heavy metals

Vision Therapy for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

by Maria Rickert Hong, Certified Holistic Health Counselor, AADP I am fortunate to have Dr. Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOVD, as my sons’ behavioral optometrist.  Dr. Schulman wrote the chapters on the role of vision therapy and optometry in Patty Lemer’s book, “Envisioning a Bright Future:  Interventions that Work for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders“, which I reviewed earlier.  Patty was the one who recommended Dr. Schulman to me, and she practices in my area. Patty has always talked about the importance of vision therapy for people with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder (SPD), learning disabilities and other neurological disorders.  Now I know why.  In fact, Patty’s book was published by the Optometric Extension Program Foundation, which should give you a clue as to the importance of vision in neurodevelopmental disorders. Vision Problems a Cause of Many ASD Symptoms I was astounded to learn that vision problems are a CAUSE of, not a by-product of, many ASD symptoms. …

How Homeovitics Can Help: A Mother’s Testimonial

Homeovitics has helped recover my son from Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), a form of autism. Before our recovery story began, I worked as an executive in a chemical company for 10 years. Although I did my best to avoid exposure to chemicals and heavy metal while pregnant, I didn’t know that the chronic, low-level exposures over the years may have accumulated toxins in my body. A Diagnosis of PDD These “hand-me-down” toxins were then passed along to my child in utero – ultimately compromising his immune system. Shortly after our son was born, this seemingly healthy baby was becoming more and more fussy. At about one year, he had stopped responding to his name and wasn’t babbling anymore.  High fevers, gastrointestinal problems, night terrors and ear infections soon followed. At 2 1/2, he was diagnosed as having Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). We began investigating the effects that toxins (xenobiotics) may have on developing fetuses. We read in Our Stolen Future…

Recovery from Sensory Processing Disorder, Reflux, Asthma, Eczema

Maria Rickert Hong‘s Children: Recovered from Sensory Processing Disorder, Acid Reflux, Asthma and Eczema, and getting healthier everyday! Let me tell you about my sons’ recovery from sensory processing disorder, acid reflux, asthma and eczema. I used to wonder a long time ago if these issues were related to each other and to their developmental delays, anxiety, failure to thrive and mitochondrial dysfunction, and now I know that they are. All of these issues are related to gut dysbiosis (in their case, a system Candida infection) and toxicity.  They are both full of heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium). My older son is at the 97th percentile for heavy-metal toxicity; my younger one at the 90th. They both got it from me when I was pregnant with them.  I didn’t find out until after my older son was over 4 years old that we were all full of heavy metals. My concerns about my sons’ problems were dismissed by all…

Immune Dysregulation

Immune Dysregulation

Immune Dysregulation

Although there are many environmental factors that contribute to chronic illness in children, one of the most important outcomes of all these environmental influences is a dysregulated immune system. A dysregulated immune system simply means that an individual’s immune system is not working properly. Here are some examples of what happens when an immune system malfunctions: It can over-react to innocuous stimulus (like cat dander) and cause symptoms like sneezing or itching. It can attack its host’s own cells and tissues (like what happens in an arthritic joint).  This is called autoimmunity. It does not have the ability to detoxify and eliminate harmful substances that enter the body. It cannot effectively combat pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes (germs!) that invade the body. It can keep the body in a heightened state of “attack” causing inflammation and oxidative stress which can lead to disruptions in cellular functions and operations. The immune system is how the body defends itself from harmful substances in the…