Frequently Asked Questions
Do you accept insurance?
Avon Therapeutic Center does NOT participate with any insurance company.
It does not accept or file insurance claims.
Can Dr. Comia diagnose my child?
Dr. Comia does not diagnose with regards to what "label" in the autism
spectrum disorder is appropriate for your child. She does, however,
give an assessment as to the suspect biochemical/metabolic dysfunctions
that may be causing some, if not all, of the patient's complaints. To obtain
a "label", you will need to see a pediatric neurologist, a developmental
specialist, or a pediatric psychologist. Make an appointment with one of
these specialists as soon as possible because they usually have a very
long waiting list.
Does my child need to have a diagnosis before being seen by
Dr. Comia?
No, a diagnosis is not necessary to be seen by Dr. Comia because the
treatment involves dealing with the underlying biochemical and metabolic
problems. It ought to be emphasized that early intervention has shown to
have a dramatic impact on reducing symptoms and increasing one's ability
to grow and reach normal functioning levels. As such, do not wait until a
"label" is obtained.
What is done on the Initial Consultation?
The Initial Consultation takes approximately 2.5 hours. A quick physical
exam is done on the patient. A mini-presentation is shown to explain the
plausible underlying biochemical/metabolic causes of disease and how
they can be treated to improve symptoms. Past and present medical issues
are addressed. Patient/parent(s) is directed and educated on the different
treatment strategies.
What laboratory tests are performed?
You will be given a requisition form to have an initial basic blood draw.
The other lab tests are take-home test kits which are mostly stool and
urine specimens. The take-home test kits include the ff:
ION Profile = a comprehensive blood and urine test that checks for
intracellular (inside the cell, not just serum or blood) levels of vitamins
and minerals, serum levels of amino acids, fatty acids, toxic heavy
metals, and urine organic acids that measure yeast activity.
CDSA 2.0 Stool Analysis = detects presence of pathogenic bacteria
(bad bacteria) and yeast (candida or fungus) in the stool as well as
presence of friendly bacteria.
Hair Analysis for Heavy Metals = gives an idea of what toxic metal is
showing-up in the hair. Very high levels of certain metals in the hair
may warrant immediate identification and eradication of its source.
Other heavy metals may not show up in hair analysis. They may be
deeply bound to fatty tissues in the body and may have to be "challenged"
to provoke their excretion in the urine and feces.
Many other tests are available using many different specialty laboratories.
What makes Dr. Comia different from other Defeat Autism Now!
practitioners?
Dr. Comia is probably the only Internist in Connecticut who mainly practices
both Functional Medicine and traditional Internal Medicine. She practices
traditional Internal Medicine at her Bloomfield office. She has admitting
privileges to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. She is an excellent
primary care physician for anyone aged 12 years old and above, special
needs or not.
Also, Dr. Comia carries the unique and most important experience of training
under Dr. Sidney Baker, co-founder of Defeat Autism Now!.
Lastly, Dr. Comia is not only a Doctor of Medicine. She is also a mother of
an autistic child. Parents find it very comforting to talk to someone who live
through the same challenges that they undergo.
What can Dr. Comia do for an adult with a multitude of symptoms
and diagnoses?
Dr. Comia may be the perfect primary care physician for any adult with
"special needs". She is able to address all "traditional" medical problems and
identifies underlying metabolic and biochemical problems such as chronic
yeast infection, mitochondrial dysfunction, "leaky-gut syndrome", "heavy-
metal toxicity", chelation, immune dysregulation, etc..
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