ASD Perspectives

As many of you know, we have 5 beautiful children, three of whom are on the autism spectrum.  We are not rare in that 1 in 91 children are now considered to be on the autism spectrum.  We are also not rare in that many families have more than one child on the autism spectrum.  And, I will go one step further and say that we do not believe that I am not rare in that I will do ANYTHING necessary to reclaim our children.

It was about 8 years ago, when our third daughter was just 9 months old, that we realized something was not right.  She had been our healthiest pregnancy and nursed better than any of our other children, yet she was failing to make her milestones.  By 10 months old, she was screaming everyday in pain, from digestive issues.  While she would not be formally diagnosed on the autism spectrum for several years, we set on a coarse to help heal what we simply believed to be digestive issues.  As a nutrition consultant, that much I could handle.

Autism, however, stumped me.  I had done childcare for a child with autism, as a college student, but the diagnosis for our daughter left me numb and screaming, “Where is my manual?  Where is my guidebook?  What do you mean there is nothing you OR I can do?”  I am a fixer by nature.  More than anything, it really hit me that so many families were battling the day by day battle ground that we know as autism with NO guidance.  I have all kinds of beliefs, now, on why that guidance is NOT there and not coming anytime soon from the government or the medical community; however, that is a book that has already been written by others.  (Read them all!)

Out of this frustration, came a determination, on our part (my wonderful husband, Chris and myself) to help families (and the medical community), help children with autism.  Over the past few months, we have be laying the ground work for an Autism Advocacy Program that will enable us to take the programs we do for families and train other advocates to do the same.  Ideally, we are looking for parents who have a child on the autism spectrum, have had a diagnosis for at least one year and who believe that children and families can begin or continue to heal.  We are very committed to keeping families intact and empowering families to break down the doors that we know as autism.

If you or someone you know are interested in learning more about becoming an Autism Consultant/ Advocate, we would love to hear from you.  Please drop us a note at www.asdperspectives.com to get on our information list for our next conference call, info session or to set up a personal time to talk.   If you are a parent and would like more information about consulting, please feel free to contact us, also.

My 6 year old is an interesting child.  She can be the sweetest child one moment and the meanest the next.  The fact of the matter is that she cannot handle change…

It took us quite awhile to figure out exactly what was going on with her.  She would walk up to strangers in an airport and pinch them… slam doors on people coming to visit after our youngest was born and has the most interesting love/ hate relationship with people who have any meaning to her.  We actually have to warn sitters that she will hate them when they arrive and hate them when they leave, but be their best friend every minute that they are at our home.

Clearly this is a difficulty for people who love her the most, like aunts, grandparents and even babysitters.  We have found that the best way to handle this issue is to prepare people who come into our home.  I am always amused at the people who simply try to tell her that she is being unkind.  Please don’t misunderstand.  Of coarse we tell her that she needs to be kind and try to help her adapt; however, what she really needs is time.  After all, as an adult, I do not necessarily like situations that I consider threatening.  For our daughter, she has an even bigger issue.  At 16 months old, she was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes.  In a matter of hours, she went from complete security to a world of needles, insulin, doctors and hospitals.  She never really quite knows whether someone is coming to hurt her or love her…

Over the years, we have made progress.  She no longer pinches strangers, hits friends and can better regulate her reactions to others.  We can once again have guests over for birthday parties and most of our sitters and family are now prepared for the greetings and goodbyes.  I imagine this will continue to be a process as she gets older and look forward to the day we can look back at this and laugh.

How do you handle change and trust for your child?  We would love to hear your techniques.

On last nights “Natural Approaches to Autism” Webinar, the overwhelming questions was, “What supplements should my child be taking.”  With clients, I often give them the supplements that their child should ideally be on and then… a top priority list.  So, this is the “Top 5 List,” in order of preference.

