Natural Remedies for Autism

I work with autistic and aspergers children and adults and have for years. I think diet is the cure. The results are amazing. Dairy, gluten and sugar free. I've seen nothing but good results even with just good effort. These things are not in a 'doctor's' repretoire at all so it's up to you to do it yourself. The only problem I've seen is most autistic children have a parent in the spectrum, and are too set in their ways to do things differently, they would rather accept that there is no treatment than change their diets. I really commend both the parents and adults with AS here that are willing to try do something about it.

@BJ... I compose three juices for her per day with all of her supplements. I include the cod liver oil in that, but I also include liquid spectrum support vitamins and minerals (much more bioavailable and easier for her system to process), liquid zinc and colostrum. I also use MB-12 spray, probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Autism can be greatly helped by use of much greater amounts of vitamin D than recommended by standard medical practice. See the website of Dr. John Cannell www.vitamindcouncil.org) for dramatic and awesome improvement in those with autism when higher doses of vitamin D are used. It seems that higher doses of vitamin D has broad application to very many ill health conditions, including certain cancers, osteoporosis, depression, heart disease, hypertension, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, autoimmune diseases.

@Christie from Charlotte, NC. Do you put the cod liver oil in her food or just in a spoon?

I was reading through Metametrix labs and I found that the lab found often a protozoa of unknown taxonomy called PPTU by the lab ( Protozoa present Taxonomy unavailable) in children with autsim. According to Dr Ustman, a world leading doctor of autism, some chronic bacterial infections also are responsible for the disease ( Mycobacteria, L bacteria).

Her protocol is to disturb the bacterial biofilms first using Nattokinase with EDTA then introducing an antimicrobial. The die-off is quite high so she recomanded to use activated charcoal to reduce the toxins.

I believe that autismtic kids were infected by their parents unintentionally because their parents harbor the infection also or they were infected right after being born.

I hope in the future that some research will be pointed toward the cause of Austim ( infection) and not just the symptoms to help this kids who are the victims of pharmaceutical conspiracies.
Tommy.

I just want to tell you that I so apprecite your post. I cried when I read it. My daughter is 5 now and was diagnosed with autism when she was 3. My journey with autism sounds remarkably similar to yours... I also gained 65 lbs in depression weight, or perhaps it's frustration weight. I have battled with her teachers, consulted with three different DAN! Doctors, and cried myself to sleep so many times. I am curious to give rhodiola a try. Bless you and your son. All will be well. :-)

My daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with autism in 2008. Since then, I've implemented the gluten-free casein free diet and it has made a remarkable difference in her life. I know that several autism parents shy away from this lifestyle because it seems like such a tremendous undertaking. The truth, however, is that it's not that hard to do! You learn to read the labels carefully, you learn what your child loves and hates and most of all, you see the difference. Ava and I, together, have made some of the most inedible cake you could imagine but we've also made some amazing chocolate chip cookies using tapioca and sorghum flours.

Regardless of how immediate or immense your child's results may be, I think the most important thing about this diet is the lesson that it teaches these children. I have read and spoken with so many adults on the spectrum who report the difference in how they feel after half a serving of dairy or wheat. This has struck me so profoundly because food choices are SO important for these children. One day, they will be making choices for themselves, so arming them with knowledge of why soda might make them feel funny, for example, is such a powerful gift to me. It's possible that gluten and casein may not be their sensitivities or may not be their ONLY sensitivity, but that opens the door to observe the effects of eggs, soy, etc. My daughter is now 5 and when someone offers her pizza (her FAVORITE!! ) she will politely hold her hand up and say, "No thank you. That is yucky for Ava! " :-)

The other lifesaver in our life has been cod liver oil. Not only does it serve as an excellent booster in her immune system (so many of these kids have such weak immunities), but it keeps her SO focused. I remember the first day I gave cod liver oil to Ava, I cried uncontrollably because she made willing eye contact with me! And I didn't even have to ask for it. It's pretty amazing stuff.

Carolyn:
Are you a member of any support group of children with autism?

Regardless, I do hope you are keeping up with the latest news out January 28 of a MMR vaccine reporting fraud, this one by the journal BMJ in an apparent attempt to character assassinate Dr. Andrew Wakefield and showing gross manipulation of facts and lying going back to 1996:

www.naturalnews.com/031116_Dr_Andrew_Wakefield_British_Medical_Journal.html

These documents reveal that the British Medical Journal has been caught in its own fraud for willfully ignoring this evidence, which was presented to it long before its recent publication of Brian Deer's article calling Dr Wakefield a fraud.

The BMJ willfully ignored this evidence and simply decided to destroy Dr Wakefield's professional reputation by any means necessary. As Dr Wakefield explains:

This is just the tip of the iceberg of the outright deception that has been used by the BMJ and Brian Deer in their attempt to silence a doctor whose only "crime" was publicly expressing concern about the safety of MMR vaccines.

