Developmental Spectrums

Developmental Spectrums, located in Pleasanton, California, is a medical clinic devoted to the biomedical treatment of certain brain disorders in children, especially Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The Autistic Spectrum includes Autism, PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder), Asperger's, and probably ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Children with learning disabilities, behavior or language problems, as well as sensory issues such as sensory integration dysfunction,  may also benefit from these same interventions. We strive to help children of all ages to recover from these problems to the fullest extent possible.

Developmental Spectrums, founded by Dr. Lynne Mielke after her own son became affected by Autism, offers the broadest array of state-of-the-art biomedical treatment options available in the Bay Area. These treatments are based on the latest medical research from the national DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) conferences among others, held twice yearly. This information is relatively new, and unfortunately is still largely unknown by the general medical community. Every treatment that we do is derived from sound, research-based medicine. A continuously increasing body of clinical evidence and published research supports the safety and efficacy of these treatments.

For a child diagnosed as being anywhere on the autistic spectrum, a proper individualized treatment program is crucial to helping that child recover as much as possible. Toward that end, Dr. Mielke conducts a complete history and physical examination, and orders specialized tests of blood, urine, stool, and sometimes hair, to assess where each individual child has underlying medical issues. When the documented medical problems are treated, the child’s neurologic and psychiatric symptoms invariably improve – after all, the health of the brain is directly related to the health of the rest of the body.

Many parents of children on the spectrum are under the false impression that their child is healthy, because they may not get sick too often, or they may have some routine lab tests that have been normal. What many parents and even most doctors are not aware of, is that children on the autistic spectrum have many well-defined medical problems that are almost universal. But one must know where to look to find those problems. Most of the lab tests that we do at Developmental Spectrums are not even run in the Bay Area – some our samples are shipped out to specialized labs around the country. Not only are most of these ASD kids medically ill, in some cases they are actually in pain - - and unable to communicate it. Many of the worst behavioral problems that children on the spectrum can exhibit come from untreated gastrointestinal problems, and even abnormal hormone levels. When these medical problems are ignored, the child’s behavioral and educational interventions will not be as effective as they could be. It just makes sense. If you are sick, biochemically unbalanced, toxic, suffering from food and other allergies, and nutritionally deficient, you will not learn as well.

Treatment at Developmental Spectrums can be divided roughly into two phases:

The first phase consists of medical testing and treatments aimed at health enhancement, such as nutritional intervention (diet and supplements), gut-healing protocols, immune support, and treatment of underlying sub-clinical viral infections, among other things.

When the child is medically stabilized, the second phase of treatment begins, and may include various forms of detoxification, to rid the body of poisons that are causing direct tissue damage of the brain and gut especially, often causing secondary autoimmune attack of these tissues, and creating havoc in many critical biochemical pathways. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is often employed to enhance oxygenation and healing in the damaged tissues and to enhance detoxification. Neurofeedback is another modality that can be used at this stage of treatment as a form of “physical therapy” for the brain, exercising and strengthening weak areas, and enhancing the coherence of the brain’s functioning.
Our clinic takes a “holistic” medical approach to evaluating and treating Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Only rarely do we need to use psychiatric medications to control symptoms in these children, because we have found that when we treat the child’s underlying medical problems, the symptoms often improve so much that they don’t need medication anymore, or may require a much lower dose.

Please review this website thoroughly to learn how Developmental Spectrums can help your child. Autism - and all of its related disorders - is treatable.  It is possible to improve the health and quality of life of nearly every individual on the broad autistic spectrum. When treated early enough, some children have improved so much that they have actually lost their diagnosis. No matter the age of the child, it is never too late to see improvement, even in the most severe cases. If you have a child on the autistic spectrum, give Developmental Spectrums a call today. We understand what you are going through, and can help your child be the best that he or she can be.