By Raisa Weisspapir
Q.: My daughter is three and a half years old but she doesn't talk yet. She gets sick with frequent ear infections. In general, she is a very happy child but she often gets very upset and has uncontrollable meltdowns. She also has repetitive actions and rocks her body. Her Doctor said that her speech delay may be the outcome of her frequent ear infections and suggested to have ear tubes put in place. She is not motivated to play with other children and I feel that something is just not right. Our friends recommended Homeopathy. Please advise!
A.: You may not be a doctor, but when it comes to your child, you are an expert! That's you who observes how your baby's beautiful face lights up every time you walk into a room. That's you who enjoys your baby's babbling voice and hear a deep sweet breathing when she falls asleep. You know how your daughter reacts when she sees a new toy, meets new kids, goes to a birthday party, or visits a shopping mall. You know what makes her cry and what makes her laugh. If you feel that something is wrong with your child, do not wait, get help as soon as possible!
Homeopathy is one of the most effective and safe medicines for kids with Autism. Besides strengthening your daughter's immune system and preventing her ear infections, it will also improve her speech and will make her feel more confident and less stressed in situations of interpersonal communication. Dealing with stress in a better way helps to improve her nervous system and will reduce both the frequency and intensity of her meltdowns.
History of Autism
The term autism came about decades before the disorder was recognised. It was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1910. The word autism was derived from the Greek word Autós (αὐτός, - meaning- Self). It means a child may become self-centred, in situations of strong external stress.
Autism Simply Explained
Autism is a complex neurological dis-balance. It is usually identified during early childhood (aged 1-6 years). Children with autism have difficulty communicating and forming relationships.
The structure of the human brain and it's physiology are very complicated. The brain contains more than 100 billion neurons (nerve cells). Each neuron releases special chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are vitally important to maintain proper relay of connections between various neurons. That's how we experience emotions, feel, remember and communicate with others. Since kids with Autism do not have proper connections between neurons, it is hard for them to talk, feel, understand, listen, play, and communicate.
What Causes Autism
Scientists and researchers did not find yet the actual cause of Autism. They think that genetics might play a big role in triggering Autism. However, many kids are affected by autism even if it does not run in their family.A growing number of medical professionals and parents believe that it has been caused by vaccines and their preservatives.
According to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, one of the triggers of Autism could be Maternal Dysbiosis. During childbirth, beneficial bacteria is passed from mother to child. This bacteria serves as the building blocks of both the digestive and the immune system. A link has been observed between an imbalance in gut flora in mothers and the presence of autism in children.
I have learned from my patients that strong emotions during the pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding might be one of the strongest causes of Autism. For example, feeling jealous, lonely scared or anxious.
Is it Pandemic?
When I finished medical school in 1985 cases of autism were much less prevalent. Lately, I have noticed in my practice that a constantly growing number of children are being diagnosed with autism which, unfortunately, rectifies the pandemic nature of this disorder. Why has this pandemic occurred?
I think it is a combination of many different factors with the main one being, stress. Therefore, it is crucial for a mother not only to maintain physical health but also an emotional well-being, during the pregnancy, during the delivery and after a childbirth.
Although many children are being diagnosed with autism, a significant number of children who in fact are suffering from this disorder are not diagnosed or are not diagnosed early enough. The longer the diagnosis of an autistic child is postponed, the more difficult the treatment process becomes.
Parents Tips
The best thing you can do is to ask for help as soon as you feel something is wrong. Do not wait to see if your child will "catch up" later with his speech or motor skills or "outgrow" the problem. Early intervention is the most effective way to speed up your child's development and reduce the symptoms of autism.
Remember, you are not alone! There are many places that you can turn to for advice, a helping hand, advocacy, and support: like Autism Family Support Group.
How to Recognise Autism
Early detection is very important for a successful treatment process. In most cases, symptoms begin to develop slowly making it difficult to recognise primary signs before the age of two. In other cases, a child may be developing accordingly but may all of sudden regress and forget skills they once knew, for example, talking and communicating with others.
