AUTISM and HOMOEOPATHY

AUTISM  and  HOMOEOPATHY
by Sompalle Sridhar Reddy
Definition:


Autism is a “ Complex neurobiological disorder ” of development that lasts throughout a person’s life ; and Autism is also known as “ Complex developmental disability ” that causes problems with Social interaction and Communication . Symptoms usually start before the age of 3 yrs and can cause delays or problems in many different skills that develop from infancy to adult-hood . ( A S D – Autism Spectrum Disorders & Pervasive Developmental Disorder ) .

SYMPTOMS :

 The main symptoms here are - Problems in ,

1 ) . Communication - both Verbal ( spoken ) & Non verbal ( unspoken ) such as Pointing , Eye contact & Smiling etc .,

2 ) . Social interactions - such as Sharing emotions , Understanding how others think & feel and Holding a conversation .

3 ) . Routines or Repetitive behaviors ( also called Stereo-typed behaviors ) such as Repeating words or actions , Obsessively following routines or Schedules and Playing with Toys or Objects in repetitive and sometimes in in-appropriate ways .

The symptoms of Autism can usually be observed by 18 months of age . The number of behavioral symptoms of Autism are observable at this age includes - Problems with Eye contact , Not responding to one’s own name , Joint attention problems , Under - developed skills in pretend play and imitation ; and Problems with Non-verbal communication and Language .



If the Child : Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age ;
Does not gesture ( point , wave , grasp etc ., ) by 12 months of age ;
Does not say single words by 16 months of age ;
Does not say two word phrases on his or her own ( rather than just repeating what someone says to him / her ) by 24 months of age ;
Has any loss of any Language or Social skill at any age . Then we have to be in doubt , it may be due to Autism .
Studies also note that ; some Autistic children experiences a “ repression ” ; meaning they stop using the Language , play or Social skills they had already learned . This repression usually happens between the First & Second Birth-days .

POSSIBLE RED FLAGS FOR AUTISM ( Observed by the parents of Autistic children & Researchers ) : -

1 ) . The child does not respond to his / her name .
2 ) . The child can-not explain what he wants .
3 ) . The child’s Language skills are slow to develop or Speech is delayed .
4 ) . The child does not follow directions .
5 ) . At times , the child seems to be deaf .
6 ) . The child seems to hear sometimes , but not other times .
7 ) . The child doesn’t point or wave “ bye - bye ” .
8 ) . The child used to say a few words or babble ; but now he doesn’t.
9 ) . The child throws intense or violent tantrums .
10 ) . The child has odd movement patterns .
11 ) . The child is Overly active or Hyper-active , un-cooperative or resistant .
12 ) . The child doesn’t know how to play with toys .
13 ) . The child doesn’t smile when smiled at .
14 ) . The child has poor eye contact .
15 ) . The child gets ‘ stuck ’ doing the same-things over & over and can’t move on to other things .
16 ) . The child seems to prefer to play alone .
17 ) . The child gets things for him / herself only .
18 ) . The child is very independent for his / her age .
19 ) . The child does things “ early ” compared to other children .
20 ) . The child seems to be in his / her “ own world ” .
21 ) . The child is not interested in other children .
22 ) . The child walks on his / her toes .
23 ) . The child shows unusual attachments to toys , objects or schedules .
24 ) . The child spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order .
25 ) . The child seems to - tune people out .

Statistics show that Boys are 3 to 4 times more likely to be affected by Autism than the Girls .

Siblings of those with A S D ’s - Among Families that have one child with an ASD , recurrence of ASD in another sibling is between 2 to 8 % more common than the general population .
People with certain other developmental disorders ; for Certain disorders , including Fragile X Syndrome , Mental Retardation and Tuberous Sclerosis , Autism is common in addition to the primary symptoms of the disorder .

Autism can be caused because of Vaccination , particularly the MMR Vaccine ; but still there is no 100 % evidence in this , research is still going on in this subject . ( But if the child is showing the symptoms after the inoculation of the vaccine and very much normal before , then we have to consider it , as the ailment from ) .
And the Prevalence of ASD’s in the United States is that 1 child in 1000 children has an ASD .


GENERAL AND USEFUL TREATMENTS FOR AUTISM:

Currently there is no Definitive , Single treatment for ASD’s in the other System of Medicines ; However , there are a variety of ways to help to minimize the symptoms and Maximize learning . They are ….

1 ) . Behavioral management therapy - here the patient is being taught about the acts and to reinforce wanted behavior and reduce un-wanted behavior .

2 ) . Speech - Language Therapy - Can help the children of Autism to improve their general ability to communicate and interact with other people effectively and as well as develop their Speech and Language skills .

3 ) . Occupational Therapy - Can help to find ways to adjust tasks and conditions that match their needs & abilities , and identifying skills that build on a person’s interests and individual capabilities .

4 ) . Physical Therapy - Can design activities and exercises to build Motor control and to improve Posture & Balance ; interaction with other children with the body language .

5 ) . Educational and School based options - has to be designed the Individualized Educational Plan . An individualized educational plan includes specific education , communication , motor , learning , functional & socialization goals for a child based on his / her educational needs .

Children with ASDs are guaranteed free , appropriate public education under Federal laws ; Public law 108-77 - Individuals with Disabilities Education improvement act ( 2004 ) and Public Law 105-17 - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 1997 ) make it possible for children with disabilities to get free Educational Services & Educational devices to help them learn as much as they can .

The Laws state that Children must be taught in the Least Restrictive Environment , appropriate for that individual child . The Laws mean that the teaching environment should be designed to meet the child’s Learning needs ; while minimizing restrictions on the child’s access to typical learning experiences and interactions .

HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH :

As we know the Common symptoms of the disease - we have to select the rare , peculiar and uncommon symptoms of the patient for analyzing the case , because we treat the patient not the disease ; and the rubrics we select should be of Strong Syphilitic ( Autism is Syphilitic ) , followed by dominating Sycotic rubrics if present to differentiate the remedies ; If at all any particular cause is there , that should be considered in the Selection of the Remedy , because Ailment from is a very important rubric if it is recent & relevant .

Here we can not assure 100 % Cure in Autism cases , but if we select the right Similimum according to the Constitutional totality perfectly , in majority of cases we can get very good results .
If the problem started after certain age , like after 2 or 3 yrs of age , then we have to take the Nature , behavior , Activity & Attachments of the child before this age , means before the Autism started , we have to take the innate characters etc ., And the most important is the History during the Pregnancy of the Mother - if there was any Stress , Disappointment , Upset , Fright , Humiliation , Quarrel , Shock , Trauma etc ., Or any Problem during the Delivery ( Forceps delivery etc ., ) ; Should be considered if it is Prominent and Particular , then we have to take it as the Ailments from . Thermals and Thirst are not so important here .

Many people have treatable conditions in addition to their Autism , like Sleep disorders , Allergies and Digestive problems , which are very common and if they are very prominent then we have to consider them .

Dr . S . Sridhar reddy .