Book: Unraveling The Mystery Of Autism And PDD /
Saturday, January 15, 2000

      ['A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery' is the subtitle.  The
following is from the publisher's press release.]

      "Evidence is increasing that children with autism have defective
immune functions, and that an external 'trigger' seems to lead to the onset
of the autistic symptoms.  Although the view that autism is a
neuro-gut-immune disorder might seem far-fetched, I believe that Karyn
Seroussi is right on target."
      - Jane M. El-Dahr, M.D., Head of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology,&
Rheumatology, Tulane Medical Center/Tulane Hospital for Children
      "Seroussi has written a book that will give hope to many families."
      - Publishers Weekly

      Most parents submit to the verdict of conventional medicine which says
that autism is a complex developmental disorder with no reliable
treatment-and no cure.  But not Karyn Seroussi.  When her nineteen-month-old
son Miles was diagnosed with autism, Seroussi, a writer, and her husband, a
scientist, fought back with two formidable weapons: love and research.
      UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF AUTISM AND PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER:
A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery (Simon & Schuster; February 17,
2000; $24.00) is Karyn Seroussi's gripping chronicle of her personal battle
against a "hopeless" disease.  With the suspense of a detective novel, it
traces a mother's quest to rescue her child from a life-sentence of
isolation.  With candid indignation and empathy, it reveals how one couple
empowered themselves to challenge the medical establishment and find a
cure-for their own child and potentially thousands more.  Seroussi shares
her conviction:  "I truly believe that every case of autism is biologically
treatable, even if only to a small degree.  There is no such thing as a
symptom without a cause."
      By eleven months, along with smiling, mimicking his big sister, and
playing peekaboo, Miles had mastered several words.  Nine months later,
after severe reactions to both his DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) and
MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccinations and months of chronic ear
infections, he was unresponsive and mute.  After taking her son to several
pediatricians, Karyn Seroussi accumulated a list of disturbing
diagnoses-"glue ear," seizures, chronic-nonspecific diarrhea, and ultimately
a terrifying malady:  autism.  Unwilling to accept the grim prognosis, she
became determined to find a connection among her son's many symptoms-and an
effective treatment.
      UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF AUTISM AND PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER
follows Karyn Seroussi as she combs medical journals, tracks down experts,
networks with other parents of autistic children on the Internet, and
brainstorms with her husband-a research scientist whose expertise allowed
the couple to explore the disease as "insiders."  After three intense
years-with Alan testing theories at the lab where he worked and Karyn
implementing their program at home-the couple reached startling conclusions
about the biological nature of autism.  As a testament to their findings, by
the age of four, Miles was pronounced "fully recovered."
      With passion and clarity, Seroussi explains how autism spectrum
disorders may be caused by a combination of genetics, food allergies, and a
viral load from an intensive schedule of childhood vaccinations.  For some
of these children, the collective insult to the autistic child's immune
system results in the malprocessing of certain proteins-namely casein (in
cow's milk and dairy products) and gluten (in wheat, rye, and barley Such
problems, Seroussi contends, were the culprits for autism's developmental
havoc in her son's subtype of the disorder.  With early diagnosis,
vaccination screening, and dietary restrictions, autism can not only be
treated, but in some cases, cured.
      Beyond one family's story, the book provides a wealth of crucial tools
and hands-on information to help combat the effects of autism.  Parents and
caregivers will find clear answers to the most commonly asked questions
about the disease; step-by-step instructions for the removal of dairy and
gluten from the diet; recipes, manufacturers, and mail order sources for
dairy- and gluten-free foods; information about behavior modification; and
Web sites for research updates and ongoing support.  Heralding breakthrough
changes in thinking about a devastating disease, UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF
AUTISM AND PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER offers an invaluable bounty of
knowledge, compassion, and hope.

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
      Karyn Seroussi is the co-founder of ANDI, the Autism Network for
Dietary Intervention, and the co-editor of ANDI News, a quarterly
publication for parents of children with autism.  A freelance writer, she
has studied screenwriting at Columbia University. She lives with her husband
and their two children.

      ABOUT THE BOOK:
      UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF AUTISM AND PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER:
A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery
By Karyn Seroussi
Foreword by Bernard Rimland, Ph.D.
Published by Simon & Schuster
February 17, 2000
$24.00; 224 pages; 0-684-83164-3
      Visit the ANDI website: http://www.autismndi.com
Visit Simon & Schuster's website: http://www.simonsays.com
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