Dr. Amy's Forum Parent Discussion Group   New Members Register Here           Log in Parent Discussion Group Dear Discussion Group Members, I would like to wish a warm welcome to all of you who are visiting this discussion group, whether it is just a one time curiosity or a daily event. When we first started this site, most of you who visited this site were very familiar with the program as well as my approach to autism before joining the group. Over time we have had many more individuals joining our discussion site, some of whom are familiar with the program and others who may have heard bits of information but are not really sure what to expect. This is likely to be a different experience than you have ever had on any other discussion group. I expect that you will be surprised by the personal support and interactions, from me as well as from other members of this site. You will probably be overwhelmed with the volume of information this site contains and a bit daunted by it at first. And, I think you will be touched by the level of caring, love and hope that you will learn to expect from all of us. My approach to autism, as well as other chronic neurological issues is somewhat different than others in these fields. I do not believe in telling you what to do; I believe in teaching you to decide what to do. I believe that knowledge is power and that the more well informed you are about the processes going on in the body that you are in a better position to make informed choices as to supplementation as well as the path to health and wellness. For this reason I spend a lot of time talking about the “why” behind a choice or a suggestion as well as looking at a great deal of biochemical test data to help you to learn how to monitor and follow progress on this program. We also rely heavily on molecular biology to help to guide you on the choices that you make. The tools that we use are not meant to replace the need to consult with your doctor. They are meant instead to serve as additional tools to help you while you work in conjunction with the doctor of your choice. I fully recognize that many of you may be working with doctors who are not as familiar with this program. This is why I continue to volunteer my time to help to answer questions that arise as you work your way through the program. I also offer the option of commenting on tests that are run through our office. This is another means of giving you additional feedback to help you understand the implications of the results of biochemical tests that are run to monitor progress of the program. I expect only what I am willing to give, so I try to lead by example. I am willing to work daily to make personal comments on biochemical tests, to answer emails, to read and research to continue to add to the knowledge base until we have the answers we need for the recovery of every child and adult. I do not only answer technical questions, but I respond to almost every positive email that is posted, because I feel that emotional support is just as important as scientific knowledge on the journey to recovery. I share from the heart as well as the mind, I keep it positive and pay it forward every day and I expect no less from each of you. I also have a zero tolerance policy on negativity. I would like to take another moment of your time to explain why I feel so strongly about no negativity. I see my role on this discussion group as answering questions and giving suggestions to help you implement the program through interactions with your own doctor. I donate a tremendous amount of time to this discussion group as well as to reading and doing further research, constantly trying to help all of you on the path to recovery for yourself or your children. Taking time to deal with even one negative post and the fallout from the post diverts my time and attention from what the rest of this group is needing and expecting from me. It is not fair to other discussion group members who have posted questions and have test results awaiting comments to have a delay in much anticipated feedback from me because my focus has been diverted to address negativity. I also feel that negativity brings down the entire tenor of the discussion on this site. I prefer to keep it positive and focus on what we can do to move forward toward recovery. I believe that autism, as well as other chronic conditions are multifactorial in nature, compromising an underlying genetic susceptibility with an infectious disease component as well as environmental toxins. I feel that it requires time and patience to slowly unravel the pieces of this complex puzzle for each individual. This is a marathon it is not a sprint, and while I do not promise any magic bullets I do promise to be here to help you to understand the pieces of this puzzle and to continue to work to find any missing pieces that we need, even if it is only needed to help a single child or one individual adult. When I sign each post “with love and hope” it is because I truly believe that if we all work together with love and hope and knowledge that we will be able to reach the point we would like for every child and adult on this site. And on that note… With love and hope and a warm welcome, Dr. Amy New Members Register Here           Log in Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group