That the BMJ and its writer Brian Deer have now been caught ignoring evidence and engaging in their own fraud gives credence to the idea that MMR vaccines may, indeed, not only be dangerous; but that they may be so dangerous that the top medical journals have to lie about the facts in order to protect them.

Hi Ted... If you have a moment, I would like to discuss with you the 85% incidence rate of pyroluria/kryptopyrrole/mauve factor in autistic individuals. Your intutive recommendations for anxiety and other psychiatric disorders, as well as for hair loss, all tie into the "big picture". My questions have to do with the order of treatment, as heavy metal toxicity, autoimmune disorders and gastrointestinal problems all feed off of each other.

Please also note that the treatment for pyroluria automatically results in metal purging (most notably copper). Your input would be invaluable, to both my son and the millions of autistic children in the world today.

Yes, that 2000 Simpson Wood conference by vaccine docs and execs, the minutes of which had to be forced out by a FOIA request to the US fed government, is telling!

The clear and bounteous evidence for the link is well established and entire rehab type clinics are running all across the USA .

One pioneer MD who has been successfully treating autistic patients for about 6 years now by removing the mercury and also the autism is David Geier. His father is also an MD. He presently has a client list of thousands at a time.

It's not anyone's imagination.

As expected, this makes him not very popular with the mainstream medicos, nor with "information" sites like wikipedia, quackwatch. , etc.

Remember that at least there is somebody who fortunately watches the real quackpot, and he is here:

www.quackpotwatch.org

Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is a MUST READ for any parent of a child with autism..... She explains in great depth what exactly happens to make one have a sick gut and how to heal it..... She explains why a gluten and casein free diet works well for many children with autism, but not for all. There is more to it.... The gut can be healed completely so the peptides no longer leak through the gut and she explains in great detail how to do so through the GAPS diet. Allergies, asthma, eczema, etc. are all early signs of a sick gut. A MUST READ!

It is really difficult to get rid of candida/leaky gut if the toxic metal problem isn't addressed. Zeolite products, chlorella, spirulina, cilantro, fermented foods - these should probably be in your arsenal. The other thing I've noticed, in general, is that the toxic metal/candida/leaky gut trio also leads to more than the usual number of allergies. This is probably why one acquaintance has successfully resolved all of her son's autistic tendencies with extreme diet observation/monitoring/controlling. Any mistakes lead to a slide back to autistic symptoms. NAET practitioners have done a study that showed that energetic elimination of allergies in autistic children leads to increasingly normal function, too.

I really appreciate the benefits of both elimination diets and NAET, but for long-term health I think it is important to remove the toxins, prevent further introduction of toxins, balance the gut as you mention doing with probiotics, and healing the gut with proper nutrition. Thanks for bringing up this important topic. Not enough people realize the link between leaky gut and autism, nor the important info on vaccinations.

Link Between Gut Health and Autism

I am convinced that autism begins in the gut. My own struggles with candida overgrowth and leaky gut syndrome led me to believe that even while I was pregnant with my 3rd child, a son born 02/02/09, that he would have health and possibly mental issues. While in my belly he was extremely hyper and although I tried my best to restrict my diet I could feel that something would be different with my baby. He has been breast feed from the beginning and still breast feeds, but it has not prevented signs of autism.

Because I knew of my own health conditions I opted from the start not to give my son any vaccinations. I noticed about 3 weeks after he was born that his tongue was white like mine, which means I passed my own compromised immune system to my son. I was determined to breast feed because I wanted him to have the best chance possible to help build his immune system, but still the autistic signs emerged early on. When he was 5 months old I took myself to a natural path who explained that I must strictly restrict gluten and milk in my diet so as to not harm my baby. Although, my son seemed to nurse around the clock he never gained weight properly and seemed always hungry. His pediatrician advised I introduce cereal into his diet and although I knew of my own allergy to gluten I gave my son cereal mixed in Similac to stave off his hunger and help him gain weight. This was a huge mistake as he immediately, broke out in hives and diarrhea. I believed if I avoided the vaccinations and watched my diet carefully while nursing I could help strengthen his immune system and avoid autism.

I have since learned that it is possibly the mercury in vaccinations that damage the immune system. I have also learned that wheat products today are full of mercury. When introducing wheat to a child born with an already weakened immune system it reeks havoc on the body. I have found through trial and error that not only keeping my son from wheat and dairy are important, but also peanuts due to the high amount of fungus they carry. We avoid giving him sugar and corn products because they effect the gut flora and cause hyper behavior in most children, but especially those that are on the autistic spectrum.

I have recently introduced fivelac probiotics and he has shown much improvement in his eating habits and weight gain. We are not out of the woods yet, but hopefully as we push towards his 2nd birthday his speech will improve. He has excellent motor skills and makes eye contact and interacts well with people, but we still have speech delay.

Where do I get this herb?

