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"Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows" - Helen Keller
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"There is a hidden message in every waterfall. It says, if you are flexible, falling will not hurt you!" - Mehmet Murat Ildan
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"There is nothing lost or wasted in life" - The Bhagavad Gita
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Introduction

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly complex developmental disorder of variable severity. It presents with various delays and differences in behaviors, biochemistry, communication, social interactions and interests. Individuals affected by ASD could display a wide range of abilities and disabilities in cognition and general health. ASD could affect individuals of any race, ethnic group or socio-economic status. However, boys are more likely to develop ASD than girls.

Per latest estimates, 1 in 45 children are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder in the USA. The incidence and prevalence of ASD is rising at an alarming rate worldwide. Autism Spectrum Disorder is growing at a worrisome rate in India too, though exact statistics are not known.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is an umbrella diagnosis given for a group of symptoms that could stem from a variety of sources. Currently, Autism Spectrum Disorder is considered a psychiatric diagnosis based on DSM 5 criteria rather than an objective medical diagnosis based on core clinical imbalances resulting in abnormal behaviors. At present, the severity is assessed based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.

Causes and Risk factors

There are some genetic conditions that could be associated with ASD. But not all cases of ASD are due to genetic defects. Up to 21% of individuals could have some genetic defects leading to ASD, which means around 4 in 5 individuals affected by ASD have no identifiable genetic causes.

It is now believed that in a significant number of affected individuals, various environment factors might be playing a role. Most of those affected by autism, are found to have abnormalities in various biochemical pathways.

They could have issues with methylation, sulfation, detoxification and neurotransmitter pathways…They could have nutritional deficiencies, from lack of proper intake of nutritious food, or poor absorption of the eaten food or increased nutritional needs, excess oxidative stress…They could have issues like mitochondrial dysfunction, intestinal dysbiosis, altered intestinal permeability, immune dysregulation, autoimmunity, impaired hormone and neurotransmitter production, detoxification, hypoperfusion, infections, inflammation to name a few.

All of these components are interrelated and different individuals could have different factors contributing to what we call as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Depending on the severity of the ASD, someone affected mildly might have only a few of the mentioned issues contributing to their ASD, while someone affected severely might have many or all of them.

An Overview of Treatments For ASD

It’s important that treatments are overseen by knowledgeable and well- trained practitioners who can tailor treatment plans based on the individual needs of the affected. It is vital to individualize the plan of care as it is a heterogenous spectrum disorder. Treatments using Functional, Integrative Medicine, Biomedical approaches which work on personalizing diet, nutrient therapy, optimizing the environment and detoxification could be helpful. Different modalities could be used to control inflammation, oxidative stress besides treating various infections.

Sometimes, treatments are geared to improve functioning from the cellular level. Working on optimizing metabolism through targeted approaches, can help improve nutrition and detoxification… Individuals with developmental disorders like ASD, ADHD, SPD… may be more vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, toxins and to certain infections more than other children. So, optimizing their nutrition and detoxification will aid in improving their learning potential.

It is important to investigate the needs of the affected individual to optimize

  • Diet, nutrition and life style
  • Gastrointestinal health
  • Metabolism
  • Neuro, endocrine and immune functions
  • Sleep patterns
  • Environment

LEGAL DISCLAIMER
All advice and or information provided here is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, or serve as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified professionals with any questions you may have regarding a medical or psychological condition.

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