Biomedical treatments for autism

1. Language -improvments in receptive and expressive language 
2. Socialization - increase in social awareness, social interaction, appropriate play
3. Eye Contact - eye contact improvements and improvements with responding to being called by name
4. Behaviour - improvements in mood,attention, and ability to focus, reduction in stimming, reduction in tantrums, self injurious and aggressive behaviours
5. Sensory - improvements in tolerance to touch and environmental stimuli, reduction in overall sensitivities to light, sound and texture
6. Overall health- improvements in digestion and immune function and growth acceleration

Parents often ask me if they should wait for their official diagnosis before beginning biological treatments. My answer is always a resounding "NO". A diagnosis never impacts or changes the means in which  I treat a child. The imbalances in our physiology do not change unless we actively seek out treatment. These imbalances if left untreated lead to inflammation in our body and ultimately cause neuronal degradation in the brain. When our neurons are not functioning normally we see aberrant behaviors, social problems, loss of eye contact, mental health issues and impaired learning. It is crucial to realize the earlier a child is treated the quicker the response to treatment and the better the prognosis. For this reason alone I encourage early intervention and hence we are more likely to encounter a faster recovery. 

Before beginning your journey in the biomedical world it is important to fill out the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) found here. This will give us a baseline prior to treatment and to help determine treatment success. The ATEC score will continue to decline over the course of treatment.

Recent research from the University of California has revealed that children with autism have a different profile of inflammatory cytokines compared to neurotypical children. This is especially true for children who were typically developing and then regressed. They possessed more inflammatory cytokines in their blood.  If this is correct, it points to two important factors 1) Immune problems can lead directly to behavioral problems and 2) Regressive forms of autism could potentially be a sign of an immune disorder. 

Now, it is important to realize that this inflammatory state can be triggered by many environmental factors. The standard North American diet, food allergens, exposure to chemicals in the womb (a baby's first home) or nursery, over vaccination, stress and excessive antibiotic use can all exacerbate this pro- inflammatory state. In addition to our precarious environment, a child's biochemistry can add fuel to the fire. Mitochondrial issues, poor detoxification capacity, nutrient deficiencies, lack of essential fatty acids, and gastrointestinal  dysbiosis all increase inflammation in our bodies crossing the blood brain barrier and ultimately cause problems with the brain. All of these factors need to be investigated in each child on the spectrum if full recovery is to take place.