There May be Hope for Children with Autism!

My husband and I recently met a couple with two children. The older boy, possibly 10-12 years old, was clearly Autistic. I had not done much research on this condition before, so decided this might be a very good time to learn more. And I was very surprised by what I found!

Autism is often diagnosed based on impairment of social interactions and communication, as well as certain behavior patterns. As many as 2% of children (1 in 45) are diagnosed with Autism. Some are born with it, and some go thru a “regression” where the symptoms start showing up after birth, usually by age two.

First defined in 1943 by Leo Kanner, Autism was immediately labeled as a psychiatric disorder. And unfortunately, this condition is still treated that way even though much research has been published stating that it is actually a medical condition!

Many studies have been published, establishing Autism as ongoing neuroinflammation, or encephalitis (which means inflammation of the brain). This inflammation can be caused either by an infection, or by an autoimmune reaction.

For more information, please see the following medical paper.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4717322/
This is a summary of several studies about the medical pathology of Autism, and it also includes links to the actual studies. 

My very best friend happens to be a licensed Psychologist. When I talked to her about Autism, she replied that she had tried to treat a young girl with Autism several years ago. But in her sessions with this girl, she felt there was no basis to treat the condition as a psychological condition. And even though her colleagues strongly disagree, she also believes Autism is a medical condition.

While there are some wonderful herbs available that could help with infections, brain inflammation, and autoimmune responses, I am hesitant to make a blanket herbal recommendation, for the following reasons…

1. Herbs chosen would be dependent on the CAUSE of the inflammation. Autoimmune response would be treated differently than an infection. And only a medical doctor can perform the proper testing to determine the cause of the inflammation.
2. Children are very sensitive to herbs, and sometimes have a poor reaction to them that an adult may not have. If herbs were to be used for this condition, the child would need to be closely monitored for adverse reactions.

Please help spread the word! If you know of someone with Autism, please pass on this information. Autism is widespread, and could have a much more favorable outcome, leading to a much happier life for the child, and the parents who care for the child.