Recovery From Autism

Dietary Intervention is one of many treatments for children with Autism. One diet, specifically the gluten-free and casein-free diet is now wide known as a treatment worth trying.

The reason for placing a child on this diet is best explained in the book, Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research & Recovery by Karyn Seroussi, who states “…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 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 1995, when her son was diagnosed, parents on support group websites told her parents had been cutting dairy out of their children’s diets for 20 years already, and that researchers were attempting to prove the connection between dairy and autism. The book also offers in an easy to understand language an explanation of why parents should try the diet.

Casein has a molecular structure that is almost identical to gluten. So, although a child may suffer from casein sensitivity more that gluten or visa versa; it is imperative to remove both from the diet. Casein includes all diary products and all products that contain casein. Parents must read labels carefully; products that include whey have casein in them. Some parents find managing the gluten-free side of the diet more difficult.

Gluten-free requires removing all wheat, rye, and barley out of a person’s diet. Oats have been an item of controversy. Most parents eliminate oats as well to be safe. Often oats are processed in the same mills as gluten grains, and the chance of cross contamination is too great. There are many hidden sources of gluten. MSG, modified food starch, some detergents and soaps may have hidden gluten. Talk about Curing Autism (TACA) has a thorough list of items containing gluten and casein at the website, http://gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/hidden-sources-of-gluten.htm. The list may seem daunting to some parents, but as they continue to read it they will find many of the items listed have never been used in their home.

The Autism Research Institute at www.autism.org offers testimonials, scientific research data and other helpful information for parents considering the diet for their child. ARI states on their website that a remarkable 66% of children put on the diet showed improvement. When parents have over 700 treatment options available, they do not have time to waste on treatments that show 5% or 10% of children improved. It makes sense to try the treatments that have a proven history of success.
 
Some people attempt to discredit the impact of the diet on improvement in children by the fact no double blind studies have verified what parents have been doing for 40 years. Thankfully, a 2008 study has started to offer the proof. “This is the first study to develop and test a range of double-blind test foods for regular consumption by young children with autism.” The test is funded by Research Autism & The Children's Foundation (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18721407).
Once a parent decides to put their child on a gluten/casein free diet, getting started may feel intimidating. The single best resource for this parent is another parent who has gone through this same experience. Parents who find another parent in the community who also has a child on a GFCF diet instantly has a person on their side that wants them to succeed. The parent may feel inspired by the other child’s progress and will want their child to do as well. The mentor parent has most likely done investigating already and has a list of must have, safe items for both children. If finding a mentor is not an option, there are many others.

Web sites are available for parents who are overwhelmed by the transition of going GFCF. One website, gfcfdiet.com is a phenomenal resource. The site includes tips on going gluten and casein free, menus, recipes, testimonials, and sells snacks, vitamins and other necessary products. Also offered is a 3 disc DVD set explaining the diet, allergies, supplements, yeast cooking tips and phenols. This disc is helpful for parents starting the diet as well as parents of children who have been on the diet for some time.

Parents who enjoy cooking and baking will find thousands of recipes in the form of online websites and cookbooks. Two books not to overlook are Special Diets for Special Kids: Understanding and Implementing Special Diets to Aid in the Treatment of Autism and Related Developmental Disorders and Special Diets for Special Kids Two, both by Lisa Lewis, Ph.D. The third book parents will find helpful is, The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet , by Pamela Compart M.D. and Danna Laake, a nutritionist. Some websites that offer gfcf diet recipes are www.newdiets.com, www.gfcfrecipes.com, and www.domatalivingflour.com/glutenfreerecipes

Parents who do not like the idea of cooking two separate meals three times a day will appreciate companies such as Your Dinner Secret. At their website, gfmeals.com parents can purchase pre-cooked, pre-assembled meals. A wide variety of foods are offered, from homemade Ketchup to Shepard’s Pie to Mini-Bundt Cake. Pre-cooked meals are an option for rushed family dinners. This option also can add variety to a diet that may sometimes feel limited.

Purchasing pre-cooked items are also available at supermarkets and specialty food stores. While the items can be more expensive than the regular items made with gluten, many times the convenience is worth it. Pizza crusts, bread items, rolls, waffles, and cereal are only some of the items offers on grocery store shelves. Any item made with gluten flour can be made using gluten-free flour. Parents should not feel their child will be lacking in the food available on this diet.

