The Biomedical Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Biomedical approach to Autism recognizes Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as a biological, physical illness that is treatable!
According to the Biomedical model, ASD (Autism, ADD/ADHD, Aspergers, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, ODD, OCD, PDD-NOS, RETTS, epilepsy, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Cerebellar Ataxia, Down Syndrome, schizophrenia and other neurodevelopmental disorders) are a multi system breakdown; metabolic, immunologic, neurologic and digestive disorders that effect the mind.
Biomedical intervention focuses on gut healing, nutritional medicine, dietary intervention and detoxification. Clinical experience has shown that each ASD child is unique and that an individualized approach yields the best results. Therefore, great emphasis is placed on diagnostic tools such as hair, blood and urine analysis. Environment and genetics are also assessed.
The biomedical approach has helped thousands of children improve in speech, language, socialization, behaviour, immunity, digestion and more.
Success in biomedical treatment lies largely with the parent or caregiver who serves as clinician administering supplements, monitoring diet and observing what works. The practitioner serves as strategist, educator and listener.
“Biomedical” intervention works to rebalance the body’s biochemistry so that metabolic, immunologic, neurologic and digestive systems are all working optimally. Once chemistry is optimal, then other therapies (ABA, speech, auditory and visual processing, sensory integration, motor development) “hold” better. I do encourage that ABA be done alongside biomedicine (do not wait).
Biomedical intervention is also important in treating neurobiological illness such as chronic infections (ear, nose, throat, upper respiratory, urinary tract), allergies, eczema, food sensitivities, digestive disorders, anxiety, and depression.
The Biomedical approach is being researched and developed by several key groups who are conducting thoughtful, scientific studies; Autism Research Institute (www.autismwebsite.com ), Defeat Autism Now! (www.danconference.com) and The Pfeiffer Treatment Centre (www.hriptc.org). See The Mindd Foundation website at www.mindd.org as a starting point for your research.
Autism – what’s going on? A time line:
(The following passage is based on Dr J Pangborn Phd and S.MacDonald Baker MD, ‘Autism : Effective Biomedical Treatments. Have we done everything we can for this child?’)
Here is a time-line representation of the theory of contributing factors leading to the expression of autistic spectrum disorders:
- Genetic predisposition
- Exposure to mercury (or other toxins)
- Antibiotics in the first months of life
- Damage to digestive tract and its flora
- Damage to GALT (gut associated lymphoid tissue)
- Increased gut permeability
- Absorption of food-derived peptides and antigens enter the blood
- Anomalous live virus exposure (MMR vaccine) with persistence of the measles vaccine virus in GALT and central nervous system (CNS).
- Gastrointestinal, and immunological, and CNS signs, symptoms and laboratory evidence of inflammation and disorder.
The above time-line typically evolves during the first two years of life, usually reaching a crisis around 15 to 18 months.
A child is born with one or more genetic predispositions that will lead to increased susceptibility to toxic exposures and there adverse health effects. One genetic predisposition is being male, for which the risk of autism is four times higher than for females. Another is being inclined toward high intelligence, which would be expressed if he were to be spared exposure and will be expressed if her autism is cured.
Heavy metal exposure from maternal dental amalgam, maternal vaccines, maternal fish consumption, paediatric vaccines in early infancy, or other environmental exposure to heavy metals (sources include air, water, food) results in damage to the very chemistry that is responsible for detoxification of mercury and other heavy metals. It is very likely that other toxins such as pesticides can substitute for heavy metals in this scenario.
Antibiotics given in the first months of life increase the toxicity of heavy metals, and the combined effect of toxins and altered intestinal flora causes damage to the child’s digestive system, including a branch of his immune system that deals with the digestive system. This branch, the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), constitutes the biggest and busiest part of the immune system. As a result, he may be more susceptible to both typical and atypical infections.
Injury to the gut is associated with symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation, and difficulty with digestion. Difficulties with digestion permit the incomplete breakdown of certain proteins, especially gluten from wheat, barley and rye, and casein from milk and milk products. Products of this incomplete digestion enter the bloodstream by way of the child’s damaged gut, which is abnormally permeable to these products (leaky gut syndrome).
From the beginning, the child has and/or acquires special nutritional needs based on the simple or combined effects of the preceding traumas.
At some point in this progression, the child begins to display symptoms related to toxicity and dysfunction of this central nervous system, and slowly or abruptly passes into a state of developmental disorganisation which leads doctors to give him a label on the autism spectrum. Some children have a brush with this pathway of regression, and others become trapped in its full expression.
The MINDD Foundation:
The MINDD Foundation (metabolic, immunologic, neurologic and digestive disorders) of which I am a member and have been trained in their approach, recognises 4 key components in “Biomedical Intervention” which all must be addressed for successful treatment. Diet helps immensely but it is not the only factor.
1. Dietary Intervention that includes restorative foods and eliminates harmful foods
2. Gastro Intestinal healing to improve digestive function to best absorb nutrients and effectively screen out toxins
3. Nutritional Medicine to support organ systems for improved metabolic, immunologic, neurologic and digestive function. Supplement are prescribed based on individual needs and include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids
4. Detoxification of heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic…) and POPs (persistent organic pollutants like PCBs).
