Controversy: Healing Autism

Autism. What comes to your mind when you hear the word? If you are a parent of a child with Autism, chances are, you have an opinion- more than likely a very strong one. Naturally, as a parent of a child with Autism, I too have very strong opinions on the topic that range from everything from possible causes to treatments and cures.

More than likely you've heard of the typical treatments: Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Developmental Therapy, ABA, Play Therapy etc. You've probably also heard of alternative treatments (I would much rather call them additional therapies): biomedical treatments- more specifically, the DAN! Approach, Naturopathic remedies, Homeopathic treatments, Diets, Supplements etc. By now, my mention of the additional therapies has offended someone, provoking them to roll their eyes, or sigh aloud. Well, guess what? There isn't much in life these days that is not considered a controversy. What I cannot understand is how one can consider it controversial for a mom to make an educated decision/choices to improve their children's health, under proper supervision.

My son was diagnosed with Autism last year. I was inundated with rich, pushy moms telling me that it's "Do or Die" and that I had better get my son started on these horrifically expensive treatments or I may as well consider my son lost forever. Being frightened to death by their convincing claims, I immediately rushed off to the nearest "Autism Support Group" in my area to sit with a bunch of mothers who talked about how well their kids are doing since implementing biomedical treatments using the DAN! Protocol.

I desperately wanted that for my son as well. I ached for my son to reach the seemingly far fetched goals that these parents had claimed to see. As soon as I got home, I immediately began the SCD diet for my son (no gluten, no casein, no preservatives, no yeast, no sugar, no artificial flavors/dyes etc etc). We then borrowed money from a family member to see a DAN! Doctor two hours away from our home. The visit was super expensive. We were sent home with an additional $75 worth of supplements and such to try after already paying $500 for the initial consultation. We were overwhelmed. My son did make some improvements during the month and a half that we tried this intervention. He gained about 50 more words in his vocabulary. He started to make some eye contact. He started to give up some of the annoying stimming behaviors. But after awhile, it just got too expensive. My son was refusing almost all of the foods on the SCD diet. He was becoming severely malnourished and then he got pneumonia. We couldn't afford the treatment any longer.

Months went by with no supplements and no diet. Things stopped improving. He seemed to have hit a plateau. He had also developed a severe case of constipation. At first he was constipated for 7 days, then 10 days, then 2 weeks and eventually, for an entire month. Of course, I was in touch with the pediatrician who told me that it was because he was simply afraid to poop and we should give him a suppository. It did not work. We tried enemas, Little Tummy's and other products. We eventually tried prescriptions. Absolutely nothing worked. My son would get fevers that would reach 103 degrees, he would scream and buck like a wild animal. It was the hardest thing to see. What made it worse was that he couldn't even tell me how bad it hurt or even understand me when I would whisper in his ear, "It's okay, Mommy's here.".

Finally three months ago, my husband and I got up the guts to try the Gluten Free-Casein Free diet. It was a little less restrictive than the SCD diet. We saw results within 5 days. My son had finally had a bowel movement for the first time in almost a year with no help from stimulants or laxatives. We then decided to remove yeast because most Autistics tend to have a major yeast overgrowth problem (Candida Albicans). Then we reduced sugar and vowed that the sugar that was used would come from something like honey, or evaporated cane juice and only be allowed in very small amounts. Finally, we restricted preservatives all together. With each phasing out of certain ingredients, we became increasingly anxious about how our son would eat the new food and how easy it would be to continue the diet. To our surprise, it was not difficult at all. I would go so far as to say that this is the single most effective treatment that we tried in order to heal our son's stomach issues. What pleases me the most is that we did it without pharmaceutical medications that could cause even more issues later on.

Another major problem we faced when we began this round of the healing journey again was the cost of the supplements that we had tried previously on the DAN! Protocol. It was truly a Godly provision that I met a wonderfully knowledgeable mom of a son with Autism who helped me find natural and less expensive ways to treat my son. I learned that Grapefruit Seed Extract given once a day (for example: first thing in the morning, with breakfast) could act as a yeast fighter. Using a pro biotic later on (we started with a ½ capsule because my son struggled with constipation) would put back in the good bacteria that the GSE had removed earlier. The very nice thing about using these two products was that not only did we see an immediate yeast die off reaction, but my son has only had one virus since starting this. Typically, his immune system was so weak that he would incur about 9 common colds that would turn into pneumonia during the winter months all the way through late spring. So, going from constant illness to just one is a major improvement. Coincidentally, this has also allowed my son to start communicating better, and his comprehension has picked up to the point where we can have a very short conversation.

Recently, my daughter became ill with a tummy virus. Knowing how Over the counter meds affect her, and since she has a little yeast issue as well, we opted for the natural cures to treat her symptoms. It was through the same friend that I learned of Colloidial Silver as an immune system booster, yeast/fungus fighter, and "natural antibiotic". Unfortunately, we did not purchase this until toward the end of her two week long stomach virus, so it did not do a lot for her. However, fearing that my son would get sick and suffer much worse symptoms, I began him on a maintenance dose while she was still sick. Truly a miracle- he did not get sick with her virus. This is the first time ever since he has been born that I can recall that he did not catch something that another member of our family had.

There have been and will be many more things that I will be trying to treat my sons Autism symptoms, and I will certainly keep you posted on what I think of them. I just want to say to you moms out there: Do not be intimidated by doctors who rebuke you for trying to help your child. It is absolutely okay for you to try to find new ways to heal your child from whatever is ailing them (Autism or not), just find the right trained professional to help you. If you want all natural treatments, try a naturopathic doctor or a homeopathic doctor to guide you. Another good alternative is a chiropractor. Remember, you don't have to be a "crunchy/granola" momma to try natural remedies. They are generally much safer for you than those that are laced with unnatural chemicals and additives. Side effects are usually minimal and in most cases non-existent. What have you got to lose?

(Before you go on a shopping spree for the above products, you really need to consult a physician to determine the correct doses and appropriate methods because each child has different issues and I am not a doctor. I am simply describing my experience).