This diet costs money, but the health of the children can’t be measured in dollars. For parents in the United States, there are agencies that can help with the cost of specialty foods. In New York, for example, the WNYDDSO and Agape Parent’s Fellowship are a few such agencies. Eating healthy can save money in health care costs, prescriptions, and promotes a more active generation of little ones. Many parents of children on the Gluten and Casein Free diet are convinced their children eat better than their peers. In an age of childhood obesity, how can increasing the percentage of fruits and vegetables in a child’s diet be seen as unhealthy?

Finally, an answer to the ‘why’ question. Why do parents go through all of this trouble? Parents feel they must do something to fight against the normally depressing future given to them by the doctor giving the diagnosis. Some parents wait 6 months for an appointment for testing. Are they to sit and watch their child slip further away into themselves, giving up a possible 6 months of improvement. No! They fight. Proving the doctor wrong becomes their goal. A diet with proper dietician consultation is a noninvasive treatment. If a GFCF diet has a chance of reducing negative behaviors, increasing eye contact, and decreasing tantrums- parents will try it. Three months is all it takes to determine if the diet will help their child. Improvement could be made while waiting for the testing appointment. It is a challenge to implement, but they are up to it. The reward of having a child who reaches his potential is worth any sacrifice to a parent.

Most parents that have a child with autism or related disorder are presented with the same treatment options over and over. While these programs and interventions do help, there are other non-traditional therapies that yield positive results and have the added benefit of a little fun!


Depending upon your child’s interest, you can find a professional to administer therapy related to that interest. Music therapy, art therapy, therapeutic horse-back riding, even surfing and swimming with dolphins are all alternative ways to teach and treat children with autism.

The differences between these and traditional therapy (speech, occupational and physical) may seem obvious; it’s the similarities that need to be discussed.

Let’s say your child is learning how to start conversations. During speech your child will work on forming words, expanding words into sentences, using appropriate greetings and will learn conversation starters. The exact same goals and skills can be worked on during any of the alternative therapies mentioned above. There is the similarity and one that is constantly misunderstood.

Many parents have the idea that only traditional therapy teaches traditional skills. Parents may wonder: Why in the world does my child need to learn how to surf? Perhaps he doesn’t, but if swimming, water and movement is enjoyable to them, can you think of a better motivator or reward? In this example, instead of earning a sticker on a speech therapist’s chart for ‘good talking’, your child will get to hop on a surf board and the ride the waves as a reward – what a significant difference.

This is why it is important to remember your child is a child first and the disability comes second. If a child is drawn to music, incorporate it in their programming. If you have an idea for alternative therapy but are unable to find a provider, consider contacting a professional in that field and explain your situation.

Parents are often presently surprised at the tremendous feedback received by non-therapists. A woman who offers private art lessons may be more then willing to work on talking or fine motor skills during lessons – in this case, you’ve taken a lesson or activity and modified to also provide therapy. The added bonus is your child will learn skills outside of therapeutic goals also.

Surprisingly, cost can be less then that of traditional therapy and alternative programs may be more available. Every provider will have their own fees, and if financing the therapy is a challenge, be sure to discuss alternate payment options with the provider. Perhaps you can volunteer to decrease cost, use a sliding scale, or refer others to off-set the out of pocket cost. Parents of children with autism are quite creative and innovative, and this situation is no exception.

Parents have also been able to incorporate alternative therapy approaches into mainstream educational settings. Simply put, if a child does well in art therapy, art projects should be used as reward, motivators and teaching tools throughout the child’s day. This is near common sense, as the more interested a child is in a topic, the more they will attend and contribute.

Autism affects every part of life and, as such, can limit social and recreational activities. This is one way to offer your child the best of both worlds and to make sure you’re always moving forward. Be creative and be persistent and you will find a niche your child fits in and loves. You never know, maybe you have the next Picasso sitting right in front of you.

More information about some of the most popular treatments can be fount at http://www.recoveryfromautism.com

There are several diets that claim to help children with Autism. How does a parent decide which, if any, to put their child on? For many parents, data helps validate the claims and helps them feel more comfortable in their decisions. This article discusses about two diets and the third one GFCF Diet, I will discuss it in another article (please stay tuned ..). All of these diets have been used for years, and have documented proof that it helps some children.

