Autism – Symptoms, Causes & Treatment of Autism

Autism, a form of PDD (pervasive developmental disorder) is considered a developmental disorder because it is often identified, at around 3 years of age, as a disruption in the normal developmental stage of a child’s life.

Autism includes a wide range of brain disorders that affects approximately 1 in 500 children (some researchers say 6 in 1,000). Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s) include Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett Syndrome (which affects only girls), and autism. Autism Spectrum Disorders undermined three main areas of human development: speech, communication, and social interaction, which may range from mild to severe.

Autism is considered a mental illness. It is a condition affecting the brain that influences the way a child thinks, feels, behaves and/or relates to others and to their surroundings. The human brain is an amazing organ, and is also a very complex structure. It contains billions of nerve cells – called neurons – that must communicate with each other and work together in order for the body to function normally. Neurons communicate through signals – electrical signals. Special chemicals – called neurotransmitters – help to move these electrical messages from one neuron to another neuron. Mental illness researchers believe there is an imbalance of these chemicals in the brain that contribute to the development of many mental illnesses, including Autism.

This chemical imbalance makes it difficult for neurons to “talk” to each other, so the brain is confused. The brain may “misunderstand” a message, and so a response to the message may not be appropriate or “correct”. What this means to the family is that they may watch helplessly while their child jumps up and down, or flaps their arms, or spins around and around, and they can’t seem to control the behavior. The special report on autism by AutismSpeaks explains how this “miscommunication” between brain cells can be stopped – through non-toxic food in the form of powder and capsules known as “glyconutrition”.

Specific glyconutrition gives trillions of cells the missing ‘food’ they need to function like they’re meant to. For autistic children, this means the brain takes care of the chemical imbalances, and cells start to communicate with each other again. Many families who are using glyconutrients are enjoying the benefits of, for the first time ever, getting through mealtime without disruption and are enjoying their time as a family.

Scientifically, why does one child get this chemical imbalance and not another? The most common theory is that genetically there may be a DNA or gene abnormality that passes down to the babies at conception. Genes contain the instructions for each cell’s function in the body, and are responsible for how we look, act and think, etc. This inherited abnormality may make them more susceptible to “triggers” that can cause a disorder in the body. It’s believed that autism is the result of the body’s reaction to a “trigger”, in a child that is susceptible, that causes a disorder.

For autistic children, this disorder is demonstrated by a chemical imbalance in their brain. The Autism Special Report explains how glyconutrients have actually helped reverse DNA abnormality, as in the case of a young girl with downs syndrome whose facial features actually physically changed; she is now an Honor student at a regular school. For autistic children, this means healing may occur at the genetic level and parents can see obvious improvements in their child’s overall condition – most importantly, using methods that have no detrimental side effects on their developing body.

Causes of What Triggers Autism

There is nothing concrete on what triggers autism however several researches done in past point to the fact that it is both genetic and environmental factors. Moreover these factors usually either effect during pregnancy or early stages of childhood. While there are many scientific links to what causes autism, there lacks concrete data to help parents. One article from Reuters continues to link an increase in Autism to the presence of Mercury. While many have linked Mercury to injections, this article is linking Mercury in power-plant emissions. Some people also argues that there appears to be a strong link between autism and childhood vaccines that has raised the autism rate.

What can “trigger”this chemical imbalance? Two common theories are:

  • Childhood vaccinations – this a controversial issue, but one that is considered seriously (by some).
  • Immune system dysfunction – the immune system cells cannot properly identify and attack foreign organisms, and they may inappropriately produce antibodies that attack the brain cells, causing autism.

A dysfunction of the cellular communication process is commonly found in the immune system as well. Also known as an autoimmune disease, the body’s immune cells cannot properly “talk” to other. Immune cells will compromise the body by attacking healthy cells. This inability to identify healthy cells versus ‘bad’ cells (or unhealthy outside invaders of the body e.g. carcinogens, bacteria, viruses) allows unhealthy cells to stay in the body. With a compromised immune system, autistic children are more susceptible to infections, viruses in the colon, colds, ear infections, allergies, and asthma.

