| As with most disorders and diseases there is | | | | medications may have to be monitored and the |
| always a claim from doctors that there is an | | | | dosages changed to get the desired behavior |
| alternative treatment. These claims can not go | | | | changes. More blood and lab work will have to be |
| unchecked. The doctors who have tried | | | | done to make sure that the medications are not |
| alternative treatments may have found success | | | | damaging any other tissue. |
| and the treatment has just not gone through | | | | The opposite might be true. People with autism |
| proper channels to be approved. If you are a | | | | have a more sensitive nervous system than |
| parent of an autistic child, you might want to | | | | most people. A lower dosage might be required, |
| check into alternative treatments. If there is any | | | | where a high dosage would overload the nervous |
| chance of success or improvement in your child's | | | | system and have severe emotional and physical |
| ability to communicate better or to have better | | | | consequences. A good indicator that your child has |
| social skills there is no harm in giving it a try. | | | | to high of a dose of medication is that he or she |
| One alternative treatment is the use of nalrexone. | | | | will get up earlier in the morning. If this happens |
| Nalrexone has had a few reports of the positive | | | | consult with your doctor and reduce the dosage. |
| change it has made in some autistic patience. | | | | Another treatment that may be unconventional is |
| Remember there are levels of autism and the | | | | the use of acupuncture. Even those skilled in this |
| results for one child will be just about as | | | | Chinese treatment state that autism is |
| individualized as the disorder. Nalrexone blocks the | | | | non-curable. They do say that when they have |
| actions of the endogenous opioids which are like | | | | treated autistic children with acupuncture, the |
| the endorphins that give pleasure to the brain. | | | | parents report slight improvement. The |
| Research has shown that some autistic children | | | | acupuncturists theorize that the benefit comes |
| have a high concentration of these endorphins in | | | | from the neurons that the needles stimulate in |
| their brain. The improvements noted by | | | | the brain. There have been no research regarding |
| observers of children with autism on nalrexone | | | | acupuncture and autism and the only reports |
| have included increased eye contact, better social | | | | have been the ones from parents. Again, most |
| skills, and reduction of clumsy behavior that could | | | | parents are looking for anything that helps and |
| lead to self-injury. | | | | sometimes the improvements are real and |
| When trying to use behavior altering drugs on an | | | | sometimes they are just manifestations of false |
| autistic child, you really have to look at the side | | | | hope. |
| effects associated with the medication. The side | | | | As with any new treatment, you should consult |
| effects sometimes outweigh the benefits. The | | | | with your doctor or your team of professionals |
| autistic child is wired differently than most | | | | that are already assembled to help your child |
| patients. The child may need higher dosages of | | | | through treatment. Trying alternative methods |
| medication that can cause dramatic changes in | | | | and medicines alone can set up both you and |
| their liver functions or other vital organs. The | | | | your child for failure. |