1. Pre and Probiotics:  The vast majority of children and adults on the autism spectrum are shown to have digestive issues.  Many have had digestive issues so long that you literally have to ask them if they have a stomach ache or have gone to the bathroom that day to know that they are having problems.  And if they are non-verbal, this becomes a bigger challenge.  Probiotics replace the good flora in the intestines, that have died off because of poor eating, medications, leaky gut syndrome and many other culprits.  In our home, we tell our children that these good flora are the soldiers that keep our whole body healthy.  You need a good probiotic that guarantees delivery of the bacteria to the intestines.   A pre-biotic powder is also recommended as you begin to replace and feed these good bacteria.  The Optiflora and Pre and Probiotic system can be purchased together or seperately.
2. Multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement-  This is where I must be clear that NOT ALL SUPPLEMENTS are equal and a store bought chewable, gummy or gumball may actually do more harm than good with our children.  I say harm, because not only are the nutrients in these supplements not readily available to absorb in the body (making them more likely to flush down the toilet), but many actually contain chemicals that leach in our childrens’ digestive tracts.  We recommend a few different options because we know there are different dietary limits and our children can be very picky.  Shaklee makes two chewables.  The Incredivites are ideal because they contain a pre-biotic called lactoferrin, known to help boost the immune system.  They are also GF (gluten free) certified, completely natural and easily absorbed.  Lactoferrin is derived from dairy so if you need a dairy free option, the OceanWonders are GF and CF free and are also Kosher certified.  If your child can swallow, the Vita Lea with iron is ideal and if you need a powder form, the Citriboost is a refrigerated powder that also contains probiotics (no iron).  Please contact us if you need more help with choosing.
3. Omegagard Fish Oils- Omegagard is a 7 spectrum, pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement.  It is the most complete fish oil supplement on the market.  For our children on the spectrum, pure fish oils are recommended to help with concentration, brain function, and inflammation that is often missed in the gut.  Amazingly, fish oil is the top recommended supplement by the entire medical community and is now widely recommended for women during pregnancy, both as an anti-inflammatory; as well as, to boost babies brain development.  This fish oil capsule is chewed by many children, but can also be swallowed or pierced and mixed in applesauce, juice or any nutralizing food.  A word of caution.  I often have families tell me they tried a flavored fish oil and their child would Not take the product.  Upon questioning, I learn that they went strait for the flavored and never tried a pure fish oil without flavoring.  We find that many of our children actually prefer the pure, non-rancid supplement to flavored products that often have odd textures.
4. Calcium Magnesium-  Calcium Magnesium supplements may actually be recommended for many of our children and family members because of the poor diets associated with autism or a Casein Free diet, but this supplement is so much more.  Magnesium has been proven to slow down the heart rate, calming down hyper-activity and has also been shown as a catalyst in helping to curb or reduce bedwetting.  One of our children has restless leg syndrome and magnesium is often recommended by nuerologists to help with the leg tremors associated with this condition.  For parents of hyperactive children, calcium magenesium can definately be a welcome addition.  This product can be found in a strawberry flavored chewable or in a crushable tablet that can also be swallowed.
5. Protein Powder-  We have been using Protein Powder with our children for many years, but were amazed as our children became older, at how their bodies actually craved the plant based protein.  We actually began to see difference in cognition and energy based on whether or not they had a “shake” and what time of day it was at.  Many of our clients also report that they see a significant difference in their childrens’ concentration and focus if they drink the protein for breakfast.  One mom told us that her food budget reduced and her stress level went down.  This happened because her children were no longer craving the bowls of carb loaded cereal and snacks and hour after eating and were concentrating so much better.  As our daughter became more vocal and higher functioning, she would report leg cramps on days when she had not had the protein.  Recent urine and saliva testing, through Dr. Ryan Bentley,  showed us that our 11 year old with aspergers, who does not drink the shakes, has a protein deficiency because her body does not absorb other forms of protein in dairy and foods.  We recommend beginning with Non-GMO energizing soy protein or Cinch Whey Protein for children and adults with a soy sensitivity or allergy.  These are organic forms of protein powder and come in several flavors.