A division of the National Institute of Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), is studying brain abnormalities that may cause autism and is looking for the genes that may increase the risk of autism. Researchers are also looking at possible biological markers, that may be present at birth, which can help identify infants at a higher risk of developing autism. There are also studies on the possible triggers that “ignite” the brain chemical imbalance, including the presence of mercury in vaccinations – thought to cause an environmental toxicity overload in the brain and body.

As of today, there is no proven or scientific cure for autism. Researchers are still trying to understand the condition’s biochemical origins and causes. Currently the only helpful thing is some scientific and clinical research that suggests that nutrition can play a role in lessening the symptoms of autism. For instance, using gluten free diet helps autism patients in behavior improvement.

Current Research On Autism – Is Autism Treatable or Is There Any Cure For Autism

With ongoing research, the only hope we could see is that Autism is receiving national awareness and exposure to those unaware of it.The problem that we can see, much like those suffering with Hepatisis C, Lupus, Fibromyaligia, Alzheimers, and other such diseases, is that current research and medications are only designed to treat the symptoms and not to push toward a cure. This is in fact true with any medication… they are designed to suppress, eliminate, or treat the symptoms. In our opinion, the heart of the issue is on a cellular level. If you can “cure” the cells, the body can heal itself of whatever disease or illness it is up against… any disease. In other words, healthy cells produce healthy cells, and unhealthy cells continue to multiply into unhealthy cells.

It is our opinion then that as long as one continues to lean on traditional routes of medications and drugs, only the symptoms are being addressed. On the other hand, there have been proven links and scientific validation that demonstrate improvements in autism with the introduction of nutrition. This follows the line of thinking that “sometimes the most important element is the element that is missing.” Scientific research has established a connection between nutrition and many disease conditions.

Fortunately, we have world-wide recognition of the importance of cellular communication through the 1999 Nobel Prize Award for Physiology or Medicine for the science of “Glycobiology”. This ensure that new research will be done on the subject.

Autism and Nutrition – How to Manage Autism?

Is there an alternative to treating autism with highly potent, toxic, conventional medications, or so-called “behavior management therapies?” Introducing quality nutrition is an intervention that has had promising and remarkable results.

Although it seems that causes of autism are not similar however they include a strong nutritional factor. In shirt, there is a nutrition which is needed for immune system to respond however that nutrition is missing in autism patients.

Another important observation regarding autism patients is that each has their own sets of characteristics. Some patients behaves more aggressively whereas others are prone to seizures. Although the symptoms differs in each patient, yet they share same biological disturbances like production of white and red cells, fatty acids etc etc.

Nutritional research in regards to autism is relatively new. While the practice of wellness and nutrition is not new, it has only been in the last decade that peer reviewed articles in major medical, scientific, and biochemistry journals have given notice to the positive affects of targeted nutrition and it’s effect on autism. More and more doctors are being trained in nutrition as they go through medical school today, while doctors who were trained before 1995 received very little training in this area.

How is it possible in such a technologically advanced society that we have so many parents of children with chronic illnesses, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), diabetes, and autism, so uninformed and uneducated about the affects of nutrition on their child’s health and recovery?

We understand what you and your family are going through. We have met many parents in your similar situation. Not only is your family stressed emotionally dealing with loving child’s autism, your family is probably also stressed financially. It is estimated that is costs over $150,000 per year for a child to enter a special private behavior modification program that may allow your child some chance of improvement. Most of the Conventional physicians & doctors consider Autism a hopeless condition where chances of recovering are zero.

Parents of autistic children are often some of the most informed, intuitive and well-educated experts when it comes to knowing their child’s dis-eases. They have discovered the benefits of a healthy diet (eating good, nutritional foods, and avoiding foods that cause adverse and/or allergic reactions), of chelation (to remove toxins from the body), and of giving their child supplements to help boost their immune system as much as possible. Many also understand there is a lack of cellular communication in the brain and with their immune system.

Most parents have seen a direct correlation in the timing of their child’s change, and possible stressors that may have triggered the noticeable changes. Parents and society as a whole need to continue pressuring the scientific research community to continue it’s research on Autistic behavior.

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