jillio
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Since the thread on autism seemed to take a left turn into a discussion on naturopathy and its suitability for treating conditions such as autism and ADHD, I thought I would post the following information so that you guys will be able to determine the truth for yourselves.
Victimized by the Feingold Diet
The Feingold diet can force kids to become liars, ruin parent-child relationships, and ultimately cause kids to self-medicate because they are being denied appropriate drug treatment for their ADHD. I know because I was one of them.
At age 4 or 5, I was put on Ritalin and did very well. In second grade, there was some discussion about my skipping a grade because I was many years ahead of my classmates in reading and at least one year ahead in math. But when I was 9, my mother saw Dr. Feingold on the Donahue show and instantly became a true believer. She immediately took me off Ritalin and put me on the Feingold diet, which she pronounced as an instant cure. My grades plummeted, but instead of looking at the most logical reason for this (being taken off of meds), she treated me as though I was morally flawed because I dared to defy her decree that I be cured. She obsessively checked what I ate at friends' houses, Girl Scouts, and elsewhere and would punish me if she found out that I had eaten something that this quack had decreed that I would react to. For drinking a Pepsi, I would be humiliated and grounded. Other kids thought I was really weird and rejected me. I had a few friends, mostly other outcasts. Thankfully, some parents became co-conspirators and permitted me to eat freely at their homes.
I ended up being forced to tell dozens of lies a week to my parents (denying that I had eaten enjoyable things), and, as a result, was convinced for years that I would go to Hell for having repeatedly violated two of the 10 commandments relating to lying and honoring/obeying one's parents). It took until the end of eighth grade for my parents to stop forcing the diet from Hell on me and to permit me to eat what I wanted (though I still got disapproving and rejecting stares when I ate something Feingold would have disagreed with).
From about third grade through 9th grade, my grades were horrible, because I could not concentrate on anything that was said. I would fade in and out constantly and couldn't focus on even one sentence. I would hear part of a sentence, and then get distracted by something else. How is one supposed to learn algebra or chemistry or physics under these circumstances? In high school, fortunately, I discovered that amphetamines enabled me to focus, and my grades shot up. (Ironically, dexadrine was my drug of choice, but I didn't understand how it worked until much later.) My self-medication enabled me to graduate early and earn a National Merit Scholar commendation. At age 19, I stopped taking amphetamines for fear of the legal consequences of getting caught. My concentration deteriorated, I dropped out of college, and for several years worked at jobs that included driving a truck and working in a factory, Then I resumed taking Ritalin and was able to finish a university degree and complete law school. While on Ritalin, I have no trouble maintaining my focus and paying attention in court,. In 2003, had an extremely complex week-long jury trial involving the mechanical condition of an aircraft.
My relationship with my parents remains poor. It might have been bad anyway because my mother is has weird ideas and my father seems to see his primary role as covering up for her. But thanks to my experiences with the Feingold diet and being deprived of appropriate medical care, my relationship with them is not just bad, it is horrid. I will never forgive them for forcing me to tell them thousands of lies over the years about my food consumption and refusing to acknowledge their mistake. My mother, who also believes all sorts of garbage about candidiasis, homeopathy, chiropractors, and other junk science, still insists that the diet has been "proven" to work and that my failure was caused by sneaking food that I liked. She refuses to consider the results of double-blind studies. In fact, she refuses to believe that the scientific method and double-blind studies are the appropriate way to test hypotheses. Over the years, she has blown tens of thousands of dollars in going from one quack to another for the treatment of imaginary problems. When she visits me I can't run the dishwasher or washing machine, and have to unplug computers, electronic clocks, and my refrigerator because she believes she is hypersensitive to electric currents.
My experience illustrates how the Feingold diet can ruin a parent-child relationship and destroy a child's self-image. (What child with a good conscience is going to feel OK about telling all of those lies regarding food consumption?) Had I not resumed Ritalin, I would probably be working at a menial job. Modern medicine got me to where I am now. I believe that parents who withhold effective treatment from their hyperactive children should be prosecuted for neglect and have their children taken away from them..
