This is not a strong suit for me. I believe strongly in science. When I hear about diets and homeopathic ways to deal with a medical issue, I am a true skeptic. There is no scientific evidence that supports any alternative therapy besides ABA Therapy (see The Services) for autism. But when you are cornered with no choice, and you are not seeing the improvement you'd like to see....you gotta explore your alternative avenues! As one mother said to me "I'll have tried everything before I die. I will never give up." I wish I had the will of some of these incredible mothers. I have tried a few of these options below, but only the ones that require little to no effort on my end....because at least that way, I won't be gambling my time and energy only to fail. Yes, this is indeed a very negative attitude. But I'd rather maintain my moderate levels of sanity. And there are many moms who swear by many of the following methods:
1) Essential Oils: Yeah, this is basically a load of crap in my eyes. But every mother has an experience of their own. From what I understand, some companies manufacture essential oils that are very diluted. It's important that you stick with the brands that make a more potent product. These oils can be rubbed on the sole of the foot, the spine, ingested orally, put on the back of the neck and so on. Contact any essential oil broker for more information. My sister-in-law actually works for a company and was able to tell me about some products that never worked for my son...but I have heard testimonials first hand from other mothers that it has worked for their children. Please feel free to send me an email if you have further questions about this.
2) Hemp Oil/CBD Oil/Medical Marijuana: I have been in an autism support group on facebook for a couple of years. And I have always heard stories about these oils that are extracted from marijuana plants that cause no harm and require no medical prescription. I never ordered them until we went on a trip to California, the capital of weed! I purchased hemp oil from a vendor on the boardwalk who told me to have my son take a drop orally per day. I paid about $48 dollars for a very small bottle that had a dropper...and since the day I started giving it to him, my son has started consistently using functional speech. Before he would only label when prompted...but now he is using words to get things he needs that are out of his sight. He even uses some verbs to express himself. To me, it was clear as day! I mean, it was the summer, and he had recently learned to swim, and he did have a shorter day in school...all of which could have contributed to this awakening....but the correlation was too distinct. It was the day we started the oil that we saw the change. And my son's progress always comes with regression...for every two steps forward, there is always a step back. But he has been consistently improving for the past few months. And he is now almost six years old. It is worth a try! You can order bottles on www.cwhemp.com. But remember, what works for one parent doesn't work for all. Also, I have read numerous articles that have suggested that medical marijuana (athough the government in the US hasn't funded enough studies to prove it) has worked wonders on behavioral and non-verbal children. There was a specific case in Israel (which has invested heavily in studies) where a non-verbal 12 year old started speaking upon receiving medical marijuana. In America, I believe you can get a prescription for epilepsy...it's only a matter of time before we can get it for Autism Spectrum Disorder! (Warning: Check with your doctor before usage..if your child is taking other medications, Hemp Oil may be hazardous) After a couple months, we decided to stop using the product to see if he can retain his newly developed skills. And he did…so we no longer need the oils (for now…).
3) Casein Free and Gluten Free Diets: Something about eliminating all dairy and all gluten. Which to me, sounds pretty daunting. Google more about this and ask other mothers because lots have sworn by this nutritional restriction. I just don't know enough about this to recommend to anyone.
Now on top of these alternative approaches to help tackle autism, there are also things therapists suggest. Physical movement is important for our children. It makes their brain work clearer. Enroll your child in a swimming class (you will be surprised by their capability), preferably with an instructor trained with special needs children. Take them to a sensory gym. Go to the playground. Invest in a jumping castle. Anything to get them to move! Some teachers notice an improvement in focus after a session with an occupational or physical therapist! It is well worth the try!