Karyn Seroussi's Book on Autism

We read your article, but yrs ago read an article from the library about children being on antibiotics, and for long term, destroys the natural flora. Every time we tried the chewable pro-biotics (refrigerated), he improved, so much so...we would forget...and he would quit taking them, and the symptoms always returned, each time getting greater in intensity. Well... after things got progressively worse...we read your article. We knew our son had asthma and was already on goat's milk. He had tried soy, rice milk, etc., but didn't care for them. We decided to take our son off goat milk, as it contains trace amounts of casein, and also took him off gluten in wheat. He is back on chewable pro-biotics (acidophilis) 2x day. His symptoms have improved greatly. After speaking with a person at a health food store out of state, we were told once the body restores itself back to health, our son would be able to get off the gluten and casein free diet. (Perhaps not the casein, because of the asthma). We found a health food store that carries gluten free casein free pizza, muffins, soups, cookies, crackers, pretzels, and has mixes to make cakes, cookies, etc. We are thankful for your post and wanted you to know about the pro-biotic replacement therapy, that is working for us, as we see improvements. We did, even before he was on the gluten and casein free diet. It only makes sense...because the antibiotics destroy the flora...and it will take time to prelace. Our son had no ear infections the first year of his life...then had almost constant infections from year 1-2 of his life. So...he may need to be on probiotics for a year or longer...we don't know...but just know he is feeling better...can study better, stay focused better...so we give the Glory to God. :) May God be with and bless you and yours for your sharing your knowledge over the internet. Blessings, the Lakes.

Great article entitled Magnesium and Autism in Dr. Mark Sircus' latest newsletter:

http://magnesiumforlife.com/medical-application/magnesium-and-autism/

Have you ever heard of Edgar Casey, the sleeping prophet? He had some very interesting thoughts on seizures and autism. He believed that they were not neurological but intestinal issues he talked about the lactic ducts having lesions and that using castor oil compresses along with diet and spinal adjustments actually could cure the seizures. He died before Autism had surfaced, but mentioned patients with very similar symptoms and this same approach had worked for them also. If anything it is a very interesting read and worth looking into. RONDI

My son was diagnosed with Pdd-nos or asperger's syndrome which are both on the autism spectrum about 2 1/2 years ago. This came after a long battle with special needs school district, pyschiatrists, pyschologists, therapists, and his regular pediatrician all misdiagnosing him for about 3-4 years. From everything of ADHD to Bi-polar disorder, we have finally come to rest on this with all of the testing that was done. I have tried so many different prescription medications to control his anger and rage, most basically putting him in a fog through the day just so he would not hurt himself or anyone else. I know this story is long but bear with me it is important to know everything i have tried to get to here.

With appointments to 2 different DAN ( defeat autism now) doctors(with tons of bloodwork and no results or help) and a weight gain of around 80 lbs from depression on my side, I finally stumbled onto an interesting website or personal blog for ADHD. A lady was documenting her journey with her son and his struggle to remain normal (whatever that means anymore). She spoke of this herb and how it helped him. I instantly started research on the herb, nervous to give it to my 9 year old son. Well he has been taking it for 2 1/2 weeks now, and i have him completely off his medication for aggression. He only takes vitamin supplements and this herb, which is a miracle. He actually acts like a normal child now, and works things through in his mind instead of instantly attacking or throwing a temper tantrum. He no longer attacks his sisters or hurts himself if he does not get his way. He actually laughs a lot more, and he gets further in his video games without my assistance or trying to break the video game console. Amazing?!?! I think so, but i also upped his amount fish oil which i think might be a little help, but there is no way it can take all of the credit! He is taking ____ rhodiola____ ____ once a day in the morning. And i cannot wait for school to start, Maybe this year instead of being a whiz at just math he will learn to read and hopefully ride a bike and tie his shoes! Wonder herb this is!

Raw milk is the best! My tummy feels so much better when I drink that! I also find that I don't get that lost feeling as often either.

Karyn, and anyone else out there. i wasn't able to breastfeed my daughter for more than 2 months, and frustrated by the ingredients in infant formula (even the organic ones) i discovered that RAW GOAT'S MILK was the closest milk to mother's milk. My then 5 months old daughter stopped spitting up the day i switched her to raw goat's milk! She is 8 mths now and doing wonderful. This is what Dr. Paavo Airola says about pasteurized milk in his book (What every woman should know):

"Homogenization and/or pasteurization breaks up the cream globules into tiny particules which then permits an enzyme in the cream, xanthine oxidase (XO) to enter the blood stream though the intestinal wall instead of being excreted from the body. XO damages the tissues of the arteries and heart, and the body reacts by raising the cholesterol level in the blood. Pasteurization damages the quality of proteins, fat, and minerals in milk and destroys vitamins."

