Natural treatments for autism symptoms and autistic children.

Autism was once thought to be a rare disorder affecting as few as 1 in 5,000 people. Recent findings, however, suggest a much higher prevalence rate, estimating that at least 1 out of every 500 children in the U.S. has autism.

This large discrepancy may be due to an increase in awareness about the disorder and more accurate diagnostic criteria. Others believe that autism is a developmental disorder that is on the increase. Most autistic children develop symptoms before 3 years of age, and the disorder tends to affect four times as many boys as girls.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for autism, although treatment options are available to help your child lead as normal a life as possible.

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Children with autism usually display impairments in social, behavioral, and communication skills. Keeping an autism symptoms checklist can help when seeking help from a healthcare professional. Symptoms can include:

Social Difficulties:

• Lack of eye contact, facial expressions, and social gestures
• Failure to develop peer relationships
• Does not seek out social interaction
• Appears not to hear you at times and lacks responsiveness
• Resists cuddling, holding, and physical touch
• Appears unaware of others' emotions
• Retreats into his or her "own world" and prefers to play alone

Communication Difficulties:

• Delayed language development or absence of speech
• Inability to start or sustain conversation
• Stereotyped or 'strange' use of language
•  “Disney speak” – repeats phrases from frequently watched cartoons or movies
• Language regression - loses previously acquired ability to say certain words or sentences
• Avoids eye contact when speaking
• Repetition of words or phrases, with little understanding of how to make sense of these words or use them in own speech
• Difficulty expressing own needs and often uses gestures rather than words

Behavioral Difficulties:

• Restricted and repetitive behavior
• Abnormally intense preoccupation with certain activities or areas of interest
• Obsessive or inappropriate attachment to certain objects
• Inflexible insistence on certain non-functional rituals or routines
• Insists on sameness, and becomes distressed when routines or rituals are changed
• Stereotyped and repetitive movements called “stimming”, e.g. hand flapping or rocking
• Preoccupation with parts of objects, such as a fascination with the spinning wheel of a toy car
• May be particularly sensitive to loud sounds, bright lights, or physical touch and textures

The following is merely an overview of some of the treatment approaches. As the signs of autism vary, in addition to different causes and manifestations in people, treatment will differ from person to person and often needs to be tailor-made for the individual.

Educational and Therapeutic Approaches

This includes specialized education as well as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, sensory integration, behavior modification, and speech therapy. Depending on the symptoms and the areas of developmental delay, these therapies can be extremely effective and combined into the overall treatment plan.

The earlier they are begun, the better the chances of improvement. It is important to realize that none of these therapies are 'quick fixes', and require perseverance over a long period of time.

 

Dietary Intervention

There are indications that certain vitamins and mineral supplements may improve functioning in autistic people. While there is some disagreement regarding this amongst medical professionals, many parents have reported marked improvements after a program of nutritional supplements.

There are also a number of clinical studies which strongly support the use of vitamin and mineral supplementation in the treatment of autism, and have demonstrated significant improvement.

As nutrition is such a vital ingredient in brain development, it stands to reason that supplementation may have a positive benefit, although this would vary from individual to individual. Some experts have gone as far as to suggest that certain cases of autism could be as a result of nutritional deficiencies or malabsorption of nutrients from the diet.

This subject is a very complex one and outside the scope of this discussion. However, it is strongly suggested that parents consult a physician, homeopath, or nutritional expert who specializes in using supplements in the treatment of autism, and that this approach be integrated into the intervention program.

There are also suggestions that autistic symptoms can be caused as a result of malabsorption and intolerances to certain foodstuffs, especially dairy products, sugar, and gluten contained in wheat and grain products.

Some parents have reported remarkable changes after the elimination of these foodstuffs from the diets of their autistic children. It is recommended that a nutritionist be consulted to assist with insuring a balanced diet to compensate for the removal of foodstuffs containing dairy and gluten.

 

Medications

There are many different medications that are prescribed to treat the symptoms of autism. While no drugs exist that can cure autism, certain drugs may be prescribed to treat the symptoms.

Whether or not to use prescription drugs is a personal choice that needs to be made on the basis of an informed decision as to the benefits and disadvantages involved. It is always important to balance symptomatic relief of symptoms with possible side effects and health disadvantages.

If prescription drugs are used, it is essential that these are prescribed and regularly monitored by an experienced professional to prevent dosage problems as well as adverse drug interactions.

It is also important to realize that there are effective natural treatments for autism using herbal and homeopathic remedies instead of prescription drugs. As