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[s-A] [NatFamLife] Diagnosis: Autism, What Families Can Do

 

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Misty L. Trepke

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Diagnosis: Autism What Families Can Do

 

http://www.mothering.com/10-0-0/html/10-2-0/10-2-autism100.shtml

 

Diagnosis: Autism, What Families Can Do

By Patricia S. Lemer

 

Skylar is a darling three year old, conceived after eight infertile

years, and absolutely adored by his parents. His mother experienced

some problems during pregnancy, but thankfully, her doctors

pinpointed her low thyroid condition and were able to bring her

fibromyalgia under control. Skylar's birth, however, was no easier

than the pregnancy: his breech presentation required careful

maneuvering. That first year of life presented its challenges, too:

colic, reflux, and thrush. His constant screaming following his MMR

vaccine was worrisome. Then came the repeated ear infections.

 

Finally, after endless rounds of antibiotics and several sets of ear

tubes, Skylar seemed to thrive. He never crawled but walked so early

that his parents were sure he was smart. He began picking up words

quickly. Lately, however, Skylar has not added any words to his

vocabulary. Sometimes he flaps his fingers in front of his eyes.

Grandma noticed, when she visited over Thanksgiving, that he didn't

always look at her. His parents are concerned.

 

" Your Child Is Autistic "

Some families can recall the date and event when their toddlers went

off-track, and even have home videos to document the change. For

other families, like Skylar's, it is a more gradual process. As

their anxiety increased, Skylar's parents sought expert advice. The

diagnosis: it could be either pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)

or autism.

 

" That is impossible, " Skylar's parents thought, going through the

sequential steps of denial, anger, and bargaining. Maybe he was just

having a bad day when he went to see the specialist.

 

One reason that diagnosing autism is so confusing is that there are

no physiological indicators, as there are for diabetes or cancer.

Doctors may not always find the genetic markers they do with other

disorders, because autism has many possible causes. It is only

diagnosed when a child exhibits certain behavioral and psychological

symptoms.

 

Other symptoms, like Skylar's, are immunological, dermatological,

digestive, sensory, neurological, respiratory, cognitive,

psychological, and developmental. If the symptoms are mild, a child

might be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Moderate

symptoms might result in a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. If

severe, the diagnosis would be PDD or autism. These diagnoses make

up what is known as the autism spectrum of disorders. (See Risk

Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorder)

 

The autism spectrum includes many labels: attention deficit disorder

(ADD and ADHD), Angelman's, Asperger's, dyslexia, hyperlexia,

Klinefelter's, Landau-Kleffner, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD),

PDD, Rett's, Tourette's, and autism. Children on the autism spectrum

have an important commonality: a huge " total load. "

 

Total load theory describes the cumulative effect of the individual

assaults of each problem on the body as a whole. (See Autism)

 

The cluster of symptoms that eventually leads to a diagnosis of

autism arises when many systems of the body are stressed to their

limits. Each child has a unique personal load limit, as does a

bridge. When that limit is exceeded, a very complex constellation of

problems results. Of course, not all children with these symptoms

become autistic, but the more symptoms present, the more likely the

child will be diagnosed with one of the labels on the continuum.

 

What Can a Family Do?

After anger, bargaining, and depression subsided, Skylar's parents

accepted his diagnosis. They then had to make some difficult

choices. His doctors suggested traditional treatments, including

medications, behavioral management programs, and a special school

that provides intense early intervention in language, motor, and

psychological areas. Undoubtedly, these treatments could help Skylar

progress.

 

The problem with these usual interventions is that they focus on

ameliorating symptoms rather than addressing the underlying causes

of autism. Medications can alleviate behavioral and attentional

symptoms, but often with undesirable side effects. Caring special

education teachers offer individualized programming which may fail

to allow the child's own sensory systems to learn how to modulate

and integrate information. The lack of typical peers can also be

problematic. Counseling programs help parents cope with issues such

as picky eating and sleep problems but, again, don't speak to their

causes.

 

Fortunately, exciting new treatments are currently receiving

recognition. They focus on reversing problems related to reduced

immune system dysfunction, overexposure to antibiotics and toxins,

birth trauma, and reactions to immunizations. And now the literature

is reporting children who are recovering from autism and PDD.

 

If you have a child with autism, like Skylar's parents, consider

trying the following alternative therapies.

 

Dietary Modification--Although initially challenging, efforts here

alone can increase relatedness, attention, eye contact, and use of

language - immediately and markedly. That is what happened with

Skylar.