Since Autism is a spectrum disorder, a therapy that helps hundreds of children will not help all; and there are cases of one child being “cured” by a therapy that did not help thousands of others. Parents are attracted by diets that may help their child recover, or limit the need for other evasive therapies.

Antifungal Diet
Up to 85% of children with Autism have gastrointestinal issues. Many of these are caused by an imbalance in the intestines due to Candida overgrowth. The overgrowth has significant behavior consequences. Dr. Bernard Rimland, founder of Autism Research Institute, stated, ”based on the weight of the information gathered to date, it seems to me highly probable that a small, but significant proportion of children diagnosed as autistic are in fact victims of a severe Candida infection.” With the incidence of Autism growing so alarmingly, the thought that 5-10% of children can recover by a diet is attractive and plausible to parents.

The antifungal diet requires the removal of sugar sources (that feed yeast), carbohydrates and fermented yeast products (The Natural Medicine Guide to Autism; Marone, Stephanie; 2002;p27).Recipes may be found on anti-candida-diet-chocolate-recipes.

The April 2007 Summary of Biomedical Treatments for Autism publication is available at, (Adams Biomed Summary). In it are the results of parent reports of the success of treatments and how to get more information on the therapies. In this report ARI found removing sugar from the diet as well as giving the child antifungal medication helped many children. Of the parents that reported removing sugar from the child’s diet, 48% showed an improvement, 51% showed no change, and only 2% stated their child got worse. Most antifungal diets begin with a round of antifungal medication. ARI found 55% of parents said their child got better on Diflucan and 49% got better on Nystatin, 41% and 46% showed no change respectively and 5% got worse taking either. It is important to point out that the use of antifungal medication often results in a die-off reaction.

This die-off sometimes results in an increase of negative behavior because the yeast gives off toxins as it dies. This may explain some of the 5% that got worse. This diet can be used in conjunction with other diets. Many parents try it because most people have had yeast overgrowth at one point in their lives. It is also an easier diet to manage than other diet therapies for children with Autism.

Feingold Diet (Program)
Dr. Feingold began noticing a connection between behavior and artificial additives in the 1960’s. The Feingold Association, which carries on the work of Dr. Feingold, feel this program should be used in conjunction with other therapies, diets, vitamin supplements or medication a parent and the child’s doctor sees fit. There has been behavior, attention, physical and mental health improvements in children and adults on this program.

The attention and behavior improvements were not what the purpose of the diet was initially. The diet was started as an allergy diet, the behavior and attention improvements were an unanticipated bonus. Students with Autism, ADHD, OCD and ODD have all benefited from the Feingold Program. The program requires the elimination of food from the diet of the child if the food contains: artificial (synthetic) coloring, artificial (synthetic) flavoring, Aspartame (Nutrasweet, an artificial sweetener) and artificial (synthetic) preservatives BHA, BHT, TBHQ. Also, some salicylates are eliminated, depending on the source of the salicylate. Also, like many other diets, products used by the child that contain the ingredients listed above must be eliminated (Hence, Feingold Program versus Feingold Diet).

For example, some colored soaps may include artificial food coloring. The website www.feingold.org gives a complete description of the program, sources for food (including candy) that are allowed on the diet, and support to any parents wanting to try this for their child. The site shows how much more chemicals children today are subject to, compared to the children’s grandparents.

The Autism Research Institute surveyed thousands of parents on different therapies used to treat Autism and continually updates their findings. The April 2007 findings are available at autism.com | Biomed |Autism Speaks. The parents that responded to trying the Feingold Diet came to 758. Of those, 53% said their child was better after the diet, 2% said their child was worse, and 45% stated there was no change. Many parents do not find this diet difficult to maintain, and feel it should be tried.

