Judy Bartelstone interviews Kim Yamamoto

"The MMR (Measles Mump Rubella vaccine) can be potentially harmful but not in all kids. My child had an unusual reaction to the vaccine. Within 24 hours of the vaccination, he had a high fever of 103 and within a month had regressed in language and social interaction. I remember it was November because by Christmas he was not interacting as he had before"

Judy Bartelstone Interviews Kim Yamamoto, special needs advocate and family support provider in education and training, specializing in autism issues information

Q. Autism is a developmental disability and a spectrum disorder; there is no biochemical or genetic test for autism. It is an observed behavior diagnosis, according to Dr. Brent Taylor of University College in London, and the NIH (National Institute of Health). Do you feel this is correct, briefly speaking?

A. Yes-there are three major components to the spectrum: autistic (more severe), Aspergers (higher functioning with language), and PDDs (pervasive developmental disorders).

Q. There has been a major shift and rise in diagnosis in the past thirty years, but many professionals and scientists say the definition has broadened and that accounts for the rise—there is no epidemic. Also, there are no studies published in peer-reviewed journals .Can you address this criticism?

A. Yes. Mainstream society has not accepted that there can be different perspectives. There is nothing that has helped every kid. And much is still in the exploratory stages. But there have been several studies, funded privately, concerning the vitamin/mineral connection to autism, the metal deposits connection, and genetic connections. The genetic study is from SARRC (Southwest Autism Research and Referral Center).

Q. What about the controversy surrounding the vaccine connection theory? Some studies disproved the connection, particularly studies done in Japan in the late 1990s.

A. I feel it has some validity. Cameron, my son, for instance, couldn’t detoxify the vaccines. For him, it was not good. If a family has a history of severe allergies or an immune system that works differently, heavy metal toxicity can be a cause for many children. There is a genetic component to autism and there is also an autism that occurs because of environmental exposure; could be vaccines, pesticides, etc. Look for family signals such as allergies, poor immune system history somewhere in the family.

Q. What about early intervention once autism is diagnosed? I’ve been part of a team approach as an educational/learning therapist for these children and seen, in at least two instances, a big difference.

A. Early intervention is key to an independent adult and an improvement—but so is education in diet and nutrition, particularly in regressive style autism. Diet is significant because these kids cannot break down certain foods so they get no nutrition. The digestive and gastric systems are blocked so the nutrients are not absorbed. That’s why we get different symptoms of autism; the body is starved in different ways.

Q. Children with autism have communication difficulties, some with bizarre obsessions and behaviors that reflect their own internal rules which are incomprehensible to others. They often “can’t see the forest for the trees.” How can diet help?

A. It is just one factor that can help some children. For example, eliminating wheat and dairy will help some children. Or maybe, corn or soy or eggs or yeast. Wheat and dairy have been seen to be the most frequent. Wheat and dairy have a similar chemical make-up and can create an opiate-like effect—so the child craves more of what is not good for him and gets worse. Again, this doesn’t work for everyone. Nutrition is important and there is lots of catch-up work to do to get the right balance. If you can’t read and do it yourself, it is best to consult a nutritionist.

Q. Where do you and your organization, Raising Special Kids, come into the picture?

A. We provide information—open the client family’s mind up to all the different possibilities and resources when they are ready to heat this. There’s more than one path.

Q. Are these usually people who have already been diagnosed?

A. Yes, most of the time.

Q. I’ve heard a few teachers say “…oh, your child is autistic…”and am horrified that they would make a diagnosis. In one case the child simply was struggling with expressive language. How would you advise handling this and other issues where a teacher gives advice for special needs, especially when the teacher isn’t really allowed to say this.

A. I’d say, well that’s one perspective but you need to get a professional, a medical opinion and I would give them some resources to obtain help and testing of observed behavior. While waiting for this, and it can be a long wait time, I can give you some ways to cope with the child’s issues now.

Q. Kim, before we get into more specifics of vaccinations, there is a lot of scientific, published data that espouses the view that there is no “autism epidemic”, only misdiagnoses or incorrect assessments. How do we answer that?

A. I don’t think so—my own group of six (original play group) has grown to 500; I see it on a daily basis. These kids definitely exhibit all the signs. Literal in language, classic symptoms such as rocking, fixations, etc. And with the early intervention, the diet and nutritional changes, some have actually recovered from autism…

Q. Wait a minute—there is no recovery from autism! Perhaps they were misdiagnosed and had a non-verbal language disability…

A. No, absolutely not. My son, for instance, is now attending a sports camp with no special needs provisions, plays baseball, etc

Q. Due to what—how did this evolve?

A. Early intervention, as we mentioned previously, that is, music therapy, auditory processing therapies plus diet and nutrition—in Cameron’s case, dairy and wheat free products. Within three months, there were significant changes such as less fixation. He gained a year and a half of intellectual development. He went from not being able to respond to or ask the WH (what, when, why, where) questions to being able to ask! He was also part of a double-blind study for Secretin from SAARC and he did not receive the Secretin, yet progressed so the only thing we could attribute the improvement to were the dietary and intervention systems we introduced. It is a difficult diet but it can be done: grilled foods, no bread, (Wild Oats and other natural food venues have wheat and dairy free products); nothing preserved, canned or frozen. You can also go to the Internet for things such as rice pretzels and rice crackers.

