About Me

I am the proud mother of 6 children. 5 of our children have autism. We do not feel our world has ended, but just begun. We do not chelate, intervene biochemically, give shots of any kind, practice ABA, etc. We treat them as we treat any humanbeing. We treat them with kindness and respect and expect the same from them. They are exceptional children.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

THE INSANITY OF IT ALL...

Okay, It has finally happened, the select group of Biomedical Mama's (the BM's), as I like to call them, have lost their ever-loving minds.
Just this week, on this particular autism forum, this select group of 3 BM's have cited 2 doctors as the know-all and be-all of autism. It just so happens, with a little research (and I mean very little research), you find out both of these "doctors" have in fact lost their licenses to practice medicine. One of them has even lost the right to raise their own child.
The scary part is that these BM's would allow these "doctors" to treat their autistic children.....

Also, I see that the man who loves to hate autism is blaming Mr. Leitch for the death of a young man in Tucson.....I am beginning to worry alot about this hater of autism. He needs some help and quickly.

Now, how can these parent's ever think they can begin to help their autistic children if they are listening to every quack out there. Are they at the point where they are grasping at straws?
I am really frightened for their children.....I am frightened that they will have to succumb to more treatments in the name of "recovery".
Around every corner is another so-called "doctor", with a bag full of snake oil with these children's name on it. The insanity of it all is that the parent's of these children will buy this crap and give it to their children.

I spent the day today with a roomful of parent's of autistic children. These children were newly diagnosed. These parent's were scared and nervous.
I was introduced to them as being the parent of 5 autistic children.
These parent's looked at me in dismay.
I asked them to please listen to what was being told to them.
To please sit back and realize that their lives were just about to get a bit off-course. That they will have challenges they will never believe. That they will experience a life they were never expecting to.
I asked them to please not think the worst, but expect the best. To not think their child could not be anything other than they thought before the diagnosis.

I look at my children with their rocking, buzzing, humming, flapping and spinning. I look how they line up toys. I see how they get into their play and ignore all around them.
Who am I to say that is wrong?
Who am I to say that they are not doing what is normal?

I have been given the challenging task of raising 6 of the most amazing people in the world. This is not an easy task, but one I relish. I go to bed every night so happy that I am their mother.
I wake up every morning happy with the fact that these children will be in my sight within minutes. I smile each and every time I see them. I want them to they that they are vital on this earth and they will continue to be so. There are no challenges that they cannot meet...and I will be there every step of the way.



29 comments:

Melissa said...

I found comfort in the words you said to the parents of those newly diagnosed. My daughter was diagnosed in November of '06 but lately I've been in a bit of a funk wondering about her future, etc. Thank you for those words. :)

Anonymous said...

It looked to me like it was only one mom who was in favor of the doctor, not 3. Someone saved the thread info before it was closed. One of the moms never even made any comment about the doctor. A bit of false info coming from your blog again.

Anonymous said...

There was never a reference made in the entire thread that any parent would let either of the doctors you are speaking of treat their children. Not one. Where are you getting your assumptions from?

Anonymous said...

Again, you assume that all autistic children will grow up to be just like yours. Some parents actually believe in intervention. Having 5 autistic children does not make you an expert on ALL autistic children. Stick to helping your own and do the parents a favor and keep your "let them just stim and be free" ideas to yourself.

Mom26children said...

To the Anonymous trio,
If the parent who wrote about this doctor did not think they were worth taking their child to, why applaud them so much.
Also, the mother who thought Dr. Sircus was so brilliant in his writings. Would she listen if she knew his license was also taken away in NH.
It blows my mind that people put doctors like this on a pedestal just because they write something negative about vaccines. Read their backgrounds before....it makes you seem incredibly naive.
As for reading my blog....don't.
You don't like it, don't visit it.

