Help With Autism

Over time, our bodies amass an array of toxins, heavy metals and other contaminants which, when allowed to build up, can wreak havoc on our health. Small doses of mercury and other such metals are not typically a concern for adults, but since we are unable to rid them from our bodies by ourselves, they simply accrue over time. Certain diets and lifestyles, such as those heavy in seafood, put certain people at a higher risk for unhealthy levels of these contaminants.

Up until recently, one of the only options to rid your body of these metals and other toxins was chelation therapy, but many new medications provide the same heavy metal detox effects. PCA-Rx, for example, uses probiotics to enhance the immune system and facilitate the removal of toxins. Probiotics are living bacterial organisms which become part of your body in work in conjunction with it.

Most diseases don’t discriminate, but that isn’t the case with autism. Males are far more likely to be diagnosed with the disorder than their female counterparts are, and scientists believe they may have uncovered one of the reasons. Researchers have recently discovered a mutated gene in boys that puts them at a higher risk of autism.

In 2007, several organizations found that boys with autism had more growth related hormones than those without the disorder. Last year, researched identified CACNA1G, a gene which is more common in boys and seemed to be one of the mutated genes in autistic children. And just recently, researchers were able to identify another gene affecting the X chromosome of males with autism. As more discoveries are made pertaining to autism genes, it will aid scientists in developing new autism therapy.

In this blog we discuss the myriad different autism treatments people try—from chelation therapy to weighted blankets. Unfortunately, the results from any of these treatments varies depending on the individual, and there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support any one method. Antidepressants is a commonly prescribed treatment for autism, but new research from Cochrane Researchers say there is no evidence that suggests the medication is effective in treating autism in children.

There has been some evidence showing that the treatment works in some adults, but the same can’t be said about children. This study is particularly important because many children may suffer adverse side effects from taking antidepressants. So with no scientific evidence to back the treatment, it’s not worth putting your child’s health in further jeopardy.

In our last post we discussed a new finding that suggests there may be a common genetic link for those with autism. A new study released today adds more fuel to that hypothesis, as researchers found that the closest relatives of those with autism often move their eyes in subtly different ways. These differences are so minimal the people themselves won’t even notice them. But when observed in a lab, the differences are discernible.

This commonality among people with autism and their relatives is further evidence that genetics and heredity are causes of autism. Mathew Mosconi, a scientist who worked on the study, says that by studying eye movements scientists may be able to determine which specific systems the disorder is affecting. Eventually, the researchers hope to use the findings to develop new autism treatments.

It’s no secret that there are dozens of autism treatments touted by parents across the country as a miracle cure for the disorder. In this blog we have examined several—from probiotics and heavy metal detox, to the elimination of certain foods from the diet. One of the most popular modus operandi is to eliminate all wheat and dairy products, which many parents say effectively curbs the detrimental affects of autism.

A recent article in New Scientist mentioned a new study that showed no evidence the diet worked. But try telling that to the parents who have implemented it and seen amazing results. The same can be said of heavy metal detox, which has little scientific evidence to support it but hundreds of avid advocates. I’m certainly not a doctor, but perhaps there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to the disease. As we’ve seen, autism is a spectrum of disorders which have myriad causes, so it seems natural that there are multiple ways to treat it, and they all might not work for everyone.

The names SYNGAP1, DDX53 – PTCHD1 and DLGAP2 probably don’t mean anything to you, but they could hold the key to unraveling the autism mystery. These are just a few of the genes that researchers at Mount Sinai and the Autism Genome Project Consortium have identified as having a direct link to autism. The group’s findings, which are published in the current issue of Nature, were gathered from a study involving over 2,000 participants.

While the immediate impact on autism therapy and treatment will likely be minimal, scientists are optimistic that within a few years they will be able to run blood tests to determine a child’s risk of autism. The autism genes may also pave the way for advancements in autism drugs, as researchers now have a clear picture of what it is they need to combat. Although the genes affected are varied in their nature and function, many are close together and communicate with the brain in similar fashions.

There is constant debate in the quest to develop a comprehensive treatment for autism, but at this point, no definitive answer has been found. Although there isn’t a drug or set of supplements that have consistently proven capable of alleviating the symptoms of the disease, dietary changes have garnered results. While foods are not the cause of the disorder, allergies and intolerances to specific foods may cause behavioral issues.

Foods containing the proteins gluten and casein have proven particularly difficult for many autism sufferers to digest. Gluten is the protein found in whole grains like wheat and oats, while casein is the protein common in dairy products. Children with autism may have trouble breaking down these proteins completely, which can disrupt biochemistry and brain function. As foods containing these proteins are a staple in most diets, it is important to remove them from your child’s diet incrementally, if you decide to do so.

Part of the reason there is no universal autism therapy that all doctors subscribe to is the fact that there are still many questions as to what actually causes autism. A recent study, however, has identified two genes that appear to be directly linked to autism. LRRN3 and LRRTM3, genes found in two brain proteins, had variations in people who were more susceptible to autism.

The study was conducted by an international team of researchers and is one of the most comprehensive investigations of genes and autism to date. Both of the proteins that were identified play a critical role in brain development, which is often the culprit in autism. One of the proteins is believed to help in the structuring of the nervous system, while the other seems to work with synaptic connections.

In a new study set to be published this March in the “Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiartry,” researchers report that the symptoms of autism usually are not present in children less than six months old. As the children advance past the six-month milestone, they begin to gradually show signs of autism. Some of these early indicators include lack of eye contact and communicative babbling.

For the last five years, researchers have been working with young children and following them until the age of three to get a better understanding of how the disease develops and what may be effective autism treatments. According to the researchers, there were few differences between a high-risk group and those who were low-risk up until the six-month mark. At this point, the group who were at high-risk—due to having siblings with autism—began to display early signs of the disease.

One of the most cryptic and elusive diseases for doctors, scientists and researchers is autism. Even after extensive investigation, the causes of the disease are not known and there are varying accounts on what are the most effective treatments. On January 30 there was a one-day conference in San Francisco expounding the most effective methods of the treatment for autism.

The Autism: Hope in Action Conference featured some of the most renowned doctors in the autism field. During the conference, early detection, medications and proper supplementation were discussed, as well as the latest findings in the field. The presentations during the conference centered on current treatments that are being implemented by physicians and the results that they are garnering.