Showing posts with label regression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label regression. Show all posts

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Autism Treatment - Clostridia & Regression

There is an issue with regression that comes up frequently in my practice. Oftentimes, this regression will happen following a course of antibiotic treatment or following antifungal treatments, and rather than improvement, you see regression. Antifungal treatments can include prescriptions such as Nystatin, Diflucan or Nizoral or herbal remedies like oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract, etc. If you see a worsening in behavior along the lines of irritability, aggression, self injury or withdrawal, you could be seeing signs of an underlying bacterial problem.

A common bacteria that many children on the Autism spectrum deal with is called clostridia. There are many types of clostridia bacteria, one type is called clostridia dificil and can actually cause one form of inflammatory bowel disease. When we talk about these negative behavioral changes and regression, we are not talking about this type. Although that form can produce certain toxins that could contribute to these negative behaviors but we are really talking about the broad family of clostridia rather that a specific form.

Great Plains Labs has two tests called the Organic Acid Test and the Microbial Organic Acid Test which look at the specific yeast and clostridia bacteria markers. HPHPA is the clostridia marker and a metabolic toxin that is picked up on these tests. That metabolic toxin appears to interfere with brain chemicals, which then can manifest in some of those behavioral issues we see with kids on the spectrum.

Yeast and clostridia live in competition with one another in the digestive tract. So that is why we often see regression with the use of antifungals. If you are not treating them both at the same time, when one is lowered then the other one can tend to flourish. So if you are treating a yeast overgrowth without also treating a clostridia overgrowth, clostridia can get worse because it has less competition from the yeast that is dying. You can also have an increase in clostridia following antibiotic use as that can kill off the beneficial bacteria in the gut which allows more growth for the opportunistic clostridia. If you see regression in your child following a course of antibiotics or antifungals, it may be wise to look into whether a clostridia overgrowth is the cause.

Autism really is treatable! Biomedical Autism treatments and therapies have resulted in many, many children improving, or even even losing their autism-spectrum disorder diagnosis. For lots more free biomedical autism intervention information and videos from Dr. Woeller, go to http://www.AutismRecoveryTreatment.com.

Dr. Kurt Woeller is an biomedical autism Intervention specialist, with a private practice in Southern California for over 10 years. He has helped children recover from autism, ADD, ADHD, and other disorders, and has the information you need to help your child. Download his free ebook at http://www.AutismActionPlan.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Kurt_Woeller



Sunday, August 21, 2011

Autism Treatment - Causes of Regression

I want to cover the issue of regression, and particularly since the holidays are over, the issue of regression after the holidays. There are several children that I see in my practice who have been very impacted by regression and it is very disturbing for their families. When you have a child who is progressing, has good eye contact, language and socialization and suddenly regresses, losing eye contact, language and is now engaged in more self stimulatory and sensory seeking behaviors, you must ask what is going on?

With the holidays there are always special concerns to address regarding regression, the first is dietary infractions. Maybe over the holidays a child has gluten or dairy that they are not used to eating and that is contributing to regression. Another dietary issue over the holidays is increased sugar and artificial ingredients intake and that can also contribute to regression. Between school parties, parties at friends house, etc, there are more opportunities for dietary infractions that can all add up to regressive behaviors. And if your child has a yeast sensitivity, increase sugars can contribute to yeast overgrowth, leading to issues with eye contact, self stimulatory behaviors and sensory issues.

With the holidays also come changes in schedule and routine that can impact regression. School schedules change with holidays, there is a lot of excitement, maybe even travel involved. That change can make a big impact on a child with Autism and can even cause regression for some kids. And when school starts back up for school aged children after having a few weeks off, that can also cause regression. And when school aged children have to return to school after being off for a couple of weeks, that transition can also spark regression. And if therapy schedules had to be altered during the holidays, that can cause regression as well. The holidays can be very overwhelming and any combination of these things can all increase the possibility of regression. So it may take a parent looking back over a time period to see what has changed in their child's diet, routine or environment to find the cause of their regressive behavior.

Autism really is treatable! Biomedical Autism treatments and therapies have resulted in many, many children improving, or even even losing their autism-spectrum disorder diagnosis. For lots more free biomedical autism intervention information and videos from Dr. Woeller, go to http://www.AutismRecoveryTreatment.com.

Dr. Kurt Woeller is an biomedical autism Intervention specialist, with a private practice in Southern California for over 10 years. He has helped children recover from autism, ADD, ADHD, and other disorders, and has the information you need to help your child. Download his free ebook at http://www.AutismActionPlan.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Kurt_Woeller