
Since its establishment in 1967, a major priority of the Autism Research Institute has been to track promising treatments for autism. We do not subscribe to the strategy of trying 'the drug of the month' so common in conventional medicine; autism is not caused by a deficiency of Ritalin or Risperdal, nor is it a psychiatric illness. Intensive study of the scientific literature, and analysis of case reports from thousands of parents of autistic children, convinces us there is much that can be done NOW to help many children on the autism spectrum.
To accelerate the development and dissemination of helpful information, the Autism Research Institute convened the first Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!)® conference in Dallas in January, 1995. Thirty physicians and scientists with special expertise in autism research and treatment attended, from the U.S. and abroad. Psychiatry, neurology, immunology, allergy, biochemistry, genetics, and gastroenterology were among the specialties represented. The participants agreed that a major priority of the Defeat Autism Now!® project should be the publication of a document representing the best ideas and practices of those in attendance, so that their expertise might be shared with physicians everywhere who are interested in bringing about substantive improvement in the understanding and treatment of autism. The document, now titled Autism: Effective Biomedical Treatments, has gone through several revisions, most recently in 2005. It represents a consensus statement of the state-of-the art biomedical approach to the treatment of autism. It is available as publication B-134 on the ARI publication list.
Defeat Autism Now!® conferences are held each Spring and Fall to further advance the treatment of autism. The conferences have produced a base of physicians who wish to employ rational, scientifically sound approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of autism, and who regard psychoactive drugs as their last choice, not their first.
In 2007, the Defeat Autism Now!® Executive Council (DEC) revised ARI’s policy regarding the Clinician Registry. The policy is amended as follows:
*** California ***
Julie Matthews, CNC
Healthful Living,
1274 Waller St. # 6
San Francisco, CA 94117
ph: 415-437-6807
fax: 415-520-0527
*** Colorado ***
Cynthia Dalton, CNT
9660 Kings Mill Ln.
Lone Tree, CO 80124
ph: 303-725-5274
fax: 303-792-3292
*** New Jersey ***
Nadine G. Gilder
1218 Steeplechase Ct.
Toms River, NJ 08755
ph: 732-473-9482
fax: 732-473-0163
Stephanie Goodman
6 Vincent Ave.
Kendall Park, NJ 08824
ph: 732-821-1005
fax: 732-352-7846
*** New York ***
Judity Chinitz, M.S. Nutrition, M.S. Spec. Ed
39 Annandale Dr.
Chappaqua, NY 10514
ph: 914-244-3646
fax: 914-244-3646
*** Virginia ***
Laura Power, M.S., Ph.D., L.N.
6521 Arlington Blvd., Ste. 100
Falls Church, VA 22042
ph: 703-538-4161
fax: 703-538-4239