Logical sequence for ASD recovery:
Diet Basic GF/CF/SF/SF
Epson Salt baths 2 cups salts warm water 3-4 x weekly
Biomedical practitioner Important you share good rapport
Biomedical testing Blood urine hair
KUB X-Ray Gastrointestinal challenge identification
Alkalising Correct pH vital to health and function
Supplements Rebuilding compromised immune system
Specific testing Sensitivities ~ allergies
Vitamins/Minerals Balancing each unique profile
Probiotics The “good gut bugs”
Minor protocols Each a link in the chain of health
Major Protocols DAN! (chelation) Pfeiffer (metallothionein)
ABA Applied Behaviour Analysis
RDI Relationship Development Intervention
Kumon External schooling in Maths/English
Neurotraining Brain training
Dietary Intervention
You can help your child enormously through dietary intervention. Certain enzymes critical for metabolising food are low functioning in some individuals and unmetabolised food can adversely affect neurological function and development as well as immunity and digestion. Casein and gluten found in dairy products and in many grains (wheat, oats, rye, barley) are a problem in this case. Food additives (artificial colours and flavours, preservatives) are also a problem (they too need enzymes to detox them). Food really is medicine in this case!
Many families report that the whole family benefits from diets low in gluten, casein, and grains. Everyone also benefits from a diet free of additives, colours and preservatives. Organic food is also recommended as many foods now contain harmful pesticides, which are especially hard for ASD children to detox.
Practitioners working with Mindd foundation protocols support 3 key diets; Casein-Free/Gluten-Free, Specific Carbohydrate Diet and Gut & Psychology Syndrome Diet.
The Gluten-Free/Casein-Free diet (CF/GF) is critical in improving neurological function as most individuals with the above disorders have metabolic issues that make it hard to process casein and gluten. It recognises that certain individuals have metabolic problems and are not able to break down casein and gluten which leads to gastro intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) and to an opioid effect on the individual as casein and gluten peptides travel through holes in the gut, into the blood and up to the brain. The individual can feel vague, disoriented and without judgement similar to the feelings of someone on heroin.
It is important to consider going low carbohydrate, high protein and keeping corn and rice to a minimum as they do cause digestive problems by feeding gut pathogens (see Specific Carbohydrate diet). The CF-GF diet is not about giving your child lots of rice pasta and corn crackers, as these are low in nutrients. Emphasis should be on fresh fruit, vegetables and a variety of meat that is cooked slowly (char grilling and fast cooking creates more toxins).
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is essentially a grain free and sugar-free diet with all carbohydrates coming from vegetables and fruit. This is based on the theory that certain individuals have trouble processing and metabolising disaccharides and polysaccharides and the undigested food sits in the gut and feeds pathogens such as yeast, fungus, bacteria and virus that in turn releases toxins that effect brain and body function and development. The SCD includes the CF-GF diet for the most part though some individuals are allowed fermented dairy product like yoghurt and kefir.
The Gut & Psychology Syndrome Diet is similar to the Specific Carbohydrate diet but offers more tips on how food serves as medicine in terms of detoxing the body and supporting organ systems.
Mindd recognises “elimination” diets to be effective but does not see this as the entire solution. Nutritional medicine and digestive healing must be incorporated into the treatment allowing for the possibility of certain foods (e.g. salicylates, other allergy-inducing foods) to eventually be reintroduced. Casein and gluten are best kept out of the diet long term. Oxalates are also proving to be an issue with many individuals. Many families find that the child is more open to new foods once certain nutrients and minerals (zinc) are supplemented.
While there are key underlying principles that apply to most patients, it is important to go to an experienced practitioner who is trained in the “biomedical” approach. I will help you to understand the difference between food allergies and sensitivities, run an allergy panel for you and help heal your gut.
Fermented Foods
MINDD highly recommends sugar-free yoghurt, kefir and fermented foods (miso and vegetables) to help replace beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract that are usually low in numbers due to metabolic and digestive disorders (medications, antibiotics, toxic exposure and illness are all causes).
Resources:
“Gut & Psychology Syndrome”, by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride gives an excellent account of how food works as medicine and why Autism, ADD, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression have a commonality and run in families. There are also lots of family-friendly recipes. This is written by a Russian-trained neurologist with a degree in nutrition from the UK whose approach got her own ASD son off the spectrum! You can order this at www.mindd.org
Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gotschall is an excellent guide for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. You can order this at www.mindd.org
www.pecanbread.com is a great website for food lists
www.generationrescuse.com explains why autism is an epidemic and how it is treatable.
There are dozens of excellent casein-free and gluten-free books. Just remember to go easy on carbohydrates in general!
Genetics & Hereditary Factors
While there is a genetic story to the above disorders, there is also a history of poor gut bacteria, low nutrient count and high toxicity coming from the mother due to antibiotics, illness, allergies, blood and metabolic disorders, poor diet and toxic exposure (e.g. dental amalgams, vaccines and medications with mercury, lead paint). Many mothers in fact suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, Crohn’s Disease, Food sensitivities, allergies, anxiety, depression and digestive disorders. Siblings are also at high risk as they too inherit the genes and blood chemistry of the same parents. It is not uncommon for an autistic child to have siblings with ADD, Dyspraxia, digestive disorders etc…
The biomedical protocol can really help mothers and siblings. It is especially important to address these issues if the mother is planning another pregnancy!
Seminars
Mindd Foundation offers seminars featuring Doctors Antony Underwood, Marilyn Dyson, Emmanuel Varipatis, Robyn Cosford, Hilton Lowe and John Criticos. These seminars are really helpful in managing your child’s health because in a sense the parent becomes the clinician in monitoring diet and supplements and knowledge helps.
REMEMBER: The biomedical approach has helped thousands of children improve in speech, language, socialization, behaviour, immunity, digestion and more. I am here to help add your child to the list.
At your service,
Darren J Sassall ND
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