| Autism is a serious developmental disorder that | | | | |
| now affects around 1 in 150 children in the US | | | | 1. Give the child what his/her body is lacking |
| alone. Autism is not one disorder, but is actually a | | | | 2. Eliminate what is harming the child |
| collection of five different disorders - the autism | | | | 3. Break the cycle of inflammation |
| spectrum disorders (ASDs) or "broad spectrum | | | | And this is what the biomedical approach to |
| disorders:- | | | | treating autism is all about. |
| - Asperger Syndrome | | | | Biomedical treatments for autism include:- |
| - Rett Syndrome | | | | - Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - A safe therapy |
| - Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Not | | | | which involves the patient breathing in oxygen |
| Otherwise Specified) or PDD-NOS | | | | while under pressure in a special HBOT chamber. |
| - Autism (Kanner's Autism, Kanner's Syndrome or | | | | This treatment overcomes oxygen starvation, |
| SLD Autism) | | | | helps the body's organs to function properly, |
| - Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) | | | | promotes healing and repair, aids the production |
| All of these five disorders have three common | | | | of new body tissue, reduces any inflammation and |
| impairments - difficulty communicating, difficulty | | | | enables the body to fight infection. |
| interacting with others and difficulty with empathy | | | | - Chelation - Some autistic children have a build up |
| and social imagination. There are also other | | | | of heavy metals and toxins in their bodies and so |
| impairments and problems which are associated | | | | can benefit from detoxification with chelation |
| with autism, but are not common to all five | | | | treatment. |
| disorders; these can include learning problems, | | | | - Diet - Changing a child's diet to make it more |
| obsessions, sensory sensitivity and problems | | | | nutritious and healthy can have an amazing effect |
| coping with change. | | | | on autism symptoms, but sometimes it is also |
| Traditional Treatments and Therapies for Autism | | | | necessary to remove certain food groups or |
| Traditionally, autism treatments have aimed to | | | | "allergic" foods from a child's diet. Eliminating casein |
| treat and manage the symptoms and behaviors | | | | and gluten (GFCF Diet) can be beneficial for the |
| associated with autism, rather than combating the | | | | gut and the brain. |
| root causes or triggers of the disorder. Traditional | | | | - Vitamins and Supplements - As I have said, it |
| therapies include:- | | | | may be that an autistic child is deficient in a |
| - Drugs - Anti-psychotics (Risperdal), | | | | certain nutrient. Beneficial supplements for autism |
| anti-convulsants, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety | | | | include vitamins, Omega 3, amino acids and |
| drugs, sedatives, beta blockers and opiate | | | | melatonin. |
| blockers, and stimulants. | | | | - Gut treatments - Gut treatments like digestive |
| - Behavior Therapy | | | | enzymes, probiotics, special diets and anti-fungals |
| - Play Therapy | | | | can help reduce gut inflammation, restore a |
| - Physical Therapy | | | | healthy balance of gut flora and help with |
| - Occupational Therapy | | | | digestion. |
| - Speech and Language Therapy | | | | - Environment - Reducing a child's toxic load, by |
| While these treatments can be excellent at helping | | | | switching to non-toxic detergents and household |
| a child have a better quality of life and alleviating | | | | cleaners, can make a real impact on a child's |
| symptoms, it could be said that they are just | | | | health. |
| masking the symptoms of the autism, rather | | | | These are just some of the biomedical |
| than tackling them head-on. | | | | treatments which are being used by DAN! (Defeat |
| Biomedical Approaches | | | | Autism Now!) physicians and therapists around the |
| Biomedical treatments are modern autism | | | | world with dramatic results. We've all heard the |
| treatments which aim to treat the underlying | | | | story of Jenny McCarthy's son who is no longer |
| cause or trigger of the autism. For example, it | | | | on the autism spectrum after following the GFCF |
| may be that an autistic child has a nutritional | | | | Diet, or the story of Grace Kenitz,who everyone |
| deficiency which is causing their symptoms and so | | | | thought would die before she had hyperbaric |
| could benefit from nutritional supplements. | | | | oxygen therapy. These stories, and the efficacy |
| Bryan Jepson MD, in his book "Changing the | | | | of biomedical treatments, are giving parents of |
| Course of Autism", explains that autism | | | | autistic children new hope. |
| treatments should have a three step approach:- | | | | |