutations that may also suggest environmental factors. One of the more balanced overviews of environmental influences on autism increases is that offered by Martha Herbert M.D., Ph. D., assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, and a pediatric neurologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Child and Adolescent Development.

In Time to Get a Grip Dr. Herbert presents the case that environment is involved in causing autism. In advancing this argument Dr. Herbert urges readers to look at the whole person and whole body because both genetic and environmental factors impact the whole body and not just the brain. Dr. Herbert's model of autism disorders suggests that something can be done about the challenges presented by autism deficits, at least to prevent, and possibly, repair such deficits. She also argues that it is important for everyone that we address the very serious environmental deterioration which threatens us all.

Today is Blog Action Day and the environment is the theme. For a balanced overview of environment and autism issues it is difficult to find a better source than Time to Get a Grip .

Jenny McCarthy Knocks Over Neurodiversity Hornet's Nest

As expected, Jenny McCarthy’s appearance on Oprah has stirred up the Internet’s Neurodiversity bloggers. During the past week they buzzed about in a paroxysm of sarcastic rage over Ms McCarthy's audacity in speaking out about autism. Some of the Neurodiversity commentary has been mean and snide. Some of it has been outright offensive.

Following is a list of Neurodiversity Hub bloggers who fell over themselves taking cheap shots at Ms. McCarthy and her views on the nature of autism, autism causes and cures. Some, like Mike Stanton, Educator, and Kristina Chew, Educator, Ph.D., felt compelled to belittle her more than once. Ms Chew in fact featured Ms McCarthy in no less than 7 of her commentaries over the past week. What will the Neurodiversity Hub bloggers ever do with themselves until the next autism appearance by Ms McCarthy?

Mike Stanton
Respectful Insolence
Autism Street
Left Brain/Right Brain (Kevin Leitch)
Natural Variation (Joseph)
Autism Diva
One Dad’s Opinion
Autism Vox

Although I do not share her views on autism cause and cure, I respect Ms. McCarthy for speaking up. As noted previously she may yet be proven right, and I may be proven wrong on our differing autism opinions. I have not subscribed to the dietary interventions for autism. But yesterday the Autism Canada conference focused on biomedical interventions with Dr. Derrick MacFabe of the UWO team that reported a gut-brain autism link, and Dr. Martha Herbert of Harvard Medical School. The conference also featured Dr. Wendy Edwards, a paediatrician and mother of an autistic child, who advocates the use of various biomedical treatments including dietary interventions. The Neurodiversity ideologues will have to come up with different ad hominem attacks to use against Dr. Edwards.

Dr. Wendy Edwards, Pediatrician and Autism Mother, Advocates Treating Autism as a Whole Body Medical Illness

The Times Colonist has an article on yesterday's Autism Canada conference and its focus on treating autism as a whole body medical illness. Speakers included Dr. Derrick MacFabe of the UWO team which recently released its findings on proprionic acid and Dr. Martha Herbert of the Harvard Medical School. Much of the article though focused on Dr. Wendy Edwards, a Southern Ontario pediatrician whose son was diagnosed with autism at age 3. The message at the conference as summarized by the Times Colonist is that autism is a full body illness and is not limited to the brain.

Dr. Edwards advocates the use of biomedical treatments in addition to applied behaviour analysis in treating autism. She recommends diets aimed at eliminating toxins and reducing digestive tract inflammation and describes some elements of such diets including melatonin, antioxidants and the GF-CF free diet. Dr. Edwards acknowledges that her biomedical recommendations are not supported by scientific study but questions whether parents should wait while the studies are done:

"Why not do what we feel is working while we wait for the study to prove or disprove it? If we're not out there doing all these things and telling the researchers 'What about this?' the research won't get done."

There are good arguments against the use of experimental treatments for autism or any other medical condition. Financial resources are not unlimited, special diets can often add expense to a family budget already stretched tight particularly if the family is already strapped by the expense of paying for ABA, which although not curing autism, is an evidence based effective health and education intervention. Experimental treatments can also waste time and morale both of which are valuable to a family trying to help their child. Further, some seemingly innocuous interventions might in fact have unforeseen and possibly harmful effects on a child.