What is your opinion on raw milk for children that are allergic to past. milk? Are allergies to milk strictly due to the pasteurization process? (which all milks are nowadays - raw milk is illegal in the state where i live...but there are still ways to get it) What if children were fed RAW milk exclusively...? Pasteurized milk and RAW milk and technically speaking completely different... i'd be interested to hear anyone's imput/research/finds on the subject.

I am writing in to tell of the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. My 5 year old son has Autism and one of the therapies we have tried is HBOT. After his first two hours in the chamber he made sentences. Before we went in he only had words. We recieved two 2 hour treatments twice a week until we reached 40hours total. He continued to improve throughtout the year even though he was no longer getting the treatments. We are now on our second round of treatments and the results have been amazing once again! I am hoping that more people will post their successes with the treatment. Thank you for this wonderful site!!!

Although some children with autism may have high levels of merucry no such thing has ever been proven. Even more importantly, my own children have autism and neither one of them had a shot with mercury in it. For them, it is clearly genetic as their father and his father are clearly on the spectrum. In addition, we have tried all of the diets, supplements ect and found no help. Therapies helped. I believe there are "autisms" just like there are "cancers." They may have features in common (think lung cancer vs. skin cancer)but the treatments and outcomes can be totally different. So children with autism need to be looked at individually and not as a cohesive group.

It needs to be remember that not mentioned in the email, baking soda, granulated lecithin and magnesium (found in sunflower seeds) are also vital to the initial stages of the improvement. However, during the final stages once the child is detoxed of heavy metals and properly alkalized, dechlorinator added to drinking water such as drops of 10% of sodium thiosulfate, such as 5-10 drops per glass of water would calm a child, but initial dose will cause loose stool, but later dose won't have the same effect because some reason the sodium thiosulfate detoxed the intestines. In the final stages I found once every three days hydergine and piracetam to be very helpful to the recovery process. Also some glutamine added once a week can cause the brain to recover by leaps and bound, although initially it is not good, but it makes a leap on improvement a bit later in the day or a couple of days. Omega 3 fish oil and lecithin is vital, along with vitamin C sodium ascorbate since these
are found in large amounts in the brain. A sea salt contains superconductive materials used by the brain, so it is best that some baking soda is added to sea salt, such as 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in one liter of drinking water at the very least. Ideally, I think, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in one liter of drinking water has a more calming effect then just the baking soda used alone.

Hi this is Mehernosh. I am father of a wondeful daughter Nicole. She has aspergers and adhd ,we live in Mumbai

presently i am getting postiive results with

for ADHD:
Omega 3/6/9
Evening primrose oil
flax seed oil
sankpushpi( indian herbal mix for brain tonic )
Panchamrut( Indian Aruyvedic with Amla + bel patta etc)

For Aspergers:
Epsom salt cream massages
Lots of Vitamin C( I give Chyvan prash ) this also has amla

Flax seed oil is main thing + fish oil , I use natural Organic honey to make every thing sweet so she can drink same

God Bless you all , please consult your naturopath before doing any thing I my self first try treatment on my self

my daughter and I both are on Eggs and vegetable diet

Dear Karyn Seroussi I am very excited to read all about your son's progress. I am starting my son's dairy & gluten free diet from today. I will let you know if hopfully I see any progress. I would be thankful to my sister who told about your letter & you for describing us your experience

This following is an excerpt from "Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery" by Karyn Seroussi. This book is highly recommended!

We Cured Our Son's Autism

By Karyn Seroussi
Copyright © 2000 Karyn Seroussi

"When the doctors said our son would be severely disabled for life, we setout to prove them wrong.

When the psychologist examining our 18-month-old son told me that she thought Miles had autism, my heart began to pound. I didn't know exactly what the word meant, but I knew it was bad. Wasn't autism some type of mental illness -- perhaps juvenile schizophrenia? Even worse, I vaguely remembered hearing that this disorder was caused by emotional trauma during childhood. In an instant, every illusion of safety in my world seemed to vanish.

Our pediatrician had referred us to the psychologist in August 1995 because Miles didn't seem to understand anything we said. He'd developed perfectly normally until he was 15 months old, but then he stopped saying the words he'd learned -- cow, cat, dance -- and started disappearing into himself. We figured his chronic ear infections were responsible for his silence, but within three months, he was truly in his own world.

Suddenly, our happy little boy hardly seemed to recognize us or his 3-year-old sister. Miles wouldn't make eye contact or even try to communicate by pointing or gesturing. His behavior became increasingly strange: He'd drag his head across the floor, walk on his toes (very common in autistic children), make odd gurgling sounds, and spend long periods of time repeating an action, such as opening and closing doors or filling and emptying a cup of sand in the sandbox. He often screamed inconsolably, refusing to be held or comforted. And he developed chronic diarrhea.

