At our Perth naturopathic clinic we have successfullytreated a large number of cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger’s Syndrome, Retts Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder(PDD-NOS).
At any one time we have at least twenty autistic cases under treatment, and naturopath and homeopath Michael Blanch has treated hundreds of cases. While we thoroughly investigate naturopathic factors including diet, toxin exposure, vaccination reactions, drug use by both child and the mother during pregnancy, our main therapy is homeopathy.
Homeopathy can work to counteract all or any of these influences. Once the right remedy is chosen, results are typically quick and without negative effects, unlike the lengthy, reactive process that typically occurs with the biomedical approach and chelation therapy. At our Perth clinic we use classical or traditional homeopathy, but also use some of the approaches of CEASE therapy, as developedby the late Dutch homeopath Tinus Smits.
Although we take a full case history, we don’t have to reach a definitive diagnosis or theory of “the cause” of ASD. We will not try to convince you of a specific theory or make you feel guilty because you have vaccinated your child or given your child antibiotics, for instance. Nobody has established a definitive explanation of what causes autism. It is likely that it is different things for different people – and we have seen all these things play a part in different cases – but this reality does not limit homeopathy in any way. The remedy is not chosen on a theory, but on the principle of homeopathy: like cures like.
A homeopathic remedy for autism, as with all conditions we treat, is chosen on the basis of the full spectrum of symptoms: the mental,the emotional and the physical symptoms are all included. Homeopathy has thousands of remedies to choose from, and each remedy covers thousands of indications on the mental, emotional and physical levels. Furthermore, all of the typical symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder are specifically covered by hundreds ofhomeopathic remedies. The homeopath’s job is to identify the remedy that most specifically encompasses the main symptoms of the autistic child on all thesethree levels.
The homeopathic remedy is specific for that child with autism. It is not for autism in general.That way, we trust in the intelligent self-healing mechanism of the body to bring about change at the deepest level and address the underlying toxicities in each case, whether they are environmental or drug toxins, vaccinations or other triggers. In that way, homeopathy steps outside of the argument about what has caused the ASD in this case, and the lengthy trial and error approach of biomedical therapies.
In this 2010 study, the researchers studied 25 children with ASD. They were given individually prescribed homeopathic treatment and studied over 18 months. They found significant positive and curative response with homeopathy on all autism parameters.
There are other studies of homeopathy in ASD at the bottom of this page.
Many homeopathic remedies cover the common signs and symptoms of ASD, relating to impaired communication skills and social ability, socially inappropriate behaviour andsensory or motor disturbances. These include:
There is a crossover with many symptoms of ADHD and many of the same homeopathic remedies may be indicated in both.
The homeopathic remedy is chosen on the individual basis ofhow the child experiences his or her unique pattern of symptoms. If there is an obsession, the nature of the obsession is important and should match theremedy. Any specific fear or anxiety is noted and included in the analysis. Do any specific things make them angry and aggressive, and what do they do when angry? Exactly what behaviours are repetitive? Everything about the child’s health is taken into account, whether or not it is related to the autism specifically.
With an appropriately chosen remedy, most typically a change is noticed in the child’s behaviour within a few days to a week. A follow up will be scheduled, typically within two to four weeks initially. Everything will be assessed again and either the same remedy repeated in a deeper potency if progress has been good on all levels, or if the symptom pattern is improved but changed, a different remedy may be chosen.
After the initial return visit, further visits are scheduledat three to six week intervals and the same process of monitoring and changing the homeopathic prescription is carried out. In most cases we see good, steady progress and aim to get lasting improvements in all aspects of the AutismSpectrum Disorder over time.
Once we areclear where we are going with the homeopathic treatment at our Perth clinic, after typically two or three visits we may introduce naturopathic protocols, including dietary changes. The brain-gut connection is important, and modifying the diet to reduce aggravating factors may allow us to go a little deeper. This will also improve the immune system, and factors such as bacteria, yeasts (suchas candida) and parasites may be addressed. Unlike with the biomedicalapproach, this is made far easier when the homeopathic treatment has prepared the way and we do not see prolonged detoxification reactions that can occur with that treatment with drug therapy.
REFERENCES:
Bravalia, Praval. AutismSpectrum Disorder: Holistic Homeopathy:Retrospective Study of 123 cases ofAutism Treated with Classical Homeopathy. HomoeopathicLinks, Spring 2011, Vol. 24: pp. 31-38.
Geórgia ReginaMacedo de Menezes Fonseca, et al: Effectof homeopathic medication on the cognitive and motor performance of autisticchildren (Pilot study) InternationalJournal of High Dilution Research, 2008; 7(23); 63-71.
Dr. M.A.Rajalakshmi, Role of Homoeopathy in the Management of Autism: Study of Effects of HomoeopathicTreatment on the Autism Triad
Frei, H.”Asperger’s Syndrome, A Case Study with Polarity Analysis.” HomoeopathicLinks, Spring 2011, Vol. 24: pp. 1–5.