Contact Us: 1-347-269-4748

Conventional Treatments of Autism

There is no cure for autism, so therapies are typically geared toward managing the specific symptoms.  Given the variations between autistics, treatment plans must be tailored to the specific needs of the individual.  The earlier these treatments can begin, the greater the chance of progress and even recovery from milder symptoms.  The two most common protocols for helping autistics involve educational/behavioral interventions and medications. 

Educational and behavioral interventions typically involve highly intensive training programs focused on helping autistic children develop social and language skills.  These are best handled by a single therapist following a structured regimen to focus the child and harness their energies into productive learning.  Speech therapy, behavioral therapy, and occupational therapy may be integrated into the lesson plans to promote self-expression, self-care, and independence.

In combination with these behavioral treatments, medications are often prescribed to help with complications such as depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive behaviors.  If the autistic child is hyperactive, sedatives or stimulants typically prescribed for ADHD patients may also be considered.  Antipsychotics are sometimes prescribed for autistics with severe behavioral problems.  Anticonvulsant drugs are commonly prescribed for seizures, should they occur.  None of these treatments address the core social and communicative problems, but serve more to temper other complications to improve quality of life.

Finally, family counseling is a vital component of autism treatment.  An autistic child presents many unusual challenges to parents, non-autistic siblings, and other family members.  Families hoping to provide a strong support network for an autistic child also need support themselves from people who understand.  They may find strength by attending counseling (group and individual) and by getting involved in local or national autism support groups.

Patients Medical's Treatment of Autism

At Patients Medical, we always strive to provide personalized, individual care that combines the benefits of modern medicine with natural approaches, avoiding unnecessary medication wherever possible.  Because of this, we favor the DAN protocol for treatment of autistic patients.  This regularly updated compendium serves to centralize information related to recent discoveries in autism research, along with the current best practices for treatment.

The DAN protocol takes a multi-layered approach to facilitating autism recovery that features dietary modifications, food allergy testing, intestinal flora evaluation, nutritional supplements, and detoxification.  These treatments are administered by licensed DAN practitioners, credentialed doctors and clinicians that have undergone specific training in the protocol.  If possible, it is recommended that parents form a partnership with a specific DAN practitioner to offer stability for their child and ensure that progress is carefully monitored.  When beginning to apply elements of the DAN protocol to an autistic child's treatments, it is also important to communicate this plan to their regular pediatrician and other health professionals that may be working with them.

Dietary modifications are initially geared toward making sure the child gets all the essential nutrients their body needs to maximize physical health, balance their metabolism, and optimize their brain function.  A balanced, diverse diet emphasizing fruits and vegetables provides the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients essential for maintenance of physical and mental health.  Meat, eggs, nuts, and beans are important sources of proteins, which supply the amino acids used to make important proteins in our bodies.  While our bodies can synthesize some of these amino acids naturally, others can only be acquired through the diet.  Efforts are also made to reduce sugar intake to help normalize blood sugar, fluctuations in which can contribute to mood swings and behavioral issues.  Certified organic foods are preferable wherever possible to minimize ingestion of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives which can exacerbate symptoms in some autistics.  Pesticides commonly used in non-organic produce may also have toxic effects, worsening symptoms and potentially delaying the progress of recovery.

Many children with autism additionally have food allergies, in which their bodies mount an  immune response to food particles as though they were fighting off pathogens.  It is critical to identify such foods and eliminate them from the diet for the safety of the child, as extreme allergic reactions that cause anaphylactic shock may prove fatal.  Milder allergies may cause rashes, headaches, stomachaches, and other symptoms that can affect behavior.  These may result in moodiness, tantrums, and outbursts if the child is unable to express how they feel.  Food allergies can be tested by systematic introduction and removal from the diet, carefully watching behavioral patterns.  Food allergy testing in a medical setting is far more accurate, however.  During these tests, small amounts of many different food proteins can be injected into the skin and then examined for inflammation surrounding the injection sites.  Blood can also be drawn from the child and analyzed for antibodies that are specific to the suspected food proteins. Removing allergenic foods from an autistic child can radically improve their attention span and behavior.

A more specialized diet that is of great interest in the autism community is the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet, which also often excludes corn and soy products.  The rationale behind the diet has several layers.  The first is related to food allergies:  a medical study revealed that 87% of 150 autistic children tested were producing antibodies to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats.  In the same study, 90% were producing antibodies to casein, a protein found in all dairy products.  As mentioned above, even mild food allergies can potentially aggravate an autistic's symptoms.  Researchers have also found that breakdown products of gluten have properties that allow them to bind opioid receptors, potentially giving them morphine-like properties.  This may explain some of the sensory disruptions in autistics, such as their reduced sensitivity to pain.  The addictiveness of the opioid response could also account for behavioral problems, mood swings, and fluctuations in energy levels.  Permanent removal of these proteins from the diet may stabilize symptoms by eliminating the unintentional stimulation of the opioid receptors.  Although clinical studies examining the efficacy of the GFCF diet did not produce compelling results, many parents of autistic children report dramatic benefits and recovery from many symptoms within the first few months.

