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