Autism Research Institute: 40 Years of Hope and Success

Dr. Bernard Rimland's unassuming storefront office houses the world-renowned Autism Research Institute, which has improved the lives of thousands of children with autism - bringing relief, hope, and even recovery to families worldwide.

Established in 1967, the San Diego-based nonprofit ARI is world headquarters for research and information on autism and related disorders, and the epicenter of a rapidly growing movement that holds that autism can be treated effectively through intensive behavior modification and a variety of individualized biomedical treatments.

Dr. Rimland's 1964 book, "Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior," was responsible for challenging and changing the long-held belief that autism was an emotional disorder caused by poor mothering. Autism is now recognized as a biomedical disorder. Rimland has devoted himself tirelessly to conducting and disseminating the results of research on methods of diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of autism. These treatment modalities, once considered radical, are now gaining wide acceptance as the news spreads about formerly autistic children who have been reclassified as normal.

Dr. Rimland's determination was spawned by his own son's diagnosis of autism, at age two, in 1958. After this discovery, and convinced by his research, Rimland fought hard in the 1960's to advance the cause of early behavioral intervention (commonly known as ABA). While most mainstream professionals rejected it, today - four decades later - they fully accept its value. Now Rimland and his colleagues (who believe that drugs too often cause more harm than good) are pioneering the use of laboratory tests to identify problems in children's metabolism which can be corrected through the use of diets, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other safe and natural substances normally present in the body.

By 1995, the beginning of what is now widely recognized as an epidemic of autism was evident. Recent studies show an 800% increase in cases since 1985. ARI was in the forefront of calling attention to the coming epidemic. Today ARI maintains the world's largest databank of autistic individuals with over 37,000 detailed case histories of autistic children from 60 countries, and is a major source of information on the epidemic and its potential causes.

Together with Sidney Baker, M.D. and Jon Pangborn, Ph.D., Rimland developed the Defeat Autism Now! project to train physicians and other healthcare professionals how to implement advanced Defeat Autism Now! approaches to the diagnosis and successful treatment of autism. There are now several hundred Defeat Autism Now! physicians worldwide and thousands of children - many of them the sons and daughters of Defeat Autism Now! physicians -- who are no longer diagnosed as autistic and have been mainstreamed into their school systems.

In addition to ARI's tracking, funding, monitoring and implementation of research into the causes and treatments of autism, ARI is engaged in other projects which include:

Defeat Autism Now! Think-Tanks and Conferences: Defeat Autism Now! brings together physicians and scientists from around the world to develop advanced methods of diagnosis and treatment. Recommendations based on the Defeat Autism Now! Manual (Biomedical Assessment Options for Children with Autism and Related Problems) have attracted international attention. Follow-up Defeat Autism Now! Conferences and practitioner trainings are held twice a year. "Mini-Defeat Autism Now!" Conferences are offered periodically. Additional information about Defeat Autism Now! can be found at www.DefeatAutismNow.com.

Autism Research Review International (ARRI): This quarterly newsletter provides up-to-date information about developments in the world of autism. The latest autism findings are gleaned from a computer search of the 25,000 scientific and medical articles published every week.

New information emerges daily about autism and its surrounding issues. ARI works diligently to apply the new research findings toward developing methods of helping autistic children and their families now.

ARI provides information free of charge to parents, professionals and the media on its website: www.Autism.com.

The Autism Research institute is a 501 (C)(3) and is supported by donations from concerned people and organizations. ARI is located at 4182 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116. For more information phone (619) 281-7165, fax (619) 563-6840.