You will note that the brand of supplements we recommend is made by the Shaklee Corporation.  After years of research, we have settled on this brand because we know it to be safe, pure and 100% money back guaranteed.  This company does over 83,000 tests annually on their raw ingredients alone and tests every finished batch before it goes out the door.  Shaklee has over 100 studies published in medical magazines such as the Journal of Modern Medicine and guarantees bioavailability.  If you prefer another brand, simply call the company or your doctor and ask for proof of their standards; as well as, there guarantee if the products do not work for your child.  If you would like help putting together a supplement program for your child, please feel free to contact us.  We are happy to help!

Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy, Nutrition Therapy, Homeopathy… the list goes on and on.  Which therapies are best for your child?  Which ones will actually yield benefits and how do you know which ones to try?  As the mother of 3 children on the autism spectrum, we have used many therapies to help our children on the autism journey.  Tonight, I will present our webinar, “Healing Autism Naturally.”  Topics include:

What diagnoses fit within the ASD (Autism) family
What traditional medicine has to offer
What natural therapies can be used to help our children and families

Be sure to invite your friends and families to http://healthandwealth.adobeconnect.com/autism/ to join us.  Webinar begins at 8:30 p.m. CST.  Space is limited so please arrive early to insure a spot on the webinar.  If you would like to schedule a consultation to discuss any of the topics discussed on the webinar, or a nutrition consultation, please fill out the form in the contact section of www.asdperspectives.com .

Becky Cash is the mother of five children and author of the recent book, “Healing Autism Naturally.”  Several of her children are on the autism spectrum and she has used a combination on traditional therapies, diet, and nutritional supplementation to help recover her children from ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders.)

Methylation and Autism was a big topic at the Autism One Conference and may be a big piece of the puzzle in figuring out why autism is on the rise.  I first learned about the methylation cycle when my children began seeing a functional medicine doctor, about 3 years ago.  Through testing, the doctor discovered that this pathway was closed to my children and therefore their bodies could not process properly.   Among other things, they were not absorbing iron, b-12 and other nutrients properly.  And so we began the work of opening this pathway.  At that time, our doctor was looking to help our oldest child who just seemed to be getting sicker by the year.  She had already been diagnosed with celiac and thyroid disease and showed signs of mitochondrial disease.   Her processing issues were getting worse and she was very week.  In beginning to open this pathway, we definitely noticed improvements in areas such as emotion and energy.

Recent research has shown that many children on the autism spectrum may infact have this genetic condition, poor methylation.  So what exactly is the big deal here?  The methylation cycle is actually a series of processes that leads to proper detoxification of the body.  In addition, each process in the cycle requires and allows absorption of key nutrients, such as, folic acid, B12 vitamins and iron.  We can already see why we would have a big problem if this system is not working properly.  At the end of the methylation cycle is the production of glutathione, the strongest naturally produced antioxidant in the body and the antioxidant needed to detox things like heavy metals out of the body.  Since the cycle does not work, we can begin to minimally hypothesize that this could lead to a connection as to why many children on the spectrum are found to have high levels of metals in their body.

The research supporting poor methylation in children on the autism spectrum is now being looked at and supported by such Northeastern University and John Hopkins Institute; as well as, the Autism Research Institute.  DAN doctors are also creating new treatment protocols to work directly on opening the methylation process and, as I shared, this was a big topic at the Autism One Conference this year.

To learn more about methylation we suggest looking at the following resources.

www.generationrescue.org

www.autism.com

If you would like more information about non-invasive testing for your child, or yourself, please contact me.  We work with a team of functional medicine doctors who use saliva and urine testing to diagnose breakdowns in key processes such as liver, kidney, adrenals, oxidation and many more.  The testing is affordable and can be done from your home.

