What is Autism: The Myth of Autism: How a Misunderstood Epidemic Is Destroying Our Children

Product Details

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (February 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616081716
ISBN-13: 978-1616081713
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

By : Michael Goldberg (Author), Elyse Goldberg (Contributor)
Price : $16.47
You Save : $8.48 (34%)

The Myth of Autism: How a Misunderstood Epidemic Is Destroying Our Children [Hardcover]

Consumer Critiques

When some of the information and facts that the authors supply right here is commonly out there elsewhere, what I primarily like about this text is that Michael J. Goldberg shares a lot of material from his practice at a private level while offering substantially of the science behind what he has come to do over the years, as opposed to some other books in this genre which have a lot of case studies, but not significantly science. As the father of a child diagnosed with autism, I have read fairly a few books, as effectively as numerous medical journal articles, considering the fact that most physicians are ordinarily considerably behind on keeping up with the study, and I think of "The Myth of Autism: How a Misunderstood Epidemic is Destroying Our Young children" merely amongst the most effective texts of this genre that have been written, even although it can be a bit arduous to read at occasions.
In lots of aspects, I take into consideration this book an extension to "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the four-A Disorders" by Kenneth Bock (see my evaluation), but Goldberg discusses a lot of matters that are never touched in that earlier function. Whereas quite a few in the autism community currently understand by now that autism is a medical condition, Goldberg discusses at length a large number of of the root concerns that other authors have not approached, such as the especially meaning of "autism" itself. Whilst "The Age of Autism: Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-produced Epidemic" by Dan Olmsted (see my assessment) traces the history of autism from the original landmark 1943 report by Johns Hopkins psychiatrist Leo Kanner on 11 kids born in the 1930s, Goldberg goes to great lengths to clarify that the original autism cases differ from most contemporary cases.
And prior to discussing in detail "The Goldberg Method" to evaluation and therapy of autism inside chapter 7, the heart of the book, Goldberg explains a new diagnostic tool for understanding the brain that has emerged over the past two decades known as "NeuroSPECT" (single photon emission computed tomography), which he utilizes as component of this medical method. NeuroSPECT is a sophisticated nuclear medicine study that looks straight at the cerebral blood flow in the brain and indirectly at brain activity. Goldberg reflects that "when I first started seeking at these disorders, it was becoming obvious that the standard link with the brain was the immune program. As a clinician, I will state strongly that nothing else could make sense and tie the diverse presentations with each other except a standard denominator, the brain-immune system", and "the NeuroSPECT objectively showed blood flow in the brain, which translates accurately to function". Appendix A shows NeuroSPECT imaging prior to and following treatment of one patient, and the numerous areas of decreased perfusion and decreased function in the brain visualized as "holes" in the brain are drastically cleared following remedy.
Goldberg presents a significant amount of material, and if you have a vested interest in understanding autism or other connected disorders such as CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome), this book is well worth a read even if you do not agree with almost everything that he has to share. In reality, this book challenged me because some of what Goldberg presents is at odds with other researchers, and in my opinion it is very important to get a balanced perspective when so significantly is at stake. Outside the actual explanations that the author provides, the boldness with which he proclaims his opinions is refreshing, not to mention the parent stories in Appendix B. For example, in discussing her daughter, one parent writes that "they told us there was no 'cure', it was a 'developmental disorder', and that she would in no way be like other youngsters. Our best alternative would be to get her into the greatest behavioral system we could acquire. That was it. They did no medical workup whatsoever. These had been top Boston doctors in leading Boston hospitals. When I asked about particular diets or immune method troubles or something that could have been metabolical or biological, they dismissed each and every bit of it. Fairly soon we dismissed them."
A review of this book in just a few short paragraphs is tricky, but some of Goldberg's remarks merely need to have to be shared here. In chapter 11, Goldberg writes that "it has develop into apparent over the years, countless errors, misdirections in study have occurred, but hunting back, the blunders have occurred in spite of excellent intentions by contributors and parents. We all grew up, and I was trained with a sturdy belief in our 'ivory towers'. As echoed in the Hollywood community, in theory this was the era in which 'there was no illness we could not solve with adequate funding'. It is apparent to me and to quite a few frantic parents by now that our 'ivory towers', the primary medical focus led by psychiatrists (as noted, these disorders as defined decades ago had been not thought to be to have primary medical difficulties/challenges), and all the income to date, have not remotely helped solve the authentic crisis, a accurate medical crisis facing these youngsters and adults. The situation is so bad, so controlled, that I have been told many instances that in main institutions, if you want to study developmental or genetics, you will most likely be funded (look at all the income raised, and added to this method by congress and private help groups), but if you want to study immune or viral, not only ought to you not expect funding, but you may possibly be reprimanded (poor judgment if not a rather high up researcher) or even let go. Somehow, that does not resemble the medical or academic globe I was exposed to or have believed in."
Earlier, in chapter 7, for the duration of his discussion of the function of diet elimination and reduction of allergy-associated stresses, Goldberg comments that "the notion of removing dairy was not continually an accepted practice. It has been a sad point for medicine that if we can not conclusively document or prove with markers what is happening to the body, the medical profession is all as well rapid to dismiss it. I had professors who taught me to feel, question, fully understand, and be skeptical. Sadly we have entered an era of medicine in which you do A, B, C, and D, but if you do not respond to ABCD, you are frequently out of luck or considered to be psychosomatic. We are in a planet in which the common pediatrician has to be quite cautious, rather afraid of doing anything not dictated as appropriate by the AAP or his or her nearby medical society." Effectively stated.

As other reviewers have commented, Dr. Goldberg's pronouncement of autism as a medical disease is really groundbreaking and exceptionally imperative. For any person who has every single watched a kid suffer from this condition, Dr. Goldberg provides much more than just hope he delivers a cure. By attacking autism as an actual medical illness, autism, and it really is spectrum, can essentially be cured. This is enormous. Too many medical doctors and psychologists view autism as a thing psychological and consequently do not get to the root result in of this devasting disease. However, Dr. Goldberg boldly (and properly) asserts that this medical condition is tied to inflammation and can be diagnosed, treated, and, most importantly, corrected.
I can't overstate the significance of how viewing autism as a medical condition delivers hope to those afflicted and/or impacted by this illness. Dr. Goldberg explains the science behind his assumptions, and even if you do not have a science or medical background (I do not), he tends to make his locating accessible. Furthermore, he has been in practice for over 30 years and shares a number of first person accounts of how he has treated this disease. It is a case study over the years of how the medical profession's thinking about autism has changed.
Dr. Goldberg introduces the reader to new techniques of diagnosing autism making use of sophisticated, new technologies that can capture alterations in the brain (a neuro-imaging strategy that he explains rather nicely, but that a assessment cannot adequately describe).
Just after all, if a single does not comprehend the root result in of a issue or disease, then how can it certainly be treated successfully? Dr. Goldberg attacks the myths and panic behind autism and sets out to initially correctly understand the causes of this medical condition, and, second, treat the disease with the proper set of "tools." And, as his patients prove, he has had a tremendous quantity of good results. 1 can really feel the emotion when parents talk about restored hope for their young children.
This book will honestly change your thinking on what specifically makes autism so hard to treat. A private book with sufficient science and case studies to extremely challenge the unfortunate myths behind autism that keep as well countless youngsters sick for far as well long. Thank you Dr. Goldberg for possessing the courage to challenge the medical orthodoxy.