The author, who wishes to remain anonymous, is an attorney who practices in the Midwestern United States.
Victimized by the Feingold Diet
Edelson Center Closed after Three Suits
Alleging Fraud and MalpracticeStephen Barrett, M.D.
Three families have sued the Edelson Center for Environmental and Preventive Medicine and its proprietor, Stephen B. Edelson, M.D., of Atlanta, Georgia, for medical negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, battery, and fraud. The first suit, was filed in 2001 in Atlanta by a California couple, individually and on behalf of their 7-year-old son [1]. The second suit was filed in 2002 by a Georgia couple on behalf of themselves and their 10-year-old son [2]. The third was filed in 2004 by a New Jersey couple on behalf of their 6-year-old son [3]. In October 2004, Edelson anounced that he was "retiring" from medical practice [4]. The Center's Web site was taken down shortly afterward.
Edelson is a 1967 graduate of Tulane University. His curriculum vitae, posted on his Web site, stated that he completed a one-year internship followed by a one year of residency in obstetrics and gynecology. His processional memberships have included ten organizations listed on Quackwatch's nonrecommended list, and many of the diagnostic tests and treatments he offered are on our indexes of dubious diagnostic tests and questionable treatments.
Edelson's Web site offered information and treatment about autism, allergies, colitis, chronic fatigue, mercury and lead toxicity, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), ADHD/ADD, multiple sclerosis, multiple chemical sensitivity, and Parkinson's disease. In 2001, the site included 20 testimonial letters, four of which were for cases of autism. The home page carried a disclaimer that, "The following information is intended as material to inform and educate. There is no claim being made, in the therapy areas, of scientific validity, only personal experience. There is also no claim being made as to the superiority of these methods over any other. Therapy must be guided by your physician, not the information given in this material." However, disclaimers of this type do not usually protect wrongdoers against the consequences of their actions.
One service Edelson offerd for autism was chelation therapy, a series of intravenous infusions containing EDTA and various other substances. Because chelation has valid use in some cases of heavy metal poisoning, many practitioners falsely diagnose lead, mercury, or other heavy metal toxicity. It use against autism is based on the idea that the problem is caused by poisoning with mercury that chelation supposedly removes. This idea has no scientific validity [5,6].
In 1995, the Georgia Board of Medical Examiners charged Edelson with (a) failing to document an initial physical examination in a patient's chart and failing to have adequate progress noted in another patient's chart, which constituted failure to conform to minimal an acceptable standards of prevailing medical practice; and (b) failing to keep adequate records of narcotic drugs prescribed for himself and members of his family. The case was settled with a consent agreement under which he was fined $5,000 and placed on two years' probation with a condition that he not perform chelation therapy except in cases of heavy metal poisoning, unless done as part of an approved clinical trial [7]. A few months later, based on the Georgia action, New York State issued a censure and reprimand and placed him on probation [8]. When Georgia's probationary period ended, he was no longer restricted. However, in 2004, the Georgia board reprimanded him again, ordered a fine, and placed him on indefinite probation.
The first lawsuit charged that:
• Edelson represented himself as an "expert in the biology of autism" even though he has no formal training in pediatrics or developmental disorders.
• Edelson improperly claimed to have shown that autism's cause is "a toxic one."
• His Web site suggested that his treatment can normalize the brain functions of autistic children and has a high success rate.
• After the boy's mother indicated on an application form her willingness to spend "whatever it takes" to make their son well, Defendants recommended that the boy undergo a battery of diagnostic tests for which they were charged $11,720.
• After receiving the test results, Edelson recommended that the boy undergo a lengthy and expensive course of chelation therapy and intravenous gamma globulin treatment, followed by "detoxification" with dietary supplements.
• Edelson represented that if the boy did not receive the recommended therapy immediately, his brain would be damaged, but that with treatment he might be "cured" of autism.
• The treatments involved repeated anal suppositories and probes, daily multiple intravenous treatments with frequent changes of needle sites due to technician errors, and an expensive regimen of dietary supplements.