As I later learned, autism -- or autistic spectrum disorder, as doctors now call it -- is not a mental illness. It is a developmental disability thought to be caused by an anomaly in the brain. The National Institutes of Health estimates that as many as 1 in 500 children are affected. But according to several recent studies, the incidence is rapidly rising: In Florida, for example, the number of autistic children has increased nearly 600 percent in the last ten years. Nevertheless, even though it is more common than Down syndrome, autism remains one of the least understood developmental disorders.

We were told that Miles would almost definitely grow up to be severely impaired. He would never be able to make friends, have a meaningful conversation, learn in a regular classroom without special help, or live independently. We could only hope that with behavioral therapy, we might be able to teach him some of the social skills he'd never grasp on his own. I had always thought that the worst thing that could happen to anyone was to lose a child. Now it was happening to me but in a perverse, inexplicable way. Instead of condolences, I got uncomfortable glances, inappropriately cheerful reassurances, and the sense that some of my friends didn't want to return my calls.

After Miles' initial diagnosis, I spent hours in the library, searching for the reason he'd changed so dramatically. Then I came across a book that mentioned an autistic child whose mother believed that his symptoms had been caused by a "cerebral allergy" to milk. I'd never heard of this, but the thought lingered in my mind because Miles drank an inordinate amount of milk -- at least half a gallon a day.

I also remembered that a few months earlier, my mother had read that many kids with chronic ear infections are allergic to milk and wheat. "You should take Miles off those foods and see if his ears clear up," she said. "Milk, cheese, pasta, and Cheerios are the only foods he'll eat," I insisted. "If I took them away, he'd starve."

Then I realized that Miles' ear infections had begun when he was 11 months old, just after we had switched him from soy formula to cow's milk. He'd been on soy formula because my family was prone to allergies, and I'd read that soy might be better for him. I had breast-fed until he was 3 months old, but he didn't tolerate breast milk very well -- possibly because I was drinking lots of milk. There was nothing to lose, so I decided to eliminate all the dairy products from his diet. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. Miles stopped screaming, he didn't spend as much time repeating actions, and by the end of the first week, he pulled on my hand when he wanted to go downstairs. For the first time in months, he let his sister hold his hands to sing.

Two weeks later, a month after we'd seen the psychologist, my husband and I kept our appointment with a well-known developmental pediatrician to confirm the diagnosis of autism. Dr. Susan Hyman gave Miles a variety of tests and asked a lot of questions. We described the changes in his behavior since he'd stopped eating dairy products. Finally, Dr. Hyman looked at us sadly. "I'm sorry," the specialist said. "Your son is autistic. I admit the milk allergy issue is interesting, but I just don't think it could be responsible for Miles' autism or his recent improvement."

We were terribly disheartened, but as each day passed, Miles continued to get better. A week later, when I pulled him up to sit on my lap, we made eye contact and he smiled. I started to cry -- at last he seemed to know who I was. He had been oblivious to his sister, but now he watched her play and even got angry when she took things away from him. Miles slept more soundly, but his diarrhea persisted. Although he wasn't even 2 yet, we put him in a special-ed nursery school three mornings a week and started an intensive one-on-one behavioral and language program that Dr. Hyman approved of. I'm a natural skeptic and my husband is a research scientist, so we decided to test the hypothesis that milk affected Miles' behavior. We gave him a couple of glasses one morning, and by the end of the day, he was walking on his toes, dragging his forehead across the floor, making strange sounds, and exhibiting the other bizarre behaviors we had almost forgotten. A few weeks later, the behaviors briefly returned, and we found out that Miles had eaten some cheese at nursery school. We became completely convinced that dairy products were somehow related to his autism.

I wanted Dr. Hyman to see how well Miles was doing, so I sent her a video of him playing with his father and sister. She called right away. "I'm simply floored," she told me. "Miles has improved remarkably. Karyn, if I hadn't diagnosed him myself, I wouldn't have believed that he was the same child."

I had to find out whether other kids had had similar experiences. I bought a modem for my computer -- not standard in 1995 -- and discovered an autism support group on the Internet. A bit embarrassed, I asked, "Could my child's autism be related to milk?"

The response was overwhelming. Where had I been? Didn't I know about Karl Reichelt in Norway? Didn't I know about Paul Shattock in England? These researchers had preliminary evidence to validate what parents had been reporting for almost 20 years: Dairy products exacerbated the symptoms of autism.

My husband, who has a Ph.D. in chemistry, got copies of the journal articles that the parents had mentioned on-line and went through them all carefully. As he explained it to me, it was theorized that a subtype of children with autism break down milk protein (casein) into peptides that affect the brain in the same way that hallucinogenic drugs do. A handful of scientists, some of whom were parents of kids with autism, had discovered compounds containing opiates -- a class of substances including opium and heroin -- in the urine of autistic children. The researchers theorized that either these children were missing an enzyme that normally breaks down the peptides into a digestible form, or the peptides were somehow leaking into the bloodstream before they could be digested.

