Here is a cool magazine article I found on AFF.

Desperate measures: The lure of an autism cure

LEO MILIK is a success story. At age 2 he was diagnosed with autism. After his mother heard the condition could be linked to certain foods, she eliminated wheat and dairy products from his diet. Now six years later, Leo has only a mild form of the condition. He attends a mainstream school and doctors say that in a few years he could lose his diagnosis altogether.

There's one wrinkle in this tale. The diet that appears to have turned Leo around has recently been tested in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial for the first time. The researchers reported last month that it provided no evidence the diet worked.

The diet is not the only unorthodox treatment around; a range of "biomedical" therapies that purport to treat the root causes of autism have gained popularity in recent years. These range from vitamins and antibiotics through to drugs supposed to remove heavy metals from the body, and even a hormone treatment that can delay puberty.

The autism "biomed" movement is well organised. An organisation called the Autism Research Institute, based in San Diego, California, lists the hundreds of doctors and therapists who provide these treatments. There are countless websites where parents swap advice; some members speak of trying out dozens of treatments, and spending many thousands of dollars over the years.

Some say biomed has helped their child, but others tell heart-rending tales of dashed hopes. None of these therapies has been shown to cure or even alleviate autism in good-quality trials. Some are very expensive, others are difficult and time-consuming. A few are even dangerous. This raises a question: why do so many parents of children with autism opt for unorthodox remedies, some of which are no better than snake oil?

Here is the full article: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627661.300-desperate-measures-the-lure-of-an-autism-cure.html?page=1



In other news, I am thinking about starting a vlog.