Q. Getting back to the issues of vaccinations, what is the best schedule for this?

A. Well, again, you must look to your family history and if exposure is going to be predominant. Or will the child be at home? In my case, for my family, with the severe allergies and atypical history, we don’t expose and I have not vaccinated yet except for the first MMR(measles, mumps, rubella), which had disastrous results. I understand the risks but with my family history I feel I made the responsible choice. As for schedule, do this when your child is completely healthy. The MMR can be potentially harmful but not in all kids. My child had an unusual reaction to the vaccine. Within 24 hours of the vaccination, he had a high fever of 103 and within a month had regressed in language and social interaction. I remember it was November because by Christmas he was not interacting as he had before. I didn’t realize and thought it was separation anxiety beginning a little early –he was still moving around, however, and interested in playing, but by himself.

Q. Then how and when did you realize this was more serious?

A. As he got older, the expectations for development were higher and he simply did not meet them, or develop them.

Q. How can one work with a doctor if one suspects that vaccinations will be harmful to their child? And aren’t some vaccinations necessary?

A. You must be informed as to your family history and also, the immune system may improve so you can get the vaccinations eventually. When my daughter is 12, for instance, I will consider the hepatitis series because as an adult in the adult world, as a possible traveler abroad, she will need this. Also, getting back to the MMR shot, this is now done as a combination—why not request one at a time, take them individually, spread out the shots. And remember, the child must be healthy in the first place! It’s your responsibility to be diligent.

Q. What about Zeolite, a natural mineral supplement—the FDA has said it is safe to take, but not said anything about its efficacy for autism. And I know that BioMed in San Diego is conducting clinical trials starting in June of this year (NCD or Natural Cellular Defense Zeolite).

A. Yes—it detoxifies—the big difference is that it tells you where the toxin is going—into the mineral itself! People worry about detoxification because they know it is going somewhere else into their body but the Zeolite puts it into the mineral itself. So this is a big step.

Q. What is your goal in your position as an advocate with Raising Special Kids?

A. To improve each family’s situation. My life was changed and I’d like to change the lives of others with autism issues.

Kim Yamamoto is a family support specialist with Raising Special Kids, a non-profit organization. Kim has more than ten years life experience with autism issues and has had training in mediation for special education, Section 504 knowledge and application, and has attended legal seminars regarding these issues. She can be reached at (602) 242 4366 and the office is located at 2400 Central Avenue, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.

Natural Cellular Defense (NCD), a safe, natural, inert mineral supplement has generated many encouraging reports from parents of autistic children. NCD has attracted the interest of some of the leading autism researchers and physicians. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the benefits of NCD Zeolite on Autism Spectrum Disorders was approved by BioMed IRB on June 7, 2006.

San Diego, California - June 7, 2006
BioMed IRB of San Diego, California has approved a clinical trial that seeks to evaluate the benefits of adding a patented supplement, NCD zeolite, to the diet of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Natural Cellular Defense is purified clinoptilolite, a type of zeolite, suspended in solution. The zeolite is purified using a patented process and named NCD Zeolite

This form of zeolite is one of the few negatively charged minerals in nature, and it has a microscopic honeycomb-like crystalline structure of cavities and cages. Animal studies show that they have the ability to attract, trap, bind and remove various heavy metals and toxins such as mercury, lead and arsenic.

The study's eighty autistic children will be divided into two groups. One group is receiving the NCD zeolite and the other the placebo for ninety days. Both groups will be measured using a variety of established instruments for autism diagnosis and treatment evaluation. Further, since other animal and human studies with zeolite have demonstrated the ability for zeolite to remove heavy metals, a portion of the participants will receive a series of urine excretion tests designed to detect levels of heavy metal excretion. If previous studies in adults hold true for these autistic children, the researchers may see excretion rates as high as 10 times over their baseline.

At the end of the ninety day study period, those receiving the placebo will then begin taking the NCD and be tracked for ninety more days.

For more information about Zeolite and Natural Cellular Defense please contact Caroline Walrad, Ph.D. at 480-766-0751.  She is providing zeolite at cost to anyone interested.