US Autism and Asperger Association has assembled leading experts that focus on ways to improve the quality of life for the affected individuals and their families/caregivers by conducting presentations in the areas of biomedical interventions, research, adjunct therapies, diet and nutrition, and family issues.
This following are the presenters for the US Autism and Asperger Association 2006 International Conference August 9-12 in Park City, Utah.
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Federico Balzola, MD
Jenny Clark Brack, OTR/L
Jeffrey Bradstreet, MD, FAAFP
Dorinne S. Davis, MA, CCC-A, FAAA
Tara Dean
Phillip C. DeMio, MD
Giuseppina Feingold, MD
Mark Geier, MD, PhD, and David Geier
Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, BCBA
Boyd Haley, PhD
Megan Heath
Valerie Herskowitz, MA-CCC-SLP
Betsy Hicks
John Hicks, MD
Devin Houston, PhD
Betty Jarusiewicz, PhD, LCADC
Bryan Jepson, MD
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Shannon Kenitz
Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD
Stan Kurtz
Patricia S. Lemer, MEd, NCC
Cheryl Leuthaeuser, DO
Mary Megson, MD
Robert Nataf, MD
James Neubrander, MD, FAAEM
Siegfried Othmer, PhD
Susan Owens , MAIS, RA
Valerie Paradiz, PhD and son Elijah Wapner
Dan Rossignol, MD
Chantal Sicile-Kira
Kenneth P. Stoller, MD, FAAP
Lauren Underwood, PhD
Deborah Zelinsky, OD, COVD |
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 Federico Balzola, MD
Dr. Balzola holds board certification in Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy in 1994 in Italy at the Modena University School of Medicine. He attended medical school in the Turin University School of Medicine, graduated in 1989, where he then completed his gastroenterological residency. He was awarded a training from 1994 to 1995 at Royal Free Hospital in London on measles implication in inflammatory bowel disease, as well as from 1995 to 1998 at the Clinical Nutrition Department of the Molinette Hospital of Turin on the small bowel syndrome management. Following his fellowship in Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition at the Molinette Hospital in Turin, he has been a consultant in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department directed by Prof. Rizzetto since 1998, where he oversaw the gastrointestinal clinic and consultation service with a special interest in inflammatory bowel disease and liver/bowel transplantation. He is currently working in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Intensive Care Unit. He has numerous scientific publications in international medical journals, and he presented his research results in several international meetings. He is a member of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology (SIGE) and editor for the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Monitor journal. At present, he maintains his practice in gastroenterological fields with a special research interest on autistic patients. He is driving several clinical research projects in Italy on the identification and treatment of the autistic enterocolitis with dietetic and pharmacological approaches. He lives in Turin with his wife, Paola, and two daughters, Beatrice and Margherita.
Dr. Balzola's research - click here.
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Jenny Clark Brack, OTR/L
Jenny Clark Brack, OTR/L, is a licensed pediatric Occupational Therapist with over 15 years experience in a variety of settings. Jenny has worked as a school-based occupational therapist, an independent contractor, a consultant for special education cooperatives and school districts, a speaker nationwide, and an author helping kids and training educators in early intervention with infants/toddlers and their families. Jenny currently works as a staff occupational therapist for Three Lakes Education Cooperative in Kansas. Jenny also has a private practice entitled "Theraplay: Pediatric Occupational Therapy". She has published articles in professional journals, including OT Practice, Occupational Therapy Forum, and Journal of Occupational Therapy Students. Additionally, she has written a book (and recently completed two companion DVDs with examples of children engaged in activities related to her thematic lesson plans on Sensory Integration) entitled Learn to Move, Move to Learn! Sensorimotor Early Childhood Activity Themes and Sensory Processing Disorder: Simulations & Solutions for Parents, Teachers and Therapists (Autism Asperger Publishing Company). Her speaking topics include Sensory Integration, Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorders, Oral Motor and Feeding Issues, and Handwriting Skills.
