Autism

First, let me apologize for the long interruption. We have not posted for a while, and while we might not keep doing it as frequently as before we want to publish posts at least 2 or 3 times a month.

With respect to autism, we will first go over what western medicine states. Then we will go into some theories that surround this conditon.

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. It is also called pervasive developmental disorder. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness can help families today.

Prevalence

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in february 2007 issued their ADDME autism prevalence report. The report, which looked at a sample of 8 year olds in 2000 and 2002, concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 150 American children, and almost 1 in 94 boys.

It is estimated that 1.5 million americans now suffer from it and the figures are rising steadily through the years.

Autism affects boys 3 - 4 times more often than girls. Family income, education, and lifestyle do not seem to affect the risk of autism.

Causes

Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. We still don't know the exact causes of these abnormalities. There are probably a combination of factors that lead to autism.

Genetic factors seem to be important. For example, identical twins are much more likely than fraternal twins or siblings to both have autism.

A number of other possible causes have been suspected, but not proven. They involve:

Diet
Digestive tract changes
Mercury poisoning
The body's inability to properly use vitamins and minerals
Vaccine sensitivity

Symptoms

Most parents of autistic children suspect that something is wrong by the time the child is 18 months old and seek help by the time the child is 2. Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress" and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism. Children with autism typically have difficulties in:

Social skills

Fails to respond to his or her name
Has poor eye contact
Appears not to hear you at times
Resists cuddling and holding
Appears unaware of others' feelings
Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her "own world"

Language

Starts talking later than other children
Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences
Does not make eye contact when making requests
Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
Can't start a conversation or keep one going
May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them

Behavior

Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping
Develops specific routines or rituals
Becomes disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals
Moves constantly
May be fascinated by parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car
May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch and yet oblivious to pain

Diagnosis

It is mainly clinical, your doctor will ask you if you have any concerns at the child regular visits. Your child's doctor will look for signs of developmental delays at regular checkups too. If your child shows some signs of autism, you may be referred to a specialist in treating children with autism. This specialist, working with a team of professionals, can perform a formal evaluation for the disorder.

Because autism varies widely in severity and manifestations, making a diagnosis may be difficult. There isn't a specific medical test to pinpoint the disorder. Instead, a formal evaluation consists of an expert observing your child and talking to you about how your child's social skills, language skills and behavior have developed and changed over time.

To help reach a diagnosis, your child may undergo a number of developmental tests covering speech, language and psychological issues.

Treatment

No cure exists for autism, and there is no unique treatment. In fact, the range of home-based and school-based treatments and interventions for autism can be overwhelming.

1. Behavior and communication therapies:

Many programs have been developed to address the range of social, language and behavioral difficulties associated with autism. Some programs focus on reducing problem behaviors and teaching new skills. Other programs focus on teaching children how to act in social situations or how to communicate better with other people. Though children don't outgrow autism, they may learn to function well with the disorder.

2. Educational therapies. Children with autism often respond well to highly structured education programs. Successful programs often include a team of specialists and a variety of activities to improve social skills, communication and behavior. Preschool children who receive intensive, individualized behavioral interventions show good progress.

3. Drug therapies. No medication can improve the core signs of autism, but certain medications can help control symptoms. Antidepressants may be prescribed for anxiety, for example, and antipsychotic drugs are sometimes used to treat severe behavioral problems.

Alternative Treatment

Because autism is so far an incurable disease, many parents seek out alternative therapies. Though some families have reported good results with special diets and other complementary approaches ( with research studies have not been able to confirm or deny the usefulness of these treatments ). Some of the most common alternative therapies include:

A. Creative therapies. Some parents choose to supplement educational and medical intervention with art therapy, music therapy or sensory integration, which focuses on reducing a child's sensitivity to touch or sound. These types of therapies are very useful along with behavioural therapies.

B. Special diets. Several diet strategies have been suggested as possible treatments for autism, including restriction of food allergens; probiotics; a yeast-free diet; a gluten-free, casein-free diet. The diet that has been tried most extensively — and with the greatest anecdotal success — eliminates gluten — a protein found in most grains, including wheat — and casein (a milk protein).

C. Chelation therapy. This treatment, which is recommended by some doctors and parents, is said to remove mercury from the body.

D. Supplementation: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and magnesium, folic acid, vitamin B12 . Other supplements include:

Calcium and Magnesium ( 1500 and 1000mg a day )

Coenzime Q10 ( 200mg and up )

Choline ( 500-2000mg a day )

Fish Oil ( high doses of DHA and EPA )

Ginkgo Biloba

Secretin

Two theories that have been said about the origins of Autism are:

1. A possible link between autism and certain childhood vaccines, particularly the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and vaccines with thimerosal, a preservative that contains a small amount of mercury. Though most children's vaccines have been free of thimerosal since 2001, the controversy continues. To date, extensive studies have found no link yet between autism and vaccines.

2. The second theory corresponds to the possibility of autism to develop as a consequence of an unstable home ( arguing parents, the feeling of " not being loved" while in pregnancy ) that could lead the child to isolate into his own self. If this last theory is true or not is not as important as to provide SUPPORT and STABILITY to the child.