Diet is an effective way to manage a child’s Autism. It is non-evasive and if done correctly has a good chance of success. Most diets parents can control themselves, and feel they are helping their child with Autism. If it doesn’t they try again with a different diet, and if it does, they are rewarded for their efforts. Patient parents are not easily frustrated by the trial and error aspects of dietary intervention.
Source: Ditetary interventions |Gluten Free|Casein Free|Anti Fungal|Feingold Diets

About RecoveryFromAutism.com:
The Recovery From Autism (RFA) offers parents a thriving support system where they can connect to other parents like them to get advice about parenting or just know about a treatment or the latest techniques to treat autism. Sharing information about treating autism is a huge inflection point for parents with autistic kids. The Recovery From Autism gives them a trusted place where they can get latest information  and resources related to autism treatments that could help their children to progress and can even  recover them from Autism.

Many parents and professionals agree children with autism are more likely to have food allergies and sensitivities. This supports the theory that children with autism have underlying impairments of the immune system. Parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder are encouraged to consider and evaluate the role food allergies may play in their child’s symptoms.
There are many ways to test for allergies to food and other substances. An allergist can test by blood, skin pricks, endoscopies or even x-rays. Similar to food allergies, it is common for children with autism to experience allergic reactions from environmental triggers, food coloring or preservatives. An allergist can test for all types of allergies and should. Many parents test for food allergies by implementing an elimination diet.
The most common food allergies are to wheat, rye, oats, dairy products, citrus fruits, peanuts and any other food a child is exposed to early in life and repeatedly, as this constant exposure can result in an allergy or sensitivity being developed.
The physical reaction to food allergies can vary by child and may be dependent upon the severity of the allergy or sensitivity. The most common symptoms are nasal and respiratory congestion, acting ‘spaced out’ or out of focus, bed-wetting, stomach aches, hyperactivity, gastrointestinal disturbances, increased hypersensitivity to sensory input, depression, behavioral meltdowns and in some cases tics. Many parents report their child’s seizures are directly related to food allergies also.
Beyond allergy testing, parents can determine if a child has a food allergy through an elimination diet. Often, children will crave what they are allergic to and this may hold a clue as to what food can first be removed from the diet.
Parents should remove the food completely from the diet and maintain that diet for at least two weeks. The body needs time to adjust to the new changes. After a few weeks, parents should introduce the food removed back into the diet by having the child consume it on an empty stomach. If there is an allergy or sensitivity symptoms will appear immediately or within 24 hours at the latest. It is recommended to remove one food at a time, watching for reactions upon the child ingesting it.

Parents will find that many dietary interventions used to treat autism exclude the most common foods children are allergic to. For example, the Gluten and Casein Free diet removes grains and dairy (in addition to being in other foods that are also removed). There are other diets that remove sugars, which can contribute to other gastrointestinal issues, so dietary interventions are an ideal way to also eliminate possible allergens or triggers of autism.
Supplementation of needed nutrients, probiotics and other components can be used to further boost immune health and functioning. Children’s immune systems are assaulted when exposed to allergens, so strengthening the immune system will help the child’s body recover faster.
Food allergies are a main contributor to the symptoms of autism. For the children who suffer from these, having the allergens removed provides great relief and progress. This is one treatment parents can pursue and follow up with a physician while changes are being made. Parents and professionals will testify to the positive changes parents will see and children will feel.
Source: Recoveryfromautism.com

About RecoveryFromAutism.com:
The Recovery From Autism (RFA) offers parents a thriving support system where they can connect to other parents like them to get advice about parenting or just know about a treatment or the latest techniques to treat autism. Sharing information about treating autism is a huge inflection point for parents with autistic kids. The Recovery From Autism gives them a trusted place where they can get latest information  and resources related to autism treatments that could help their children to progress and can even  recover them from Autism.

Establish a routine and create healthy habits for your ADHD/High Functioning ASD child.