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Dr. Bradstreet, MD, FAAFP is founder of and a treating physician at the International Child Development Resource Center in Florida, adjunct professor of nutritional neuroscience and child development at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, adjunct professor of neurosciences at Stetson University, and a clinical consultant to the University of California Davis MIND Institute. A versatile man in the research and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, he has published landmark studies with regard to the role of mercury and measles virus in autism, such as A Case Control Study of Mercury Burden in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, as well as speaking before Congress and the IOM. His 11-year old son, Matthew, is recovering from autism. Dr Bradstreet is the founder of a special school for children with autism that encompasses biological, behavioral, sensory, auditory and speech therapies into a combined program.
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Dorinne S. Davis MA, CCC-A, FAAA
Dorinne S. Davis is the President and Founder of The Davis Center in Rockaway, NJ. She is an Educational and Rehabilitative Audiologist with 35+ years experience. Dorinne earned degrees in Speech & Hearing and Speech & Drama and a Masters of Audiology/Deaf Education. She is certified in Speech Correction, Pre-school Education, Speech & Drama, Teacher of the Hard of Hearing, and Supervision by the NJ Department of Education and is licensed as an Audiologist in NJ, NY, and PA. Dorinne has a variety of published works and is the author of four books: Every Day A Miracle: Success Stories with Sound Therapy; Sound Bodies through Sound Bodies; Otitis Media: Coping with the Effects in the Classroom; and A Parent's Guide to Middle Ear Infections. In the field of Sound Based Therapies, Dorinne Davis is a certified practitioner in Berard Auditory Integration Training (AIT), Tomatis®, the Fast ForWord Series, and is a BioAcoustic Research Associate. She is a certified provider for The Listening Program™, and REI, and is also trained in Samonas™, Interactive Metronome®, Earobics™ , DLS (R), LiFT(R), MXPro, JoEE, DAA, Lipreading, and Aural Rehabilitation. Dorinne is a co-creator of Read-Spell-Comprehend (R). She has developed The Davis Addendum to the Tomatis Effect and created The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy (R). Dorinne Davis also developed the Diagnostic Evaluation for Therapy Protocol (DETP (R)), which determines when, if, how long, and in what order sound-based therapies can be appropriate for each individual. http://www.thedaviscenter.com/
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Tara Dean is the founder of Building Pathways Consulting and has been trained in the Applied Behavior Analysis program working directly with families in the greater Salt Lake City area. Upon graduating from the University of Utah, which included study in Sign Language, Tara worked for Jill Armour, PhD, as a Fast ForWord monitor for two years. She was then trained to provide Neurofeedback to clients at the NeuroDevelopment Center where she worked under the supervision of David Nilsson, PhD, for over a year. Tara has attended many seminars and conferences throughout the years on topics related to autism. She frequently holds parent support groups and rallies for organizations close to home. Her interest in RDI™ came in the spring of 2004. Upon realizing that there was not a certified consultant to be found in the state of Utah, she began her journey. The need for a social/emotional program for ASD individuals was great. The training involved to become certified was extensive. You must attend and complete three separate trainings in Houston Texas, and work under a supervisor the entire duration of your supervision. Tara was required to send in numerous tapes showing how she effectively worked as a consultant to a family in her area. Tara has been working with over twenty families in the past year and a half, and the progress being made is remarkable. Tara Dean is recommended by Dr. Rachelle Sheely, Clinical Director of the Connections Center (http://www.rdiconnect.com/).
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Dr. DeMio is a Defeat Autism Now! Practitioner and the father of a child with autism. Prior to medical school he taught and worked in the organic chemistry laboratory at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine with honors in metabolism, women and children’s health, and neurosciences. He has been an MD for over 20 years, including as a faculty member at several teaching hospitals with a career that includes E. R. medicine, with an emphasis on toxicology. Dr. DeMio is accredited for speaking nationally on medical topics including brain toxicology, nutrition, and the use of supplements in health and disease for children and adults. Currently a program host on Autism One Radio, he has previously hosted different health talk radio programs.