In a burst of excitement, I realized how much sense this made. It explained why Miles developed normally for his first year, when he drank only soy formula. It would also explain why he had later craved milk: Opiates are highly addictive. What's more, the odd behavior of autistic children has often been compared to that of someone hallucinating on LSD. My husband also told me that the other type of protein being broken down into a toxic form was gluten -- found in wheat, oats, rye, and barley, and commonly added to thousands of packaged foods. The theory would have sounded farfetched to my scientific husband if he hadn't seen the dramatic changes in Miles himself and remembered how Miles had self-limited his diet to foods containing wheat and dairy. As far as I was concerned, there was no question that the gluten in his diet would have to go. Busy as I was, I would learn to cook gluten-free meals. People with celiac disease are also gluten-intolerant, and I spent hours on-line gathering information.

Within 48 hours of being gluten-free, 22-month-old Miles had his first solid stool, and his balance and coordination noticeably improved. A month or two later, he started speaking -- "zawaff" for giraffe, for example, and "ayashoo" for elephant. He still didn't call me Mommy, but he had a special smile for me when I picked him up from nursery school. However, Miles' local doctors -- his pediatrician, neurologist, geneticist, and gastroenterologist -- still scoffed at the connection between autism and diet. Even though dietary intervention was a safe, noninvasive approach to treating autism, until large controlled studies could prove that it worked, most of the medical community would have nothing to do with it.

So my husband and I decided to become experts ourselves. We began attending autism conferences and phoning and e-mailing the European researchers. I also organized a support group for other parents of autistic children in my community. Although some parents weren't interested in exploring dietary intervention at first, they often changed their mind after they met Miles.

Not every child with autism responded to the diet, but eventually there were about 50 local families whose children were gluten- and casein-free with exciting results. And judging by the number of people on Internet support lists, there were thousands of children around the world responding well to this diet.

Fortunately, we found a new local pediatrician who was very supportive, and Miles was doing so well that I nearly sprang out of bed each morning to see the changes in him. One day, when Miles was 2 1/2, he held up a toy dinosaur for me to see. "Wook, Mommy, issa Tywannosauwus Wex!" Astonished, I held out my trembling hands. "You called me Mommy!" I said. He smiled and gave me a long hug.

By the time Miles turned 3, all his doctors agreed that his autism had been completely cured. He tested at eight months above his age level in social, language, self-help, and motor skills, and he entered a regular preschool with no special-ed supports. His teacher told me that he was one of the most delightful, verbal, participatory children in the class. Today, at almost 6, Miles is among the most popular children in his first-grade class. He's reading at a fourth-grade level, has good friends, and recently acted out his part in the class play with flair. He is deeply attached to his older sister, and they spend hours engaged in the type of imaginative play that is never seen in kids with autism. My worst fears were never realized. We are terribly lucky.

But I imagined all the other parents who might not be fortunate enough to learn about the diet. So in 1997, I started a newsletter and international support organization called Autism Network for Dietary Intervention (ANDI), along with another parent, Lisa Lewis, author of Special Diets for Special Kids (Future Horizons, 1998). We've gotten hundreds of letters and e-mails from parents worldwide whose kids use the diet successfully. Although it's best to have professional guidance when implementing the diet, sadly, most doctors are still skeptical.

As I continue to study the emerging research, it has become increasingly clear to me that autism is a disorder related to the immune system. Most autistic children I know have several food allergies in addition to milk and wheat, and nearly all the parents in our group have or had at least one immune-related problem: thyroid disease, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or allergies. Autistic children are probably genetically predisposed to immune-system abnormalities, but what triggers the actual disease?

Many of the parents swore that their child's autistic behavior began at 15 months, shortly after the child received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. When I examined such evidence as photos and videotapes to see exactly when Miles started to lose his language and social skills, I had to admit that it had coincided with his MMR -- after which he had gone to the emergency room with a temperature of 106°F and febrile seizures. Recently, a small study was published by British researcher Andrew Wakefield, M.D., linking the measles portion of the vaccine to damage in the small intestine -- which might help explain the mechanism by which the hallucinogenic peptides leak into the bloodstream. If the MMR vaccine is indeed found to play a role in triggering autism, we must find out whether some children are at higher risk and therefore should not be vaccinated or should be vaccinated at a later age.

Another new development is giving us hope: Researchers at Johnson and Johnson's Ortho Clinical Diagnostics division -- my husband among them -- are now studying the abnormal presence of peptides in the urine of autistic children. My hope is that eventually a routine diagnostic test will be developed to identify children with autism at a young age and that when some types of autism are recognized as a metabolic disorder, the gluten and dairy-free diet will move from the realm of alternative medicine into the mainstream.

The word autism, which once meant so little to me, has changed my life profoundly. It came to my house like a monstrous, uninvited guest but eventually brought its own gifts. I've felt twice blessed -- once by the amazing good fortune of reclaiming my child and again by being able to help other autistic children who had been written off by their doctors and mourned by their parents."

Adapted from the book, "Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery" by Karyn Seroussi.