To the 3rd Anonymous coward...believe me, I do not think all autistic children will grow up to be like mine, but I do know mine will not grow up and be like yours. Mine will have the freedom to stim...they will also have the freedom from IVIG, chelation, B12 shots, supplements out the wahoo, suppositories, etc.

Anonymous said...

What a gross blog.

John Best said...

You shouldn't give advice to anyone. If not for dumb luck, you'd be living out of dumpsters and your kids would be in foster homes. Why don't you just admit that people who have cured their kids of autism are much smarter than you and refer anyone you talk to to Generation Rescue?

Mom26children said...

Anonymous # 4....
you guys are coming out of the woodwork....
I love your terminology. Did you graduate high school? Or, are you still attending?

Mom26children said...

John,
I like you because you are honest enough to say what you feel and mostly use your real identity.
I could say the same to you about the advice giving, but I believe every person has a right to their opinion.
You use your blog to give your opinion, and I use mine.
And about the dumpsters, I appreciate the lovely sentiment.
Jeanette

Domestic Goddess said...

Geez,
now those are some people full of hate. Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot?
I don't get it.
It ain't that hard. Love your kids.

Mom26children said...

M-J,
Hate is the operative word. If they believe their children do not feel this emotion, hate I mean, they are dead wrong.
They spend too much emotion hating and not enough just enjoying the gift of a child that God gave them.
I hope they find peace in their lives, and not for their sakes, but for their children.....

MOTHER OF MANY said...

Wow you sure pi**ed off the Anonymous'of the world!
I love my children just the way they are and everyday they are growing and developing just as they were meant to with out being 'forced' into a cure(not that I believe there is a cure for autism). No matter how much you teach an autistic child to act in a certain way or speak in a certain way they will always be autistic.
As part of my nurses training I worked in a Special Needs school with some profoundly autistic 12 year olds and I thought all children with autism were the same and so when my daughter was diagnosed I was devastated.
Since doing a masters in autism I have witnessed how every child with autism is different and develops differently and needs to develop in their own way and at their own pace.

Mom26children said...

Hi Mother of Many,
I do not take what any of the ANONYMOUS people say seriously.
Any "grown" person who feels they have to hide behind an ANONYMOUS to make a comment must not hold to their convictions very well.
Any time I debate or write against biomedical interventions, I always have signed my name.
Bullies tend to do hide behind curtains...

Anonymous said...

To Mother of Many's statement, no one is forcing their child into a cure. Your statement really does sound ignorant. Parents actually choose to educate their children using scientifically proven and sound methodologies. It appears that Mom26 prefers to bash anything and everything that has been shown to help chidlren on the spectrum. After doing their research, many parents concentrate on improving their children's health by doing things such as adjusting their diets, giving them supplements, etc. Improvement in G/I symptoms and other problems have been shown over and over again to greatly improve in children using these interventions.

Clearly ABA and other sound methodologies and biomedical treatments have worked very well for many autistic children. These treatments actually take effort and follow through. Most parents put much of their energy into this rather than parade their children around like side shows in order to win a new house.

It is not about a cure at all, it is about educating the children and making them healthier so they can lead the best life possible.

And Fore Sam is correct, if not for dumb luck you'd be living in a dumptser.

Mom26children said...

Anonymous #5,
You obviously did not read my blog. Your anger is speaking before you educate yourself on what I write...
I wrote about a particular group of mother's, whom happen to be using biomedical treatments on their children. They were applauding the writings of 2 particular doctors, who have been anything but ethical....
Now, as far as treatments, chelation for removing mercury from an autistic child is anything but studied by the medical community. For lead, yes, not for mercury.
B12 shots have not been approved by the FDA for the treatment of autism.
IVIG has not been approved for the treatment of autism.
Hbot has not been approved for the treatment of autism.
These are all procedures that are touted as cures from "doctors"...scary to ME.

I work very hard with my children. My children are getting better without the addition of any supplements or outrageous procedures.

I do not understand the anger that is in the ANONYMOUS world for me. You guys can preach biomedical, ABA, chelation, etc, to prove your cause....why can't I preach ACCEPTANCE.

