Autism - Signs, Symptoms, Treatments, Resources, Support for Autism

Having your child diagnosed with autism can be overwhelming. Autism is all over the news these days , with significantly more children being diagnosed with this condition today than in recent generations. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects the brain, develops within a child's first few years of life and affects verbal, social, emotional, physical and intellectual functioning. The causes of autism are not fully understood, and its severity and responsiveness to various treatments vary widely from child to child. Some autism experts believe a healthy diet might help children with autism function more successfully. Step 1 Consult your child's physician or a registered dietitian with autism experience first. According to Northwestern University...

No one really knows why so many children with autism are picky eaters, says Kimberly Kroeger -Geoppinger, an assistant pediatrics professor at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. But there's no doubt that it's a common phenomenon. That means that parents' permissiveness is probably not the cause. Kroeger says there are several possible reasons for autistic children's pickiness. "We know that children with autism tend to select down, eliminating one food from their diet at a time. The reasons could be sensory (a new discomfort with a particular smell, taste or feel), or even a randomly developed routine."  Very often, says Kroeger, kids with autism will slowly start to reject previously favored foods. You might find that your child won't eat a certain food one day, and rejects it again the next. If that happens, he may be working toward absolute rejection of the food. If you see that happening, start right away with the nex...

Nature and nurture are in a never ending battle to claim the disposition of our children. While it’s true that the apple rarely tumbles too far from the tree, it is also true that there are a multitude of things we as parents can do to safeguard the childhoods of our children, limit their exposure to the more damaging elements the world will see fit to introduce in time, and do our best to raise a healthy and happy child. We might not be able to help the variety of our branches, but we are the ones who control the nutrients in their soil and the sunlight in their sky. In addition to the obvious things such as making sure your child is consuming the right nutrients, staying hydrated, and getting the quantity of sleep and exercise a growing body needs, here are a few secrets that can help you raise a child with autism.... 1. Let your child know you are excited to see them when they enter the room. Let them see the light dance inside your eyes when their gaze drifts ...

In March, a federal court ruled that the evidence supporting an alleged link between autism and a mercury-containing preservative in vaccines was not persuasive, and that the families of children who have  autism were not entitled to compensation. Vaccine court finds no link to autism In February, a notorious study that linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism and digestive disorders, was retracted 12 years after it was published.  Its lead author Dr. Andrew Wakefield was found to have acted unethically in conducting the research by the British entity that oversees doctors.   Medical journal retracts study linking autism to vaccine As research  indicates that the rates of autism are increasing and that about 1 percent of the children in the United States have the disorder,  there is an increasing body of science looking into causes and contributing factors to the mysterious condition. Here are some major findings according...

As with any illness, disease, or disorder, there are a number of medicine options available to help control these symptoms. It is important to remember that none of these medications will "cure" autism; they simply help control some of the effects of the disorder. There are advantages and disadvantages to each drug, as they all have side effects as well as benefits. When choosing medicines to effectively treat autism, your doctor can make recommendations, but since autism is a disorder which varies from person to person, you should use drugs very carefully, watching to see how the body reacts to the treatments. First, consider the safety of the drug. Some cannot be used in children or in people under a certain weight. Make sure the dosage is easy to understand and before you choose one medicine or another find out how it is administered (pills, injections, liquid, etc). This is important if you are not comfortable with certain methods, such as injecting yourself or your chi...

Usually the first treatment mentioned for Autism is medication. This is changing. More people are open to trying alternative treatments. Medications can 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 products  to eliminating dairy from the diet. Some Autistic children have a sensitivity to certain ingredients in food. These ingredients will contribute to behavioral problems, or meltdowns when eaten. Omega 3's Omega 3 has been found to be helpful in treating Autism, as well as many other disorders. People using the Omega 3 have found better sleep patterns, social interaction, and over all health of their child. People wanting to try this alternative treatment can add fish oil to their children's diet. Fish oil can be found in capsule for or liquid. Some children have trouble swall...

In an effort to do everything possible to help their children, many parents continually seek new treatments. Some treatments are developed by reputable therapists or by parents of a child with ASD. Although an unproven treatment may help one child, it may not prove beneficial to another. To be accepted as a proven treatment, the treatment should undergo clinical trials, preferably randomized, double-blind trials, that would allow for a comparison between treatment and no treatment. Although many studies have been done to assess whether abnormal amounts of vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients can be found in people with autism, results have not clearly pointed to any abnormalities that are consistently linked with the disorder. Although few, if any, of these claims are backed up by scientific studies, parents and physicians alike have reported improvement in symptoms in people given certain supplements, including vitamin B, magnesium, cod liver oil, and vitamin C. S...

Question: What Do Doctors Say About Autism Diets?   What do doctors say about autism diets? Can they really make a difference?   Answer: While some practitioners (Defeat Autism Now doctors in particular) recommend special autism diets for their patients, most mainstream practitioners do not. This is most likely because many of the theories behind these diets (most of which eliminate wheat and dairy) appear to be incorrect - and others are not fully researched. The bottom line, however, is that Gluten Free Cassein Free (GFCF) diets can make a difference for some children with autism. This is probably not because they heal or cure underlying symptoms of autism, but because they treat gastrointestinal problems which are surprisingly common among children with autism (about 12% to 19% of children with autism have chronic diarrhea, constipation, reflux and other issues). Dr. Cynthia Molloy is a researcher at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinn...