Cure for Autism?

My youngest son is diagnosed with autism. He goes to school and attends “special” classes. Basically it’s day care where they color pictures and take naps. That’s how it was while he attended elementary school. He would often get into trouble: lots of fighting, biting and spitting. I would always have to go and calm him down or pick him up from school. At home he was the complete opposite. The nicest boy you could ever meet. My wife and I were really worried about his future. Over the summer I was looking for anything that could be used to help him get better.  And we might have found it.

I read an article at www.greattastenopain.com that directed me to do more research in this area. I studied up on probiotics and came to realize that store-bought probiotics were no good at really doing anything. Real probiotics have to be kept refrigerated.  I searched online and found a company that sold the right kind of probiotics and ordered it as well as an ice pack to keep it cool during shipping.

I began to give him one tablet twice a day. One of the major side effects we discovered is that with live bacteria the bi-product is gas. The same bacteria used in yogurt but in a greater concentrated form cause my son to pass lots of gas. “Pull my finger” has become a warning to the deep rocket bass sounds emitting from his rear end.  And he loves it.

Over time he began to change so much so that I just had a parent teacher conference where his 6th grade middle school teacher who was surprised by attitude. His 5^th grade teacher had written in his school file about his hitting, spitting and countless other activities that got him into trouble.  The 6^th grade teacher was preparing for the worse but instead she encountered a boy who is now attending two regular classes outside of his Special ED classroom.

He’s great in science and math as the math teacher loves his determination to get his math problems right. With other autistic kids in the classroom, he is the only one who asks lots of questions like: “What are rocks made of?” “Why does lava come out of a volcano?” “Why do cats hate water?” One of the teachers’ assistance spends a lot of time on the computer trying to answer those and many other for him.

He still has a long way to go. He can read and write at a 2^nd grade level but the teacher stated that he is also improving in that area. The only major problem they ever had with him is when another autistic girl, who doesn't understand personnel boundaries, wanted to get very close to him. He pushed her away with one hand which led her to cry.

We didn't know any of this had happened for the teacher stated that it was a small incident. One of the teacher’s assistance witnessed it and within a few minutes the girl was back at her desk doing her classroom work. We didn't realize it at first but he would give his snacks to one of the other kids in his classroom. The other boy loves Cheetos and our son would want to take an extra bag to school to give it to him.

I could go on and on about all the things the teachers were telling us during our meeting but the evidence is there. Taking these probiotics are working on our son.  It took a while for us and his teachers to see the difference but I plan on keeping him on these probiotics as long as possible.  I can live with the farts while our little boy is coming out of his autism. If only we could get him to eat something other than french fries. 

Autism Cure?

I have two boys who are autistic and just recently I received this email from a friend of mine.

Autism Study Halted - Improvements "Too Obvious"    

To Thrilled Parents         

Hi, As much as I would love to say otherwise, the autism epidemic is getting worse.

It has evolved into a disease classification of "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD) which includes the classic Autistic Disorder as well as the similar but milder symptom Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

The official numbers for newly ASD diagnosed kids is now 1 in 110, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). It used to be 1 in 150. And in the 1980s, it was around 1 in 2,500.

The cause of autism

Many theories exist about what causes autism, including:

- mercury in vaccinations

- genetics

- environmental toxins (including heavy metals, pesticides and flame retardants)

- viral or bacterial infections

- disruption of early fetal brain development and

- diet

(I personally know three different people who swear their kids were completely normal in every way up until the day they had their MMR vaccine...and now they are autistic.) Hundreds more have contacted us and told us the same thing about how their kids changed IMMEDIATELY after vaccines.

Although the causes of autism is hotly debated, what happens afterward is not in doubt and is not debated.

Most of them have chronic digestive problems, including leaky gut syndrome and high levels of the bacteria Clostridium tetani in their systems.

This has led to increasing research into the links between autism and intestinal flora.

The link

According to Mark Brudnak, PhD, author of "The Probiotic Solution," a child may have a reaction to a vaccine or an infection that disrupts how certain genes in their body switch on or off. This can cause malfunctioning in the child's immune and digestive systems.

When this occurs, proteins are no longer properly broken down in the GI tract. Additionally, the friendly bacteria and healthy cells in the intestinal walls die off, the harmful bacteria (like Clostridium tetani) flourish, and the gut lining becomes like a sieve (called leaky gut syndrome).

When the gut wall is leaky, incompletely digested proteins like casein (the protein in dairy products) and gluten (the protein in wheat, barley and rye) seep out into the bloodstream.

Then these proteins can travel to the brain and cause it to trigger opiate-like effects (like being on morphine), which is a common symptom of children with autism.

That's why parents of autistic children are frequently told to eliminate both casein and gluten from their child's diet...and they see great results when they do.

The probiotic-autism study that was stopped

Since probiotics are effective in helping to alleviate leaky gut syndrome and achieving a healthy flora balance, many researchers and forward-thinking healthcare professionals now recommend probiotics for children with autism.

And the results have been VERY encouraging.

One medical study in particular has proven so successful that the study technically "failed," according to a New Scientist report on September 9, 2006.

The study, led by Professor Glenn Gibson at Reading University, UK, found that autistic children vastly improved their concentration and behavior when given probiotics.

He studied 40 autistic children, aged 4 to 8. Half were given the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus Plantarum while the other half received a placebo. The parents were asked to record their children's mood and behavior in a diary.

It was supposed to have been a blind study, where the participants were not told who was taking the actual probiotics and who was taking placebos.

But the results were WAY too obvious...

Parents whose autistic children were taking the actual probiotics saw such drastic improvements in their children's behavior that they knew their children were taking the real thing.

This lead to problems at the crossover point of the study, where the two groups were supposed to switch medicines. The parents whose children were taking the real probiotics refused to make the switch because their children had improved so dramatically!

Pretty conclusive, wouldn't you say?

That's why the study was considered a "failure..."

...because the second half couldn't be completed! But the results spoke for themselves -- the probiotic was a smashing success.

Hundreds of similar studies have been and are currently being conducted that provide hope for people with this devastating condition.

Two super bacteria

Two bacteria that are showing a LOT of promise with autism are Lactobacillus plantarum (used in Dr. Gibson's study above) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

Species of both of these strains are in Super Shield probiotic formula.

In addition to showing promise with helping to alleviate autism symptoms, these powerhouse strains can also help your body in other ways:

- L. plantarum helps reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol levels while boosting your overall immune response and fighting off pathogens like E. coli.

- L. rhamnosus can help shorten diarrhea (and prevent it altogether), relieve constipation, and possibly even prevent lactose intolerance.  It can also help alleviate symptoms of IBD and IBS, helps ease yeast and urinary tract infections and strengthens the gut wall (which is vital for leaky gut syndrome).