• Defendants insisted that the recommended supplements be purchased through the Center, even though some of them were available through health-food stores and other suppliers at far lower prices. When the mother confronted Edelson about why she could not purchase the supplements elsewhere, he replied, "I have to be able to make a profit on this somehow."
• The child received no benefit from the treatment and regressed from the progress he had made through standard behavioral and educational therapy. He also developed neutropenia, a condition in which the number of white blood cells becomes abnormally low.
• None of the treatments the boy received has been accepted by the scientific community as effective against autism. Nor has autism been shown to have a "toxic" basis.
The second suit charged that:
• Edelson promised a high probability of success while warning that failure to undergo his treatment soon might lead their son to develop Parkinson's disease.
• Although the defendants quoted a $7,000 price for testing, the fees requested after the family arrived at the Center totaled $11,000.
• To obtain the tests, defendants drew approximately 20 tubes of blood from the boy in one sitting, causing him to lose consciousness.
• On the first day, before the test results were in, Edelson diagnosed the boy with "neurotoxicity," "allergic diathesis," and "hyperactivity."
• The treatment involved "detoxification," ozone, chelation and I.V. vitamins administered by unsupervised workers who apparently have no formal nursing training or professional license of any kind.
• The daily treatments were painful, involving multiple intravenous administrations with many changes of needle sites due to technician errors.
• The boy was also required to endure multiple daily sessions of sauna "sweat" therapy, followed by intense exercise.
• The nutritional supplement regimen included approximately 70 pills and capsules per day, which cause him to vomit after ingesting them.
• The boy also had adverse physical and behavioral reactions to the ozone and sauna detoxification therapy.
• Instead of improving, the boy's condition became much worse. He lost approximately thirty pounds and reversed progress he had made through behavioral and educational therapy.
• To pay the total cost, which exceeded $40,000, the parents had to mortgage their home.
The third lawsuit charged that:
• Edelson first saw the boy at age four years. Edelson told Mr. and Mrs T that autism has a toxic basis and that everybody who undergoes his treatments gets better, but if treatment were not begun right away, the autism would become "permanent" when the child turned six.
• Edelson had tests performed on 20 tubes of blood and reported that the boy's body had been "damaged immensely by poisons" and needed biodetoxification, chelation, and nutritional therapies beginning with seven weeks of daily treatments. Although it represented a financial hardship, the family paid $43,700 in advance for these treatments.
• The treatments were difficult and painful, involving multiple intravenous treatment (chelation therapy) with frequent needle changes due to technician errors. The nutritional regimen included about 50 pills and capsules a day, which often caused the boy to vomit.
• During the 7-weeks of treatment the boy's condition worsened, he lost much weight, and he reversed gains previously made through behavioral and educational therapy. However, Edelson did not personally monitor the child's progress.
Attorneys Elizabeth T. Kertscher and Douglas R. Kertscher represent the plaintiffs, and Robert S. Baratz, M.D, D.D.S., Ph.D., is a consultant and expert witness. The first suit was settled with undisclosed terms. Georgia's licensing database indicates that on 12/23/02, Edelson settled a malpractice suit for $180,000. It doesn't state which suit was involved, but I believe it is safe to assume that it was the first autism suit. The other two suits were settled with undisclosed terms.
In April 2004, the Georgia State Board of Medical Examiners reprimanded Edelson, fined him $1,000, and placed him on 3 years' probation after concluding that he had been inappropriately self-medicating and had become addicted to benzodiazepine sleeping pills. Documents in the case indicate that from January 2000 through about half of 2001, he had (a) written prescriptions for himself, (b) used another doctor's name to obtain prescriptions by telephone, and (c) written prescriptions in the name of employees for his own use. The board also concluded that he had had failed to keep adequate records [9].
The ozone generators that Edelson used to administer ozone treatments lacked FDA approval and were imported illegally. In September 2004, federal officials raided Edelson's and seized two such devices [10].
