Autism is Treatable

If your child is diagnosed on the autism spectrum, the next thing to know is that autism is treatable. If your child's psychologist or pediatrician tells you that nothing much can be done to change things, it's only because they lack information.

Many of the staff and clinicians working at Thoughtful House are parents that have children on the autism spectrum. Our many years of researching effective therapies have resulted in a comprehensive approach, so that a child receiving care will be consulting with a team of clinicians encompassing these areas:

Medical Treatment: Children with childhood developmental disorders (CDDs) have dysregulated immune systems, a finding supported by many studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Treatment directed at correcting immune system abnormalities is imperative, and includes supplying nutrients key in normal immune function, supporting the detoxification pathways, and breaking the inflammatory cycle.

Gastrointestinal Diagnosis and Treatment: Many children with CDDs have GI symptoms that precede, coincide, with, or appear after the onset of neurological symptoms or regression. A child should produce one formed stool per day – anything else may merit attention. GI symptoms common in children with autism include constipation, diarrhea (often described as mushy or grainy, not watery), abdominal pain, abnormal posturing, malodorous stool, undigested food in stool, abdominal distention, and failure to thrive (not growing). Many children don’t present obvious symptoms until they are older, and because of communication and pain-response deficits, the GI symptoms of many children with autism are overlooked. There is also a subgroup of children with autism that appear to lack GI symptoms, but without evaluation the question of an occult (hidden) GI inflammation remains answered.

Clinical Nutrition Treatment: Because of abnormal permeability in an autistic child's inflamed gut, and weakened digestive enzyme function, before some food proteins are fully digested they 're able to leak into the bloodstream. The immune system responds by making antibodies against these proteins, further contributing to inflammation. Particular proteins also can act as false neurotransmitters and detrimental drug analogs, affecting brain function adversely; gluten and casein proteins (from grains and milk products) are two examples. Counseling can be key in determining which foods a child might be reacting against. When offending proteins are removed from the diet, it can profoundly improve both gastrointestinal and neurological functioning in some children. Furthermore, because many affected children have bowel disease they may not be absorbing enough nutrients from their food, making supplementation and a well-designed nutritious diet even more important. In addition, unless properly supervised, various dietary interventions employed that are ostensibly helpful might result in protein, nutrient, and caloric deficiency. The poor metabolic, immune system, and methylation pathway functions in affected children mean that they require individualized supplementation.

ABA Therapy, provided by C.A.R.D.: Behavior Analysis is the science of behavior; Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the systematic approach to assessment and evaluation of behavior, and the supervised application of interventions based on the principles of learning theory. ABA focuses on the development of adaptive social behavior and the reduction of maladaptive behavior. "Social behaviors" include academics, communication, social skills, and adaptive living skills. C.A.R.D. is recognized as the most caring and productive approach to behavior modification in children on the autism spectrum.

Thoughtful House currently serves families that come from 48 states and 31 countries. While there is a lot of information and support that may be provided through phone consultations with various staff and collaborative clinicians, patients must be seen by the clinicians at least once per year (individual treatment plans vary). The limits imposed by location mean that our entire staff make every effort to support and communicate with families who choose this profoundly rewarding if arduous journey toward filling their child’s potential.

"Respect and value your instincts about your child - never ignore them, no matter what anyone tells you. Holding a loved one's life in your hands means that you have to accept a position of power even when you don't want it. You must become an advocate for your child, even if it means standing alone against the world." - Karen Siff Exhorn