And, your immature comment about the dumpster....well, if you listen to anything John Best, Jr. says....all I can say to you is WHATEVER !!!!

Anonymous said...

It is sad that you really think that everything the FDA, CDC and NIH tells you is true.

Mom26children said...

Anonymous #6,
It is even more sad that you would buy into the obvious hype that DAN! doctors can "cure" your children.
What does it take to become a DAN! doctor??? Do you know???
Any time a quack writes about anti-vaccine issues, it is printed as the be-all, end-all word. IF you look into these so-called doctors backgrounds, they are far from authoritative. They just know who to prey on....
For me to be accepting of my amazing children, why do you feel the need to belittle me?
Does it make you feel better?

Anonymous said...

Again, you don't understand that it is not about a "cure." (which you just won't let go of.) It is about helping children to physically feel better. Let me ask you, do any of your children have diarreah 20 times per day, distended stomachs, vomit or any other severe G/I issues? My child in particular had all of those issues when he was first diagnosed and by putting him on a diet that was free of dairy and gluten ALL of those symptoms went away within months. No, he didn't just "outgrow" them as you always like to claim, the physical intervention actually helped him and he remains free from this pain and distress today, years later as he remains on a special (but very healthy) diet. I did not seek a "cure" for him, I wanted him to live a life free of pain, so educate yourself on what the entire protocol is about before crticizing and assuming any intervention means that those horrible parents want to "cure" their children.

Anonymous said...

Mom26,

I have read through all of your blogs and you seem to have something negative to say in each and every one of them, even your daughters 16th birthday blog sounded miserable. I do not believe that you are just blogging about a couple of mothers that you don't agree with. It seems to go far beyond that. It also seems that according to the first few anonymous posts your information about those mothers was incorrect. Now if I can only figure out who it is that wrote that I'd get the copy of the thread and decide for myself.

Mom26children said...

Anonymous #6 and #7,
You guys just don't get it, do you???
Autism has NOTHING to do with the GUT...that is the gut. Autism is a neurological disorder. There are many kids out there with gut disorders that ARE NOT autistic.
Also, I have not one negative thought about any of my children, Can you say the same????

John Best said...

Mom26, Autism may not be directly related to the gut. However, we do know that mercury can remain in the intestines, liver, kidneys and brain after it is cleared from the blood.
If chelation happens to heal the gut, as it did for my son without any diets, it would seem we have identified the culprit. When further chelation produced improvement in brain function, the only reasonable conclusion is that the autism was caused by the metal we chelated out. What we don't know is how much the brain can recover from the damage that was done by the mercury. The only way to find that answer is to refuse to quit on our children. Accepting autism is quitting.

Anonymous said...

Many children on the spectrum have G/I issues. Clearly that is a well known fact. You live with your head in the sand. And I agree with the other anonymous, your posts do seem miserable and negative at times. You even came across as negative on the TV special. You didn't seem as thankful as one would have thought.

Mom26children said...

Anonymous #8,
It amazes me how people can criticize and yet are too cowardly to tell me who they are.....I cannot take your criticism seriously...
As far as my being negative, you must read me wrong. I have nothing negative AT ALL to say about MY CHILDREN...just the crazy things the biomedical community does to THEIR CHILDREN...
I have no problem with gut issues, as you call them...I have issues with unproven methods of treatment.
As far as being thankful for our gift from EMHE, you see it as you want. I know in my heart and the people involved know exactly how I feel.....what you think is absolutely of NO CONCERN to me.

John Best said...

Mom26; Chelation is a proven method of treating mercury poisoning that has been used since the 1940's.
You wouldn't leave rattlesnake poison in your kids without treatment, would you? So why does it make sense to leave the mercury there?

MOTHER OF MANY said...

