Parents Try Alternative Treatments for Autism

Many families are turning toward to special diets and/or psychotropic medications to help better manage autism spectrum disorder and its symptoms in their children, two new studies show.

The CDC estimates that about one in 110 children in the U.S. have an autism spectrum disorder, the umbrella name given to a group of disorders that can range from the mild to the severe that often affect social and communication abilities.

One study shows that 21% of children with autism spectrum disorder are using complementary and alternative medical therapies. Of these, 17% were on special diets, most commonly a gluten-free or casein-fee diet.

Another study shows that more than one-quarter of children with autism spectrum disorder receive at least one psychotropic medication to treat some of their behavioral symptoms such as hyperactivity or irritability.

Both studies were presented at the Pediatric Academy Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, and were sponsored by the Autism Treatment Network, a network of 14 centers across the U.S. and Canada that is focused on developing standards of care for treating children with autism spectrum disorder.

"Complementary medicine is used for all sorts of things such as arthritis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so to see it being used for children on the spectrum is pretty much expected," says Daniel Coury, MD, chief of developmental behavioral pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and the medical director of the Autism Treatment Network.

"Families may be looking at complementary treatment because traditional medical treatments may not be doing the job for their child," he says. There is some anecdotal evidence that these diets may improve symptoms among some children with autism.

Parents need to make sure that their child's doctors are aware of what they are taking as some alternative therapies may have side effects on their own or when used in combination with other therapies, he says.

Psychotropic Medications

The study shows that younger children with autism were less likely than older kids to receive psychotropic medications. Sixty percent of children aged 11 and older took one psychotropic drug, compared with 44% of children aged 6 to 10, 11% of children ages 3 to 5, and 4% of children under age 3. The most commonly used medications were stimulants to help treat ADHD symptoms and a drug called risperidone, which is prescribed to treat irritability. Older children were more likely to be taking more than one psychotropic drug, the study shows.

The study raises some questions about how, when, and even why these medications are being used in autism treatment, Coury says.

"It may be that parents and doctors are not treating these children when they are first diagnosed, which usually occurs at very young ages," Coury says. But "as the diagnosis is established, there is a higher likelihood of medications being prescribed. Or the use of these drugs may reflect those children who are more severely affected or don't have access to other nonmedical treatments such as intensive behavioral therapies," he says.

Children who are diagnosed with autism often see numerous specialists several times a week for various types of speech and behavioral therapy.

But "if these therapies are not available, parents may reach for plan B or plan C," he says.

read more» Read more...

Using a Gluten- And Casein-free Diet Against Autism

Even before the Defeat Autism Now Protocol cited the removal of gluten and casein in one’s diet as an effective action against the symptoms of autism (and, ultimately, against the disease itself), these two proteins have already been linked to a number of diseases and complications. For instance, people suffering from the celiac disease (a small intense autoimmune disorder) and from wheat allergies are asked to follow a gluten-free diet. Kalle Reichelt, in her breakthrough research during the 1990s, cited that gluten and casein can have opioid-like effects, blocking pain receptors in the body, among others. With these, it has already been established that gluten and casein can be harmful to people suffering from autism.

Recent developments in the study on autism cite that following a gluten-free and casein-free diet can cure autism. The cause of autism, of course, has not been settled yet, although a number of theories abound. One of the theories becoming more and more prominent today is that autism is caused by a number of external factors—from vaccines to toxins. Again, while those who contend that autism is a brain disorder remain firm with their stand, many of them have already said that autism could have been triggered by these external factors, giving validation to the claim of the Autism Research Institute, among others, that autism is not just a mental disorder.

But how can a gluten- and casein-free diet cure autism?

According to a number of researches done by the Autism Research Institute, gluten and casein produce toxins that can damage parts of the body. These toxins seep through vital organs, including the brain, which could have caused autism. A research in Canada validates this claim—when gluten and casein were given to test rats, their brain became inflamed, a condition that also happens to the brains of people with autism. By removing gluten and casein in one’s diet, one can also avoid these harmful toxins.

Of course, a gluten- and casein-free diet (also known as the GFCF diet) would take time before its effects become evident. Also, some patients are not responsive to this treatment; something that can be attributed to the claimed number of reasons for the development of autism in a person. This is why the GFCF diet is usually done together with other Defeat Autism Now (or DAN) treatments, such as chelation (a treatment to remove heavy metals from the body) and the use of supplements such as probiotics and amino acids.

The GFCF diet should be done for a minimum of six months in order to take effect; something that others find difficult since gluten and casein (proteins found in wheat, rye, and milk) food products are among the main proponents of any child’s child. This is why DAN doctors also suggest the use of vitamin supplements, to give the patients the necessary nutrients they are missing from not taking dairy products and wheat, among others. Drug manufacturer Kirkman also creates food products that do not contain gluten and casein.

By : Donna Mason
Source : www.isnare.com

read more» Read more...