Although there are many great links listed on our site, the one that we follow the most is that of Emma's biomedical doctor, Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, MD. He shares his research and insights almost daily, and we encourage you to check it out. Hopefully this well help shed some light on the biomedical approach to treating autism.
http://drbradstreet.org/
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Meet Emma Claire
Emma Claire Johnston was born on December 31, 2006 a healthy, beautiful New Year's Eve baby girl!
Despite being delayed in motor skill development, she always caught up before therapy was needed and developed as a typical functioning baby. She spoke her first words at ten months and had developed the most amazing personality. She was very loving and social with her family and got along well with the other children in her daycare program.
At 18 months, Emma began to lose the language she had developed. We were already concerned because she didn't seem to be expanding upon her vocabulary of only a few words, but when those words actually disappeared, the red flags began waving.
Emma was evaluated by a pediatric neurologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and we were told that she was nowhere near the ballpark of Autism. An MRI and EEG and chromosome test ruled out various other disorders. Emma's pediatrician agreed, as well as an occupational therapist that evaluated her as well. But, as Emma's parents, we just knew something was not quite right.
Emma was still not progressing in language and she began toe-walking, rocking and humming constantly. She began to withdraw from family and friends. Her appetite became very picky and limited, whereas before, she was always a great eater. Transitioning between places and activities became a major emotional difficulty for her. She was in tantrums for the majority of every day. And her sleep had become more and more irregular.
Knowing that we needed to get to the bottom of these issues, we began researching all of her symptoms. All signs consistently pointed to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). After exploring all of the treatment options available to Emma, we decided to try the biomedical approach to treating ASD. We had to trust our instincts at this point, having not received an official diagnosis of Autism, but we knew this was the road we needed to take.
With the help of a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor in Atlanta, Emma made some wonderful progress. However, in her third year she came down with a terrible MRSA infection in her ear and it affected her progress dramatically. She completely regressed into her previous symptomatic state, and further into the Autism spectrum. Sadly, this time it was clear to all involved that Autism was the diagnosis.
Once we realized that there were very few opportunities and services for families affected by Autism in Georgia, we decided to move to south Florida - an area of the country that is buzzing with Autism awareness - so that Emma could receive the care that she so greatly needed. The move was a huge adjustment for the family, but it allowed us to bring Emma to where she needed to be. The most significant benefit of living in south Florida is the Florida Charter School System, which has a wonderful school just for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) children that is free of cost. In Georgia, it would have cost thousands of dollars a month to provide her with such a specialized education. What an amazing blessing for our little princess! She also has access to one of the most renowned and respected doctors in the DAN field, Dr. Jeff Bradstreet. With these great benefits, Emma has started back on track to making progress once again.
She still has a long way to go, however. Unfortunately, biomedical treatment for Autism is a long journey of tests and trials. Additionally, it is considered as alternative treatment and is typically not covered by insurance. The school has been a tremendous help, but for Emma to be a fully-functioning child, she will need a lot more focused intervention.
There are many purposes to this blog about our princess, Emma Claire. First, we wanted a way to keep our friends and family up to speed on the treatments she's getting and the progress she is making. We know she has a lot of people rooting for her and we are very appreciative of all of your support. We know that keeping you all updated is important throughout this journey. Second, we want to do our part to raise awareness for Autism for kids like Emma around the world. Despite the many children that are fully recovered from Autism, and the thousands of trials that are proving effective methods of treatment, there is still great debate on their funding. Many great organizations advocate for the care of our ASD children. We encourage you to explore the links we list throughout the blog to educate yourself on the disorder and its growing prevalence.
Emma's Big Wish is for a chance to live a life of "little things" - where she can learn a lesson, make a friend and enjoy the little things in life that we all take for granted. That she can experience the joyful milestones of life, like her first ballet recital and her first date. We are working hard to provide her with the therapies and treatments that can help her reach these milestones, and will keep you updated every step of the way. Again, we greatly appreciate your support!
Jessica Dufort
"Through God, all things are possible" - Matthew 19:26
Despite being delayed in motor skill development, she always caught up before therapy was needed and developed as a typical functioning baby. She spoke her first words at ten months and had developed the most amazing personality. She was very loving and social with her family and got along well with the other children in her daycare program.
At 18 months, Emma began to lose the language she had developed. We were already concerned because she didn't seem to be expanding upon her vocabulary of only a few words, but when those words actually disappeared, the red flags began waving.
Emma was evaluated by a pediatric neurologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and we were told that she was nowhere near the ballpark of Autism. An MRI and EEG and chromosome test ruled out various other disorders. Emma's pediatrician agreed, as well as an occupational therapist that evaluated her as well. But, as Emma's parents, we just knew something was not quite right.
Emma was still not progressing in language and she began toe-walking, rocking and humming constantly. She began to withdraw from family and friends. Her appetite became very picky and limited, whereas before, she was always a great eater. Transitioning between places and activities became a major emotional difficulty for her. She was in tantrums for the majority of every day. And her sleep had become more and more irregular.
Knowing that we needed to get to the bottom of these issues, we began researching all of her symptoms. All signs consistently pointed to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). After exploring all of the treatment options available to Emma, we decided to try the biomedical approach to treating ASD. We had to trust our instincts at this point, having not received an official diagnosis of Autism, but we knew this was the road we needed to take.
With the help of a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor in Atlanta, Emma made some wonderful progress. However, in her third year she came down with a terrible MRSA infection in her ear and it affected her progress dramatically. She completely regressed into her previous symptomatic state, and further into the Autism spectrum. Sadly, this time it was clear to all involved that Autism was the diagnosis.
Once we realized that there were very few opportunities and services for families affected by Autism in Georgia, we decided to move to south Florida - an area of the country that is buzzing with Autism awareness - so that Emma could receive the care that she so greatly needed. The move was a huge adjustment for the family, but it allowed us to bring Emma to where she needed to be. The most significant benefit of living in south Florida is the Florida Charter School System, which has a wonderful school just for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) children that is free of cost. In Georgia, it would have cost thousands of dollars a month to provide her with such a specialized education. What an amazing blessing for our little princess! She also has access to one of the most renowned and respected doctors in the DAN field, Dr. Jeff Bradstreet. With these great benefits, Emma has started back on track to making progress once again.
She still has a long way to go, however. Unfortunately, biomedical treatment for Autism is a long journey of tests and trials. Additionally, it is considered as alternative treatment and is typically not covered by insurance. The school has been a tremendous help, but for Emma to be a fully-functioning child, she will need a lot more focused intervention.
There are many purposes to this blog about our princess, Emma Claire. First, we wanted a way to keep our friends and family up to speed on the treatments she's getting and the progress she is making. We know she has a lot of people rooting for her and we are very appreciative of all of your support. We know that keeping you all updated is important throughout this journey. Second, we want to do our part to raise awareness for Autism for kids like Emma around the world. Despite the many children that are fully recovered from Autism, and the thousands of trials that are proving effective methods of treatment, there is still great debate on their funding. Many great organizations advocate for the care of our ASD children. We encourage you to explore the links we list throughout the blog to educate yourself on the disorder and its growing prevalence.
Emma's Big Wish is for a chance to live a life of "little things" - where she can learn a lesson, make a friend and enjoy the little things in life that we all take for granted. That she can experience the joyful milestones of life, like her first ballet recital and her first date. We are working hard to provide her with the therapies and treatments that can help her reach these milestones, and will keep you updated every step of the way. Again, we greatly appreciate your support!
Jessica Dufort
"Through God, all things are possible" - Matthew 19:26
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