Improving intestinal health can also potentially help the autistic in several ways.  Removal of allergenic foods from the diet is a critical part of this, as chronic inflammation can potentially lead to "leaky gut," a syndrome in which food particles escape the gut and prompt further immune responses.  The balance of the intestinal bacteria which aids in food digestion should also be examined.  High levels of yeast within the gut can lead to yeast syndrome, a condition in which fungal overgrowth in the gut leads to a wide variety of physical and mental symptoms.  During a several phase treatment, the overgrowth is controlled through diet and then destroyed by antifungal treatment.  The normal flora can then be re-established using natural probiotic treatments.  Elimination of these gastrointestinal problems can improve nutrient uptake and also make the child feel better, stabilizing their mood and behavior.

A variety of dietary supplements may also be considered as part of autism therapy.  Probiotics and digestive enzymes make food breakdown more efficient, improving results of dietary modifications.  Supplementary amino acids, vitamins, and minerals may also be recommended for children that are transitioning to their new, modified diets.  Unwillingness to eat certain foods may be difficult to overcome in the early stages of treatment, for example, so supplements can compensate until the new diet is accepted.  High doses of vitamin B6 with magnesium have also been found to benefit autistic children, though the mechanism is unclear.  One explanation is that autistics have reduced abilities to properly convert vitamins into their active, physiologically useful forms.  Vitamin B6 is required for making neurotransmitters, so such a deficiency could readily explain the altered brain signaling patterns in autistics.  Essential fatty acids have also been shown to increase language and learning skills in studies of autistic children.

Detoxification is another fundamental component of autism therapy for many children.  Researchers have found that autistic children frequently have lower levels of glutathione, one of the body's fundamental detoxifying molecules.  Glutathione can be supplemented intravenously, but it is unfortunately not well absorbed in the stomach, making direct supplementation challenging and relatively inconvenient.  Instead, natural levels of glutathione are can be boosted by increasing vitamin C intake.  Folinic acid, methyl-vitamin B12, and trimethylglycine supplements may also improve glutathione levels.  Chelation therapies are also thought to both stimulate glutathione production and supplement glutathione activity by removing toxic metals, such as mercury, from the body.

Beyond the DAN protocol, Patients Medical also offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to autism patients.  Under normal air conditions, oxygen in the blood is primarily associated with red blood cells.  The level of oxygenation in the blood is therefore limited by the quantity of red blood cells, as well as iron, which is required for the binding of oxygen.  By increasing the pressure that air is under, it can be forced to hold a higher concentration of oxygen.  If such air is breathed, as in a hyperbaric chamber, the red blood cells can become saturated with oxygen, maximizing their delivery potential.  Under these conditions, oxygen may also be carried through the blood in the plasma.

HBOT has been shown to be quite useful in re-establishing oxygenation of tissues that have been starved through blood loss, anemia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and many other conditions.  It also appears to improve healing, abate inflammatory responses, and even stimulate stem cell production.  HBOT offers tremendous restorative possibilities in an autistic's brain and body, potentially stimulating brain tissues that have been "idling" due to insufficient oxygenation and related chemical issues. 

Because each autistic child's needs are unique, their treatment program at Patients Medical shall be designed specifically for their symptoms.  Any special concerns of the family will also be met with sensitivity and an open mind.  The combination of therapies will be established following several meetings with the child and family, as well as diagnostic testing to identify nutritional imbalances, toxicities, and infections that may be hindering progress.  As the child begins to recover, their therapy recommendations will also evolve to ensure that their progress continues.  Our staff remains up to date in the DAN protocol and other advances in autism research, as well.  We strive to offer autistic children and their families the very best of combination of modern and natural treatments, working toward the best possible outcomes.

Specific Supplements We Recommend for Autism

Arctic™ Cod Liver Oil from Nordic Naturals has the highest level of Omega-3 fatty acids per mg of any cod liver oil on the market, and is tested to ensure healthy levels of 100% naturally occurring vitamins A and D.

Behavior Balance-DMG™ Liquid is an advanced, phenol free, nutritional supplement that combines a patented N,N-Dimethylglycine (DMG) with Bentaine, Folic Acid, Vitamins B6 and B12, Zinc and Magnesium in a great tasting, natural black cherry flavored liquid.  These nutrients work synergistically to balance behavior patterns and socialization skills, while supporting stress coping mechanisms and immune system function in children.

Kids Chelat™ Heavy Metal Chelator is the same formula as Bio-Chelat™ heavy metal chelator, only with added trace minerals. There are no harmful side effects with Kids Chelat™. It does not affect or harm the liver, kidneys, or gastrointestinal tract.  Clinical studies in Germany have proven its safety and effectiveness for lowering the toxic load of heavy metals like mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, copper, and cadmium in children.

We are located at: Patients Medical PC, 800 Second Avenue, Suite 900 (Between 42nd & 43rd Street), Manhattan, New York, NY 10017.