Traditional treatments for autism have mostly focused on psychiatric drugs in attempts to calm and control behavior or improve focus. Parents were told by physicians that there was really no way to improve the condition itself.
That attitude gradually started to change when Dr. Bernard Rimland came on the scene. More than 45 years ago, Dr. Rimland pioneered new research to explore nutritional supplements for autism. He also began to examine biochemical, or underlying physical causes, for autism. He also advised the medical community that many of the medications used for autism were not only inadequate, but they had significant negative consequences and a better, safer approach was needed. Other researchers followed his lead, and autism is now considered to be “treatable.”
In addition, the autism community has advanced treatment options with the use of behavioral interventions, such as applied behavior analysis, speech therapy, social interventions, sensory integration therapy, physical and occupational therapy, and targeted learning techniques.
Dietary, nutritional, and biomedical therapy is of particular interest to many families. The use of suitable nutrients and specialized diets have helped thousands of people. As research continues to delve into these areas, a summary paper through the Autism Research Institute is helpful in sorting out different approaches that currently show promise to treat autism without the use of toxic medications. See our article: Summary of Dietary, Nutritional and Medical Treatments for Autism.
Families often need to seek out physicians who are familiar with a biomedical approach to autism. These practitioners have a background in assessment and treatment of imbalances in the body, and they understand different dietary approaches that might be beneficial.
Related articles are shown below. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can search using the box at the upper right of the page or browse our forums.
Authors Shaheen E Lakhan, PhD, and Karen F. Vieira, PhD provide a summary of research on nutrients beneficial for major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Pubished by Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation, Los Angeles, CA […]
Abram Hoffer, MD Dr Hoffer, a renowned nutritional expert, served as an advisory board member for ACN Latitudes until his passing in 2009 at the age of 92. This advice is adapted with his permission […]
Vijendra K. Singh, Ph.D., was a research associate professor at Utah State University when he contributed this article. He has over 20 years of experience in neurobiology and immunology research, beginning at the Children’s Hospital […]
LISA PYLES We asked Lise Pyles, author of Hitchhiking through Asperger Syndrome to advise ACN Latitudes readers who are seeking help for their child’s Asperger-like symptoms. When parents first suspect their child may have Asperger Syndrome […]
John Upledger, Interview Interview by the editor, Sheila Rogers, MS Dr. Upledger, would you start by explaining what the craniosacral system is? The craniosacral system (CSS) is a newly acknowledged physiological system, along the lines […]
Harold Buttram, MD The Potential Effects of food processing and commercial chemicals on the brain, nervous system, and psyche during childhood About 40 years ago, childhood autism was so rare that most pediatricians had never […]
If you are a parent of a child on the autism spectrum (ASD), you have probably tried just about every treatment under the sun. And, unless your child has enjoyed miraculous improvement, you are undoubtedly still […]
MARY DAMER Help for Sensory Hypersensitivity in Autism, ADHD, and Tourette Syndrome I have learned that no one treatment or intervention can be expected to “cure” an individual diagnosed with autism, Tourette syndrome (TS), or […]