 

Feed your child a diet that is:unrefined, varied, and free of

artificial colors, flavors, additives, and naturally occurring

salicylates (apple juice, because it contains salicylates, is to be

avoided)gluten- and casein-free. If a child is eating a diet

consisting primarily of wheat and dairy products, probably one or

both of these must also be removed. Wheat gluten and casein from

dairy products chemically form an opiate which puts some children

into autistic-like states. Blood tests are available to see if this

is the case with an individual child. (See Resources)yeast- , mold-

, and sugar-free. All of these non-food items and problematic

foods increase the toxic load on bodily systems. In addition, the

use of filtered water and natural household products is recommended.

 

Nutritional Supplementation--Nutritional aids are essential to close

the gap between what these youngsters eat and what their bodies

need. Children like Skylar need more nutrients than typical children

because of poor absorption, self-restricted diets, impaired ability

to detoxify environmental chemicals and pollutants, and/or inherited

nutrient deficiencies. Some supplements that have been found

particularly helpful are vitamins A, B-6, calcium, and magnesium.

Others showing promise are:

 

 

Essential fatty acids, taken as the oils of evening primrose, cod-

liver oil, or flaxseed;Amino acids, such as tryptophan, secretin,

and GABA, all necessary for complete digestion;Antifungals and

probiotics, such as Nystatin, Diflucan, and acidopholous, needed to

reestablish intestinal integrity and to combat yeast overgrowth;

Miscellaneous supplements, such as digestive enzymes and herbs that

can also increase digestive function. Healthcare providers can

suggest customized formulas designed to fit a child's unique

nutritional needs.

 

Homeopathy--Many modern healthcare practitioners are using this 200-

year-old approach to address health imbalances in children on the

autism spectrum. Practitioners use natural substances that have the

ability to cause symptoms in a healthy person, but cure the same

symptoms in a sick person, by stimulating the body's own ability to

heal itself. With this method, like cures like, whereas in

traditional medicine, the opposite approach is used.

 

Immunotherapy--Vaccine-induced autism is a tragic outcome of today's

modern medicine. While the world has been saved from epidemics of

dread diseases, some of today's children are being sacrificed. The

discovery of measles virus in the ulcerated guts of children with

autism has led to a variety of treatments that release children from

the ravages of continuously high titers even years after the initial

vaccine. For additional information on this treatment, contact the

National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC). (See Resources)

 

Treatments That Affect Sensory Processing--Children with autism

process what they touch, smell, taste, hear, or see inefficiently.

The sense of balance, located in the inner ear, may also be

disturbed, due to the repeated ear infections many of these children

experienced as babies. The balance system is essential to efficient

processing of sound and movement, as well as vision and language.

Remediation of impaired sensory processing is essential to lessen

autistic symptoms. (See Resources for trained specialists in each

area.)

 

 

Sensory Integration Therapy, provided by specially trained

occupational or physical therapists, enhances the child's ability to

respond appropriately to all types of sensory input. Therapy

consists of guided activities that challenge the body to make

efficient, organized responses. A child is then able to pay

attention, relate, sit still, organize language, and focus better.

 

Auditory Integration Training (AIT) normalizes the way children with

autism process sound. Some children are oversensitive, while others

are undersensitive. The distorted messages sent to the brain impair

the ability to focus on and give meaning to what is heard. Several

types of AIT are available from specially trained practitioners. All

utilize electronic equipment, headphones, and filtered music. This

intervention stimulates the balance, movement, and auditory systems,

as well as eye movements and digestion.

 

Vision Therapy (VT) normalizes the way children with autism focus on

and give meaning to what they see. Vision is not the same as

eyesight. It is a set of abilities, learned from birth, and acquired

in tandem with movement. Having both eyes move together, align,

fixate, and focus as a team enhances the ability to interpret and

understand visual information. Skylar is one of 30 percent of

children with autism whose eyes do not work together. Once this

problem was remedied, his relatedness improved.Many symptoms of

autism have visual components. Visual dysfunction may result in poor

eye contact and attention. A lack of binocularity could result in

other autistic symptoms. Specially trained optometrists can

prescribe a program of movement activities and use lenses and prisms

to teach the eyes how to work more efficiently. Vision Therapy

activities must be individualized for each child.Educational

Kinesiology (E-K), also known as Brain Gym, enhances sensory

function by using specially designed movement activities. (See For

More Information)

 

The Son-Rise Program is an intensive therapy based on a family's

loving, trusting, respectful attitude. It encourages parents to

follow a child's actions, while simultaneously directing him into an

expanded world.Structural Therapies--Many children, like Skylar,

experienced a traumatic birth. Osteopathic physicians, health

professionals trained in craniosacral techniques, massage

therapists, chiropractors, and other bodyworkers can provide

precise, gentle, restorative manipulative treatment. If structural

dysfunction resulting from birth trauma is corrected early,

neurological development can progress satisfactorily. Then, motor,

sensory-motor, language, social-emotional, cognitive, and behavioral

problems can be averted by establishing or restoring optimal

anatomic-physiologic integrity. Structural therapies can

particularly benefit children who have chronic ear

infections.