• Get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off.
• Get fully dressed. pants, shirt, socks, and shoes before breakfast.
• Eat a healthy breakfast, take vitamins.
• Check backpack to make sure nothing is missing.
• Add lunch or make sure you have lunch money.
• Get to school on time and attend each class promptly.
• Sit near the front in each class, be attentive and respectful, ask questions, and take detailed notes.
• After school, go immediately to scheduled activity or go directly home.
• Eat a healthy snack after getting home and start homework.
• There is no TV or computer time until all homework is done.
• Homework is to be done at the kitchen table or in the library only.
• No iPod, music, phone, social networking, or texting is allowed while doing homework.
• After homework is complete and checked by a parent, you may have free time. When weather is nice, free time must take place outdoors until it starts to get dark or dinner is called.
• Screen time, television, computer, video games is limited to one hour, fifteen minutes each weekday, and two and a half hours per day on weekends.
• Extra screen time must be earned.
• Come in for dinner immediately when called.
• The family will eat together when possible. Each family member will wait for everyone to be finished before getting up from the table. Don’t ask to be excused without a good reason.
• Prepare backpack and select the next day’s wardrobe before bedtime.
• Set a non-negotiable bedtime during the week.
• Set an appropriate weekend and holiday bedtime, and allow extra time to be earned.
• Set a curfew that must be kept. No excuses!
• Set a time limit for phone calls, texting, and social media if applicable.
• Treat and speak to others with respect, and always clean up after yourself.
• Study for at least two days before a test.
• All projects will be completed a day before they are due.
• Sunday night from 8:00 to 9:00 is family meeting hour.
• Nothing else is scheduled during that time.
• Every Sunday each family member will write an action plan for the week.

Once you and your child have set real, actionable goals for the new school year, it’s important to give them guidelines to help them achieve their goals.

Many Parents has seen a wide range of benefits such as inmprovement in gastrointestinal health, Increased eye contact, improved skin color, sleeping patterns and cognitive ability by simply adding vitamin C as part of their biomedical interventions.Here is an interesting article about this intervention.
Parents See Results with Vitamin C

The only thing more overwhelming then learning about the various biomedical interventions available to treat autism is the idea of actually implementing them into your everyday life. Many parents feel this way when first beginning dietary or other treatments. These same parents will now tell you, it is okay – you too can do it.

Like anything else, implementing a treatment is a process. You don’t have to change your entire life in one day. Instead, you can take steps to reach your goal and do it at a pace you’re comfortable with. Learning about these treatments it’s a process in itself. As you become more comfortable with the terms used, underlying pathologies and actual changes, you’ll be able to explore topics in more depth and apply changes with greater accuracy and efficiency.

Gaining support from other parents and the advice of experienced professionals can be the key between success and failure. People who understand, and are available for support, while you implement these changes can relieve stress, provide encouragement and be a motivator to continue when challenges arise.

The first step of any process is becoming educated on the topic or treatment at hand. Second, you begin to connect and gain support from those with similar and personal experience to draw from. Third, you make a plan and become organized. Then you implement the plan. Lastly, you observe, evaluate and adjust as needed.

The process above can be applied to any treatment and works well for almost everyone. Avoid becoming down on yourself by understanding everyone can make mistakes and it’s more important to stay positive. Taking care of ‘you’ is integral to maintain the energy and dedication you need to be successful, so be proud of your willingness and achievements.

Many parents face challenges and opposing views from family members, other parents and the medical community when certain interventions are used. It is helpful to remember you are the expert on your child. This does not mean you must become an expert on autism or biochemistry, only your child. Feel confident in the decisions you make as a parent and avoid those who belittle or criticize your efforts. Turn to those who understand instead.

Some interventions and treatments can require substantial financial resources. This too can be a challenge for many families and often difficult to remedy. Depending upon where you live, there may be groups and organizations to help you obtain services or financial reimbursement. Depending upon the treatment, private insurance carriers may or may not cover some of the cost. While investigating monetary help, you can prioritize treatments and build your individual action plan taking into account the resources currently on hand. For example, instead of beginning three supplements in one month, try beginning one per month if that’s what is manageable.

When you feel overwhelmed or are facing a challenge, remind yourself you’ve already faced the greatest challenge ever – learning your child has autism. You can help your child recover. You can implement treatments and interventions with a little preparation and planning. Have confidence in your ability, decisions and remain positive. Once you’re on track, you’ll be in a position to help another parent like you and you’ll be quickly reminded how far you’ve come.

Many children with autism have nutritional deficiencies. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this including biological processes that may inefficiently nutrients that are received. Establishing optimum health can be a lengthy and challenging process but is well worth every ounce of effort and energy. Since it is so comprehensive, many parents wonder where to begin and what nutrients will elicit the quickest result.

