My child is autistic and I have been told that a gluten free diet may help reverse the symptoms. Any suggestions?

For every single medical disorder under the sun, someone has come up with a dietary plan. In 99.9999% of cases, the only people who benefit from marketing such diet plans are the manufacturers. There is ZERO evidence that gluten is the cause of autism and thus, eating a diet of free of gluten will do nothing. Several clinical trials have been undertaken on gluten-free diets in autism children. The results have shown no difference in outcomes among children who took this diet and those that did not. 

Gluten free diet is also prohibitively expensive and restrictive. The best advice is feed your child healthy nutritious food which is high in fiber, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Give the gluten free diet a rest and save your hard-earned money from scammers and charlatans who offer you false promises. Unfortunately autism is now a business where people make easy money selling crap remedies without any scientific evidence.

Hyperbaric oxygen for autism- another fraudulent therapy? Part 2

So does HBO work for autism?  A few anecdotal reports indicate that some children may show more concentration, have better eye contact and appear less distracted by noise in the surrounding. They may also become more sociable. Nevertheless, all these benefits are very short lived. However, critics of the treatment indicate that placing an autistic child in an enclosed chamber is no easy thing. These children easily become claustrophobic, may need sedation, develop severe agitation, often develop burst eardrums and have elevated sinus pressures. Moreover, even seizures  have been reported.  Like all things in mainstream health care, many sessions of HBO are required. This therapy is usually not covered by most health insurance carriers. At a cost of $150 or more per session, this can easily amount to a lot of money for a therapy that may not work. There are no clinical studies that have evaluated the effects of HBO treatment on autism. A few case reports indicate that the therapy does not work and is simply a fraud. All parents who have autistic children should first understand that there is no cure for this disorder and there is no single treatment that works in all children. HBO is just another passing fad-and like all other treatments previously, it does have one benefit- it continues to make the providers of this bogus therapy richer and the children continue to suffer.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/02/04/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-new-treatment-autism/

Hyperbaric oxygen for autism- another fraudulent therapy? Part 1

All over the country, health care providers are offering hyperbaric oxygen (HBO)  treatments for a variety of medical disorders. HBO has only a few medical indications including air embolism, decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning  and a few bacterial infections. Now this therapy is being offered to children with autism. Autism is a complex mental disorder and no one really knows what causes it or how to best treat it. So far, the disorder has been treated with a Hodge podge of therapies, including a variety of cognitive behavior therapies. The results of such therapies are mediocre at best and the poor parents are left searching for alternative treatments.

Now hyperbaric oxygen has been introduced as a treatment for autism. The autistic child is placed in a pressurized chamber where pure oxygen is delivered. The doctors who offer HBO suggest that the increase in oxygen may help reduce brain swelling and improves oxygenation of the nervous tissues. Therefore, if the brain gets more oxygen  then hopefully it will work better. 

Can gluten and casein free diets help reverse behavior in autistic children?

In the last decade, there have been suggestions that perhaps diet may play a role in the cause of autism. Throughout the years, hundreds of different diets have been developed to either prevent or treat autism; - in every single case, these diets have had no impact on the disease. Now another diet has been added to the list- gluten and casein free diets.

Many women with autistic children have been buying these expensive diets in the hope of reversing symptoms of autism. There are many anecdotal reports on benefits of gluten free diets- most are made by people who have a financial interest in the business of selling such diets.

So is there any real evidence that gluten and casein free diets help improve outcomes in autistic children?   A few studies have shown that gluten and casein free diets have no impact on autism - the only impact is in the pocket as these diets are exorbitantly expensive.

While the few studies show no benefit of gluten free diets in autistic children, no one has bothered to show if long-term use of these diets is safe in these children!

Do complimentary treatments help autistic children?

Almost everything underneath the sun has at one time been recommended as a treatment for autism. Asides from standard behavior and education therapies, there are a lot of complementary therapies. Some of these are based on scientific evidence, others are based on folk lore and many are simply guess work. Thus, as a parent it is important to discuss with your physician what evidence is behind each therapy and the chance of success.