 

Moving Toward Hope

Denial and depression have turned to hope for children diagnosed

with autism or PDD. Parents are empowering each other to search for

and discover remedies never before considered. Regional and national

conferences abound with a focus on causes, not symptoms. Internet

chat rooms and listservs allow the instant exchange of information

and news of promising treatments.

 

Recovery from autism and PDD is now a possibility. Skylar will

probably attend a regular preschool, not one for children with

special needs. As his health improves, cognitive and social-

emotional function will, too. His parents may have to change their

diets and shop differently. Their lives will be full of therapy

appointments and consultations with educational and health

specialists. But what could be more satisfying than saving their

child?

 

For More Information

Apothecary Pharmacy. Pathways Custom Compounding Pharmacy. 800-869-

9160. www.the-apothecary.com. Produces vitamins and prescriptions

without colors, flavors, or fillers.

 

College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD). 243 N.

Lindbergh Boulevard, Suite 310, St. Louis, MO 63141-7851. 888-

COVD770. www.covd.org. Provides referrals to optometrists who do

vision therapy.

 

Edu-Kinesthetics, Inc. PO Box 3395, Ventura, CA 93006-3395. 888-388-

9898. www.braingym.com. Provides information about Brain Gym and E-K.

 

Feingold Association of the United States (FAUS). PO BOX 6550,

Alexandria, VA 22306. 800-321-FAUS. www.feingold.org. Provides

information on diets without colors, flavors, or preservatives.

 

The Gluten Free Pantry. www.glutenfree.org. Recipes and resources

for a gluten-free diet.

 

The Great Plains Laboratory. 9335 West 75th Street, Overland Park,

KS 66204. 913-341-8949. www.greatplainslaboratory.com. Conducts

blood and urine tests for yeast problems.

 

National Center for Homeopathy. 801 N. Fairfax Street #306,

Alexandria, VA 22314. 703-548-7790.

 

National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC). 512 W. Maple Avenue

#206, Vienna, VA 22180. 800-909-SHOT. www.909shot.com.

 

Society for Auditory Integration Training (SAIT). C/o Center for the

Study of Autism, 9725 S.W. Beaverton Hillsdale Highway #230,

Beaverton, OR 97005. www.teleport.com/sait.

 

Resources (see also resources at the end of Bernard Rimland's

article) Ayres, A. J. Sensory Integration and the Child. Western

Psychological Press, 1985.

 

Kaplan, M., B. Rimland, and S. Edelson. " Strabismus in Autism

Spectrum Disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental

Disabilities. " 14, no. 2 (1999):101-105.

 

Rimland, B. " Candida-Caused Autism. " Autism Research Review

International 2, no. 2 (1985).

 

Rimland, B. " Auditory Integration Training Update: Scientific Clues,

FDA Obstruction. " Autism Research Review International 9, no. 4

(1995): 2.

 

Rimland, B. " Major Medical, Political Developments Fuel Furor over

Vaccines. " Autism Research Review International 13, no. 3 (1999).

 

Rose, M., and N. Torgeson. " A Behavioral Approach to Vision and

Autism. " Journal of Vision Development 25 (1994): 269-275.

 

Scharre, J. E., and M. P. Creedon. " Assessment of Visual Function in

Autistic Children. " Optometry and Vision Science 69, no. 6 (1992):

433-439.

 

Schmidt, M. A. Smart Fats: How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental,

Physical and Emotional Intelligence. Frog, Ltd., 1997.

 

Schulman, R. " Optometry's Role in the Treatment of Autism. " Journal

of Vision Development 25 (1994): 259-268.

 

Shaw, W. Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD. Great Plains

Laboratory, 1998.

 

Ullman, J. and R. Ritalin-Free Kids: Safe and Effective Homeopathic

Medicine for ADD and Other Behavioral and Learning Problems. Prima

Publishing, 1996.

 

Wakefield, A. " Ileal-Lymphoid-Nodular Hyperplasia, Non-specific

Colitis, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder in Children. " The

Lancet 352, no. 9123 (1998): 234-235.

 

Warren, R. P. et al. " Immune Abnormalities in Patients with Autism. "

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 16 (1986): 189-197.

 

For more information on autism, see the following article in a past

issue of Mothering: " The Joy of 'Special' Parenting, " no. 43.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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