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 Giuseppina Feingold, MD
Dr. Giuseppina Benincasa-Feingold graduated from the Medical School at the University of Perugia in Italy, followed by residency training at New York University-Bellevue Hospital Center in New York. Dr. Feingold is a pediatric specialist who has dedicated much of her time serving those diagnosed with autism. Her dedication to serving this population has moved her to be associated with ARI, Autism Research Institute, and is a DAN!, Defeat Autism Now!, physician. As the Medical Director of two facilities in Hawthorne, NJ - First Step Achievements at Valley Health - and Mahopac, NY - Valley Health and Hyberbaric, she offers a Sensory Learning Program that is a multi-model approach to developmental learning. Another treatment is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), which enhances the body's natural healing process. Suit Therapy is a comprehensive intense therapy for the neurologically impaired. After her child was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Dr. Feingold, while seeking solutions to improve her daughter's health, began to pursue the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Suit Therapy, and Sensory LearningSM. Dr. Feingold has lectured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. In November 2004, she was on the Fox 5 News with Dr. Steven Salvatore discussing autism and the benefits of therapies offered by First Step Achievements.
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 Mark Geier, MD, PhD
Dr. Mark R. Geier has an MD., with a PhD in genetics. Dr. Geier is president of the Genetic Centers of America, president of the Institute of Chronic Illnesses and has been in clinical practice for more than 25 years. He was a researcher at the National Institutes of Health for 10 years. Dr. Geier was also a professor at the Johns Hopkins University and at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He has addressed the Institute of Medicine of the United States’ National Academy of Sciences, the United States’ State Department, the Government Reform Committee of the United States’ House of Representatives, and numerous other professional meetings. Dr. Geier has authored almost 100 peer-reviewed scientific/medical publications, and most recently, he has co-authored about 40 peer-reviewed scientific/medical publications on vaccine safety, efficacy and policy. He has received critical acclaim from his colleagues for his research on vaccines by winning the “Stanley W. Jackson Prize,” which is given to authors having the best paper in the preceding three years in the Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences published by Duke University. His research has received national and international media coverage. Over the past few years Dr. Geier, now the head of the Institute of Chronic Illnesses, has been studying the relationship of genetic, biochemical and hormonal changes in autism which has resulted in new insights as to the cause and treatment of autism and other chronic illnesses. Dr. Geier has also been involved in vaccine cases before the no-fault National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) and in civil litigation. Dr. Geier's most recently published paper is entitled Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines. Click here for additional information
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 David Geier
David A. Geier is president of MedCon, Inc. He is also vice president of the Institute of Chronic Illnesses. He graduated with honors from UMBC with a B.A. in Biology and a minor in History. He has been a researcher scientist at the National Institutes of Health. David has co-authored about 40 peer-reviewed scientific/medical publications on vaccine safety, efficacy, and policy. He has received critical acclaim from his colleagues for his research on vaccines by winning the “Stanley W. Jackson Prize,” which is given to authors having the best paper in the preceding three years in the Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences published by Duke University. He has addressed numerous professional meetings, and most recently co-addressed the Institute of Medicine of the United States’ National Academy of Sciences on vaccines. His research has received national and international media coverage. Over the past few years David, now a member of the Institute of Chronic Illnesses, has been studying the relationship of genetic, biochemical and hormonal changes in autism which has resulted in new insights as to the cause and treatment of autism and other chronic illnesses. David Geier also has been involved in vaccine cases before the no-fault National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) and in civil litigation. |
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Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, has dedicated over 25 years to the study and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Through her research, curriculum development and treatment implementation Dr. Granpeesheh helped demonstrate the effectiveness of intensive, early Applied Behavior Analysis intervention. Dr. Granpeesheh earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from UCLA in 1990, and was licensed by the Medical Board of California in 1992. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. In 1990, Dr. Granpeesheh founded The Center for Autism and Related Disorders CARD), and through its fourteen offices she has helped thousands of children affected by Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and PDD-NOS. CARD services include assessments, supervision, parent/teacher training, and one-on-one behavioral therapy. Through Dr. Granpeesheh’s vision of helping as many individuals with autism as possible, CARD has become an industry leader in administering effective multi-disciplinary treatment plans. Dr. Granpeesheh is also on staff at Thoughtful House Center for Children, located in Austin, Texas. |
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 Boyd Haley, PhD
Boyd Haley, PhD, former Chairman of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky from 1996-2005, has now chosen to devote additional time to research, in addition to his being an active professor. An NIH Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Physiology, Yale University Medical School from 1971 to 1974, in the past 17 years, Dr. Haley has emphasized studies on the biochemistry of Alzheimer’s disease. His research in the biochemical aberrancies in Alzheimer’s disease also led to his identifying mercury toxicity as a major factor in this disease. He was one of the first to propose that the organic-mercury preservative (Thimerosal) in infant vaccines was the most likely toxic agent involved in Gulf War Syndrome and autism related disorders. Dr. Haley has testified before numerous government agencies on the effects of mercury toxicity from dental amalgams and vaccines. His articles include Reduced Levels of Mercury in First Baby Haircuts of Autistic Children, which was published in the International Journal of Toxicology.