In October 2004, Edelson posted a letter to his Web site stating:
Because I do not practice "standard medicine," it is easy for the FDA, the Georgia Medical Board, and patients who do not see immediate results, or the extent of the results we had hoped for, to attack me. All of this has taken a tremendous toll on me and my family. . . . I have begun the process of closing my clinic and transitioning into retirement [4].
Not long afterward, his Web site was shut down. I think it is amazing that he blamed everyone but himself for his legal difficulties.
Edelson Center Closed after Three Suits alleging Fraud and Malpractice
Separating Fact from Fiction in the
Etiology and Treatment of Autism:
A Scientific Review of the EvidenceJames D. Herbert, Ph.D.
Ian R. Sharp, Ph.D.
Brandon A. Gaudiano, Ph.D.
________________________________________
Autistic-spectrum disorders are among the most enigmatic forms of developmental disability. Although the cause of autism is largely unknown, recent advances point to the importance of genetic factors and early environmental insults, and several promising behavioral, educational, and psychopharmacologic interventions have been developed. Nevertheless, several factors render autism especially vulnerable to pseudoscientific theories of etiology and to intervention approaches with grossly exaggerated claims of effectiveness. Despite scientific data to the contrary, popular theories of etiology focus on maternal rejection, candida infections, and childhood vaccinations. Likewise, a variety of popular treatments are promoted as producing dramatic results, despite scientific evidence suggesting that they are of little benefit and in some cases may actually be harmful. Even the most promising treatments for autism rest on an insufficient research base, and are sometimes inappropriately and irresponsibly promoted as "cures." We argue for the importance of healthy skepticism in considering etiological theories and treatments for autism.
Note: We use the term "autism" throughout this paper to refer not only to classic autistic disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), but in some cases to the full range of autistic-spectrum disorders. The vast majority of the research reviewed in this paper does not distinguish among the various subtypes of autistic-spectrum disorders. It is therefore often impossible to judge the degree to which research findings are unique to autistic disorder per se, or are generalizable to other pervasive developmental disorders.
This article was first published in the Spring-Summer edition of The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice.
Victimized by the Feingold Diet
The Feingold diet can force kids to become liars, ruin parent-child relationships, and ultimately cause kids to self-medicate because they are being denied appropriate drug treatment for their ADHD. I know because I was one of them.
At age 4 or 5, I was put on Ritalin and did very well. In second grade, there was some discussion about my skipping a grade because I was many years ahead of my classmates in reading and at least one year ahead in math. But when I was 9, my mother saw Dr. Feingold on the Donahue show and instantly became a true believer. She immediately took me off Ritalin and put me on the Feingold diet, which she pronounced as an instant cure. My grades plummeted, but instead of looking at the most logical reason for this (being taken off of meds), she treated me as though I was morally flawed because I dared to defy her decree that I be cured. She obsessively checked what I ate at friends' houses, Girl Scouts, and elsewhere and would punish me if she found out that I had eaten something that this quack had decreed that I would react to. For drinking a Pepsi, I would be humiliated and grounded. Other kids thought I was really weird and rejected me. I had a few friends, mostly other outcasts. Thankfully, some parents became co-conspirators and permitted me to eat freely at their homes.
I ended up being forced to tell dozens of lies a week to my parents (denying that I had eaten enjoyable things), and, as a result, was convinced for years that I would go to Hell for having repeatedly violated two of the 10 commandments relating to lying and honoring/obeying one's parents). It took until the end of eighth grade for my parents to stop forcing the diet from Hell on me and to permit me to eat what I wanted (though I still got disapproving and rejecting stares when I ate something Feingold would have disagreed with).
