Alternative Remedies For Autism

Usually the first therapy mentioned for Autism is medicine. This is changing. More men and women are open to trying different remedies. Treatments might have terrible side effects, so more people are looking for natural products. Here are some alternative treatments used for Autism.

Nutritional

There are several diets that can be used when treating Autism. They range from eating Gluten free items to eliminating dairy from the diet plan. Some Autistic children have a sensitive reaction to certain ingredients in food. These ingredients will help with behavioral problems, or meltdowns when consumed.

Omega 3's

Omega 3 has been discovered to be of assistance in treating Autism, in addition to a few other disorders. People utilizing the Omega 3 have discovered better sleep patterns, social interaction, and over all health of their child. People needing to try this alternative treatment can add fish oil to their children's diet. Fish oil can be found in capsule for or fluid. Some kids have trouble swallowing the capsule. The fluid form can be located in a flavorless type that is mixed in a drink.

Music Therapy

A number of studies have discovered music therapy to be very beneficial to the Autistic child. Now and again an Autistic child will sing together with music while they won't speak. This is one means of working on the child's speech. The music may be relaxing to an Autistic child. It can settle them down enough to participate in an activity with others.

Sensory Integration

Kids with Autism can be very understanding of noises, tastes, textures, and smells. Sensory integration therapy helps their youngster to deal with whatever it is causing them problems. It can likewise be employed to calm a youngster with something like a certain smell or texture.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is a must for any child with Autism. Kids with Autism commonly misuse words. They often times have a difficult time comprehending the significance of words like few or many. Speech therapists can can assist in teaching gestures and correspondence skills to nonverbal children. They can help their child to quickly learn how to read other individuals body language.

Play Therapy

Play therapy can be be extremely helpful when treating an Autistic child. Play therapy allows their youngster to relax and center on things they like. A therapist working with an autistic child will play on the ground with the youngster. They will give the child various toys and see if the child takes a liking to one of them. If their child starts to play the therapist will then endeavor to interact with their child. After the therapist has created a relationship with the youngster they might bring some other child into play therapy. This can sometimes be a good way to have the Autistic child to play with other children. Usually a therapist does the play therapy, still the mum or dad can do the therapy after they have learned the techniques used.

These are just a a couple of the numerous alternative treatments obtainable for Autism. Medication does not need to be a first resort. These can also be mixed with medication for a better remedy plan.

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A Parent's Guide to Alternative Treatments for a Child With Autism

Does the old fashion medicine man or witch doctor still exist? Remember the stories of the charlatan selling snake oil by the side of the road? Have you been told about someone who can 'cure' your child with Autism? Have you been contacted by someone claiming they can reverse the progression of your child's disorder? Have you found a website that promises new and exciting treatments that will "fix" your child's condition?

As a parent of a child on the Autism spectrum, all of these assertions may sound enticing and something you desperately want to believe in. It is bad enough when we are personally affected with an illness or a disability of our own but when it affects our most prized possession, our child, we are apt to do just about anything to eliminate the disorder and the challenges it brings.

Accepting a diagnosis of autism for your child is a difficult pill to swallow and finding a cure, or at least the best treatment option, becomes a parent's immediate focus and mission. Just as the degrees of disability on the Autism spectrum are so wide and varied so are the numbers of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) treatments available.

The vast abundance of therapies and remedies offered out there can be overwhelming and confusing to any parent. In addition to the long list of traditional treatments that exist, there are innumerable alternative treatments that are being promoted everywhere you look.

Many of these alternative treatments are not covered by insurance and spending out-of-pocket money for something that doesn't work or could even exacerbate your child's condition is not going to help anyone. There may be some non-established treatments out there that could help your child but rushing into them without doing your homework first is not the best way to approach what might be a health or financial risk. So what is a parent to do?

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind as you consider alternative treatments for your child:

Buyer beware! - Ask questions and get informed. Do as much research as possible in order to become a sensible consumer and make the most knowledgeable decision possible. Time may be of the essence but rushing into an alternative treatment may turn out to be a waste of your time in the long run - so making efficient and effective use of your time should be a priority. When dealing with any health related issue, it is always important to determine the potential risks and weigh them thoughtfully against the promised benefits.

Evaluate the resources you find. - Look to see who is responsible for the information and what qualifications the person or organization has. If it is an Internet site, determine who sponsors the site and assess for credibility. Universities, medical schools, government or public agencies and peer-reviewed journals tend to have the most objective sites. Be wary of sites that simply present an opinion. Before you accept it as fact look for some convincing evidence to back it up.

Look for quality references. - If you are reviewing a website, search for links or other references to credible scientific organizations, books and papers. If the site mentions other professionals, take the time to find ways to contact them or connect with their own websites to get a feel for the authority or standing they have as a professional within the autism community.

Ask for a testimonial. - If a provider is not willing to put you in touch with someone who can give you a testament to the effectiveness of the services they received from them I urge you to think twice before you commit. If they do present you with a person to contact, make sure they are not frauds being enticed to give false positive reports. Asking many detailed questions that only a recipient of the treatments would know is a good way to ferret out imposters.