I used to take it for granted that all supplements were created equal.  Actually, I used to take it for granted that anyone even needed nutritional supplements.  My father started off his career working for the FDA and later went into quality assurance for the food and drug industry.  We ate what he brought home from work, grocery store brands and whatever vitamins were left over from testing (ie: generic flinstones).  It was not that he thought these were good vitamins… it was more that there really was not a knowledge as to why supplements were needed.  Today, we have come a long way, but we are still just emerging.  Today, even the American Medical Association  says that anyone who leads a life with stress, does not get enough sleep or does not eat properly, should take a multi-vitamin; however, many doctors still do not know where to lead their patients.

In the autism community, we know all too well that our children and loved ones have needs far greater than the food guide pyramid.  And in many cases, we know that nutritional supplements can go a long way to healing our childrens’ bodies.  However, we often do not know where to start, what brands are best or even if they are safe.  I took for granted, for many years, that there had to be many safe brands.  I also took for granted that the brands sold by doctors had to atleast be well tested.  I now know that many nutraceutical companies do not do third party research, do not test beyond the minimum standards and many  market to the medical community in the same way that the pharmacuetical companies market there medications. 

As a mother of three children on the autism spectrum, I hate to give parents more work to do; however, this may be one of the more important assignments.  You need to do your own research to find out the testing standards and efficacy of the products you are using.  When I started calling companies to ask what I thought were basic questions, I received responses such as. “You need to talk to one of the doctors in your area who sells our brand,” “We cannot possibly tell you how many tests we do a year,” “We test for the government recommendations.”  That last one kept me up at night.  The government minimum in an unregulated industry is ludicrous.  THAT company is one of the supplement companies that is most well known in the Autism community and not even my doctor could tell me anything about there standards. 

I used to take it for granted that I could use anything other than a store brand and consider it good enough.  I now routinely trust only one brand, because I have done YEARS of research that has led me to only one brand.  I am completely biased and have no problem admitting so.  After receiving test results, this past year that show that my daughter has barely recognizable levels of yeast, heavy metals and many of the deficiencies so common in the autism community, I use and promote the Shaklee supplements.  As I share in our book, Healing Autism Naturally, our daughter went from needing to be taught to walk and talk to now entering a Catholic School, as a 9 year old, at grade level, in the Fall.  If you would like to learn more about setting up a supplement program, please contact us.

My son returned home, from a class field trip on Wednesday, all abuzz.  Apparently the parent chaperones had been reading their  e-mail on their phones when the school newsletter came out announcing teacher changes.  My son was busy proclaiming which teacher was retiring and which teachers were going to new classes and how this affected who (he has aspergers so was completely clueless to my anxiety level that was increasing with every word)… all I heard was that the teacher we were working with for my 9 year old daughter was going to 1st grade.  My heart jumped and my head screamed as I rushed to the computer.  My fears were confirmed…

Now if you have a child with autism, you understand.  We found a teacher that desperately wanted to help in the transition of my daughter from an intensive ABA therapy setting to Catholic school and now… she was switching grades.  I immediately         e-mailed the principal and then busied myself as I was just heading out the door to give a talk to parents on nutritional approaches to autism.

I did not get far when the phone rang, and would you believe, there on the other line was the principal I so dearly love.  She wanted to assure me that the teachers going to 3rd and 4th grade (yes, they are giving my daughter a split grade to meet her needs), had already met and were completely ready to meet all my daughters needs.  All I could think was, “you called me to comfort me?”  “You placed teachers based on my daughters’ needs.”  “You actually care that much about my child.”  Of coarse, this was nothing new to us.  The teachers and staff at our school have always gone above and beyond to not just educate but love my children.

So as another year comes to an end, my word is “blessed.”  I pray that you find a blessing among the chaos of your life.  Is it a teacher, doctor, family member, babysitter, new therapy or just the flowers sprouting outside?  You are one of our blessings.  Thank you for reading our messages and being a part of our family.

Watch out for our “teacher/ school of the year contest,” and “pediatrician of the yeare,” coming soon.