My career and passion for the last 20 years has been to bring the functional and autistic disorders into the medical mainstream. I do not believe that people who suffer from chronic and severe pain, nausea, or fatigue should be told that there is nothing “real” going on, nothing that can be tested for, and nothing that can be treated. I do not believe that parents of a child with autism should be told that further diagnosis and treatment are unavailable or inappropriate. Recent advances in genetics have exploded in the last several years regarding the genetic and environmental factors that can contribute towards all of these conditions and more. Unfortunately, very few physicians use this advancing knowledge, even at the major medical and academic centers. In my experience, most patients with these conditions improve with a genomic (DNA sequence)-based approach, many dramatically so, although not all do. If you or your child becomes my patient, I cannot promise you that we will find underlying causes or factors for your/your child’s disease. I also cannot promise you that any causes or factors that are found will be treatable, or that the treatment will work. What I am promising you is that I will really listen to you, that I will suggest any testing, DNA sequencing or otherwise, that might help understand the disease better, and that I will discuss with you any appropriate treatment options.
Dr. Boles with his son Scott at his graduation from Officer Training School as a naval nuclear submarine officer in 2015. Also shown are his mother and daughter, Caroline.
