Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism used to be very rare, but it is now the number one developmental disability in the United States. The number of affected children is growing yearly, and unfortunately shows no signs of slowing (see the number of new autism cases entered into California's Regional Centers in 2007 alone). The disorder is often misunderstood, and most medical doctors in practice today have had no training in how to properly care for these children. The good news is that, in the right hands, Autism is treatable. In many cases, the right biomedical treatments can significantly reduce the symptoms associated with ASD, sometimes to the point of being indistinguishable from other children.

What is Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Symptoms of ASD fall into three general categories:

Behavioral – violent outbursts, tantrums, inability to go places, need for sameness, repetitive “stimming” behaviors, hand-flapping, toe-walking, abnormal play with toys
Social – poor eye contact, sometimes lack of affection, decreased interest in peers, abnormal emotional expression,
Communication – language is often limited or even non-existent; repetitive scripted phrases, pronoun reversal, non-conversational speech, lack of pointing at an early age

4 Boys : 1 Girl

ASDs affect boys four times as often as it does girls, which is probably due to the fact that males are more sensitive to toxins than girls. ASDs may be classified as severe Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Aspergers Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, or classic Autism depending on severity. Children with these various "labels" often have very similar underlying medical problems, and often respond well to the same kinds of biomedical treatments.

What causes ASDs?

There are many theories as to the causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Recent research has shown that there are correlations to certain susceptible common genes within the population, but genes alone do not cause the rapid increase in numbers that are being seen today. It is widely agreed that an overload of toxins at certain points in a child’s development is probably necessary to develop the condition that we call autism today. Specifically, toxins such as pollution, heavy metals (especially Mercury and Lead), chemicals such as pesticides and others, microbial (viral and bacterial) infections, and vaccines have been identified as probable links to ASDs.

What can be done?

VAST Foundation’s mission is to support research into the causes of ASD and to provide funding for biomedical and other breakthrough treatments to families in need of financial assistance. Your donations can help find causes and cures for ASD over the long term. And in the short term, those donations can relieve the physical and emotional pain felt by people with ASD and their families.