If your child is suffering from autistic spectrum disorder or ASD, you should know that although there is no cure to this health condition, with proper treatments, the symptoms can be managed quite
And, it will help your child to lead an almost normal life with lesser challenges. well. Some studies have linked ASD to exposure to toxic metals, though unfortunately there is no way to reverse it.
We believe after knowing that your child has this special condition, you might have gathered as much knowledge as you can about the traditional treatments of ASD.
Here, we will like to tell you that apart from the traditional treatment methods, like speech therapy, applied behavioural therapy, and medications, you also can opt for non-traditional or alternative treatment options.
They are pretty amazing in helping your child communicate properly, developing social interactions, and reducing repetitive behaviours.
CAM Therapy And Autism
When it comes to treating autism spectrum disorder, there are various types of CAM therapies that we will recommend for your child. Every child shows different symptoms of autism, so there is no single therapy that will work for every patient.
Something that is working for others might not be suitable for your children. Shou needs to ensure that you shoot the option that is safe for your children and also is accepted by the child.
Here are some of the most effective and popular CAM therapies.
- Specialized diets.
- Food supplements.
- Art therapies.
- Animal-assisted therapy.
- Development therapies.
- Non-medical alternative therapies, like acupuncture, craniosacral manipulation, massage therapy, chiropractic, and homoeopathy.
- Mind-body therapies, like biofeedback and yoga.
- Sensory therapies like weighted vests and sensory diets.
Remember, each of these therapies are quite unique in their own accord. Therefore, some of them might work on your child while others might not at all. Hence, before you start arranging a CAM therapy for your kid, it’s best to talk to their doctor.
This, in turn, will help them understand more about your kid’s health and offer a verdict on if a certain procedure will work on them properly or not.
Non-Traditional Treatments For Autism
Several parents choose to go for complementary and alternative medicine for their autistic children in order to help them with potential behavioural problems along with treating overall health.
Studies say that around 30% to 95% of children with ASD have been provided some type of CAM support or non-traditional treatment approach. Here, in this article, we will talk about those types of treatment approaches only.
#1 Autism Diet
Some physicians always recommend a special autism diet to their patients. It means you need to eliminate the casein and gluten from your child’s diet. Gluten, the particular type of protein, is found in the seeds of wheat along with some other grains.
A number of foods contain gluten, and that can cause digestive problems.
On the other hand, casein is another protein that is present in milk products and also can be the reason for digestive issues. As per the Autism society, the average American diet has more dairy and wheat products than necessary.
So, cutting them both will help. If adjusting diet becomes too difficult, then there are a number of supplements provided by SimpleSpectrum that can assist in getting the right nutrition.
#2 Melatonin And Sleep
A number of children with autism suffer from persistent sleep problems, such as the following.
- Restlessness.
- Having poor sleep quality.
- Wake up early.
- Having difficulty falling asleep.
This sleeplessness or lack of sleep can always exacerbate a number of symptoms of autism.
A pilot study found that the natural supplement melatonin helps autistic children to sleep better and also reduces autistic symptoms during the day. The study also mentioned that melatonin should only be used if autism is the cause of sleep problems.
#3 Omega 3 Fatty Acids
This particular component is basically a type of fat in fish oils and also can be in supplement form. They basically help in brain development and function. According to research, including omega-3s in a child’s diet with ASD can enhance repetitive behaviours and hyperactivity.
It also has been seen that omega-3 fatty acids also help in improving social skin in children with an autistic spectrum disorder. However, we will always recommend you consult with your doctor first before offering your child an omega-3 supplement.
#4 Relaxation Techniques
Among children who have ASD, behavioural problems are very common. Some calming techniques, like wearing weighted clothing, and deep pressure massage, might soothe agitation in children with ASD.
You also can think of progressive relaxation techniques. Here the professional will teach your child the difference between relaxed and tense muscles. Then your child will be taught how to tighten and relax their muscles.
#5 Chelation Therapy
Chelation therapy, in essence, is a little unique, as it doesn’t try to improve an autistic child’s body or health as a whole. Instead, it focuses primarily on flushing down toxic elements from your body. This, in turn, can improve your immune system and lower the risk of fever and all.
However, here’s the catch.
There’s no positive word available out there, which says that this option works perfectly. It might affect your kid’s health, instead – if you’re not careful enough. Thus, we’ll ask you to talk to their doctor accordingly before taking any further step in this aspect.
Get Help!
There is no way of completely curing autism spectrum disorder. But with the right treatment approach, the symptoms of ASD usually get improved, and it helps your child a lot in leading an almost normal life just like others.
When you are opting for all those traditional treatment approaches for ASD, you also need to ensure that you are paying attention to your child’s diet and also opting for the non-traditional treatments that we have mentioned above.
Here again, we are again informing you that all treatments are not for everyone. So you need to choose the safest and most effective treatment for your child.
