Several studies published in recent months investigated the effects of cannabis-based products for treating autism. Although the studies were open-label and relatively small in scale, the overall results were overwhelmingly positive, with statistically significant improvements in social communication, language, restrictive/repetitive and challenging behaviours.
I hope that my journey in vision therapy will serve not only as a roadmap for people with mild autism to find their way out of the labyrinth of disability but as something that can provide clues to help those with more severe autism find their way to a life more fully lived.
When discussing autism—especially on the internet and in the media—there are way too many people who recklessly engage in false dichotomy. It’s a kind of extremism that gets us nowhere…I can say with 100% certainty that while I seek treatments for my child with autism, my acceptance of him is unconditional.
Recently in the UK, a “Neurodiversity Manifesto” has been shared by the Labour Party. It has five key principles, each of them lacking in nuance, unreflective of the lived experiences, and ignoring research data.
A small double-blind, placebo-controlled trial shows dramatic effects of suramin as a treatment for autism. Improvements were seen in all three core features of autism: language, social interactions, and restricted or repetitive behaviours across multiple diagnostics in multiple tests in all who received the active treatments, absent in the placebo arm
Children with Congenital Heart Disease, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 suffer high rates of autism. Everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor with strong neuro-inflammation attenuating effects, reduces core autism symptoms in some children with TSC, epilepsy and autism…
Numerous medical conditions are significantly more prevalent in children and adults with autism, including allergy and/or immunologic, musculoskeletal, neurologic, psychiatric and gastrointestinal conditions. Early childhood health problems can be used to spot children at high risk of autism…
Babies who are exposed to perinatal complicatios incl. asphyxia, preeclampsia, and meconium-stained amniotic fluid, are at increased risk of developing autism. The risk is especially high for babies exposed to complications both before and during birth.
Accumulating evidence suggests an association between immune dysfunction and pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders in a large number of affected individuals. Findings from diverse fields of science and experimental animal studies point to close interconnectedness of the immune and the nervous systems