We have been working with Dr. Bock for about four years and our son (now 18 years old) who is considered to be "on the spectrum" (most said Asperger's; some said PDD-NOS)has made tremendous strides.
When I went to my first DAN! Conference in 2004 what immediately surprised me was how the doctors who spoke said it was the parents--not the doctors--who need to take charge of their children's treatment and healing programs. Highly effective doctors like Dr. Bock are very much in demand. Appointments are made months in advance and then you have only so much time with the doctor--not that he doesn't want to give you more time but so many other patients are waiting! Therefore a parent needs to get as much understanding of what the problems are, what the treatments are supposed to do and how they work. Fortunately there are books like this as well as the internet that can provide this vitally needed education. It is clear that there is no one single cause of autism and as a result, no two autistic children are exactly alike.
When it comes to autism there are some treatments that aim at treating the effect while others aim at treating the cause. However, it is only the latter that truly promote healing. Healing a child's autism is not like treating an infection with antibiotics. Using natural treatments--vitamin mineral, herbal, enzyme, and nutritional supplements as well as dietary changes and hyperbaric oxygen can result in significant progress but the natural healing process, unlike treating with drugs, is painstakingly slow. Our son's digestion was also helped by another doctor, who gave him a homeopathic remedy.
We know that over time all cells in the body are replaced by new ones and my aim and hope is always that any defective cells in the brain or elsewhere be replace by new, healthy ones. This cell replacement process continues throughout life and so I believe there is hope for older people as well. In addition, we try to eat a natural diet and avoid nutritionally useless junk food. It's all been costly and we've pretty much have had to pay out of pocket for everything. But the fact that our son now has friends and is looking forward to going to college next year is for us priceless.
I know parents of autistic children who are either demanding that the government do something for them or else they sit around feeling sorry for themselves. There are always things WE can and should do. As for the government, it takes a lot more than it gives and makes us into a nation of guinea pigs by allowing all kinds of toxins into our foods and our environment in general. We all know a spoonful of arsenic can kill you, yet the government allows small quantities of arsenic in chicken feed. Is that going to do anyone any good? As for vaccinations, Americans should know that the government of Japan, the country with the world's highest life expectancy (unlike the U.S., which is around No. 48), banned the MMR vaccine in 1994.
In conclusion, this is an excellent book for families of children affected by any of the new childhood epidemics, as Dr. Bock refers to them. Also all couples who are expecting or planning to have children in the future should at least read the part about vaccines.