High Potency Fish Oil w/ Virgin Evening Primrose Oil Has Made My Little Boy "Normal" I have two children aged 3.5yrs and 21 months. My eldest was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder at the start of the year (Jan 2007). Because my eldest son is classed as Autistic, the health professional seem to think that my youngest may have a problem. Okay, my youngest is very hyperactive, used to run into things (like the kitchen table) and not feel any pain and he had a serious biting problem that went waaaayyy beyond teething. After geting sick and tired of hearing "your youngest maybe suspected Autistic/ADD" I decided to see a homeopath and ask (beg) for help. The lady there was wonderful and recommended that I try a mixture of high potency fish oil that also contained virgin evening primrose oil that was recommended for children and adults of all ages. Well, after a week of giving him 5ml a day (mixed with food), our little boy is all cool. calm and collected. He stills runs around but he has stopped running into walls and tables. The biting was gone and he interacts well with his autistic brother. He has also started talking again. And to think, only 2 weeks have passed now and he will only improve. Just wanted to share this with you. Thanks

The Myths and Truths of the Mercury / Autism Connection
by By Donna Gates for BodyEcology.com

Statistics show that autism is the fastest growing developmental disability (10 - 17% annual growth), occurring in 1 out of 166 births. The annual cost is $90 billion and 90% of the costs are in adult services.

Modern Medicine Searches for Answers
In recent years, groups like Defeat Autism Now (DAN), started by doctors whose own children suffer from the condition, have done an excellent job of diagnosing what's gone so seriously wrong with millions of children.

They have consistently found a combination of conditions including severe intestinal dysbiosis, systemic fungal and viral infections, mineral deficiencies, abnormal serotonin levels and an abundance of toxic materials including pesticides other chemicals, mercury and other heavy metals.

To date, attempts to solve autism focus on the use of supplements and various therapies, including diet, to correct the disorder (and its milder forms, including Asperger's syndrome, ADD, ADHD and ODD).

Body Ecology - The Missing Link

I believe that Body Ecology has a much more valuable approach for unlocking the mystery of autism. Our theory is that the missing piece lies deep within the intestinal walls and includes conquering systemic fungal and viral infections.

Indeed I believe autistic children are suffering from a gut and brain infection that creates neurological dysfuction, which can be corrected with time. The research needs to be focused in this direction, rather than focusing on mercury. Here are some of the myths and truths you need to know:

Myth: Nothing Can Be Done Before or During Pregnancy

Truth: Both parents can play a role in preparing for their baby's birth, since the health of both parents contribute to fetal health. Ideally, this would include both mother and father going on a nutrient-dense anti-fungal diet, like the Body Ecology Diet. Studies show that the number one determining factor of longevity and quality of health is fetal nutrition. Fetal nutrition starts with the parents before conception and continues with the mother during her pregnancy.

Ideally, parents would begin the Body Ecology diet 6 months to 2 years before conception. This is critical today because a systemic fungal infection, like candida, can set the stage for autism.

In addition, many infants begin life with the added disadvantage of inheriting weakened adrenals and congested livers from their parents.

Cleansing toxins from your body and increasing vital life force in each parent will ensure that the fetus inherits more constitutional, pre-natal vitality. This is the greatest gift you can give your baby.

How Systemic Fungal Infection Sets the Stage for Autism

Progesterone levels normally climb during pregnancy and as they climb, blood sugar levels or glucose climbs as well. While this is a natural part of pregnancy, there can be risks if the mother has an undetected, systemic fungal infection or candidaisis. A fungal infection in the body of an expecting mother can become more acute as blood sugar levels naturally go up. All infections in the mother's blood are passed to her baby.

This is why babies are being born today with systemic fungal infection. When this happens, yeast is in the baby's gut. Studies show that yeast in the amniotic fluid can paralyze the gut wall, so babies are in turn constipated at birth. This can be serious because the baby won't have the ability to eliminate inherited toxins - including metals, like mercury.

Myth: Autism Is Mercury Based

Truth: Body Ecology teaches that autism is not mercury based, but begins in-utero, with a fungal infection and the inability to detoxify. These are the children who are born at risk for autism because they lack a healthy inner ecosystem at birth. A healthy inner ecosystem is made up of the friendly microflora (good bacteria) that reside in our intestines and keep us healthy and strong. Babies who lack this inner ecosystem have almost no immunity (since 85% of our immunity is located in the lymph tissue in the gut).

Vaccinations were originally created for people with strong immune systems who had resistance to the pathogens that were injected into their blood stream.

Newborn babies have not had time to build strong immune systems. Without a healthy inner ecosystem, the immune system will never be strong.

Beware of Systemic Fungal Infection Combined With Vaccinations

A baby's blood-brain barrier isn't formed until 6 weeks after birth. Before the blood-brain barrier is formed, there is potential for fungus and viral infections to enter your baby's brain.

