Attended my 1st DAN conference & loved it!

I was in Atlanta from Thursday til Sunday at the Autism Research Institute's (ARI) Defeat Autism Now (DAN) conference. I am not crazy about that title..I think Heal would be a better word than defeat...but that's another post!

I learned so much about neurotoxins, detoxification methods, diets, our kids' GI tracts and immune systems. I met some of my on-line friends (fellow warrior moms) and saw some of my scientific/medical idols like Dr. Bock, Kartzinel, Jepson, and Wakefield (who is HOT! :)

I want to list the lectures I attended to give you an idea of what ARI/DAN is about and what treatments I am researching/implementing for Matthew. [For those that don't know: we have been doing "bio-med" with the help of our DAN Dr. Megson for 1.5 years and have seen steady improvements. I am a firm believer in the protocol and while it may not recover/"cure" every child, it will certainly heal the yeast/bacteria in their guts (allowing them to focus/learn during school/therapy) and rid their bodies of the harmful neurotoxins they received from their environment (including mercury & aluminum from vaccines). We've been chelating Matthew (with transdermal DMSA) since last summer and the toxic heavy metals continue to excrete...it takes 2-3 years.]

• Defending your child from a toxic world (Dr. Freedenfeld)


• Intro to the DAN treatment approach (Dr. Mumper)


• The child as a whole: why biomedical & behavioral interventions [ABA] are both critical to growth & recovery (Dr. Granpeesheh)


• Nourishing our children, Evolving diets for autism (Julie Matthews)


• Achieving a quality elimination diet & beneficial nutritional supplementation (Dana Laake)


• The autism-digestion-brain connection (Dr. Lipski)


• Tools & strategies to survive the diagnosis, & thrive through the recovery of an affected child (Dr. Levinson)


• Biomedical interventions from A to Zinc (Dr. O'Hara)


• Mind & Gut: the GI tract & autism (Dr. Hanaway)


• The ABCs of immunology in ASDs: improving immunity & understanding inflammation (Dr. El-Dahr)


• Metabolic system in autism (Dr. Jepson)


• The brain concerns in ASD involve more than the gut-brain connection: neurotransmitters & neuroimmune issues in autism spectrum disorders (Dr. Bradstreet)


• Chronic fatigue syndrome, autism, and introducing autism360.org (Dr. Baker)


• Clinical approaches to detoxification in autism spectrum disorders (Dr. Bock)


• The road to recovery: walking with patience, peace, & perseverance (Dr. Levinson)


• T cell regulation, inflammation, & autoimmunity: resolving a chaotic paradox in autistic enterocolitis (Dr. Wakefield)

On Saturday night, I hit the town with Janine & Rebekah...2 moms that I met on-line shortly after Matthew's diagnosis and have kept in touch with on Facebook. It was great to finally meet them in person! :)