From about third grade through 9th grade, my grades were horrible, because I could not concentrate on anything that was said. I would fade in and out constantly and couldn't focus on even one sentence. I would hear part of a sentence, and then get distracted by something else. How is one supposed to learn algebra or chemistry or physics under these circumstances? In high school, fortunately, I discovered that amphetamines enabled me to focus, and my grades shot up. (Ironically, dexadrine was my drug of choice, but I didn't understand how it worked until much later.) My self-medication enabled me to graduate early and earn a National Merit Scholar commendation. At age 19, I stopped taking amphetamines for fear of the legal consequences of getting caught. My concentration deteriorated, I dropped out of college, and for several years worked at jobs that included driving a truck and working in a factory, Then I resumed taking Ritalin and was able to finish a university degree and complete law school. While on Ritalin, I have no trouble maintaining my focus and paying attention in court,. In 2003, had an extremely complex week-long jury trial involving the mechanical condition of an aircraft.
My relationship with my parents remains poor. It might have been bad anyway because my mother is has weird ideas and my father seems to see his primary role as covering up for her. But thanks to my experiences with the Feingold diet and being deprived of appropriate medical care, my relationship with them is not just bad, it is horrid. I will never forgive them for forcing me to tell them thousands of lies over the years about my food consumption and refusing to acknowledge their mistake. My mother, who also believes all sorts of garbage about candidiasis, homeopathy, chiropractors, and other junk science, still insists that the diet has been "proven" to work and that my failure was caused by sneaking food that I liked. She refuses to consider the results of double-blind studies. In fact, she refuses to believe that the scientific method and double-blind studies are the appropriate way to test hypotheses. Over the years, she has blown tens of thousands of dollars in going from one quack to another for the treatment of imaginary problems. When she visits me I can't run the dishwasher or washing machine, and have to unplug computers, electronic clocks, and my refrigerator because she believes she is hypersensitive to electric currents.
My experience illustrates how the Feingold diet can ruin a parent-child relationship and destroy a child's self-image. (What child with a good conscience is going to feel OK about telling all of those lies regarding food consumption?) Had I not resumed Ritalin, I would probably be working at a menial job. Modern medicine got me to where I am now. I believe that parents who withhold effective treatment from their hyperactive children should be prosecuted for neglect and have their children taken away from them..
The author, who wishes to remain anonymous, is an attorney who practices in the Midwestern United States.
Victimized by the Feingold Diet
Edelson Center Closed after Three Suits
Alleging Fraud and MalpracticeStephen Barrett, M.D.
Three families have sued the Edelson Center for Environmental and Preventive Medicine and its proprietor, Stephen B. Edelson, M.D., of Atlanta, Georgia, for medical negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, battery, and fraud. The first suit, was filed in 2001 in Atlanta by a California couple, individually and on behalf of their 7-year-old son [1]. The second suit was filed in 2002 by a Georgia couple on behalf of themselves and their 10-year-old son [2]. The third was filed in 2004 by a New Jersey couple on behalf of their 6-year-old son [3]. In October 2004, Edelson anounced that he was "retiring" from medical practice [4]. The Center's Web site was taken down shortly afterward.
Edelson is a 1967 graduate of Tulane University. His curriculum vitae, posted on his Web site, stated that he completed a one-year internship followed by a one year of residency in obstetrics and gynecology. His processional memberships have included ten organizations listed on Quackwatch's nonrecommended list, and many of the diagnostic tests and treatments he offered are on our indexes of dubious diagnostic tests and questionable treatments.
Edelson's Web site offered information and treatment about autism, allergies, colitis, chronic fatigue, mercury and lead toxicity, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), ADHD/ADD, multiple sclerosis, multiple chemical sensitivity, and Parkinson's disease. In 2001, the site included 20 testimonial letters, four of which were for cases of autism. The home page carried a disclaimer that, "The following information is intended as material to inform and educate. There is no claim being made, in the therapy areas, of scientific validity, only personal experience. There is also no claim being made as to the superiority of these methods over any other. Therapy must be guided by your physician, not the information given in this material." However, disclaimers of this type do not usually protect wrongdoers against the consequences of their actions.
One service Edelson offerd for autism was chelation therapy, a series of intravenous infusions containing EDTA and various other substances. Because chelation has valid use in some cases of heavy metal poisoning, many practitioners falsely diagnose lead, mercury, or other heavy metal toxicity. It use against autism is based on the idea that the problem is caused by poisoning with mercury that chelation supposedly removes. This idea has no scientific validity [5,6].