Request evidence. - If claims of a cure or miracles are being made, take notice. Usually the more spectacular or flamboyant a declaration is, the less likely they are to be accurate. If there is a scientific explanation provided as to how the treatment works, does it make sense? Because this is difficult for most nonprofessionals to discern, ask for concrete evidence in the form of a publication or a study.

Find a doctor you can trust. - Being comfortable with your child's pediatrician is most important. Finding a doctor that is open to discussing all treatment possibilities and is not threatened by your desire to get a second opinion is a good indicator that he or she has your child's best interest at heart. If you want to verify a physician's ability to practice, their professional standing or conduct, be proactive and look them up by going to the licensing board for physicians in your state. The website DocFinder makes looking up any physician easy.

Remember, you always want to approach any large outlay of cash for medical intervention just as you would any other major financial investment. Using caution and good sense is the best thing one can do when investing in your own or your child's health and future.

Connie Hammer, MSW, parent educator, consultant and coach, guides parents of young children recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to uncover abilities and change possibilities. Visit her website http://www.parentcoachingforautism.com to get your FREE resources - a parenting ecourse, Parenting a Child with Autism - 3 Secrets to Thrive and a weekly parenting tip newsletter, The Spectrum.

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Three Valuable Alternative Tips to Treat Autism

There are hundreds and hundreds of alternative treatments for autism available, leaving parents of autistic children left puzzled as to, what really works, and what is worth investing in. These treatments can be expensive and sometimes painful for the child, and many show no results. Some parents and doctors believe it is not worth the effort, while others are strong believers in some of the treatments. Every child with autism has different tendencies and symptoms, that causes many different reactions to the treatments.

Many doctors have agreed, that there are two proven treatments for people with autism. One is applied behavioral analysis, and the second is a drug treatment. But others disagree and offer different results. Below are listed a few of the alternative therapies that have had results in some individuals with autism, in the past.

*Gluten Free Diets-Many parents have spoken about the difference a gluten free diet can make with their children. A gluten free diet (also referred to, as casein free diet) is introduced to autistic children because, children with autism are often allergic to gluten, which is the protein in wheat, or casein, that is in the protein of milk. If you are able to eliminate these ingredients from the diet, the children usually do not react to having an allergy. Many children may have a full recovery after an autism diagnosis by using a gluten free diet. This is extremely difficult for parents, to eliminate every day foods containing wheat and milk which may be impossible to do for some. The parents who have taken this step, have seen positive changes in their child, and have stated, that is worth it to use the gluten free diet.

*Detoxification-Some parents report that they have experienced results in detoxification of metallic substances, which is the term used for, inactivation of metallic substances. This method is used by medical professionals to bind metals together in medications, and vaccinations. Some children with autism have been reported to have high levels of metal in their systems, meaning, they cannot adequately rid their bodies of mercury following vaccinations. Some children, because they are unable to dispose of the metals in their bodies, are causing overdosing of the metal in their system. Detoxification is known to rid the body of these problematic metals. These therapies are reported by some to work, but are very costly, although there are some over the counter products available for purchase online.

*Antifungal Treatments-Many children seem to respond to anti fungal treatments, which limit the growth of fungi and other microorganisms, which are often detected in the urine of autistic children. There are some forms of fungi and yeasts that are known to cause erratic behavior, and problems like hyperactivity, irritability, aggression, and confusion. These behaviors are considered to be one of the most obvious behavioral issues in autism. With this treatment to rid the child of fungi, the behavioral difficulties appear to subside. Although it is not proven and the results will differ from person to person, most parents admit that every bit of help in this area, to improve the behavior is worth the difficulty of the treatment for their child with autism.

When searching for alternative treatments for autism, these are just a few of the popular approaches that some caregivers and parents have seen to benefit their children.

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Autism Alternative Treatments - Eliminate Diary And Wheat To Eliminate Autism

As more information is found about autism, researchers are suggesting alternative forms of treatment. One of the ways to reduce symptoms is by eliminating dairy from an autistic person's diet. Researchers feel that one of the phosoproteins found in dairy, casein, is responsible for some of the behaviors of autism. By eliminating casein from the diet, an autistic person will be helped out with their behaviors. It has not been proven to show improvement in cognitive skills, social skills or motor ability.

One thing to note is that this isn't a cure for autism. This is only served as a way to help certain behaviors. Casein is found in all dairy products so it would mean removing foods such as milk, ice cream and yogurt from the autistic person's meals. Casein is also used as a binding agent and is found in some hot dogs. Another tactic that is used once casein is delimited from the diet is removing gluten as well. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products. This is believed to have the same effect as casein.

Before you start any of these programs, speak with your doctor about alternative treatments and discuss the methods you will read here. At this time you may also want to see an allergist and get tested to see if they have any allergies to food. It could turn out they are actually allergic to dairy products. When you first start the casein-free diet, keep a journal of the activities for the patient. You might want to start this about two weeks before you actually begin the diet so you will have something to compare it with. Right down all of the activities and note the times. If having a casein-free diet does help, you won't see the results right away. This is going to take several months, so you have to be patient.