Click here to read transcript of Interview with Dr. Boyd E. Haley: Biomarkers supporting mercury toxicity as the major exacerbator of neurological illness, recent evidence via the urinary porphyrin tests. Interview by Teri Small on AutismOne radio. Article-in-press; Medical Veritas: The Journal of Medical Truth; Volume 3, Issue 1; April 2006. Medical Veritas is the journal of Medical Veritas International (MVI), www.MedicalVeritas.com. |
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 Megan Heath
Megan Heath is first and foremost the mother of four young children – the oldest of which has an autism spectrum disorder. Her experiences in Early Intervention working as an autism specialist, and also as a parent, have given her a broad understanding of the diverse educational methods appropriate for children on the spectrum. She developed a popular parent education class using play to enhance social emotional development. In the past few years she provided that training to all of Utah’s early intervention programs and provides on-going support to several sites. She also currently works as a consultant for families using the principles of Stanley Greenspan’s DIR (Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based)/Floortime model. She is passionate about empowering parents with a developmental framework that optimizes their child’s development. |
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Ms. Herskowitz's career as a speech pathologist has spanned the past 27 years. Since 1981, as owner of Dimensions Therapy Center, she has been providing private therapy services and special family outings to the families in the South Florida area. She is on the adjunct faculty at Nova Southeastern University. Ms. Herskowitz is the President of the National Autism Registry, a non-profit organization. She was awarded the Stevie Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 for her work with autistic and special needs children. She was honored for starting two innovative community programs, Mothers of Special Needs Individuals (MOSI) and the Family Club. Ms. Herskowitz is also an international speaker on the subject of computer-based intervention with special needs individuals. Her youngest son, Blake, was diagnosed in 1993 with autism. Being both a parent to Blake as well as a therapist has given Ms. Herskowitz the opportunity to reach out and help families deal with the unique problems that they face in parenting a child with autism.
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Author of Cooking Healthy Gluten and Casein-Free Food for Children, Betsy is a well respected diet counselor hailed as one of the most innovative teachers of diets free of gluten, casein, soy, corn, egg and much more. In addition to her professional nutritional expertise, Betsy is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of and team at Pathways Medical Advocates. She develops and coordinates the marketing and public education programs offered by this innovative practice including her radio talk show for Autism One Radio, anchor of The GFCF Diet Comprehensive Video and ongoing community lectures and workshops. The mother of a son with autism, she speaks nationally on dietary and holistic interventions for children with disabilities.
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Dr. Hicks has dedicated himself to the practice of medicine with a targeted interest in serving individuals suffering from critical and chronic illness. As CEO of Pathways Medical Advocates, and key practitioner serving thousands of children and adults across the United States, Dr. Hicks has emerged as a national authority on systems-based medical care. Targeted expertise in the treatment of children with special needs highlights Dr. Hick's career. Dr. Hick's foundational training at the University of Louisville has been augmented over the years through the integration of cutting edge, alternative therapies reflective of the whole-person principles. Dr. Hicks' systemic approach bridges traditional and non-traditional worlds of medicine, including the application of subtle energy therapies and Vibrational medicine. |
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Dr. Houston obtained a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Dr. Houston’s graduate work focused on how the aging process affected certain enzyme systems. Dr. Houston accepted a post-doctoral position at the University of Virginia where he became involved in several fields of research, including ligand-receptor interactions of the adenosine receptor, diabetes, and mechanisms of how cells respond to environmental signals. In 1990, Dr. Houston accepted a position at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. While there, he obtained the position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology. In 1997, Dr. Houston left academia for industry, and accepted a position as Manager of Research and Development at National Enzyme Company. While there, he upgraded the existing lab and instituted more advanced methods of analysis. Instrumental in new product development, he is the formulator and inventor of SerenAid(tm), an enzyme product currently distributed by Klaire Laboratories. In March of 2000, Dr. Houston left National Enzyme and became a scientific consultant to the dietary supplement industry prior to founding Houston Nutraceuticals, Inc. Dr. Houston's research articles - click here. |
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Dr. Jarusiewicz is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who delved into Neurofeedback first to assist in the recovery process in addiction and then in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Jarusiewicz developed a non-profit organization, Atlantic Research Institute, to facilitate her research, which includes a pilot project testing the efficacy of neurofeedback for autism. Dr. Jarusiewicz served on the board of directors of EEG Spectrum International and is author of the study entitled Efficacy of Neurofeedback for Children in the Autistic Spectrum: A Pilot Study, published in the Journal of Neurotherapy.
