Some parents of autistic children want researchers to look into a controversial and unproven treatment for the condition. It's called Chelation, and it works by extracting metals from the body. The drug is usually used to treat lead poisoning, but some believe that autism is linked to metals, including mercury from vaccines, that contribute to the condition. The treatment is bringing mixed reviews from doctors when it comes to results.

Dr. Giuseppina Feingold, Sam & Thomas' Pediatrician: "Verbal skills are the first that we see. Improvements in eye contact, cooperation."

Dr. Barry Kosofsky, child neurology, New York Hospital: "These desperate parents will take money that they often don't have to spend on such therapies, which are experimental at best, and likely not to work."

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8/7/08 I am new to this site and haven't navigated around much but I was a little surprised that there were no posts in the Oral Chelation category. I would like to share some info about a product that has done WONDERS for my little girl who is almost 22 months, but I'd like to also share a little background. I knew my daughter was different early on. NO eye contact, very little interaction, but the worst came just after she turned one. She stopped with the only 3 words she knew (mama dada and baba) and her babble stopped COMPLETELY (irronically, her eye contact improved at this time, a mystery to me). She started spinning, lining her toys, hand flapping, teeth grinding more than before, doing her "eye thing"as I call it, and generally displaying all the classic signs. My nephew is/was autistic (early intense intervention did wonders and now at age 8 you'd never know) so I knew my daughter was autistic. It took a long time for my husband to come to grips with it. He wouldn't deny it, but he wouldn't except it until he actually read the signs of autism and realized my daughter matched 12 out of the 14 characteristics on the list he was reading. My family has been very supportive and see what she is going through (husbands family is in denial, but also live 1300 miles away and have only visited a few times). I have done a lot of reading and research on the topic (as virtually all parents in this situation do) and I came across a product called Kids Chelat, heavy metal chelator, on the website www.evenbetternow.com. As a mom, I've learned you MUST follow your instincts. They are there for a reason. If I HAD done that before, my daughter would have never been vaccinated, but you figure "I'm not a doctor, I should follow what they say." I believe her 12 months shots as well as the damn flu shot they talked me into did the most damage.  read more »