In 1995, the Georgia Board of Medical Examiners charged Edelson with (a) failing to document an initial physical examination in a patient's chart and failing to have adequate progress noted in another patient's chart, which constituted failure to conform to minimal an acceptable standards of prevailing medical practice; and (b) failing to keep adequate records of narcotic drugs prescribed for himself and members of his family. The case was settled with a consent agreement under which he was fined $5,000 and placed on two years' probation with a condition that he not perform chelation therapy except in cases of heavy metal poisoning, unless done as part of an approved clinical trial [7]. A few months later, based on the Georgia action, New York State issued a censure and reprimand and placed him on probation [8]. When Georgia's probationary period ended, he was no longer restricted. However, in 2004, the Georgia board reprimanded him again, ordered a fine, and placed him on indefinite probation.
The first lawsuit charged that:
• Edelson represented himself as an "expert in the biology of autism" even though he has no formal training in pediatrics or developmental disorders.
• Edelson improperly claimed to have shown that autism's cause is "a toxic one."
• His Web site suggested that his treatment can normalize the brain functions of autistic children and has a high success rate.
• After the boy's mother indicated on an application form her willingness to spend "whatever it takes" to make their son well, Defendants recommended that the boy undergo a battery of diagnostic tests for which they were charged $11,720.
• After receiving the test results, Edelson recommended that the boy undergo a lengthy and expensive course of chelation therapy and intravenous gamma globulin treatment, followed by "detoxification" with dietary supplements.
• Edelson represented that if the boy did not receive the recommended therapy immediately, his brain would be damaged, but that with treatment he might be "cured" of autism.
• The treatments involved repeated anal suppositories and probes, daily multiple intravenous treatments with frequent changes of needle sites due to technician errors, and an expensive regimen of dietary supplements.
• Defendants insisted that the recommended supplements be purchased through the Center, even though some of them were available through health-food stores and other suppliers at far lower prices. When the mother confronted Edelson about why she could not purchase the supplements elsewhere, he replied, "I have to be able to make a profit on this somehow."
• The child received no benefit from the treatment and regressed from the progress he had made through standard behavioral and educational therapy. He also developed neutropenia, a condition in which the number of white blood cells becomes abnormally low.
• None of the treatments the boy received has been accepted by the scientific community as effective against autism. Nor has autism been shown to have a "toxic" basis.
The second suit charged that:
• Edelson promised a high probability of success while warning that failure to undergo his treatment soon might lead their son to develop Parkinson's disease.
• Although the defendants quoted a $7,000 price for testing, the fees requested after the family arrived at the Center totaled $11,000.
• To obtain the tests, defendants drew approximately 20 tubes of blood from the boy in one sitting, causing him to lose consciousness.
• On the first day, before the test results were in, Edelson diagnosed the boy with "neurotoxicity," "allergic diathesis," and "hyperactivity."
• The treatment involved "detoxification," ozone, chelation and I.V. vitamins administered by unsupervised workers who apparently have no formal nursing training or professional license of any kind.
• The daily treatments were painful, involving multiple intravenous administrations with many changes of needle sites due to technician errors.
• The boy was also required to endure multiple daily sessions of sauna "sweat" therapy, followed by intense exercise.
• The nutritional supplement regimen included approximately 70 pills and capsules per day, which cause him to vomit after ingesting them.
• The boy also had adverse physical and behavioral reactions to the ozone and sauna detoxification therapy.
• Instead of improving, the boy's condition became much worse. He lost approximately thirty pounds and reversed progress he had made through behavioral and educational therapy.
• To pay the total cost, which exceeded $40,000, the parents had to mortgage their home.
The third lawsuit charged that:
• Edelson first saw the boy at age four years. Edelson told Mr. and Mrs T that autism has a toxic basis and that everybody who undergoes his treatments gets better, but if treatment were not begun right away, the autism would become "permanent" when the child turned six.
