Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral condition in which children have difficulties paying attention & focusing on tasks. This common disorder begins in early childhood & can continue into adulthood. If not recognized & treated, it can cause problems at home, school & work & with relationships.

More about the details of ADHD can be found if you click here! 

Additional Article: The Impact Of ADHD in America

"Autism"

What is Autism?

Autism is a complex condition sharing many similarities w/other conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia & ADHD. For a diagnosis of autism to be made, there must be some other symptoms such as difficulties with:

• speech    

• abnormalities of posture or gesture

• impaired understanding of the feelings of others

• sensory or visual disperceptions

• fears & anxieties

• behavioural abnormalities such as compulsive/obsessive behavior 

• ritualistic movements

Autism appears to be occurring more often & while autism used to occur primarily from birth, over the past 10 years there's been a dramatic increase in late onset autism, most frequently diagnosed in the 2nd year of life.

What causes Autism?

As w/many conditions there's debate as to whether autism is inherited or caused by something like diet or environment.

Autism is 4 times as common in boys as it is in girls. Parents & siblings of autistic children are far more likely to suffer from:

• milk or gluten allergy

• have digestive disorders 

• irritable bowel syndrome

• high cholesterol

• night blindness

• light sensitivity

• thyroid problems 

• cancer

Being breastfed increases the risk. One might suspect that autistic children may inherit certain imbalances; an alternative explanation might be that other family members eat the same food & may be lacking the same nutrients & there's growing evidence that some of the nutritional approaches used to help correct dyslexia, dyspraxia & ADHD can make a significant difference to the autistic child.

Recently there's been a raging debate over the danger of the MMR vaccine causing autism in children. The official line is that there's no good evidence of such a danger. There's some truth in this, in that Dr. Andrew Wakefield's research at the Royal Free Hospital, while important, is the first hint of a problem & it may be too early to jump to conclusions.

For most children, the MMR vaccine is unlikely to be a problem, however no one really knows the full consequences or giving a child 3 immune attacks-mumps, measles & rubella- all at the same time.

Getting all 3 illnesses at once simply doesn't occur in nature, so there's a logical argument for single vaccines if a parent so chooses, especially for children w/weakened immune systems.

Perhaps for children w/nutrient deficiencies, lacking essential fatty acids, susceptible to food allergies &/or gut problems, these triple vaccines are the last straw.

How to Improve the Symptoms of Autism

• Ensure that any nutrient deficiencies are addressed - Research has shown that addressing nutrient deficiencies can dramatically improve symptoms in Autistic children. Nutrients of particular importance are Vitamins B6, Vitamin C Vitamin A, Zinc & Magnesium .

• Vitamin B6 is of particular help in children w/pyroluria a condition in which high levels of compounds called pyroles are excreted in the urine & cause a deficiency of zinc & B6. Pyroluria should be suspected in children w/facial swelling & w/a history of frequent colds & middle ear infections & can be tested w/a simple urine test

• Ensure adequate intake of essential fats - Research has shown that some autistic children have an enzymatic defect that removes essential fatty acids from brain cell membranes more quickly than it should.

• Consequently supplementing the Omega 3 fatty acid EPA, which can slow the activity of this enzyme may show beneficial effects.

• Remove Allergens - In addition to nutrient deficiencies, the most significant contributing factor in autism appears to be undesirable foods & chemicals that often reach the brain via the bloodstream because of faulty digestion & absorption.

• The foods which seem to adversely influence a large number of children include wheat & other gluten containing grains, milk & other dairy products including casein, citrus fruits, chocolate, artificial food colourings, paracetamol, salicylates (prunes, raisins, raspberries, almonds, apricots, canned cherries, blackcurrants, oranges, strawberries, grapes, tomato sauce, plums, cucumbers & granny smith apples), nightshade family foods (potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines).

• The strongest direct evidence of foods linked to autism involves wheat & dairy & the specific proteins they contain - namely gluten & casein. These are difficult to digest & can result in allergy especially if introduced too early in life.

• Supplement Nutrients for a healthy gut - A large proportion of parents of autistic children report that their child received repeated or prolonged courses of antibiotic drugs for ear or other respiratory infections during the first year of life.

• Such broad spectrum antibiotics kill the good as well as the bad bacteria in the gut, weakening the intestinal membranes. Restoring a healthy gut, by supplementing digestive enzymes & probiotics is known to produce positive results in autistic children.

• The amino acid L-glutamine is especially important in restoring the integrity of the digestive tract. Drinking 5g dissolved in water just before bedtime can help heal the gut.