Taking into account how common it is for children with autism to have a very limited diet, and the nutritional quality of processed foods, it is easy to see how nutrients can be lacking. The implications of these deficiencies can mistakenly be contributed to the symptoms of autism or behavioral issues when, in fact, they are symptoms of physical discomfort and nutritional deficiencies.

Vitamin B6 is one integral vitamin that many children with autism respond very well to. Once given, parents report seeing changes in as little as three days. It is important to note that B6 must be given with Magnesium in order to be effective.

The positive changes reported are exciting. Parents state their children have an overall increase in functioning. Many parents notice how significant the changes are when they stop giving their child B6 and Magnesium, and they immediately understand its effectiveness.

Whether or not children with autism are specifically deficient in B6 is yet to be determined. Once on a supplementation program for one month, if no changes are seen, parents are encouraged to discontinue its usage. Like all treatments for autism, not all children respond to the same treatment or in the same way.

When beginning supplementation it is always recommended to have the advice and support of a medical team and to begin each stage slowly. If B6 and Magnesium are given in too high of a dosage or the amount is increased too quickly, negative side effects can occur. Nausea, hyperactivity, increased behaviors and diarrhea are the most common ones experienced. If any of these occur, consult your medical team immediately to adjust or discontinue the supplement.

The amount of B6 and Magnesium given to children with autism is ultimately determined by a professional based on the individual child’s needs. There is a condition called neuropathy that is rarely seen when too much B6 is given. Again, a medical team experienced with these supplements as treatments for autism should monitor the regimen to avoid such experiences.

As is the case with Vitamin C, many parents report their child does well on exceptionally high doses of these nutrients; amounts that greatly exceed the recommended limits. This is what parents and professionals will often call ‘mega-dosing’. Many medical professionals will strangely advise against high doses of nutrients but will quickly prescribe a drug known to be harmful, so this is why having a team that understands these treatments in regards to children with autism is so necessary.

There are many supplements that help children with autism recover. Vitamin B6 is one of them. It must be taken with Magnesium to be effective and when the child is deficient in these nutrients, the results can be seen almost immediately. With a small chance of side effects, beginning this regimen is ideal for many families. It is recommended to keep track and record dosages and the supplements effects for ongoing maintenance and modification. Once this process has begun and one month or more has passed, parents can continue to see progress by continuing to add supplementation. As more and more parents use these treatments, the results are more and more convincing that there is hope for children with autism.

Source: Recoveryfromautism.com

About RecoveryFromAutism.com:
The Recovery From Autism (RFA) offers parents a thriving support system where they can connect to other parents like them to get advice about parenting or just know about a treatment or the latest techniques to treat autism. Sharing information about treating autism is a huge inflection point for parents with autistic kids. The Recovery From Autism gives them a trusted place where they can get latest information  and resources related to autism treatments that could help their childeren to progress and can even  recover them from Autism.

While it may sound too good to be true, parents and professionals alike, report increased physical activity results in a many positive changes and decreases the symptoms of autism.

Children with autism are unique individuals. However, the delay manifests itself differently in each child. The similarities shared are the areas of development affected by autism and one of them is undoubtedly their overall physical ability.

Almost all children with autism need occupational and physical therapy, since children with autism tend to have decreased muscle tone, low endurance, and delayed motor skills. Sensory imbalances are also typical with children that have autism and physical activity is quite simply, the best way to provide sensory input.


When a child’s sensory systems are balanced, stimulatory and stereotypical behaviors diminish. All of a sudden, children will no longer spin, rock or hand-flap because their brain is now organized having received the needed input provided by physical activity. When the brain can make sense of the information received, it can be better processed. For example, a child aversive to being touched may feel physically uncomfortable when touched by another person. What if every time a person hugged you it hurt or made you feel itchy? Chances are you’d do whatever necessary to avoid feeling that way again, including reacting behaviorally should someone try to touch you.

If your sensory system was balanced, and being hugged felt like warm gentle pressure, chances are you’d be able to tolerate it and even seek it out. Having your child play and be physically active provides the input necessary to accomplish this regulation.

Parents should let the child guide the activity. This means observing how your child behaves physically and basing activities off that. If your child likes to spin, go to a playground and use the equipment. If your child is very active – running and jumping about – start doing jumping jacks, relay races and jog – all these activities provide massive amounts of sensory input.