• Edelson had tests performed on 20 tubes of blood and reported that the boy's body had been "damaged immensely by poisons" and needed biodetoxification, chelation, and nutritional therapies beginning with seven weeks of daily treatments. Although it represented a financial hardship, the family paid $43,700 in advance for these treatments.
• The treatments were difficult and painful, involving multiple intravenous treatment (chelation therapy) with frequent needle changes due to technician errors. The nutritional regimen included about 50 pills and capsules a day, which often caused the boy to vomit.
• During the 7-weeks of treatment the boy's condition worsened, he lost much weight, and he reversed gains previously made through behavioral and educational therapy. However, Edelson did not personally monitor the child's progress.
Attorneys Elizabeth T. Kertscher and Douglas R. Kertscher represent the plaintiffs, and Robert S. Baratz, M.D, D.D.S., Ph.D., is a consultant and expert witness. The first suit was settled with undisclosed terms. Georgia's licensing database indicates that on 12/23/02, Edelson settled a malpractice suit for $180,000. It doesn't state which suit was involved, but I believe it is safe to assume that it was the first autism suit. The other two suits were settled with undisclosed terms.
In April 2004, the Georgia State Board of Medical Examiners reprimanded Edelson, fined him $1,000, and placed him on 3 years' probation after concluding that he had been inappropriately self-medicating and had become addicted to benzodiazepine sleeping pills. Documents in the case indicate that from January 2000 through about half of 2001, he had (a) written prescriptions for himself, (b) used another doctor's name to obtain prescriptions by telephone, and (c) written prescriptions in the name of employees for his own use. The board also concluded that he had had failed to keep adequate records [9].
The ozone generators that Edelson used to administer ozone treatments lacked FDA approval and were imported illegally. In September 2004, federal officials raided Edelson's and seized two such devices [10].
In October 2004, Edelson posted a letter to his Web site stating:
Because I do not practice "standard medicine," it is easy for the FDA, the Georgia Medical Board, and patients who do not see immediate results, or the extent of the results we had hoped for, to attack me. All of this has taken a tremendous toll on me and my family. . . . I have begun the process of closing my clinic and transitioning into retirement [4].
Not long afterward, his Web site was shut down. I think it is amazing that he blamed everyone but himself for his legal difficulties.
Edelson Center Closed after Three Suits alleging Fraud and Malpractice
Separating Fact from Fiction in the
Etiology and Treatment of Autism:
A Scientific Review of the EvidenceJames D. Herbert, Ph.D.
Ian R. Sharp, Ph.D.
Brandon A. Gaudiano, Ph.D.
________________________________________
Autistic-spectrum disorders are among the most enigmatic forms of developmental disability. Although the cause of autism is largely unknown, recent advances point to the importance of genetic factors and early environmental insults, and several promising behavioral, educational, and psychopharmacologic interventions have been developed. Nevertheless, several factors render autism especially vulnerable to pseudoscientific theories of etiology and to intervention approaches with grossly exaggerated claims of effectiveness. Despite scientific data to the contrary, popular theories of etiology focus on maternal rejection, candida infections, and childhood vaccinations. Likewise, a variety of popular treatments are promoted as producing dramatic results, despite scientific evidence suggesting that they are of little benefit and in some cases may actually be harmful. Even the most promising treatments for autism rest on an insufficient research base, and are sometimes inappropriately and irresponsibly promoted as "cures." We argue for the importance of healthy skepticism in considering etiological theories and treatments for autism.
Note: We use the term "autism" throughout this paper to refer not only to classic autistic disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), but in some cases to the full range of autistic-spectrum disorders. The vast majority of the research reviewed in this paper does not distinguish among the various subtypes of autistic-spectrum disorders. It is therefore often impossible to judge the degree to which research findings are unique to autistic disorder per se, or are generalizable to other pervasive developmental disorders.
This article was first published in the Spring-Summer edition of The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice.
!!!
for post here. I agree 110% on this article, I read... 
