Product Description

A decade ago, autism was a rare disease--today, most Americans know a family with an autistic child. Autism is now epidemic, currently affecting half a million American children, or 1 in 150. This makes it the most common developmental disability--more common than Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation combined. Autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year, which means that the disease could reach several million Americans in the next decade.

Changing the Course of Autism has the potential to revolutionize the way this disease is perceived and managed by showing that autism can be treated as a medical disease, rather than a behavioral disorder. In this groundbreaking book, the authors explain that reducing neurological inflammation improves autistic behaviors dramatically, making a profound impact on the health and future of affected children and their families.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64475 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 358 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781591810612
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Dr. Jepson's information-filled book moves the reader through the discomfort of painful news to a framework for constructive responses." -- Martha R. Herbert, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School

"The new PDR of autism for parents and physicians. An important book that everyone dealing with autism must own." -- Lee Grossman, parent of an autistic child; President and CEO, Autism Society of America

"This book would have answered so many of my questions. All pediatricians should read this book with an open mind." -- Katie Wright, parent of an autistic child; daughter of the founders of Autism Speaks

"Calling it a developmental disorder is like calling a brain tumor a headache. Autism is merely one symptom of an underlying disease process that affects the immunological system, the gastrointestinal system, and the toxicological system, as well as the neurological system."

If you've searched for biomedical treatments, chances are you've encountered a glaring lack of knowledge or even outright skepticism. Dr. Jepson wrote this book to help overcome such obstacles.

Changing the Course of Autism is radically comprehensive. Dr. Jepson has consolidated all the current research on thimerosal, immune system dysfunction, gut disease and environmental toxins. He explains the biochemistry of autism and discusses how biomedical treatments work. His goal is to educate mainstream physicians about the medical basis of autism, but he also writes for parents so they can understand the biological rationale behind the treatment strategies for their children.

The scientific information is extensive but there is plenty of understandable content and readers can skip to whatever sections suit their needs. Dr. Jepson has truly created an indispensable one-stop reference for autism's biomedical issues. --Autism/Asperger's Digest Magazine

Dr. Bryan Jepson demystifies the disorder by providing the most up to date information on symptoms, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and the impact of the disorder on families of individuals with autism. Based on Dr. Jepson's extensive research and clinical observations, this book answers the myriad of questions about autism with authority and compassion. -- Doreen Granpeesheh, Ph.D. BCBA, Executive Director, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)

Review
Board-certified emergency medical doctor and parent of an autism spectrum child Bryan Jepson, M.D. presents Changing the Course of Autism: A Scientific Approach for Parents and Physicians, a scientific scrutiny that re-examines commonly held beliefs about autism spectrum disorder, along with Jane Johnson, whose expertise lies in the field of researching and treating autism in children.

Changing the Course of Autism takes the bold stance that autism is not solely caused by genetic factors, but rather a combination of genetic and environmental factors - an abundance of toxicity in the environment combined with autistic individuals' reduced ability or inability to detoxify. The sudden epidemic of autism in today's society (1 in 150 children has been diagnosed) underscores that environmental factors must be at work, since a disease that is solely genetic is not likely to produce a similar surge. Chapters further explore possible environmental causes of autism, and ways to treat autism and help children recover. Written in plain terms for parents, caretakers, and medical personnel alike, Changing the Course of Autism is an absolute must-read for new or expecting parents with a history of autism, or who wish to prepare themselves to defend their child from an onslaught of environmental toxins in today's unfortunately polluted world. Highly recommended.

Review
Once viewed as rare and unusual, autism is now considered an epidemic with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention findings reporting that one in 150 children in the United States now has autism. The parent of an autistic child, Jepson (founder, Children's Biomedical Ctr. of Utah) encourages physicians and parents to view autism "as a medical illness, not just a behavior disorder." He discusses the neurological, gastrointestinal, genetic, and environmental issues that complicate our understanding of autism. His book is meant to be used as an overview for the layperson, not as a step-by-step guide on how to treat autism. Although there are agreed-upon common treatment approaches, each autistic child is unique. Jepson makes clear that with proper medical oversight, the autistic child can improve, often dramatically. Recommended as a comprehensive reference resource on autism in consumer health collections.