Many children do not engage in physical activity, disability or not, so increasing exercise is a recommendation for all parents.

Since children with autism do well with routines and structure, make it an integral part of your day and conduct small activities throughout the day. To help metabolize nutrients and avoid weight-gain consider activity ½ an hour after eating. Walking, running, jumping, playgrounds, hiking, chasing balloons or bubbles – the ideas and child friendly ways to incorporate exercise are near endless.

As always, keep track of what you do, how often you do it and the subsequent changes in your child. You may find increased gastrointestinal function, as exercise can stimulate digestion and the gut, eye contact will increase as the brain becomes more organized and stimulatory behavior will ultimately disappear. It’s important to make learning and growth fun, so include your entire family and enjoy the time you spend together as well as the results.

Source: Recoveryfromautism.com

About RecoveryFromAutism.com:
The Recovery From Autism (RFA) offers parents a thriving support system where they can connect to other parents like them to get advice about parenting or just know about a treatment or the latest techniques to treat autism. Sharing information about treating autism is a huge inflection point for parents with autistic kids. The Recovery From Autism gives them a trusted place where they can get latest information  and resources related to autism treatments that could help their childeren to progress and can even  recover them from Autism.

No matter the disease, disorder or disability, early intervention and treatment is always recommended. This theory certainly applies to autism and is the reason why there are so many awareness campaigns and initiatives promoting early detection and treatment of autism.
We know the brains of children that have autism are developed atypically. When children are young, the brain undergoes many organizational changes responsible for development.
For example, when toddlers experience what is called the ‘language boom’, in which vocabulary can grow from a few dozen words to hundreds or more in a short period of time, the brain is undergoing changes by way of establishing new neural pathways and cutting back those that are unused.
The brain can do this because of what is known as plasticity. This means the brain has the ability to change and mold if you will. The older a child the less plasticity there is believed to be. This is one reason why early intervention is so important. Should the window of opportunity to establish certain brain activity be closed, there is less hope of development.
It is common sense that the earlier a wound is given treatment, the sooner and more complete it should heal. Children with autism have pathological and biomedical needs that, once healed, cause damage to cease. This is very apparent when gastrointestinal function and immune function is discussed. In short, the sooner biomedical treatments are established to heal the gut, immune and nervous system, the better the chances of complete recovery.
There are many possible assailants to the brain and body. Certain foods, environmental toxins, antibiotics, other drugs and more can disrupt normal biological processes. With an experience team, some research and support, parents can begin to treat their child’s specific needs with the range of effective treatments immediately available.
Dietary interventions can remove toxic substances that have negative affects on the brain. Supplementation can restore and support the immune system. Chelation can remove toxins and cumulatively they result in reported recovery from the symptoms of autism.
Food allergies and sensitivities also play a very big role in aggravating the symptoms of autism. Cognitively, the brain can be considered clouded or even short-circuited when a child is receiving foods, such as gluten containing food that has negative effects on the brain once broken down by the body. An allergy is in itself an immune system response, so removing this constant assault, the body can begin to heal and reestablish optimum functioning. Improvement of gastrointestinal function should be immediately considered also, because if it is inefficient, it could be allowing substances to escape the gut and enter the brain.
The gut-brain relationship is rarely discussed but is integral to overall functioning and development. As the gut heals it will be able to perform its various functions, such as keeping broken-down nutrients in the gut and out of the brain. Certain enzymes can be given to help children break down specific proteins and address other gastrointestinal issues.
While intervention and treatment is recommended to begin while the child is quite young, parents should begin implementing a protocol immediately upon diagnosis regardless of the child’s age. There are many options to consider and many parents who can share their experience as a means of support. The research is clear – early intervention is one key to success and children can start to recover from the damage of autism as soon as treatment begins and it could be as simple as making dietary changes.
Source: Recoveryfromautism.com

About RecoveryFromAutism.com:
The Recovery From Autism (RFA) offers parents a thriving support system where they can connect to other parents like them to get advice about parenting or just know about a treatment or the latest techniques to treat autism. Sharing information about treating autism is a huge inflection point for parents with autistic kids. The Recovery From Autism gives them a trusted place where they can get latest information  and resources related to autism treatments that could help their childeren to progress and can even  recover them from Autism.