In this Community Q&A call, we talked about:
One mom’s son was just diagnosed with autism at the age of 21. He has a history of an appendectomy at 12, anxiety, depression and debilitating IBS. He started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) four months ago and has had three days of no discomfort since. They don’t have a functional-medicine doctor and are working with an allopathic doctor. What is the best way to work with allopathic practitioners?
- Beth: You can order/request common lab tests from your doctor or from a direct lab website. Log all foods, supplements and labs. Be sure to run baseline tests and then rerun every six months or so. Microbiome tests such as Nirvana biome test (about $200) and the Organic Acid Test (OAT) are helpful. There’s usually a fungal component.
- Maria: If he has Clostridia difficile (C. diff), he might be eligible for a fecal transplant.
- Shandy: See a holistic nutritionist, such as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
Another mom has a son with ADHD and absence seizures. He’s had tests run for OATS, Lyme and mold. They are doing the low-glutamate diet, which is overwhelming. She’s looking for a practitioner, but she seems to know more than most.
- Maria: Low blood sugar can cause a glutamate release, as can PANS/PANDAS and EMFs. Get a home monitor and check fasting levels of glucose; 70-85 is optimal. Resources:
- Webinar replay: Mold and Mycotoxin Illness with Jodie Dashore
- Social interview: Navigating the Low-Glutamate REID Diet with Andi Stowe of Nourished Blessings
- Success story: Patrick and Charlie: Healing from Autism with a Low Free-Glutamate Diet
- Webinar replay: Glutamates and Autism with Katie Reid PhD
- Webinar replay: How Modern Living Can Help or Hurt Your Child with Chris D’Adamo PhD
- Environmental Health Trust
- Herbert, M.R., et al. Autism and EMF? Plausibility of a pathophysiological link part I. Pathophysiology. 2013 Jul;1-19.
- Herbert, M.R., et al. Autism and EMF? Plausibility of a pathophysiological link part II. Pathophysiology. 2013 Jun;20(3):211-34.
- Shandy: Immune-system issues can be a trigger
One mom says that parasites can be a big issue, but there aren’t enough practitioners that know about them.
- Beth: Tests are so-so. She does a BioRay parasite flush annually. Common symptoms of parasite infection are anal itching, teeth grinding and a change in behavior during the full moon.
- Maria: Dietrich Klinghardt MD PhD says that high eosinophil counts are associated with parasites.
Another mom asked about tips for regulating circadian rhythm.
- Maria: Blue-blocking lenses and settings, orange light bulbs, dim lights after dinner, grounding. Adrenal Fatigue book has lots of great ideas. Step 3 of our Healing Trail Map. Healing Handbook of Improving Your Child’s Sleep.
- Shandy: 20 minutes of early-morning sunlight helps.
Another mom’s daughter is 12 years old with autism who is home-schooled because of social and communication issues.
- Maria: Has she tried low-glutamate diet?
- Shandy: Start with baby steps first by cleaning up the diet, then taking out processed foods with chemical ingredients, then following a gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free, corn-free diet, then taking out ingredients made with soy and corn like maltodextrin, citric acid and natural flavors.
- Alicia: Consider Lyme disease and mold.
- Consider an evaluation by a behavioral optometrist.
- Webinar replay: Vision Therapy for Autism, ADHD, SPD and Learning Disabilities
The information in these live Community Q&A calls and their recordings is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please see our Disclaimer.