We believe that the current and very real autism epidemic is a result of an environmental assault upon a genetically susceptible population. This mass injury has wreaked havoc on the developing brains of at least 1 in 150 children, and notably, greater than 1 in 90 boys. It is likely the greatest public health travesty of our time. Just the cultural and financial burden of caring for these individuals into adulthood is mind boggling.

For us to treat Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) we must first acknowledge that it is a medical disorder. ASD is not a primary brain disorder, and certainly not a purely psychiatric condition. In fact, emerging research is showing that the brain is more of a "downstream" organ that is adversely affected by disease processes elsewhere in the body. The hard work and true odyssey in finding successful treatments is in uncovering the underlying medical problems.

The list of possible causes of this disorder is vast. And here in lies the necessary paradigm shift in thinking about ASD. We are dealing with a unique collection of factors for each individual that in combination give us a behavior that is described as autistic. Indeed, the future of autism treatment is in winding through the maze of these complex inflammatory and infectious conditions, or doing the appropriate laboratory work to reveal any genetic biochemical or nutritional deficiencies.

Then, as we institute intelligent and practical biomedical interventions we watch the "autistic" behaviors fade away. That future is now, and the urgency to implement this approach is overwhelming for each individual and for this generation of children. The sooner we start, the more dramatic the recovery. For the window of opportunity for neurologic recovery narrows as the developing brain becomes more "hard wired". However, the successes of these interventions are not limited to the very young. People well into their 30s and 40s have shown improvements in function by a willingness to go through this process.

Before we can delve into these treatments, we must first uncover the root causes for each individual. Clearly Autism has a complex and multifactorial array of risk factors beginning with a unique genetic makeup that becomes exposed to just the right, or rather wrong, combination of environmental and/or immunologic stressors. No epidemiologic study of will ever reveal a "smoking gun", in the same way that we cannot find one cause of cancer.

While pollution and chemical exposures are certainly players in the cause of autism, we are convinced that our modern, "one size fits all" pediatric vaccination schedule is also one of the culprits in this mystery. Still, we are not anti-vaccination. Rather, we endorse an educated, individualized approach to all immunizations based on a careful assessment of relative risks and close monitoring of vaccine reactions. We in mainstream medicine may have been mislead into thinking that what is efficacious and convenient from a public health standpoint is automatically best for each patient. Some immature infantile immune systems cannot handle the multiple antigen exposure given in a single office visit.

Perhaps we are trading the near eradication of some childhood illnesses for the emergence of new epidemics. Truly the incidences of other conditions such as Asthma, Allergy and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have increased by up to 300% in the last 10 years with no explanation from medical academia. All of these disorders share elements of immune dysregulation, and it is in the regulation of these systems that we see improvement in symptoms and behaviors.

This biomedical Defeat Autism Now! Approach improves the overall health of the autistic individual, and has lead to the recovery of thousands from this devastating condition. That's right, recovery; and that is our hope and expectation for every patient.

We advocate a shift away from the pharmaceutical industry driven, population and "evidence" based medical decisions that inherently leave individuality behind. Rather, we believe in a holistic approach to each patient; one person at a time. This may sound old fashioned, but the science is not.

Our goal is to allow the brain to function more effectively through a blend of specific interventions that include:

Adding this biomedical evaluation and treatment to your already complex schedule will not be easy. It will require incredible fortitude, dogged persistence, delicate patience, providential faith, unredeemable sacrifice and an indefatigable love.

Only you as the parent of your child can carry out this quest. We rely on you to become educated, to be organized, to ask questions and bring new ideas. We at Sletten Wellness confidently promise to walk with you on this road because we know that is worth it, and your child deserve it.

God bless you and be well,
Eric G. Sletten, MD