Autism conference to focus on biomedical treatments

Autism conference to focus on biomedical treatments


DARTMOUTH — It’s important for the parents of an autistic child to know that they are not alone.

The Gottschall Autism Center helps parents locate support services, educational opportunities and health interventions for their child afflicted with the disorder. Next month, the center is sponsoring an autism conference which tackles subjects all too familiar for these families.

“When the Belly is the Beast: How Intestinal Health Impacts Brain and Behavior,” is being held Friday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rachel’s Lakeside in Dartmouth. The event will feature nationally known experts who will address the nutritional and biomedical approaches used in the treatment of autism.

“These parents need help,” said Gottschall Executive Director Cheryl Gaudino. “It can be scary when they don’t know where to turn.”

According to Gaudino, in a recent survey 27,000 parents were questioned about their autistic child’s diet. Seventy-one percent reported that their child was functioning better after they eliminated items like refined sugars and food coloring.

"What happens in the gut affects the brain,” said Gaudino. “There’s a big connection."

In addition to being the Gottschall executive director, Gaudino is the parent of a child with autism. Her son Ryan was diagnosed in 1999 at age of 3. She has witnessed first-hand what takes place when he strays from his eating routine.

“My son gets more autistic when he eats foods that don’t agree with him,” said Gaudino. “Bringing the diet back to where it should be makes a huge difference for these children.”
One of the conference’s scheduled guests is Dr. Martha Herbert, pediatric neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She will speak about “Autism as a Chronic Whole Body Treatable Environmental Illness.” Herbert is an internationally renowned researcher, speaker, author and expert on the genetics and neurology of autism.

Other speakers include Dr. Alessio Fasano, professor of pediatrics, medicine, and physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Pamela Ferro, president of the Gottschall Autism Center. There will also be an appearance by Wendy Fournier, president of the National Autism Association.

This is the second autism conference Gottschall has sponsored. The first was held in 2009 and was extremely well attended. The conference was not held last year because of prior commitments, but Gaudino expects to make this an annual event.

For more information about the conference or to register online visit www.gottschallcenter.com. The $65 admission fee includes continental breakfast, lunch, a conference program and an autism resource guide.

E-mail Derek Vital at
dvital@heraldnews.com.


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