Still, if a family can afford the interventions, consults with physicians and does not get their hopes too high, it is difficult to see why they shouldn't try interventions backed by anecdotal evidence of other parents some of whom like Dr. Edwards are also pediatricians themselves. Especially if they do not forgo evidence based interventions in order to try experimental approaches. The UWO Proprionic Acid study grew out of parental observations. Although all parents are not also medical professionals like Dr. Edwards, they are the front line observers of their children's condition.

Autism: A Medical Condition

An autism conference featuring doctors and researchers organized by Autism Canada and featuring Dr. Martha Herbert, Dr. Derrick MacFabe and Dr. Wendy Edwards will take place this Saturday at the University of Ottawa. As the title indicates the focus will be on autism as a medical condition. Gord McDougall at 580 CFRA has commented that "governments have been reluctant to tie autism to health issues, because that would commit them to spending money from the already stretched health envelope." Mr. McDougall's comment is absolutely right.

8 years ago the lead Minister on autism issues being examined by a government of New Brunswick InterDepartmental Committee on Autism Services was the Health Minister. When funding for autism specific services was first announced it was by the Health Minister. Then the programs and leadership on the autism portfolio were transferred to the Department of Family and Community Services. The Province of New Brunswick, like other governments, did not want to acknowledge that autism interventions, particularly Applied Behaviour Analysis sought by so many parents of autistic children, were health care treatments. Autism interventions were characterized as family services to avoid having them characterized as health care treatments and reduce the possibility that a court might order them to be funded under Canada's medicare scheme. As it turned out they needn't have worried. The Auton decision was such that, medical treatment or not, Provinces would not be obligated to fund them under Medicare.

The conference this weekend will focus on autism as a medical condition, biomedical treatments , " the shift in autism paradigm to a whole-body systems approach" and current research.
The Autism Canada web site sets out the full particulars, invites registration on their web site and identifies their target audience as parents, agencies, school personnel, medical professionals, basic research scientists and others dedicated to improving the quality of life for those with ASD.

Autism Research - Autism's Environmental Triggers

The paradigm shift taking place in autism research is well underway and it is intensifying with the announcements of funding of several autism research centers in the United States. The focus of much current research is to find the environmental factors that may trigger the onset of autism in genetically vulnerable children.

Specific pesticides have recently been identified as possible triggers in some cases. But research into environmental factors as causes of autism has been stalled by the fallout from the thimerosal debate as researchers feared becoming marginalized in their careers if they discussed environmental issues. Now the research into possible environmental causes or triggering factors is moving ahead. And, in a truly revolutionary development, researchers are even listening to parents, a fact which will not sit well with Neurodiversity ideologues:

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2007/08/13/under_suspicion/


She [Nancy Duly, autism mother] was speaking at a press conference at the University of California at Davis announcing $7.5 million in new federal funding, including about $2 million for a groundbreaking study that seeks to track, earlier and more closely than before, potential environmental triggers for autism -- beginning in the womb.

As the ranks of children diagnosed with autism grow, researchers are focusing more on such efforts. They are casting an ever-widening net to try to detect possible environmental factors -- such as chemicals or infections -- that could be interacting with genetic risk factors.

Money is beginning to stream toward researchers who are on that trail, supporting a new wave of studies.

"Environmental research will be a much bigger field going forward," said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. "A lot of parents have been telling us about their concerns; now we're listening very closely."

Until recently, about 90 percent of autism research has focused on genetics, and only perhaps 10 percent on environmental factors, said Dr. Gary Goldstein, chairman of the scientific board of Autism Speaks, a national research and advocacy group. In the coming years, he expects the ratio to be 1 to 1.

Dr. Martha Herbert, a Harvard neuroscientist and Massachusetts General Hospital neurologist, said a few years ago, autism researchers would be marginalized if they talked about environmental factors. But now, "any major article or proposal concerning the causes of autism is coming to be considered incomplete if it doesn't talk about a potential role of environmental factors."