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Bryan Jepson, MD is board certified in emergency medicine. In 2001, his second son was diagnosed with autism. Over the course of that year, he and his wife, Laurie, began exploring treatment options for their son and found that the medical community knew very little about the cause, treatment, or prognosis of autism. During that time, they learned about the Autism Research Institute and the Defeat Autism Now! network. After a year of personal research into the illness and after attending a DAN! conference, they felt a strong need to establish a clinic in Utah where parents of autistic children could receive the most up-to-date care available. Dr. Jepson began treating autistic children in Spring 2002 when he established the Children's Biomedical Center of Utah, a non-profit organization dedicated to the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder. Since then, Dr. Jepson has treated hundreds of children on the autism spectrum using the DAN! protocol and has appreciated watching these children improve. Dr. Jepson has accepted a position with Thoughtful House in Austin, Texas. He considers autism the most important 'emergency' he ever treated.
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 Shannon Kenitz, Keynote Speaker
Degreed in psychology, Shannon Kenitz is the Executive Director of the International Hyperbarics Association, a non-profit organization that promotes Hyperbaric Therapy through education and research. Shannon Kenitz knows firsthand the heartbreak and struggles of having a child with a disability. Her youngest daughter, Grace, was diagnosed with a very rare mitochondrial disorder that kept her in the hospital virtually for the first three years of her life. Grace more recently has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Shannon did not accept the recommendation to cease life-prolonging measures. And because of that, Grace progressed to feed herself, recover from blindness, and at almost 7-years old, walk for the first time on January 20, 2006. Shannon has interviewed for the Montel Williams show and has a book and movie forthcoming. Click here to read more about Shannon who was interviewed by Teri Small on AutismOne Radio in March, 2006. |
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 Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD
Dietrich Klinghardt MD, PhD is known for his successful treatment of chronic pain and illness. He studied medicine and psychology in Freiburg, West Germany. After graduating, he conducted three years of research on the dysfunction in autoimmune disorders at the Albert-Ludwig University in Freiburg. Dr. Klinghardt's PhD Thesis was on the involvement of the autoimmune and collagen in vascular diseases. He has conducted clinical research on the effects of heavy metal toxicity on the brain and developed the "5 Levels of Healing: A Philosophical model and vision in healthcare." His Board Certifications are: Facharzt fuer Allgemeinmedizin; American Board of Pain Management; American Board of Pain Management Specialties; American board of Orthopedic and Neurological Medicine; American Board of Neural Therapy. Dr. Klinghardt has been synthesizing traditional and alternative medicine for more than 32 years. He developed Autonomic Response Testing, a comprehensive diagnostic system which has helped to transform many practices in the U.S. and abroad into healing centers and helped many practitioners to become accomplished healers. He currently resides in Bellevue, WA where he treats patients and teaches workshops on his healing methods. He currently offers workshops in the United States and Europe. His teaching and philosophy include recent insights into the influence of the family system on one’s health through working with family systems oriented healing approaches developed by psychoanalyst, Bert Hellinger. Dr. Klinghardt is the author of a groundbreaking German book on biofeedback guided psychotherapy: “Psychokinesiology – A New Approach in Psychosomatic Medicine.” Due to his innovative contributions to Neural Therapy, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Energy Medicine and Energy Psychology he is regularly invited to teach workshops at the prestigious "Medicine Week" in Baden-Baden, Germany. His holistic technique combines Neural Therapy with the principles of non-surgical orthopedic medicine.
