biomedical treatment | Good Health Begins In The Gut

The following is a letter my wife and I sent to the American Psychiatric Association today regarding proposed changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism. If these changes are implemented, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of children will not receive the kinds of care they desparately need. If you feel the same way, I hope you will also voice your opinion with the APA. Contact the American Psychiatric Association.

February 17, 2012

American Psychiatric Association

1000 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209

Regarding: Proposed Changes to the DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for Autism

To Whom It May Concern:

We are writing you today to voice our concern over proposed changes to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism. We do not believe they should be changed and we strongly encourage the American Psychiatric Association to reconsider this possible action.

One of our daughters showed signs of autism at an early age. She was socially detached, would not make eye contact, had sensory issues, would self-talk, had severe gastrointestinal distress, and was overly anxious. Near age three, she was diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). This diagnosis allowed us to get her much needed multispecialty therapies, including biomedical therapies.

These therapies, with a focus on both her gastrointestinal health as well as behavioral therapies, resulted in a significant improvement in our daughter. At age 5, her PDD-NOS diagnosis was dropped. More importantly, today our daughter is a happy, healthy little girl who is socially connected and is academically on pace with her peers. Her future looks very hopeful.

We are concerned that changes to the diagnostic criteria would deny millions of other children the same hope. We know definitively that our daughter’s autism was treatable. We know a combination of different therapies, INCLUDING AND ESPECIALLY BIOMEDICAL THERAPIES, directly contributed to her improving.

We strongly encourage the American Psychiatric Association to halt further movement toward changes to the current diagnostic treatment.

Furthermore, we encourage the APA to investigate the role of gastrointestinal flora in autism and other psychiatric conditions. There is some very interesting research being published on the connection between gut microbiota and brain chemistry and behaviors. We also suggest the APA look more closely at the tangible results thousands of parents, doctors, and other medical practitioners are achieving with autistic children.

In the meantime, please do not deny critical help to millions of these children and their families; do not change the current diagnostic criteria until more is known about this treatable disorder that affects so many of America’s children.

Sincerely,

Michael and Holly Larsen

(and our daughter…)