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: #20207 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 358 pages

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

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)

From the Publisher
A once rare disease, autism is now a worldwide epidemic affecting 1.8 million American children, making it the most common developmental disability-more common than Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation combined. 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 describe specific methods that they have used to successfully diagnose and treat the underlying medical conditions of autistic children.

The foreword is by Katie Wright Hildebrand, whose parents, Bob and Suzanne Wright, founded the organization Autism Speaks after Katie's son was diagnosed with autism. As CEO of NBC/Universal, Bob made Autism Speaks the biggest autism organization in the country, and Katie and her parents have worked tirelessly to raise autism awareness.

About the Author
BRYAN JEPSON, M.D., graduated from the University of Utah Medical School in 1995 and completed residency training in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1998. He is Board certified in emergency medicine. In 2001, his second son was diagnosed with autism. Over the course of that year, he and his wife Laurie began exploring treatment options and found that the medical community knew very little about the cause, the treatment, or the prognosis of this disease. After a year of research, the couple established a clinic in Utah where autistic children could receive the most up-to-date care available. From 2002-2005, their non-profit Children's Biomedical Center of Utah raised awareness throughout the intermountain West concerning issues related to autism and other childhood developmental disorders. Dr. Jepson treated hundreds of children on the autism spectrum and enjoyed the experience of watching them improve.

Because he was a leading specialist in the field, Dr. Jepson was recruited to join the team at Thoughtful House Center for Children, a multidisciplinary clinic dedicated to caring for children with autism and related conditions. The Thoughtful House is designed to integrate biomedical, gastrointestinal, and educational intervention into a coordinated effort, and to use this model to perform clinical research. Dr. Jepson is now the Director of Medical Services there.

He lives in Austin, Texas, with Laurie and their two sons.

JANE JOHNSON became interested in medical treatment for learning disabilities in 2000, when one of her children was diagnosed with non-verbal learning disorder (NLD). In her effort to educate herself, she became more and more alarmed at the epidemic growth of the prevalence of developmental disorders. She is the Co-Managing Director of the Board of Directors of Thoughtful House. She lives in New York City with her husband and her three children.

Customer Reviews

This is an incredible book!
This book went way beyond my expectations. It is packed with evidence-based care for children with autism spectrum disorders, care that in some cases can lead to full recovery. It is shocking how much we actually do know about autism and it's causes and treatments, despite what we hear in the media. There is a lot of excellent research, published in top peer-reviewed medical journals, that is simply ignored by mainstream medicine. Many doctors are simply unaware that this research exists at all. Some doctors, such as the author, don't settle for the standard "no one knows what causes it and there's nothing we can do" party line- an opinion which is NOT based in evidence. the issues underlying Autism Spectrum Disorders are extremely complex though, so be warned. Each child is unique and there is no "road map" to recovery, but this book may help you understand what your child needs and where to keep looking for help. Looking for answers doesn't guarantee that you will find them, but NOT looking pretty much guarantees that you won't!

Best MTHFR synopsis I have found
This book is NOT only for parents with autistic children. People who have "leaky gut" syndrome, and genetic defects associated with MTHFR NEED to get this book as a resource for understanding. Best description of leaky gut and C677 and T1298 I have found yet outside medical literature.

A Guide through the Maze
This books accomplishes much. It is a bio-chemistry overview, explaining what should happen in a typical body and highlighting what is being found to happen via research. It discusses potential causal agents of this multifaceted disease. It includes an excellent bibliography of each and every work cited. It summarize what is known today, discusses the multiple interpretations of existing studies, and highlights where additional research is needed.

This book serves as a map for parents to read and consider their children; it provides details about the system and helps to provide insight into where things may be awry in your child. ASD does not fit neatly into a single box, and it is reviewing the studies that helps one determine what might help their own child.