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 Stan Kurtz
Stan Kurtz is dad to 4 1/2 year old Ethan, who recovered from an autism diagnosis. Stan recovered himself from ADHD and IBS while he was working on therapies for his son. Stan has presented at the DAN! Conference, and he is the first non-MD/PhD/RN parent to present at the DAN! Think Tank. He also contributes to the DAN! Physician's and Nurse's Training. He was the first person to make MB12 into a Nasal Spray, and to better understand the relationship between viruses, fugus and mercury. He moderates the Yahoo! autism parent group MB12Valtrex, which focuses on antiviral therapy and Nasal Spray MB12. Stan has also published 26 recovery videos including a groundbreaking video of a 23 year old with AD(H)D attached to an EEG showing a lack of brainwave synchronicity that recovers in 5 minutes after taking MB12 Nasal Spray. Stan has presented his AD(H)D data to Dr. Sue Smalley and the ADHD research team at UCLA and is working with UCLA on a pilot study of MB12 Nasal Spray and ADHD. Stan is the owner of Children's Corner School in Van Nuys, California, a unique school that includes special needs children in the classroom and focuses on research and health as being a foundation for child development. Stan is also the Co-Chairman of Hand in Hand Child and Family Development Center in Encino, California, a Regional Center Provider or Speech, Occupational, Physical, and Behavioral Therapies. |
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 Patricia S. Lemer, MEd, NCC
Ms. Lemer is co-founder and the Executive Director of Developmental Delay Resources (DDR), an international, non-profit organization integrating conventional and holistic therapies for children with developmental delays. She holds a Masters of Education in counseling and learning disabilities from Boston College and a Masters in Business from Johns Hopkins University. She is a National Certified Counselor, and practiced as an educational diagnostician for over 30 years. Ms. Lemer lectures nationally on autism spectrum disorders. She is especially interested in helping families prioritize therapies, so as to use their financial personal resources most efficiently. Another area of Patty’s great interest is vision and the role of visual dysfunction in AD(H)D and autism. She is the author of numerous articles. |
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Dr. Cheryl Leuthaeuser became interested in the power of integrative medicine after her asthma was completely resolved using Sensitivity Reduction Techinque, referred to as SRT, an allergy elimination program developed by OsteoMed II. Dr. Cheryl’s interest is treating infants and children. Combining SRT with osteopathic manipulation and nutrition, Dr. Cheryl’s patients have experienced great results, eliminating symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD, colic/irritable bowel, seizure disorders, asthma, allergies, and many other childhood illnesses. Her special passion and skill includes treating newborns with lactation dysfunction using cranial osteopathy; the results are heartwarming as infants can effectively nurse within minutes of the session. Dr. Cheryl has extensive experience in working with children on the autism spectrum. Through the use of SRT, osteopathic manipulation, nutritional supplements and a variety of chelating agents, wonderful results have been achieved. Dr. Leuthaeuser is a graduate of Ohio University and the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUCOM). She completed original clinical research, during her post-graduate training years, utilizing adjunctive cranial osteopathy to treat acute sinusitis patients. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at The Cleveland Clinic’s South Pointe Hospital where she continues to train medical students as an OUCOM Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine. Dr. Leuthaeuser joined OsteoMed II in July 2001. She is board certified in both Family Medicine and Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Her most prized accomplishment is being a mother of two boys who have benefited from the same treatments she shares with her patients.
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Dr. Megson is a developmental pediatrician in private practice in Richmond, Virginia. She is board certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics. She was director of Developmental Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Richmond for nine years. Her current private practice is devoted to diagnosing and treating developmentally delayed children, specializing in autism. Research area is use of vitamin A and Bethanecol in treatment of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. She conducted a clinical trial to investigate her hypothesis that G-alpha protein defect is a high risk factor for developing autism after vaccination.
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Robert Nataf, MD, director and founder of Laboratoire Philippe Auguste in Paris, France holds a Docteur en Medecine from the Universite de Paris VII and received certifications in clinical bacteriology and virology, general immunology, hematology, and clinical biochemistry. At the Laboratoire Biologie Medicale Philippe Auguste, Dr. Nataf set up over 40 specialized panels on functional and preventive medicine, including those pertaining to autism, chronic fatigue, and oxidative stress and protection. He is co-author of the study in press entitled, “Porphyrinuria in childhood autistic disorder.” Dr. Nataf’s presentation will be related to the “Intoxication (Mercury) Test,” also known as the “Urinary Porphyrin Test.”
