How to Handle Your Child's Autism Diagnosis

Consider Adding a Biomedical Expert

Food sensitivities, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, intestinal yeast overgrowth, gut and brain inflammation, allergies, gastrointestinal problems, and heavy metals are among the litany of medical issues that can be associated with autism. Alternative treatments may include gluten and casein-free diets, vitamin and mineral supplements, vitamin B12 shots, anti-inflammatory treatments, yeast treatments and gut support, detoxification support, and chelation therapy treatments. Brain inflammation, yeast, detoxification, allergy sensitivities, and gastrointestinal problems are among the many medical issues and alternative treatments associated with autism.

According to the Autism Research Institute (ARI), the amount of research on biomedical therapies and the number of parents who use them have risen exponentially in the past several years. After traditional diagnosis and traditional therapies have been tackled, Dr. Compart says the biomedical aspect should be addressed. "I tell parents we're going to try to answer two questions: 'Are your child's body and brain getting what they need to function at their best? Is there something getting into your child's body and brain that is interfering?' It's a simple premise, but answering those questions can get incredibly complicated."

ARI and Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) both offer lists of doctors, by state, who specialize in biomedical therapies, but finding these doctors can mean painstaking medical testing and documentations of what does and doesn't work. Biomedical therapies aren't cheap, either; most physicians who specialize in them do not accept insurance, and the supplements and special foods are costly. A family can sink hundreds of thousands of dollars into such treatment over the years. Dr. Compart says, "You need to do this with guidance. You have to consider your resources. This can help, sometimes immensely, and sometimes in smaller ways." Dr. Compart feels biomedical treatments are synergistic with educational and therapy services. Helping a child's brain work better internally allows him to benefit optimally from these external supports.

Resources: