Autism

In my last two blogs, I gave an introduction to homeopathy and why I choose to become a homeopath. In my coming articles, I will write about various conditions, their causes, their symptoms, their diagnosis and its treatment in homeopathy.

Pic Credit: Google

Today’s topic is Autism, also known as Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which is the name of a group of developmental disorders.

It includes a wide range depending on the level of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability and that’s why it is referred to as a spectrum.

Causes

      

       The causes of Autism is unclear but some of the known causes are

• Having an older parent
• Family history
• Certain genetic conditions.

Symptoms

Parents or school staff may be the first to identify ASD behavior in children. It's not necessary that all children will show all symptoms but most will show several.

Depending on the symptoms there are mainly two types of classifications:

1. Restricted / repetitive behavior: although the title itself is self-explanatory, these are some of the common symptoms

•      Repeating words or phrases they hear which is known as ‘Echolalia’
•     Trouble in understanding
•     Different expression that doesn’t match the situations
•     Robotic tone of voice
•     Having difficulty in holding conversations

2. Social communication/interaction behavior: symptoms are

•     Getting upset even with slight change of routine
•     Inconsistent or no eye contact
•     Not sharing of toys or personal things
•     Unusual responses to others emotions
•     Slow in reacting to situations

Along with these problems, people with ASD may face other problems like sensitivity to light/noise/texture of clothes and/or temperature.

They may have sleep issues, digestion problems, irritation amongst other problems/issues.

Though they have these disabilities, 46% of ASD children show above average intelligence. They are able to learn things in detail and remember for long periods of time, have strong eyesight and sharp hearing and are good at math, science art or music.

Diagnosing Autism

Doctors diagnose ASD by looking at a child’s behavior and development. Young children with ASD can usually be diagnosed by age two.

Older children and adolescents should be evaluated for ASD when a parent or teacher raises concerns based on watching the child socialize, communicate, and play.

Diagnosing ASD in adults is not easy. In adults, some ASD symptoms can overlap with symptoms of other mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, getting a correct diagnosis of ASD as an adult can help a person understand past difficulties, identify his or her strengths, and obtain the right kind of help.

Treatment

Now coming to the treatment part my request to parents is

 “Please do not try to treat your child yourself”. 

    Homeopathic treatment of autism is very challenging, needs lots of skill and experience. Homeopathy does have the ability to cure autism.

More and more people are showing interest in the homeopathic treatment and are benefited by it.

Homeopathy isn't a “same disease same drug" treatment. Ten different autistic children might be prescribed ten different remedies. The choice of an appropriate remedy depends on a child's individual characteristics like physical make, emotional and intellectual fields, behavioral patterns, food habits etc. The treatment process usually takes many months or years. And it may also require the use of different remedies over time. For this reason, as well as the innate complexity of autism treatment, it is wise to seek the help of an experienced and established homeopath. Some of the homeopathic remedies which help in the treatment of autism are Agraphis nutans, Baryta carb, Carcinocin, Helliborus, Hyoscyamus, Lycopodium, Natrum mur, Stramonium, Tuberculinum etc…

Autism, unfortunately, is a serious condition that is not easy to cure. For example, while ADHD has a 70% cure rate in many homeopathic practices, autism is much more difficult. However, there are many cases of autism which homepathy has cured. Although complete cures cannot be expected in all the cases, a growing number of homeopaths who treat autistic children on a regular basis are now seeing significant progress in a majority of cases. If treatment begins early -- especially before age 5 -- there really is the potential for complete recovery. Regardless of when treatment is begun, parents must have the commitment and must keep patience, and view treatment as a gradual process that will take months and years, not days or weeks.