Rule Out Step 1

Rule Out Step 1: Background on Physiological Characteristics
Other factors which impact the physiological state of a child
Services Needed for Physiological State of Child

Rule Out Step 1: Background on Physiological Characteristics

These are the genetic and fundamental biochemical and structural components of the child’s body, brain, and nervous system that are essentially unchangeable. Note that certain aspects of the biological state may be predictable and/or preventable at some earlier point in development and as technology improves may indeed be modifiable. However, at the current state of the art, we must regard them as unmodifiable. The components of the biological state are DNA (basic genetic structure), brain and nervous system, sensory and motor organs, the immune system and all other biological systems.

Genetics: Advances have been made to find the genes involved communications and learning disorders (Folstein, Bisson, Santangelo & Piven, 1998). There have been findings that relatives are affected by difficulties that appear conceptually related to these disorders (Bailey, Palferman, Heavey & Le Couteur, 1998 & Gilberg, 1998).

Brain Structure: Research has demonstrated that the brain of people with communication and learning disorders is structurally different from the normal brain. They found abnormalities in the cerebellar vermian lobules, parietal lobe, and the posterior regions of the corpus callosum (Saitoh & Courchesne, 1998) as well as intrinsic neocortical dysfunction present in autism (Minshew, Luna & Sweeney, 1999) and the frontal area of the brain as most involved in ADHD (Zametkin et al.1990).

Sensory Motor: Positron emission tomography (PET) researchers have shown abnormalities in the language and auditory perception areas of the brain in people with these disorders (Muller et al. 1999).

Neurotransmitters: Levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and beta-endorphin have been found to be indicative of the presence of autism and other communication and learning disorders (Chugani et al. 1999, and Leboyer et al. 1999).

Autoimmune Disorder: Research seems to support the hypothesis that a virus-induced autoimmune response may play a causal role in autism and other communications and learning disorders (Sing, Lin, & Yang, 1998; Comi et al., 1999; & Connolly et al., 1999).

All of the research to date comes to the prevailing view that many of the communication and learning disorders are caused by a pathophysiologic process arising from the interaction of an early environmental insult and a genetic predisposition (Trottier, Srivastava, & Walker, 1999).

Other factors which impact the physiological state of a child

A child's physiological state is constantly acted upon by environmental factors. Recently, researchers have investigated how use of antibiotics (Bolte, 1998), abnormal sleep patterns (Patzold, Richdale & Tonge, 1998), diet (Carlsson, 1998), medical illness (Volkmar, 1998) and epilepsy (Kobayashi & Murata) have exacerbated the developmental functioning of children. These external factors include:

The Womb Environment: the mother's nutrition, stress, antibiotics, drug use-street or prescribed, alcohol or tobacco abuse, diseases (HIV, CMV, chicken pox etc.), radiation exposure (pre or post conception)
The Birthing Process: use of pitocin, hypoxia
Food & Drink: contaminants, food additives, fluoride in water, vitamin deficiencies
The Environment: air, water or noise pollution, vanishing ozone layer, other noxious stimuli
Medical Interventions: vaccinations, inappropriate antibiotics for otitis media (ear infection) or pharyngitis (sore throat)
Intentional modifying factors: brain surgery, medications such as neurotransmitters, endocrine agents, anti-seizure drugs, steroids
Plus other, not yet identified primary therapies that directly manipulate the biological state and impact on primary traits.

Typically biochemical interventions are generally targeted at this results of these impacting factors to modify an identified or theorized physiological dysfunction.

Step 1: Physiological Assessment Approach

This assessment should examine: metabolic abnormalities, brain lesions, seizure activity, and immune disorders. Plus the impact of outside factors such as: biochemical stressors, contaminants, medications, etc.

Physiological State Assessment should include:

Medical evaluation
Pediatric neurological evaluation
Metabolic/endocrine screening
Nutritional screening
Genetic screening

Services Needed for Physiological State of Child

To address the physiological factors the follwoing might be needed: Brain Surgery, Nutrition therapy, Immune Suppression Medications, Anti-seizure Medications, Stimulant Medication (Ritalin, Cylert, Adderol)

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