What is autism?
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and leisure play activities. Most Autistic children are perfectly normal in appearance, but spend their time engaged in isolated and repetitious behaviors that are markedly different from those of typical children.
Less severe cases may be diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or with Asperger’s Syndrome (normal speech, but with many “autistic” social and behavior problems). These conditions and other related problems are classified under the broader category known as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD. The prevalence of ASD has exploded since early 1990s, and conventional medicine has made no real progress in understanding this disorder, much less developing effective treatments.
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting 1 in 150 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2007) and is four more times more prevalent in boys than in girls. Autism is growing at the rate of 10-17 percent per year. Autism can affect any family and any child—it knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries.
What causes autism?
The specific cause of autism is a highly publicized topic of debate, likely due to autism being a disease of multiple causes. In addition to genetic factors, environmental toxins and nutritional deficiencies may play a major role. Autism Answers attempts to address all avenues of causation in order to promote holistic healing of the body and aid in recovery.
We also believe changing the course of autism means learning about prevention. Current research even suggests that certain genes may make some individuals more vulnerable to the effects of environmental pollution and dietary toxins.1 The effects of toxins are likely to start in the womb. Exposure to certain pollutants (e.g., such as mercury, lead, arsenic, PCBs, and toluene) early on in pregnancy can cause brain injury in the fetus at doses much lower than those affecting adult brain function.2 Within their first two years, many children in the United States and elsewhere have been exposed to a quantity of mercury that exceeds safety guidelines; new evidence indicates that autism can be induced by this early mercury exposure.3 The autistic child also exhibits liver and intestinal problems that increase his vulnerability to other neurotoxic (brain harming) influences.
Why are autistic individuals more vulnerable to environmental toxins?
New research indicates that virtually all autistic children have problems with liver detoxification. This condition makes their bodies prone to accumulating high levels of toxic chemicals and heavy metals, which in turn harm the brain.4 Another major source of toxins is the digestive system. Virtually all autistic children also have one or more intestinal problems, including yeast overgrowth, bacterial imbalances (dysbiosis and small intestine bacterial overgrowth), and leaky gut (damage to the intestinal lining).5 For example, at least nine out of every ten autistic children show major imbalances in their intestinal bacteria or flora.6 These intestinal issues, in turn, can contribute to increased toxicity and poor nutrition, thus indirectly promoting the cognitive and behavioral problems. The intestinal problems also may underlie many of the immune problems (e.g., autoimmunity, food allergies, and chronic inflammation) seen in autistic individuals. The good news? Knowledge is power, specifically the power to treat symptoms by using biochemical and nutritional strategies to detoxify the body and support a healthy intestinal tract.