Here is a perfect example of how political this bullshit is.
From the AP, via boston.com:
Quote:
Panel finds no digestion problem specific to autism
An advisory panel says there is no rigorous evidence that digestive problems are more common in children with autism compared with other children or that special diets work, contrary to claims by celebrities and vaccine opponents.
Painful digestive troubles can trigger problem behavior in children with autism and should be treated medically, according to the panel’s report, published in the January issue of Pediatrics and released today.
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Nevermind that sentence two seems to directly contradict sentence one, the article continues as you would expect and uses sparse quotes from the panel's findings.
Here is a
press release from the National Autism Association regarding
the exact same advisory paper:
Quote:
An article published today in the journal Pediatrics confirms what parents and advocacy organizations have been saying for years: many individuals with autism suffer from gastrointestinal disease that can contribute to behaviors and symptoms associated with autism.
Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Individuals With ASDs: A Consensus Report is the result of expert panel study and discussion led by Dr. Timothy Buie of the Harvard Medical School Department of Pediatrics. The panel's findings point out not only the existence of underlying GI disturbances that can manifest as behavioral problems, but also notes that such medical issues have often gone undiagnosed or been ignored in the past by physicians treating patients diagnosed with autism.
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But the NAA includes much larger portions of the panel's findings, so you can decide whose interpretation is more accurate:
Quote:
The panel arrived at several conclusions regarding current clinical practice guidelines and made recommendations for future medical and research priorities. These include:
Current treatment guidelines do not routinely consider potential medical problems
Problem behaviors including self-injury, aggression, irritability, and sleep disturbance may be manifestations of abdominal pain
Behavioral treatment should not substitute for medical treatment
Gastrointestinal symptoms should be considered an urgent indication for medical investigation
Immunologic dysfunction, inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and allergies are all potentially associated with autism
Research is needed to determine the role of abnormal GI permeability in neuropsychiatric manifestations of autism
Greater awareness is needed among health care providers of the atypical manifestations of GI disorders
Awareness of unrecognized medical conditions in autism must become a priority of professional societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics
Diagnostics should be performed to accurately identify co-morbid allergic disease
Research is needed to determine the role of immune dysfunction in autism
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