One of the first things I wanted to do when I started to suspect my child had a problem, is to take an online test, or quiz, anything to help me figure out if she had autism. Now I use this evaluation to determine where she is. I always complete a test before a visit to the DAN Doctor to see what progress she has made. It can also be used to evaluate the effects of treatment.

The scale is goes up to 100. 100 being more autistic characteristics. Sophie’s numbers haven’t changed much. She is in the mid to upper 70s, moderate to severe autism.

The test has 4 catagories, and only takes a couple of minutes to fill out. Here is the link: http://www.autism.com/ari/atec/atec-online.htm (scroll down to see it).

You will get the results in your browser right away, and you can also have it email to you. Here are Sophie’s latest results:

***TOTAL AND SUBSCALE SCORES***
Total Score: 74
I. Speech/Language/Communication: 13
II. Sociability: 22
III. Sensory/Cognitive Awareness: 12
IV. Health/Physical/Behavior: 27

**I. Speech/Language/Communication
1. Knows own name: Very true
2. Responds to `No’ or `Stop’: Not true
3. Can follow some commands: Not true
4. Can use one word at a time: Very true
5. Can use 2 words at a time: Very true
6. Can use 3 words at a time: Very true
7. Knows 10 or more words: Very true
8. Can use sentences with 4 or more words: Very true
9. Explains what he/she wants: Somewhat true
10. Asks meaningful questions: Somewhat true
11. Speech tends to be meaningful/relevant: Somewhat true
12. Often uses several successive sentences: Not true
13. Carries on fairly good conversation: Not true
14. Has normal ability to com municate for his/her age: Not true

**II. Sociability
1. Seems to be in a shell - you cannot reach him/her: Somewhat descriptive
2. Ignores other people: Very descriptive
3. Pays little or no attention when addressed: Somewhat descriptive
4. Uncooperative and resistant: Somewhat descriptive
5. No eye contact: Not descriptive
6. Prefers to be left alone: Not descriptive
7. Shows no affection: Not descriptive
8. Fails to greet parents: Very descriptive
9. Avoids contact with others: Somewhat descriptive
10. Does not imitate: Very descriptive
11. Dislikes being held/cuddled: Not descriptive
12. Does not share or show: Very descriptive
13. Does not wave `bye bye’: Very descriptive
14. Disagreeable/not compliant: Somewhat descriptive
15. Temper tantrums: Very descriptive
16. Lacks friends/companions: Very descriptive
17. Rarely smiles: Not descriptive
18. Insensitive to other’s feelings: Very descriptive
19. Indifferent to being liked: Somewhat descriptive
20. Indifferent if parent(s) leave: Not descriptive

**III. Sensory/Cognitive Awareness
1. Responds to own name: Somewhat descriptive
2. Responds to praise: Very descriptive
3. Looks at people and animals: Somewhat descriptive
4. Looks at pictures (and T.V.): Very descriptive
5. Does drawing, coloring, art: Not descriptive
6. Plays with toys appropriately: Somewhat descriptive
7. Appropriate facial expression: Very descriptive
8. Understands stories on T.V.: Very descriptive
9. Understands explanations: Not descriptive
10. Aware of environment: Very descriptive
11. Aware of danger: Very descriptive
12. Shows imagination: Very descriptive
13. Initiates activities: Very descriptive
14. Dresses self: Not descriptive
15. Curious, interested: Very descriptive
16. Venturesome - explores: Very descriptive
17. Tuned in - Not spacey: Somewhat descriptive
18. Looks where others are looking: Not descriptive

**IV. Health/Physical/Behavior
1. Bed-wetting: Moderate Problem
2. Wets pants/diapers: Moderate Problem
3. Soils pants/diapers: Moderate Problem
4. Diarrhea: Not a Problem
5. Constipation: Serious Problem
6. Sleep problems: Not a Problem
7. Eats too much/too little: Minor Problem
8. Extremely limited diet: Moderate Problem
9. Hyperactive: Not a Problem
10. Lethargic: Minor Problem
11. Hits or injures self: Not a Problem
12. Hits or injures others: Not a Problem
13. Destructive: Not a Problem
14. Sound-sensitive: Minor Problem
15. Anxious/fearful: Minor Problem
16. Unhappy/crying: Moderate Problem
17. Seizures: Not a Problem
18. Obsessive speech: Serious Problem
19. Rigid routines: Minor Problem
20. Shouts or screams: Not a Problem
21. Demands sameness: Minor Problem
22. Often agitated: Moderate Problem
23. Not sensitive to pain: Not a Problem
24. Hooked or fixated on certain objects/topics: Moderate Problem
25. Repetitive movements: Minor Problem

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When a person is exposed to mercury, the mercury only stays present in the blood for a short time, but it stays in some other tissues, like brain tissue for a lifetime. When testing for mercury, blood will only show a recent exposure, so how can you test for it?

The way to test for mercury is to not really test for the mercury itself, but you look for what it does in the body. One thing that mercury does is it impairs the bodies ability to transport minerals effectively. So in testing for mercury toxicity one way is to look for that impairment.

Here is how you do that:
First get a hair element test. Doctors Data Inc. can do this test for you and you do not need Doctor’s order for this, you order it yourself. Make sure you order the Hair Elements and not the Hair Toxic Element Exposure Profile. Here is the link http://www.doctorsdata.com/test_info.asp?id=1

Here is the number to order by phone
800.323.2784 (USA & Canada)
0871.218.0052 (United Kingdom)
630.377.8139 (Elsewhere)

When you order the test, they will send you out a kit with instructions and you collect the sample and send it to them with payment, ($109 last time I checked), and they will email and mail the test results to you. If you are a member of the yahoo group Autism-Mercury and you mention it, by phone, then you can get a discount. You have to ask for it or you will not get it.

Sophie’s Hair Test Results (May 2007) Sophie met the rules for Mercury toxicity by having 4 or more “Essential and other Elements” in the red.

When you get the results you apply these counting rules to them. Hair test counting rules

This method was developed by Andrew Cutler Ph.d.
His books are in depth about how to test for mercury, symptoms of mercury poisoning and how to treat it safely.

I am really surprised at the results. The only food reactions were on the IgG. The only thing that my Doctor said we need to cut out of her diet is peanuts! Peanuts??? Really??? Well if this is a food that effects her, then no wonder she was still regressing after we started biomed. Sophie practically lives on peanut butter sandwiches and chick fil a fries which are cooked in peanut oil. Still I would have never suspected a problem with those.

There were other other foods under the VERY LOW, peanuts were low (+1), but her DAN didn’t think we need to worry about those. I may cut them out for a while anyway

I am excited about the prospect of more improvement so, off I go to find some other nut butter and back to homemade fries.

Here are the results from the lab that I scanned in.