I couldn’t find any peer-reviewed research or publications in medical journals that backed up this contention. It’s an interesting hypothesis but probably to be taken as provisional at this point in time.

What flagged “red alert” to me was the speaker’s claim (assuming I heard her correctly) that some 50% of cases of autism, mental retardation and other neurological problems were due to undiagnosed seizure activity. EEG’s have been around for a long time, and in combination with fMRI and other diagnostic tools have been used to study children (and adults) with many different presenting problems. If seizure activity were associated with autism in so many cases, it would certainly have been remarked upon before now.

She made one good point that cannot be stressed enough. Diagnosis from behavioural indicators (which is how autism, Alzheimers, ADHD and other conditions are diagnosed) should always be accompanied by a thorough physical examination (bloodwork, etc.), because the symptoms of (for example) ADHD may be due to an underlying condition such as brain tumor, cardiac problem, liver disorder, and so forth. 

See Dr. Sydney Walker’s The Hyperactivity Hoax :
http://www.amazon.com/Hyperactivity-Hoax-Drugging-Child-Medical/dp/0312970986
for some sobering examples of how other conditions can present like “ADHD” and why no child should be medicated for ADHD without a thorough examination to rule out these relatively rare, but potentially fatal, causes of ADHD-like behaviour.

“Aditi Shankardass , Ph.D.,
Neurophysiologist
Dr. Shankardass is the Director of Neurophysiology and Head of our Los Angeles clinic. She comes to us from the UK , where she has been the Neurophysiology Consultant for BMI and Director of BMI UK since 2005. She has an extensive, multidisciplinary background in neuroscience, having trained in neurophysiology for her BSc, neuroanatomy for her MSc, and neuropsychology for her doctoral degree. She has substantial experience in the recording and study of EEGs in babies, children and young adults on sensory (auditory and visual) and cognitive (attention, language and face-recognition) tasks. She specializes in using EEGs to isolate the precise sensory and cognitive brain mechanisms that are impaired in children with developmental, attentional and learning disorders.

Dr. Shankardass’ work on dyslexia has been the subject of several publications and presentations, including her prize-winning presentation to the UK Houses of Parliament, and has also been covered by the UK and US press. She has served as a Neuroscience Lecturer at Sheffield University and as Neuroscience Consultant with the ‘Science Line’ for BBC radio and for various TV documentaries. She is currently writing a book on developmental dyslexia and serves as Board Member of the ‘Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation’, a US organisation devoted to raising global awareness of neurological and psychiatric disorders. “
http://www.brightmindsinstitute.com/staff.html

Here is a more complete bio, including research papers.
https://sites.google.com/site/aditishankardass/curriculum-vitae

Here is another link, where one can contact her directly.
https://sites.google.com/site/aditishankardass/

Like I said, nothing published in peer-reviewed journals (mostly not published at all—just oral presentations, poster prsentations - like a science fair, where someone has a display board and hangs out and talks about it to whoever drops by at the conference- interviews with the press, speeches.

Now, she may be on to something, but it is a little strange that she has been doing this research for more than 10 years and has nothing in the medical or psychological literature about it. She has several things “in press,” so not published yet—time will tell.

She appears to be a talented individual, but “breakthroughs” in science are relatively rare, and are usually the work of many people.  It’s also an ethical issue to possibly dangle false hope in front of parents of children with autism. I know this from my own family, the mother of the child with severe autism was on a quest for a “cure” for almost a decade, and was very easily duped because she so wanted a quick fix. This is an all-too-human trait, and scientists need to be very mindful of their responsibility in such matters.

It’s great if she has some discovery that will “cure” 50% of kids with autism or developmental disabilities, but I want to see DATA, not just oral presentations, interviews with the BBC and so forth. I’m all for trying alternative treatments (provided they are not likely harmful), but the risks and the possible lack of benefit need to be clearly understood.

I noticed in her video she had anecdotes exclusively and no data.  Faith healers and shamans work the same way.

I’ll wait for some replicated research before referring my family members with autism to her clinic. SQE is on record as supporting research-based and empirically validated methods. This does not meet that standard.

.

“Now, she may be on to something, but it is a little strange that she has been doing this research for more than 10 years and has nothing in the medical or psychological literature about it. She has several things ?in press,? so not published yet?time will tell.”

My take was that the speaker is focused on running on her own practice rather doing research.  Perhaps that’s why she hasn’t publsihed or why there wasn’t much data in the video.

I’ve heard of the link between autism and epilepsy before - I don’t think that’s a new statement.  I’ve heard of autistic kids benefitting from anticonvulsant medication.

If you do an internet search on “autism epilepsy” you’ll get lots of hits.  Here is a link to Epilepsy Ontario: http://www.epilepsyontario.org/client/EO/EOWeb.nsf/web/Autism+and+Epilepsy

As the mom of an autistic child I’ve learned to follow every possible non-harmful hypothesis that pops up.  After being told for many years that the gluten free diet is just an anecdotal, hyped up parental story it is finally being tested in laboratories - why?  Because just because something has not been printed in a peer-reviewed article does not mean it is not true!  All medicine starts somewhere and A LOT has started out of desperation in Mothers’ kitchens and gardens!

My son’s diagnostic team told us at age 3.5 years that he would never speak and that we should institutionalise him - today he speaks two languages, has started to read and write and do basic maths - he is 9 years old.  If I had listened to the peer-reviewed doctors he would still be staring at the ceiling, sucking his thumb!

Yes, I have too to followed non-harmful hypotheses that pops up when it comes to my LD daughter. One example is using stencils, to improve cursive writing. It worked, and so it was money well spent. And if it did not work, it was still money well spent, because it did occupied her time and she had fun doing it. Another example, is the use of certain vitamins, that it may help her to focus. It appears to do just that, because when she is off them, she looses her ability to focus for long periods of time.

I too was faced with educators telling me she was not academic material. If I had listened to them, she would indeed be not academic material.  Stencils and vitamin therapy is still in its infancy in neuro-science, but the ideas came from parents. Parents, as Pauline states, ” Because just because something has not been printed in a peer-reviewed article does not mean it is not true!  All medicine starts somewhere and A LOT has started out of desperation in Mothers? kitchens and gardens!”

The above video can be compared to the new MS treatment, and where the Canadian medical authorities are refusing to fund it. I wonder why? Would it be, that the whole definition of MS be under review?  Can we say the same thing about autism, dyslexia, and other disorders, and why the Canadian medical community, is not having these children go under CAT scans as the norm, and not a rare event?

We are living in Greece and just now i read your so interesting investigation about developmental disorders.Really i am so happy about that.Our second son is 14 yrs old and has autism.I d like to know how can we communicate with you.Thank you for your informations about this kind of disorders.I expect your answer.

1 out of 6 children have a learning desorder, that is frightening
Advanced technology is great specialy when is used for the right reasons, like in this video research and development can’t thank them enought. There is some real genuis out there. However I am realy sad to see some parents abusing and taking advantages of this new tecnology for the wrong reasons. Handing over an Ipad or Iphone to their toddlers in exchange of some peace and quiet. We shouldn’t fall into a trap and forget about the basics in life. 
http://adhdintoddlers.org