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Dr. James Neubrander is board certified in Environmental Medicine with special interests in heavy metals and B-12 biochemistry. At his medical practice in Edison, New Jersey, Dr. Neubrander helps patients seeking the Defeat Autism Now approach to autism. An international conference speaker, Dr. Neubrander has greatly contributed to the well-being of children in the autism community as the virtual “father” of methylcobalamin – also known as M-B-12 – therapy, and he is a co-author of the study entitled Metabolic biomarkers of increased oxidative stress and impaired methylation capacity in children with autism, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2004.
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Siegfried Othmer, Ph.D. is Chief Scientist of the EEG Institute at the Brian Othmer Foundation in Woodland Hills, CA (Los Angeles). This foundation is dedicated to research, education, and clinical services in the field of neurofeedback. The clinical experience at the EEG Institute covers a broad range of conditions, including the autism spectrum, ADHD, and other developmental disorders. Dr. Othmer is a physicist by training but was drawn to this field because of neurological impairments in two of his children. He and his wife Susan Othmer have pioneered the wider applications of neurofeedback with new instrumentation that they developed. The recent breakthroughs in work with the autism spectrum have been particularly welcome. The Othmers have taught the majority of professionals currently active in the field. The story of these developments is told in the book, A Symphony in the Brain, by New York Times Science writer Jim Robbins. Dr. Othmer is a co-author of the new book ADD: The 20-Hour Solution.
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 Susan Owens , MAIS, RA
Since completing her masters degree at the University of Texas in Dallas, Susan Owens has lectured internationally and has also presented at the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health. Susan has focused on finding the basic science that tells us how the sulfur system works: how it is integrated, how it matures, and how it interacts with other systems and what it does in neurodevelopment. Oxalates appear to be part of the sulfur system, but their role outside the well-characterized role of binding to calcium and incidentally forming kidney stones is little understood. As a member of the Defeat Autism Now! Thinktank (a project of the Autism Research Institute), she continually dialogues with physicians and scientists who treat children with autism. She also consults with sulfur scientists and other basic scientists who are on the cutting edge of their field, encouraging them to study autism. Susan Owens does extensive analysis of labwork, specializing in studying ratios and their meaning in the plasma amino acid tests. She has compared the findings and reference ranges from labs all over the U.S. and world on different tests, including looking at how reference ranges are calculated for urinary tests on young children. Susan Owens recently joined Husson Science Research Institute, in Bangor, Maine as a Research Associate where she will be able to accelerate research into some new areas in the basic and applied science of oxalates. |
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 Valerie Paradiz, PhD and son Elijah Wapner
As the founder and director of ASPIE, the School for Autistic Strength, Purpose, and Independence in Education (www.aspieschool.org), Valerie Paradiz, Ph.D. gives keynote speeches and workshops on the topic of autism and Asperger's syndrome at conferences, parent support groups, schools, mental health institutions and other service organizations nationwide. She is on the Board of Directors of the Global Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership (GRASP), a nonprofit advocacy organization run by and for individuals with Asperger's syndrome. Books by Valerie Paradiz include Elijah's Cup: A Family's Journey into the Community and Culture of High Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome, a powerful memoir about the author's life with her autistic son; Peacocks and Beans, a collection of short prose fiction devoted to the pleasures and pains of family relations; and In Their Own Voices: Teenage Refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina Speak Out, which received the New York Public Library's Teen Books Award. Elijah Wapner is a 10th grader at the School for Autistic Strength, Purpose and Independence in Education (ASPIE). His interests include music and comedy. At age three, beginning with Charlie Chaplin classics, Elijah began a deep study of comedians. He enjoys performing standup routines on occassion, aspires to be a writer, director and actor of comedy film, and likes to tell jokes at autism conferences. Elijah has been an active participant in the autistic self-advocacy community since his diagnosis in 1994. |
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 Dan Rossignol, MD