Casein will stay in a person's system for some time so there is no way to know if the dairy-free diet is working yet. The same is the true with a gluten-free diet, but gluten stays in the system longer. Also you don't want to try too many things at once because too many changes can upset the autistic person.

If you do eliminate dairy from the diet, you have to find other ways to substitute calcium. Try vitamins or calcium-enriched foods. This is especially important in children because calcium is important for the growth of a child.

A casein-free diet can get expensive. You also might have some difficulty finding milk substitutes at the local grocery store. You can look through specialty shops or check nutritional stores. If you have no luck at either of these places, go on the Internet and find special mail orders websites. You can find all the foods you need here. The Internet also offers casein-free recipes. However, with more people suffering from dairy allergies and wheat allergies, many products are available without casein and gluten.

If after some time this method isn't working, you can safely add dairy back into your autistic child's life. Just because it didn't work, don't feel as though you have failed. This is only suggested as a way to curb someone of the behaviors of autism, not put an end to it.

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Alternative Treatments for Children With Autism

(For easier reading and flow, I have used he/him/his throughout this article. Obviously these words are interchangeable with she/her)

"That alternative treatment is unproven by medical science. Don't waste your money. Wait until the research has been done and published in peer-reviewed medical journals." That's easy for you say...you don't have to live with a child with autism day after day, and see him wasting away in the face of his hidden potential. A child who held the promise of being a normal, intelligent child, who is now trapped under the mask of autism. I am talking about the child with autism who can't communicate. He bites his fingers, bangs his head against the wall, huddles in the corner of his bedroom covering his head with a blanket and moans, as he tries to shut out frustrating environmental sounds, sights and smells that he can't make sense of, or internal sensations and pain that he can't communicate. If you try to comfort him, he becomes aggressive. You don't know what to do. You can only watch as the tears run down your face.

Being a parent of a child with autism makes you feel every emotion possible. It's frightening, disappointing, lonely, and frustrating. You feel angry, trapped, and financially drained. But sometimes it's humorous, enlightening and educational. And there are rare moments when you feel absolutely joyous because he shows you a skill that you never knew he had. You didn't teach it to him. It was there all the time - trapped. But because of a so-called unproven treatment, the skill emerged. And you are one step closer to knowing your child.

Interventions can be educational, behavioral, therapeutic, psycho pharmacological, and/or bio-medical. A multi-treatment approach is most likely to reap the best results over time - a long time. But who can afford all of it and where do you start?

The good news is that there is an abundance of information on the internet about alternative treatments for autism. The bad news is that there is an abundance of information on the internet for alternative treatments for autism. There are so many unproven and expensive alternative treatments for children with autism, some of which are very beneficial for some children with autism, but not others. How are parents supposed to sort through it all? They must spend hundreds of hours educating themselves and then use their gut instincts to make the right choices for their family.

Recent studies have shown that many children with autism have significant co-existing medical (physiological) conditions that need to be addressed. However, because of the lack of proper evidence of the effectiveness of biomedical treatments, most medical doctors won't even test their patients with autism for possible physiological conditions. But an abundance of anecdotal evidence exists that some of these treatments can be very effective. Most medical doctors, who have spent some time researching biomedical treatments for autism, will agree that they are definitely worth a trial despite the fact that this is an emerging field, and clear-cut treatment protocols are lacking.

Even with a proven intervention such as ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis, Lovaas) the rate of effectiveness is controversial. The literature shows that intensive behavioural therapy clearly benefits children with autism; however, the original effectiveness claim by Lovaas was overstated. In the original controlled study and its follow-up, the 19 children with autism who were treated intensively with behaviour therapy for 2 years were reported to gain an average of 30 IQ points, while nearly half of them were able to participate in mainstream education and were indistinguishable from their peers. However, both controlled and uncontrolled published studies have failed to corroborate the original claim of achieving normal functioning. There are so many variables; such as the age of the child, the severity of the autism, the quality and intensity of the program, the skills of the instructor-therapist and program supervisor, etc. All of these will make a difference as to whether or not a child will benefit from ABA or Intensive Behavioural Intervention, and to what degree.

You may have heard the phrase...If you meet one child with autism; you have met one child with autism. Due to the fact that each child with autism will have a different combination of a variety of issues that present themselves as autistic symptoms, each child will require an extremely individualized treatment plan. A combination of biomedical interventions and therapeutic, educational, and behavioral programs such as Intensive Behavioral Intervention can have profound effects. So parents have to educate themselves and be their child's own case manager. This is a daunting task for many parents since they are already overwhelmed with their child's needs.

You may have heard that early intervention is essential. However, through no fault of your own, your child may not have been diagnosed early by a medical doctor. Time doesn't stand still, and while you are enduring long waiting lists for government services, and trial-and-error treatments, your child will continue to age. But no matter how old your child gets, never give up on him.

Visit AFASE at School http://www.afase.com/Bio-Medical_Treatments.html to join the only doctor directed biomedical website that educates and empowers you to treat and possibly recover your child from autism.

For more resources to help you ensure that your children are getting the best from their educational program, browse through my site http://www.afase.com/Resources_Links.html and sign up to receive my free advocacy tips and news.

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