| No matter how you look at it, autism is | | | | be disappointed. There is no "one-size-fits-all" cure |
| complicated. It is best understood as a spectrum | | | | for ASD. There are as many different forms of |
| of related disorders because it encompasses a | | | | ASD as there are people who have it. Since each |
| broad range of abilities and symptoms all sharing | | | | case of autism is unique, your child's autism |
| common traits such as difficulties with language | | | | cannot be treated effectively until his or her |
| and social interactions. The ASD umbrella includes | | | | unique problems are determined and a customized |
| people who have severe communication deficits | | | | treatment plan is created and strictly followed. |
| and a total inability to cope with the world, to | | | | This will not be easy, and may be the most |
| people who can live independently, but lack the | | | | difficult thing you have ever done. It is much |
| breadth of interests and social skills we expect in | | | | easier to pretend your child will grow out his or |
| adults. | | | | her ASD symptoms, or that there is nothing you |
| Many people still believe ASD is an educational | | | | can do. Nothing could be further from the truth -- |
| issue, a mental health disorder, or the result of | | | | your child needs help to get better and |
| bad parenting. Unfortunately, many medical | | | | treatments are easier and more effective if |
| professionals still do not accept that there are | | | | started when a child is young. |
| biochemical problems (flaws in the chemistry our | | | | It is very important that you take a leadership |
| bodies require to function normally) at the root of | | | | role in your child's recovery. You know your child |
| ASDs. The current standard of care for most | | | | best and need to assemble an effective team of |
| ASD patients is prescription drugs to "manage" | | | | medical professionals and educators who can help |
| symptoms. This might make it easier for others | | | | you and your child. Your child cannot do this on his |
| to live with an ASD person, but it cannot be | | | | or her own, and your pediatrician and even some |
| considered an effective treatment, as it doesn't | | | | so-called ASD experts may not understand this |
| address the root causes of the disease. However, | | | | disorder well enough to truly help. |
| if you are open to understanding ASD as a set of | | | | The most effective treatments for ASD may not |
| unique biochemical problems and are willing to fight | | | | be well known to your current doctor, but they |
| to make your child better, you will almost | | | | are not "weird", "fringe" or even "non-traditional". |
| certainly succeed. | | | | They are the result of decades of scientific |
| There are many different pathways leading to an | | | | research by leading ASD scientists and physicians. |
| ASD diagnosis. A child with ASD is likely to have | | | | Most importantly, they are the treatments used |
| many different biochemical problems and these | | | | and recommended by over 25,000 parents of |
| problems may only slightly overlap with another | | | | ASD kids who administer therapies and carefully |
| ASD child's issues. This one fact is almost always | | | | document the positive and negative effects of |
| overlooked in scientific studies, books, and | | | | these treatments. The bottom line is this -- if you |
| especially in media reports. You may have heard | | | | want your ASD child to get better, you are going |
| reports which conclude a particular cause (like | | | | to have to think for yourself and take charge |
| mercury poisoning from childhood immunizations) | | | | starting right now. |
| is not correlated with autism, or a particular | | | | If you are a parent of an ASD child, you have a |
| treatment (such as chelation or nutritional | | | | long and difficult challenge ahead of you. You can |
| supplements) is not effective. You may even | | | | choose to accept a lifetime of disability for your |
| have tried giving your child a treatment someone | | | | child, or face this disease head on. The decision is |
| swore did a world of good for their child, only to | | | | yours. |