Dan Rossignol, MD, who will soon be joining the International Child Development Resource Center (ICDRC), is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia Department of Family Medicine and a Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) physician. He received his Doctorate of Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Virginia. He is the father of two children with autism, ages five and three. One of his clinical interests is the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in neurodevelopment disorders, including autism. Dr. Rossignol and Lanier Rossignol, Dr. Rossignol's wife who is a family nurse practitioner and who is involved heavily with the research, authored the study entitled Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may improve symptoms in autistic children, published in Medical Hypotheses. Another study is close to completion (as of May 2006), which is a trial on 18 children using hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and a placebo controlled trial will begin in the next few weeks, to be sponsored by the International Hyperbarics Association. The Rossignols will also be involved with research in the future and are in the planning stages for several other research studies. http://www.icdrc.org/ |
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Chantal Sicile-Kira is the author of Autism Spectrum Disorders (Penguin), recipient of the ASA 2005 Outstanding Literary Work of the Year. Chantal is Autism One Radio program host of The Real World of Autism with Chantal (www.autismone.org/radio). She has over 20 years of experience with ASDs as a professional and as a parent raising her severely autistic son (now 17 years old) across three different countries. Chantal is active in various non-profits including the San Diego Chapter of the Autism Society of America, Cure Autism Now, Helping Autism through Learning and Outreach (HALO), and La Casa Center for Autism. She is also a national speaker on autism spectrum disorders, advocacy, and adolescent issues. Chantal’s next book, Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum, will be published by Penguin in March 2006. Visit Chantal’s website at http://www.chantalsicile-kira.com/.
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Dr. Stoller, Medical Director of the Hyperbaric Medical Center of New Mexico, is President of the International Hyperbaric Medical Association, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics, a Diplomat of the American Board of Hyperbaric Medicine, a member of the American College for Hyperbaric Medicine. He was University of California President's Undergraduate Fellow in the UCLA Medical Center's Department of Anesthesiology, and has two decades of clinical experience in pediatric medicine. Dr. Stoller is part of the Divers Alert Network Physician Referral Network. Dr. Stoller is a founding board member of the International Hyperbaric Medical Association, and its current President. He was also a founding board member of the Humane Farming Association, Science Editor of the Animals' Voice Magazine where he was nominated for a Maggie. His Op-Ed pieces have appeared in several newspapers and periodicals from The Atlanta Constitution, Los Angeles Times, Abq Tribune to The Scientist. He has served on both the Injury Prevention Committee and the Environmental Hazards Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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 Lauren W. Underwood, PhD
Dr. Underwood both provides biomedical consulting for families with children on the autism spectrum and also has been steadfastly moving her daughter towards recovery from autism. Dr. Underwood received her doctorate in cell and molecular biology from Tulane University and, following graduation, was awarded a National Institute of Health Post-Doctoral Training Grant Fellowship in Vision Research. In addition to consulting, Dr. Underwood also works as a senior staff scientist for Science Systems and Applications, Inc., a NASA contractor, at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, and she received a NASA Group Achievement Award for outstanding management and implementation of NASA’s Public Health Applications of Earth Sciences program. Dr. Underwood’s publications include Relationship Between Local Cell Division and Cell Movement During Regeneration of Embryonic Xenopus Eye Fragments. |
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Dr. Zelinsky earned her Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) and her Bachelor of Science in Visual Science from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. She is a fellow in the College of Visual Development (C.O.V.D.). Dr. Zelinsky is honored to be a Charter Member of the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association. Dr. Zelinsky was privileged and honored to study side by side with Dr. Albert Sutton in Miami. This exclusive experience permitted Dr. Zelinsky to understand the Optometric Specialty of Vision Development as one part of an entire person. While in Florida, she was the Staff Optometrist at the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute and Director of the Clinic for Macular Degeneration. Her numerous papers, workshops and seminars on Visuospatial and Motor Planning Skills are recognized worldwide. She created the Macular Connection Visual Rehabilitation Course for the Blind Service association. Her publications include “An Insight to Vision: A Guide to the Neurological Effect of Lenses” and “Bridging the Gap between Neuroscience and Eye Care. Dr. Zelinsky is currently the regional director for the Optometric Extension program, an organization designed to provide further specialized education to those optometrists with an interest in visual development.
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