One of my patients who was born a very healthy strong boy started to talk around 11 months but, after a vaccination he developed an extremely high fever and stopped talking completely.
Here are just some early signs in children:
Difficulty keeping eye contact. In many cases, kids might look at their parents or siblings for a second and then quickly turn away, or not look at all. However, this is often easily misinterpreted as shyness.
Repetitive actions or rituals. A little girl from my practice had the ritual of lining up all her bath toys before going to sleep. The disruption of this line by her mom or another family member will cause her to destroy the whole line and reorganize the toys in linear formation all over again.
Repetitive body movements. One of my little patients would constantly fix his hair on his face as if it irritated his forehead despite his bangs being extremely short.
Preforming unusual actions, like spinning in circles.
Not talking. One of my patients would just point at what she wanted. If she was misunderstood by her parents this would cause her to throw a tantrum.
Playing and spending time alone. Many kids are not interested in making friends or interacting with peers
Uncontrollable laughter or tantrum without apparent reason.
More subtle signs in Infants
Aversion to being held in mom's or dad's arms, arching his/her back
Repetitive way of moving arms, hands or feet. For example, bumping his/her head rhythmically or swaying the body from side to side
Unresponsiveness to his/her name, yet will react to the sound of clapping hands or a door closing
Low muscle tone. For example, the baby will not be strong enough to hold his or her head up
Food Sensitivity
In many cases, children with autism can be more sensitive to certain foods. In my practice, I have noticed that many kids would be feeling much worse after eating foods that contain gluten and casein. Kids might feel more spaced out and sometimes will experience stomachaches.
Here are just some examples of foods that contain gluten and casein:
Gluten-containing foods are wheat, rye, and barley.
Casein containing foods are milk, cheese, and other dairy products.
From my experience working with many kids with autism, I have learned that both a strong digestive system and a balanced nutrition play a very important role in treatment. When guts produce enough beneficial bacteria ( flora), it helps kids not only fight colds and the flu easier but also improves brain function.
How to Reduce Tantrums in Children With Autism
Some children with autism have uncontrollable tantrums. This happens for many reasons. From my experience, the most common reasons are when a child feels misunderstood and when changes of activities and surrounding environments happen too suddenly. It is crucial for us adults trying to understand why children get so upset. This will make it that much easier to avoid temper tantrums altogether. Also, the emotional state of the parents directly affects the child hence, I have noticed when parents are less stressed the child feels more at ease. Homeopathic remedies help to shift and balance the energy inside of the family, creating a more positive and stress -free environment for the child.
Helpful Books:
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride about Natural Treatment for Autism and other disorders
"Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy," by Amy Lansky about the incredible story of how she used homeopathy to cure her son of autism.
Ritalin Free Kids documenting by Drs. Robert Ullman, ND, DHANP and Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman about safe, effective, and natural treatment for children with autism.
Helpful Therapies
There are several ways to manage and treat kids with autism. From many of my patients' experiences,therapies such as Speech Therapy, Behaviour Therapy, Yoga, Massage, Physiotherapy, FeldenkraisTherapy, Touch Therapy and Music Therapy all help to strengthen social communication and motor skills.But the most outstanding therapy is Homeopathic Medicine in combination with a well -balanced diet.
Homeopathic medicine has a holistic and very individual approach because every patient is a unique person. It addresses a person in totality of his mental, emotional, spiritual and physical spheres, as well as genetic weaknesses. That is why it can truly restore a person's complete being and improve his/her living. The results of Homeopathic treatment in most cases are fascinating.
Homeopathy also is one of the safest medicines to use during the pregnancy , childbirth and breastfeeding.
I strongly believe that a warm and loving relationship amongst all family members therapies helps in the blossoming of your child's personality and his undiscovered talents.
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