Put your child on the GFCF diet. The GFCF (Gluten free casein free) diet effectively eliminates the possibility of peptides from entering the bloodstream via a 'leaky gut'. A common problem of autistic children. Once into the blood stream, these peptides convert to opiates and affect the brain adversely. I would strongly suggest you do some internet research on this, using the keywords within this paragraph to search on. Give your child EFA supplements. Research has clearly proven that essential fatty acids are fundamental to a developing brain. Even more so in an autistic child. Scientific evidence suggests that imbalances or deficiencies of certain highly unsaturated fatty acids may contribute to a range of behavioural and learning difficulties including ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autistic spectrum disorders. The product 'IQ' is widely available in most supermarkets, or even better 'Nordic naturals' (a simple google search will bring up many sources for this). Enzyme therapy. Enzymes are essential to sustain life because most chemical reactions in biological cells would occur too slowly, or would lead to different products without enzymes. Children with neurological difficulties often have eating and digestive problems. This may be due to a real unidentified biological issue which is manifesting in problematic behavior. There is a nerve system that is tightly interconnected with the digestive tract. Things that affect digestion also affect the nervous system. Locate a source of multiple enzymes , and look at what these actually do. They can help to stabilise a problematic gut and make a significant difference with the way a child detoxifies and absorbs nutrients. Cut out as many excitotoxins as possible. There are a growing number of toxins that are entering our environment which destroy your brain and nervous system's cells. These toxins are called excitotoxins which literally stimulate your neurons to death. Toxic chemicals such as MSG, 'nutra-sweet' (also known as 'aspartame'), hydrolyzed protein are now saturating our dietary landscape. Many of us put toxic chemicals on our hair and face which get into our brains and effect the production and function of neurotransmitters. Seek out as many organic alternatives as you can on all your foods. A child's brain is four times more sensitive to damage by excitotoxins than an adult's brain. Even adults could benefit from this advice! Junk food may taste nice , but for children it really is junking their brain. Give your child probiotics. Within the digestive system , there lie many different forms of bacteria. The purpose of a pro-biotic is to improve the so called presence of 'healthy' bacteria, which for a number of reasons are depleted. Dysbiosis is a condition in which there are significant alterations in the normal bacterial, viral and yeast populations in the intestines. The nature of the dysbiosis and the degree of severity varies from one child to another; however in the context of Autistic Spectrum Disorder , the significant anaerobic bacteria are Bacteroides, Clostridium and yeasts such as Candida. If you are putting your child on a GFCF diet , make sure the probiotic is gluten and casein free also. Get some tests performed. Now that may sound like a sweeping statement. However it can be massively significant in determining what is going on in your child's body. There are a number of tests that can be performed, such as full spectral blood tests , stool analysis , urine tests and hair follicle tests. Obviously these should be done in conjunction with a medical physician. Locate a DAN doctor for this purpose (Defeat Autism Now). As a result of the tests, you will probably discover an unhealthy showing of heavy metals present. There is a process you can also discuss with your doctor or research yourself called 'Chelation' , that purges the body of these harmful substances. Supplement with L-Glutathione. Glutathione is an antioxidant that is a blend of three amino acids - cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine. Glutathione plays an important part in the body's antioxidant defense system and is involved in a number of body functions, including protecting the body from the formation of free radicals. Optimal amounts of Glutathione are necessary for supporting the immune system, and it is required for replication of lymphocyte immune cells. Glutathione also helps the body detoxify heavy metals, solvents and pesticides, and transforms them into a form that can be excreted in urine or bile. The information presented in this article is for awareness purposes. Please do not make the mistake of believing that nothing can be done to help your autistic child. There is hope and there are many other additional things you can do to improve your child's behaviour and understanding and help bring them back into the world. For more information and an online forum , please visit our website and join our growing community. |