Before you embark on a fruitless journey in search of a cure, you should know that there is no cure for this dreadful disorder nor is there any magic bullet that works in all children. Some autistic children may respond to one type of treatment and others may respond to an entirely different treatment. What is recommended that is that if your child fails one treatment, than he/she should be considered for another treatment option. Finally, treatment of autism has become a major business. You will soon discover that everyone wants your money- a lot of your money for therapies that suck. So do your homework. 

Will my autistic child ever be normal?

The traditional approach to the treatment of an autistic child has always been a combination of special education and behavior management. There is a lot of evidence that indicates that the earlier the treatment is started, the better the outcome of the child. The treatment is long term and requires commitment. The results are slow and there are no immediate answers. While only the exceptional child will improve dramatically, the majority will only show a mild gradual improvement in behavior- but it is rare for an autistic child to be normal again.

I want to provide my autistic child with good care. I am lost by the amount of literature and confusion. How should I start?

Before you start on any treatment for your autistic child you should be aware of the following:

There is no standard therapy for autism. If you go to 10 different health care workers, you will get 200 different opinions. There is no right or wrong about the treatments available for autism. Just the philosophical approach is different

Because conventional medicine has failed to cure it, many parents have lost faith in their physicians. So to develop a sense of comfort, seek opinions from several pediatricians about the treatment approaches. This will help you calm your fears about the variations in the treatment

The cyberspace is a great place to read about autism but this is the last place you want to seek medical advice. There are lots of individuals who are not even in health care who are now offering treatments for the condition.

Read about the disorder. The more knowledgeable and informed you are, the better the care you will be able to seek for your child

Do not always believe what you hear about treatment of autism. If one child did respond, it does not mean your child will respond. 

There is a great deal of variability in the disorder. A single isolated report of improvement with Gingko Biloba does not mean that it works in all individuals. The internet is full of false hype.

No matter what treatment is offered to your child, ask about the pros and cons of the. Understand what the published treatment guidelines are and know how much experience your specialist has.

Discuss the treatment options with your family but ultimately you as a parent will have to make the final decision

Does the internet have any decent information about treatment of autism? I have a 3 year old autistic child.

Today, a great many parents seek help for their autistic child over the internet. However, one should know that there is currently no standard therapy for autism. There is no right or wrong approach to the treatment- simply that the philosophical approach is different.  The cyberspace is full of information about autism but it is not the place to seek medical advice. There are a lot of non-health care workers who now offer treatment(s) for this condition. All parents should be read about this disorder- the more informed you become, the better you will be able to seek care for your child. Do not always believe everything that you read or hear about autism. If one child responds to a treatment, this does not automatically mean that your child will. There is a great variability in autism and single isolated reports will only confuse you. The internet is unrealistic and impractical And finally there are a lot of charlatans who will male false promises with B.S. advice -only because they want your money.

My child has autism. Is there anything that works?

Twenty years ago, all we ever heard about was attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Today, all we hear about is autism. Why have people become so consumed with autism? Firstly, despite intense research, we still have very few ideas on the cause, pathogenesis and treatment. Almost on a regular basis, there is a new theory and treatment on cyberspace. Autism is a difficult disorder and is best treated by someone who understands childhood developmental growth. While some parents do have their child under the care of a mental health professional, there are just as many parents who do not. The reason is a deep dis-satisfaction with conventional medical therapy. We live in a society where everyone wants instant gratification and results. Unfortunately, autism is the last disorder which can make be treated with a magic bullet and expect overnight success. 

Before you embark on an unrewarding voyage in search of a treatment, you should know that there is no cure for this disorder nor is there any effective medical therapy that works in all children. Some autistic children may respond to one type of treatment and others may respond to an entirely different treatment. Most experts agree that if your child fails one treatment, than he/she should be considered for another treatment option.