New Book, must read! Autism and it's Medical Management: A Guide for Parents and Professionals
By storkdok
04-20-08
Autism and It's Medical Management: A Guide for Parents and Professionals is a newly published book by Dr. Michael Chez, a pediatric neurologist, publisher is Jessica Kingsley. It is the ONLY book I have read that gets the medical management correctly with up to the date and state of the art advice completely based on the scientific literature. It is the best guide and explanations of medical management I have read, and should be standard reading for all physicians involved in the treatment and care of children and adults with autism, as well as all parents. He debunks the quackery surrounding "biomedical treatment", telling what is fact, what is fiction, what is unproven. It is easy to read, written for understanding and great explanations of the medical jargon and testing and treatments.
I highly recommend this book as one of the necessary books for parents of autistic children and professional. It should be in everyone's library, especially in the newly diagnosed families.
My husband, an anesthesiologist, met Dr. Chez after a lecture he gave at a medical meeting a few years ago. They spoke for a couple of hours about neurophysiology and medical treatments. My husband was very impressed with Dr. Chez's knowledge and dedication to children with ASD. We subsequently had Alex undergo a 24 hour EEG, which was slightly abnormal but not enough to impair his function and to treat. We found a knowledgeable neurologist who knows Dr. Chez, and after much discussion and research, based on the medical literature and studies that were and are ongoing, we placed Alex on memantine over 2 years ago, a medication used in treatment of Alzheimer's, and is an antagonist to NMDA receptors and glutamate receptors in the brain. We have had incredible results, documented by physicians and speech therapists and occupational therapists, as well as the teachers and autism teacher at his school.
Review:
Book Description
Autism and its Medical Management explains the medical aspects of autism and how both parents and professionals can use current medical knowledge to better understand how to address the medical aspects of autism.
The book begins with an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and how they are diagnosed, and goes on to identify the different types of autism and to describe relevant medical interventions. The author also provides an outline of recent research to enable parents and professionals to gain an understanding of the various factors that may contribute to the development of ASDs, as well as the latest available treatment options.
Bridging the communication gap between medical professionals and parents, this book offers accessible explanations of medical terminology and treatment relevant to ASDs and is an important tool for parents and professionals working with children with ASDs.
About the Author
Michael G. Chez, MD, is a board certified pediatric neurologist and epileptologist who is now Director of Pediatric Neurology at Sutter Neuroscience Institute and Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento, California and Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatric Neurology at the University of California Davis Medical Center. Dr. Chez has spent over 16 years practicing pediatric neurology with a special interest in clinical aspects of autism. He has published numerous articles on the subject and participated in many advisory panels on autism.
UPDATE! Additional info:
It has great info on the meds for the different behaviors and describes what works, what doesn't and is the information that should be given to all parents by the physicians, but usually isn't, like side effects and how they work.
Chapter 19 Medicines Prescribed for Behavioral Problems. Antipsychotics: Dopamine-blocking agents. Antidepressant medications. Medications for hyperactivity and inattention: Stimulants and non-stimulants, Alpha agonists and antipsychotics. Mood-stabilizing medications. Self-injury and aggressive behaviors. Medicating sleep dysfunction: Sleep-onset disorders, Mid-sleep cycle and REM cycle disturbances. Polypharmacy (more than one medication).
He, of course, goes into detail about the neurology and EEG testing and seizure disorders associated with ASDs and how to treat them. He has the current recommendations for medical evaluation, which are a lot more comprehensive than what we were told in the beginning. He talks about the lab testing, which labs are indicated when, and which labs are not reliable because there are no normative values to compare to, like yeast testing in stool culture. He addresses non-medically sanctioned alternative approaches, how to choose a physician, Gastrointestinal issues (a big one for us), immunological medical therapy, and goes over some of the common theories about what causes autism, what is supported in the medical literature and what isn't and what is still being studied, and explains it very well.
I am going to recommend it to all the pediatricians and our developmental pediatrician and neurologist.
Karen
I highly recommend this book as one of the necessary books for parents of autistic children and professional. It should be in everyone's library, especially in the newly diagnosed families.
My husband, an anesthesiologist, met Dr. Chez after a lecture he gave at a medical meeting a few years ago. They spoke for a couple of hours about neurophysiology and medical treatments. My husband was very impressed with Dr. Chez's knowledge and dedication to children with ASD. We subsequently had Alex undergo a 24 hour EEG, which was slightly abnormal but not enough to impair his function and to treat. We found a knowledgeable neurologist who knows Dr. Chez, and after much discussion and research, based on the medical literature and studies that were and are ongoing, we placed Alex on memantine over 2 years ago, a medication used in treatment of Alzheimer's, and is an antagonist to NMDA receptors and glutamate receptors in the brain. We have had incredible results, documented by physicians and speech therapists and occupational therapists, as well as the teachers and autism teacher at his school.
Review:
Book Description
Autism and its Medical Management explains the medical aspects of autism and how both parents and professionals can use current medical knowledge to better understand how to address the medical aspects of autism.
The book begins with an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and how they are diagnosed, and goes on to identify the different types of autism and to describe relevant medical interventions. The author also provides an outline of recent research to enable parents and professionals to gain an understanding of the various factors that may contribute to the development of ASDs, as well as the latest available treatment options.
Bridging the communication gap between medical professionals and parents, this book offers accessible explanations of medical terminology and treatment relevant to ASDs and is an important tool for parents and professionals working with children with ASDs.
About the Author
Michael G. Chez, MD, is a board certified pediatric neurologist and epileptologist who is now Director of Pediatric Neurology at Sutter Neuroscience Institute and Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento, California and Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatric Neurology at the University of California Davis Medical Center. Dr. Chez has spent over 16 years practicing pediatric neurology with a special interest in clinical aspects of autism. He has published numerous articles on the subject and participated in many advisory panels on autism.
UPDATE! Additional info:
It has great info on the meds for the different behaviors and describes what works, what doesn't and is the information that should be given to all parents by the physicians, but usually isn't, like side effects and how they work.
Chapter 19 Medicines Prescribed for Behavioral Problems. Antipsychotics: Dopamine-blocking agents. Antidepressant medications. Medications for hyperactivity and inattention: Stimulants and non-stimulants, Alpha agonists and antipsychotics. Mood-stabilizing medications. Self-injury and aggressive behaviors. Medicating sleep dysfunction: Sleep-onset disorders, Mid-sleep cycle and REM cycle disturbances. Polypharmacy (more than one medication).
He, of course, goes into detail about the neurology and EEG testing and seizure disorders associated with ASDs and how to treat them. He has the current recommendations for medical evaluation, which are a lot more comprehensive than what we were told in the beginning. He talks about the lab testing, which labs are indicated when, and which labs are not reliable because there are no normative values to compare to, like yeast testing in stool culture. He addresses non-medically sanctioned alternative approaches, how to choose a physician, Gastrointestinal issues (a big one for us), immunological medical therapy, and goes over some of the common theories about what causes autism, what is supported in the medical literature and what isn't and what is still being studied, and explains it very well.
I am going to recommend it to all the pediatricians and our developmental pediatrician and neurologist.
Karen
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