To Mother of Many's statement, no one is forcing their child into a cure

'Someone' directed this statement to me. I have to admit that I am not a clever person , I am doing just the best I can with what I have . I discussed the statement made about
'no one is forcing their child into a cure' with my University Lecturer(Autism Specialist) and they said 'that to say no one is forcing their child into a cure' is a gross generalisation. 'Cures' and the possibility of 'Cures' was actually something we studied and parents attitudes and approaches to them. In the group discussion that we had, professionals from varying backgrounds involved with children on the spectrum, the consensus of opinion was that there are parents out there hoping for AND forcing children into a cure . But I know there are parents out there who educate their children using scientifically proven and sound methodologies and I respect them for that.ABA and sound methodologies are also used in my daughter's school and through them she has developed and learned many life skill and effort and follow through is very much part of my life. However, at the end of the day my daughter will always be on the autistic spectrum , that is just the way her mind works, .I am sorry Anonymous that you felt the need to say I sounded ignorant,one person cannot be clever enough to know everything.
Good luck with you journey Anonymous.

Mom26children said...

Mother of Many,
It is obvious the ANONYMOUS world that has decided to respond on my comments are angry with me. Because you chose to comment on my side (so to speak), these people will now have a problem with you.
After reading your last comments, Mother of Many, you sound much more sane than the ANONYMOUS people who visit my board.
They must not believe too much of what they say, or have any way to back it up if they must hide behind an ANONYMOUS shield.....
What a pity.

Anonymous said...

As another that doesn't "do" autism well... we're doing amazing.

I have little use for ABA.. been there done that.. will not go back. I prefer the Floortime ideas... I would recommend it... the basis is to spend time with them and play. School uses TEACCH since we're coming ahead with the little one in leaps and bounds.. must be doing something right.

My eldest is CF.. why?? Not for a cure but to get rid of the never-ending diahhrea, nightmares and terrors. It did infact make him stoned as well. Does nothing for the little one.

I still firmly believe that parents are the best teachers, even for those on the spectrum.

S.

From one that has one on either end. Now I'm going to have to go back and start reading your blog from the beginning. Just not right now.. have to go.

thereiderfamily said...

Can there be a happy medium between the biomedical and neuro diverse camps? I enjoy your blog and intelligent debate, even though I don't agree with everything. I think it's important to strive for a well rounded view - and hear all sides. I am an apsie mom of a 3 year old autistic boy. I love the idea of accepting your child's uniqueness - but I don't think having an ASD makes one unique. In fact, it is very commonplace these days at 1 in 150. My life growing up with an ASD was very difficult and full of a lot of pain. If I can make it easier for my son in any way, I sure want to try. Pursuing biomedical options has been working out very nicely. Not every protocol is for us - we don't have gut issues in our house. But, cod liver oil brought my son's eye contact back overnight. Wow! Guess he needed those nutrients. Lots of testing has shown some wonky results with his methylation pathways. I find the prospect of treating and improving these abnormalities fascinating and certainly worthwhile. And, I am sure that like myself - my son will also improve with just good 'ole maturity. Meanwhile, I'll work hard at helping him overcome this disorder in every way possible. Even if it includes some unproven/alternative methods. And, I will respect any other parent who chooses a different path. Cheers! - Sara

Anonymous said...

I've just read through this blog and all the comments and I really don't understand why there is so much backlash. This is just a mom who loves her kids and is posting her personal opinions on her personal blog. Doesn't she have a right to do that? If you don't agree with her, then don't become a dedicated reader. Start your own blog and write about your own opinions. That would be so much more productive than bashing this poor woman who obviously has so much on her plate already. We all have kids with autism so we all know how stressful it can be. Let's not waste our time spreading angry feelings around. It would be so much better if we could channel that energy into passing legislation and reforming our school districts. To do that we have to stand united as autism parents, no matter what our personal views on treatment are. I know that can be tough because we might want to go different directions with that, but, seriously, let's focus on the larger issues instead of kicking each other in the knees. Can't we just have a group hug and remember to respect each other??