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The main goal of treatment is to lessen the associated deficits and family distress and to increase the quality of life and functional independence.
The approaches available include applied behavior analysis (ABA), developmental
models, structured teachings, speech and language therapy, social
skills therapy and occupational therapy.
Conventional treatment, that is allopathy, advocates many medications to treat problems associated
with autism. More than half of the children in the United States diagnosed with
autism are given psycho-active drugs or anti-convulsants,
antidepressants, stimulants and antipsychotics.
A
patient with autism may not respond typically to the above medications,
that aren't backed by reliable research about their efficacy or
safety. These medicines have adverse effects and no known medication
relieves the core symptoms of autism - social and communication impairment.
Many alternative therapies and interventions are available, yet, few are
supported by scientific studies. Treatment approaches have little
empirical support in quality-of-life contexts and many programs focus
on success measures that lack predictive validity and real-world
relevance.
However, there is one approach that works in a most non-toxic way known
to health and healing - an alternative therapy known as homeopathy,
which is a natural, holistic form of medicine based on fixed laws
derived from the laws of nature. It is a system of medicine developed
by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German MD (Medical Doctor).
Being a (w)holistic form of medicine, classical homoeopathy takes into
consideration the person as a whole and the prescription is based on
the individuality of the case.
Homeopathic
medicines are safe, natural, non-toxic substances without side effects.
It is a safe, effective alternative to drugs like Ritalin, Clonidine,
Dexedrine, Prednisolone and so on - which all have lasting side effects.
The
positive effects seen with homeopathic treatment are long lasting - not
just for a few hours after the dose, as seen in allopathic treatment.
With
homeopathic treatment, healing takes place at :
Homeopathy
results in growth spurts in autistic children - just like normal children grow and does not alter or suppress
the normal development of children.
The
children come with many names for this spectrum of problems : Autism,
Asperger's syndrome, PDD-NOS, ADD, ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder.
Homeopathy does not treat a disease or its name - it merely stimulates
the body's own vital healing processes to eliminate whatever is causing
the problems, no matter what the name - which means, it can heal all the problems mentioned in the previous sentence.
Moreover,
allopathic treatment approaches are expensive; indirect costs are more
so. A US study estimated an average cost of $3.2 million in 2003 for
someone born in 2000, with about 10% medical care, 30% extra education
and other care, and 60% lost economic productivity. One 2008 US study
found 14% average loss of annual income in families of children with
autism and a related study found that autism is associated with higher
probability that child care problems will greatly affect parental
employment. After childhood, key treatment issues include residential
care, job training and placement, sexuality, social skills, and estate
planning. But this is not the story with homeopathic treatment as it is
an ideal treatment.
The
most common question asked by parents at the onset of homeopathic
treatment is : "How long will it take to see changes in my child with
homeopathy ?"
Parents should be patient and observe the changes over a couple of months to a year with the homeopathic treatment of autism, although, in some cases, changes are seen within weeks - sometimes within days.
Usually
parents ask, "When he is
already on allopathic medication, can my child also be given homeopathic treatment ?"
The answer is, "YES".
If the conventional treatment (allopathy) has not shown any improvement in the
child or severe side effects have resulted from the same, such as
aggression, diarrhoea, weight loss and so on, then, it is best to stop it completely,
at the onset of the homeopathic treatment.
On
the other hand, in cases where there is some benefit to the child with
the allopathic treatment and the parents are looking for a safer and
more effective alternative to life long allopathic treatment, the
homeopathic doctor slowly weans the child, off the allopathic medication,
as the homeopathic medicine begins to show its positive effects.
Homeopathy
is compatible with other therapies such as AIT, SIT, speech therapy,
occupational therapy and so on. In fact, the beneficial effects of homeopathy on
the child will be a blessing to all his therapists and care givers, who
will find the child is better at learning everything.
What
is the expected scenario with classical homeopathic treatment ?
As
mentioned before, improvement occurs in the child as a whole - at the
physical, mental and emotional levels.
Homeopathy
can not only help the child the rest of the way to recovery by addressing
the underlying susceptibility to autism, but also help prevent a recurrence of
symptoms in the future.
Recovery
is a long journey, but the right remedy will bring results, faster
than any biological treatment can. While there are many means to an
end, homeopathy can speed up the recovery dramatically and may be, save
thousands of Dollars.
There
are 78 homoeopathic medicines which give great relief in autism. However, the correct choice and the resulting relief is a
matter of experience and right judgment on the part of the homeopathic
doctor. The treatment is decided after thorough case taking of the
patient. Thus, homeopathic remedies for autism are designer made, unlike
allopathy, in which all patients receive the same drugs - although trade
names may be different.
Please E-mail dr_ramanand@rediffmail.com for any questions/treatment
Autism
is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the
first three years of life and affects a person's ability to communicate
and interact with others.
Autism
is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "SPECTRUM DISORDER"
that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is
no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and the right
approach can help families today.
Autism
is distinguished by a pattern of symptoms rather than any single
symptom. Every person with autism is an individual and like all
individuals, has a unique personality and combination of
characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected, may exhibit only
slight delays in language and greater challenges with social
interactions. People with autism also process and respond to
information in unique ways.
In
February 2007, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued
their ADDME autism prevalence report. The report, which looked at a
sample of 8 year olds in 2000 and 2002, concluded that the prevalence
of autism had risen to 1 in every 150 American children and almost 1
in 94 boys.
Autism
is a brain development disorder that first shows signs during infancy
or childhood and generally follows a steady course without remission or
relapse. Impairments result from maturation-related changes in various
systems of the brain.
Autism
is one of the fine pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), which are
characterized by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and
communication and severely restricted interests and highly repetitive
behavior.
Of
the 4 PDD forms, Asperger syndrome is closest to autism in signs and
likely causes, Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder
share several signs with autism, but may have unrelated causes.
The
main characteristics of autism are impairments in social interaction,
impairments in communication, restricted interests and repetitive
behavior.
Social
Development
Communication
Repetitive
Behavior
Autistic
individuals display many forms of repetitive or restricted behavior,
which the Repetitive Behavior Scale - Revised categorizes as:
No
single repetitive behavior seems to be specific to autism, but only
autism appears to have elevated patterns of occurrence and severity.
Other
symptoms
Autistic
individuals may have other symptoms that are independent of the
diagnosis, but that can affect the individual or the family.
In
a nutshell, the child may have the following:
Autism
is associated with several other conditions:
The
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened
for autism at the 18th and 24th month well-child doctor visits, using
autism-specific formal screening tests.
About
half of parents of children with autism notice their child's unusual
behaviors by age 18 months and about 4/5th notice it by age 24 months. As
postponing treatment may affect long-term outcome, any of the following
signs is reason to have a child evaluated by a specialist without delay
:
Diagnosis is based on behavior, not cause or mechanism. Autism is defined in the DSM-IV-TR as exhibiting at least six symptoms in total, including at least two symptoms of qualitative impairment in social interaction, at least one symptom of qualitative impairment in communication and at least one symptom of restricted and repetitive behavior. Sample symptoms include lack of social or emotional reciprocity, stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language and persistent preoccupation with parts of objects. Onset must be prior to age three years, with delays or abnormal functioning in either social interaction, language as used in social communication or symbolic / imaginative play.