Customer Reviews

The most important book I have purchased in the last 10 years
If you are pregnant or have a child less than 1 year of age -- READ THIS BOOK!

The information in this book WILL change what you do about early childhood vaccination.
The information in this book MAY help you prevent your child from developing regressive autism.

As a residency trained, board certified emergency medicine physician, I am (both by nature and training) a skeptic. Throughout my medical career, I have been pro-vaccination. I have personally administered more than 1000 vaccinations, and have supervised the administration of more than 10,000 doses of vaccine -- including cholera, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and plague vaccines. My 14 year old received every recommended childhood vaccine on schedule. Since then, two of the "safe" vaccines (oral polio and whole cell pertussis) that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended at the time have fallen from favor because of proven catastrophic (albeit rare) complications.

In the last 14 years, the CDC has made a number of changes and additions to the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. I purchased "Changing the Course of Autism" with the intent of systematically debunking it to put my wife at ease before we began vaccinating our infant daughter. To my surprise, I found the text to be a scholarly, thorough, even-handed analysis of the current controversy about vaccinations and autism. The more I researched known pro-vaccine sources (e.g. CDC, National Institutes of Health, etc.) to debunk the book, the more I realized that the authors had collected a wealth of credible scientific evidence that supports the theory that the recent significant increase in the number of childhood vaccinations may be directly related to the recent dramatic increase in cases of autism in the U.S., the U.K., Japan and other developed countries. The most damning case is made against MMR - the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine currently recommended by the CDC for administration at 1 year of age.

The information in this book is VITAL to making an informed decision about childhood vaccination.

This is the most important book I have purchased in the last 10 years. It has fundamentally changed my perspective on childhood vaccinations and helped me determine which vaccinations my child WILL NOT RECEIVE. To date, I have purchased 70 copies of this book to give to pediatricians and other fellow physicians, nurses, new parents and parents of autistic children.

Richard S. Swinney MD
Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine

Autism IS Treatable...
This book is a hopeful, matter of fact primer on Autism. It's causes and treatments are presented in a balanced, non-confrontational, scientific manner and it is a useful tool for enlightening the skeptics. It is especially helpful for those eager to understand Autism and recover their children via biomedical means.

I finally have a better understanding of the "big picture". I have a clearer idea of what is going on with my daughter and have a more focused approach on her treatment. The biggest AH-HA came when I learned just how interconnected the Gastrointestinal, Neurological, Immune and Toxicological Systems are, and how the various biomedical treatments work and why.

This is not a how-to manual. You will not find dosage amounts, but you will understand why DAN! Doctors prescribe the various treatments they do, something I didn't `Get' in the beginning. There are a couple of chapters geared to those with medical backgrounds, however, do not let that dismay you. This is definitely a book for the average parent.

It is a book that I have been referring back to when I need a `refresher' and is one that I constantly recommend both on-line and for our daughter's caregivers and teachers. It's a `Must Include' on your crowded bookshelf.

There really is hope for our children..

A great book to give to a naysayer
Parents, family and friends of children affected by autism: This is an excellent book to buy several copies AND GIVE to the naysayers that you know. These are the folks that say Autism is not treatable.

This is extremely well organized book with every study referenced in the back of the book. Every sentence is backed up with science.

Parents need to know this is NOT a how to book. Even if it was a how to book - please work with a Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) Doctor to provide answers to your childs unique needs. Go to Autism Research Institute for that information on who is a doctor that treats autism and where to find them.

By the time they finish the book - perhaps some minds will finally be changed. Instead of promoting NO HOPE or GOD FORBID FALSE HOPE - this book presents FACTS. Autism is treatable.

Thanks team Thoughtful House. Well done.