While more research needs to be done, our theory is that an anti-fungal diet like the Body Ecology diet is critical to protecting babies from fungal infections.

Many children appear to be relatively normal upon birth. They may have problems with things like constipation -- until they get the MMR vaccination around 18 months. Based on my research, I believe that upon inoculation with these three live viruses, the mumps portion causes the blood-brain barrier to open. We know this because when a child becomes infected with the mumps virus, his blood pressure elevates. Research shows that the blood-brain barrier opens with elevated blood pressure. Your doctor may not know this, since it is not taught in medical school. Swollen lymph glands in the neck and high blood pressure are symptoms of mumps infection -- and because the child has an underdeveloped immune system, instead of building antibodies to the live viruses in this vaccination, he becomes infected by the vaccination.

While a child is supposed to develop immunity, the immune system is not in place due to the existing fungal infection. The child has no ability to resist the assault from 3 live viruses: measles, mumps and rubella (measles has been found on the gut wall by Dr. Andrew Wakefield). The child is not the same and shows signs of infection in the brain. He begins to regress in language development and social behaviors.

We believe that the systemic fungal infection (that was unknowingly passed to millions of newborn babies) can not only secrete dangerous toxins, but also pass through the open blood-brain barrier. The child then becomes infected with candidial meningitis or viral meningitis. It's very important that this theory be researched as quickly as possible. If it has not yet entered the brain, the elevated blood pressure allows it to enter through the blood-brain barrier.

Based on what I've seen in my BEDROK program, (Body Ecology Diet Recovering Our Kids) our theory makes much more sense than autism as a genetic condition. This can empower parents to make changes that will benefit themselves and their children.

Myth: Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Is Enough

Truth: While the gluten-free, casein free diet is a step in the right direction, it's not enough. Body Ecology takes it to the next level with a protocol for autism that has helped hundreds of children improve in our Body Ecology Diet Recovering Our Kids (BEDROK) program.

Summary of the Body Ecology Protocol for Autism
The key is establishing your child's inner ecosystem. In order to do this, there are several steps we recommend:

1. Heal chronic and acute bowel dysbiosis and restore gut immunity
2. Correct nutritional deficiencies
3. Create energy so the body can begin the process of healing (with a special focus on the adrenals and thyroid)
4. Conquer systemic viral and fungal infections

The Body Ecology Diet Goes Beyond Gluten-Free/Casein-Free

Remove
o Gluten
o Casein
o Sugar (even natural sugars in fruit, breads and carrot juice)
o Bad fats - for more information on the risks of bad fats and how to choose high quality fats, read Why The Processing of Consumable Oils Has Devastated America's Health.

Add
o Plenty of fermented foods and beverages - to create a healthy inner ecosystem.
o Plenty of land and ocean vegetables.
o High quality fats - for important essential fatty acids.
o Vitality SuperGreen - to alkalize overly-acidic blood and heal the intestines.
o ImmunePro (casein free) to aid detoxification and increase gluthione.
o Raw egg yolks to nourish the brain and help fight viral infections.
o Raw butter

To learn more read The Body Ecology Diet.

Myth: Autism is a Genetic Condition and is Not Preventable or Treatable

Truth: One thing has become increasingly clear: autism isn't the genetic condition that it was once assumed to be. It is preventable and even treatable if we understand the multiple causes of the "systemic failure" that brings it about.
A lack of understanding of the role of our inner ecosystem is preventing researchers from unlocking the mystery of autism. If we fully recognized the value of the amazing "subculture" of microflora that our intestinal tracts are designed to support, we would discover the key to preventing and healing this disorder.

The good news is that we are in charge of creating the health of our children - as parents and even grandparents. Parents can begin creating beautiful, happy, healthy babies by taking charge of their health before conception and supporting the health of mother and baby during pregnancy.

That is why I ask you to PLEASE forward this article on to any woman who might someday have a baby, and encourage her to sign up for the FREE Body Ecology e-newsletter for essential health and dietary insights. For any woman intending ever to have a baby, the time to start planning for a healthy baby is right now.

My son was diagnosed with high functioning autism and ADHD. Five years ago, my Lt gave me about 35 lbs of ground venison he had shot. Since I was in paramedic school and very short on money, that venison is the only meat product the kids had for over a month. I used it in hamburger helper to make it last longer. After one week, I noticed a big change in my son. He was no longer harassing his sisters as much and he would lay quietly beside me while awake! (a first!) after 2 weeks, he was like any other "normal" child. As soon as we ran out of venison (no growth hormones or antibiotics added to livestock feed) within hours he went back to his hyperactive uncontrollable self. When he is on natural meats, he is fine, a joy actually, when he is not compliant with his diet, no one needs to tell me, I can see it in his actions. Parents with autistic or other "behavior/neurological" problems would be wise in trying a diet free of the hormones and antibiotics pushed into our children's systems via store bought meat.