Helping your child with autism can be very frustrating. You literally have to put the pieces together to discover what works best. Each child is different and while getting advice from others is fantastic, just understand it might not be what works for your child. Also, I've seen much better results from a variety of modalities and alterations to lifestyles are introduced together.
Here are suggestions for places to start:
1. Chiropractic care. You might think I am suggesting this because I am a Chiropractor. I am not. In fact, for my first few years in practice I would never have suggested it. With practice, I've come to understand that the reason Chiropractic helps is that it works on the nervous system and ASD is a problem with nerve system functioning. I've also come to understand the relationship of stress and how stress can make problems associated with ASD worse. Essentially, Chiropractic helps by decreasing the over stimulation of the nervous system by activating the parasympathetics. This will have a calming effect on your child that you will notice immediately. Over time, these adjustments will have a sustained effect that will last for days and weeks. It's a process and each child responds differently. Sensory processing disorders seem to clear up quickly with Chiropractic and parents have also reported back that their child detoxes following adjustments. I've seen children have remarkable changes in just a few visits and other take a couple of weeks. For anyone interested, I'm happy to speak with you personally and discuss in depth how Chiropractic can help.
2. Change the diet. Chemicals including sugar, MSG and others can greatly affect your child. In some cases, their gut has been severely affected by the toxic ingredients like aluminum, mercury and antibiotics from vaccinations and food. It can take time to clear out and heal the gut, but it must be done. In addition to clearing the diet of chemicals, this is what seems to work for most children:
a. Go gluten-free, casein-free (commonly found in cow's milk) and GMO free. This means buying organic, whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Packaged foods, even organic products contain genetically modified organisms which are proving to be destructive to the gut. To learn more about the problem with GMO's, check out the movie "Genetic Roulette". Because of GMO's, this means that buying organic meats is essential. The grain typically fed to non-organic animals are usually genetically modified. Plus, they typically are given antibiotics and steroids, which increase the chemicals that will filter down into your food.
b. Food. Try a simpler diet like one advocated by Sally Fallon, author of "Nourishing Traditions" and founder of the Weston A Price Group. There are groups all over the country that meet regularly that can support you while you incorporate these changes. I also advocate for foods high in Omega 3's...the healthy fats that decrease inflammation. These foods include avocados, olives and olive oil, meats, fruits and vegetables. Foods that tend to be inflammatory are grains, potato chips, trans-fatty acids, beans, etc.
3. Supplements. Since each child is different, I would go to someone trained in working with children on the spectrum to evaluate what your child's deficiencies are and then get recommendations. However, I recommend I high quality probiotic (without fillers) taken on an empty stomach designed for your child.
4. Heavy metal cleansing. Since many children also have heavy metal toxicity, this should be explored since many heavy metals wind up in the gut and the brain. Many years ago there was a study done regarding Alzheimer's which also affects the brain. They found that people receiving the flu shot, which contains mercury, five years in a row were more likely to get Alzheimer's. During an autopsy, they found mercury in the brain of these people who had died. Mercury is a tough metal to find with ordinary tests and the most specific test I've heard of is one that is done by a company in France. There are many herbs that will detox heavy metals, but I would work with someone trained in this area to make sure it is done appropriately.
5. Homeopathy. While I don't understand how this works to help children with Autism, I've heard from patients that it is very helpful...particularly when combined with Chiropractic care. I would definitely recommend you use a Classical Homeopath and one that has had experience in working with children on the spectrum.
6. Electronic screens & EMF. Many years ago I read a study that was done on TV and ADD/ADHD. They found that this type of stimulation in young children causes ADD and ADHD. I've also seen reports as to behavioral problems with children that are directly connected with the screens. There is an excellent book that addresses this subject that I highly recommend, "Your Brain on Childhood" by Gabrielle Principe, Ph.D. I've also found that children are sensitive to electromagnetic frequency, commonly found with computers and other electronic devices. This sensitivity can increase their stress which can increase their symptoms. One thing you can do to start is to turn off your wireless router at night. Decreasing screen time is excellent, but also finding ways to reduce the EMF in your child's surrounding (including cell phone EMF's) is important too. Salt lamps are good as well as other EMF-reducing devices.
7. Decrease Stress. Stress is seen as something that really increases ADD and ADHD as well as a sense of well-being. Your child will also pick up on your stress which is why I know that parents need to do what they can for themselves as well. Whether it is deep breathing several times per day, going out in nature, drinking a calming tea before bedtime, taking a regular yoga class, receiving Chiropractic or all of the above, this can make a significant difference. Many times I see children being shuttled off to a lot of activities that are supposed to be helping them, but it appears that being scheduled is increasing their stress. If you can focus on ways to help them de-stress you might get better results!
I've also seen children's behavior change before my eyes by just adjusting the parent! I've seen how my daughter reacts when I'm on edge so I've come to learn how important this is. I encourage you to work on whatever stress reduction methods work for you and use them regularly. Keeping your glass full is important so you don't burn yourself out.
8. Neuro and Biofeedback. I've been using Biofeedback on adults for a variety of problems with great results. The changes that we see are immediate, particularly when combined with the Chiropractic adjustment. Biofeedback works by teaching someone how they can decrease their stress. Again, stress is a huge factor in children on the spectrum. I'm confident that we will start seeing research in this area in the near future. To learn more about how Neurofeedback can help children with ADD and ADHD, check out this site. Dr. Melillo discusses the importance of brain balance to help children.
While I realize that these solutions won't work for everyone, remember that they take time. It is a process and with time, the pieces should start coming together.
The information contained here is not intended to replace medical advice. Consult a health care practitioner.
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