Autism Treatment: General Information

Please be aware that this page is not intended as medical advice. It is not a replacement for good medical diagnosis and treatment by a licensed physician or for care by certified health-care practitioners. Homeopathic treatment should always be pursued under the supervision of a licensed physician and a certified homeopath. (See Disclaimer)

Impossible Cure has become an important book for the autism community because it includes a chapter about the homeopathic cure of Amy Lansky's formerly-autistic son Max. Because many parents contact us to obtain information about the treatment of their autistic children, we have created this page to provide guidance and help. (Please note that Amy Lansky never treated autistic children herself, and closed her part-time homeopathic practice in January 2007.)

If you are interested in pursuing homeopathic treatment, we strongly advise that you begin by reading Impossible Cure. It will answer most of your questions and you will know exactly what to expect from homeopathic treatment. However, the book does not provide a protocol for treatment of autism. Treatment must be individualized to each patient and guided by an expert homeopath.

Please do not try to treat your child yourself. Homeopathic treatment of autism is very challenging, even for the most experienced practitioner. To find referrals to practitioners, please see the referrals page on this site. This site also includes a page with links to other homeopathic resources.

Another important resource for parents is Amy Lansky's former radio show, There's Hope with Homeopathy! A complete archive of the show can be found on this site and provides an excellent and free way to learn more about homeopathy.

An open yahoogroup has been formed for parents of special needs children interested in homeopathy. Participants also include homeopaths who treat autistic children. To join, visit: Homeopathy-And-SN@yahoogroups.

To keep abreast of the latest news about homeopathy, along with helpful tips about home self-treatment, subscribe to the ImpossibleCure.com newsletter.

Papers About Homeopathic Treatment of Autism:

For those interested in research studies about homeopathy and autism, here are several papers:

Finally, the following site has pointers to the latest research papers on homeopathy in general: Research in Homeopathy.

Homeopathy does have the ability to cure autism!

More and more people are stepping forward to let the world know about the homeopathic cure of their children. One wonderful site about the homeopathic cure of an autistic boy is www.recoveredfromautism.com. This family is one among many who have been guided by Impossible Cure in their journey. Another family finding success with classical homeopathy has developed the web site www.recoveringnicholas.com. More testimonials can be found in the Cure Stories Database on this site.

You can also see heartwarming clips of children recovering, thanks to homeopathy, on You Tube. If you search for "autism recovery homeopathy" you may find a few. In the meantime, here are two to check out:


Help others by adding your voice!

Please remember to post your successful cure stories to the Cure Stories Data Base on this site. It doesn't have to be about autism, and it doesn't have to be a "complete" cure. Just let people know about the wonders that homeopathy has done for you. You story can help other children and their families by convincing parents to give homeopathy a try! Even a paragraph or two can do wonders. This is the most-viewed element of this site, so your contribution really does make a difference.

On the same subject, please join the fight to protect your access to homeopathy. Visit the Homeopathy Worked for Me campaign site and add your voice!

Homeopathic Treatment of Autism

Homeopathy isn't a "take this for that" medicine. Ten different autistic children might be prescribed ten different remedies. The choice of an appropriate remedy depends on a child's individual characteristics. The treatment process usually takes many months and even years -- it is not a quick fix! -- and it may also require the use of several different remedies over time. For this reason, as well as the innate complexity of autism treatment, it is wise to seek out an experienced certified classical homeopath to treat autism.

Autism, unfortunately, is a very serious condition that is not easy to cure. For example, while ADD (and ADHD) has a 70% cure rate in many homeopathic practices, autism is much more difficult. However there are definitely many cases of homeopathic autism cures besides Max's. Although complete cures cannot be expected in most cases, a growing number of homeopaths who treat autistic children on a regular basis are now seeing significant progress in a majority of cases. If treatment begins early -- especially before age 5 -- there really is the potential for complete recovery. However, it is definitely worthwhile to begin treatment at any age. Increasingly, homeopaths are achieving significant gains with older children and even teenagers and young adults. Regardless of when treatment is begun, parents must have commitment and patience, and view treatment as a gradual process that will take months and years, not days or weeks.

Note that by "cure," we mean freedom from autism without the ongoing need for a heavily restricted diet or supplements -- i.e. complete recovery, not just functioning better. If you met Max today (at age 27) you would never suspect he had been autistic. He is a successful artist living in Los Angeles. But even in Max's case, it took two years of treatment until he was testing at age level and another four or five years until we felt he no longer had any vestiges of autism. So cure is possible, but requires commitment and involvement by the parents and a lot of patience.

Because autism is difficult to treat, we recommend that you seek out a very experienced classical homeopath (one remedy at a time, no mixtures, and no use of "machines" to choose remedies) and stick with it for at least a year. Do not try to treat your child yourself. If you read Impossible Cure you will learn what classical homeopathic treatment is all about and how to discern if a particular practitioner is classical. Ideally, select a practitioner whose entire practice is devoted to homeopathy.

Many people have inquired about homeopathic "detox" treatments or "sequential therapy" approaches to homeopathy. These kinds of therapies have been quite useful in many cases, but they are not our first choice to recommend. The way sequential therapy works is, based on the history of symptoms of a case, a remedy is given to address each "event", in reverse order. The remedies chosen are often based on the idea of "specifics" (see page 157 in Impossible Cure). So you'll get one remedy to treat this vaccine, then a month later another remedy to treat the previous vaccine, etc. Sometimes this approach is applied in a very routine way rather than being based on the actual symptoms and history being presented by the patient. And sometimes the remedy potencies used are rather high and the reactions to sequential therapy protocols extreme. Fixed protocols that are not tailored to the specific symptoms and sensitivity of a child can often be misguided, especially given the acute sensitivity of autistic children in general.

Our preference and recommendation is to find a well-trained and open-minded classical homeopath. Please be aware that many classical homeopaths will use variants of detox and sequentialist approaches if they need to. For example, if treatment is not progressing using indicated remedies, a vaccine "detox" remedy might be used to unblock a case. Similarly, classical homeopaths will use nosodes as remedies when they are indicated. So don't worry that a classical homeopath won't use "detox" or "sequential" techniques if they need to. They just won't do it in a routine way, which (in our view) is very wise. Each case must be treated individually. This is our opinion, based on our experience as well as reports from other parents.

Another method of autism treatment that is emerging in 2009/2010 is the Tinus Smits CEASE therapy, which has some similarities to sequential therapy and also uses certain supplements. This approach appears to have merit, and some classical homeopaths are beginning to be trained in it so that they can integrate some of its ideas along with their classical practice. You can read about some successful cases here.

One reason for caution in selecting a homeopath is that many practitioners who use non-classical homeopathic protocols do not have adequate training or knowledge of homeopathy. Be sure to check your practitioner's qualifications and training in homeopathy. A practitioner who treats autistic children should have at least four years of training in homeopathy and preferably several more years of clinical experience. Ask for patient references.

As far as detox goes, properly and individually selected remedies can naturally detox the body in a gradual and natural way. However, in some cases, other methods of detox may be necessary. Please be aware, however, that many methods of detoxification can interfere with homeopathic treatment. So make sure that your homeopath is aware of all the various methods of treatment you are pursuing with your child.

Finally, please remember that it usually takes a practitioner time to find a good remedy and dosing regimen -- sometimes months of trial and error. In Max's case, there was slow and steady improvement throughout, but that's unusual. It's really a long term process -- but well worth it! Your child's life is at stake -- and your own life as well. Once you begin to see improvement, you will have an easier time sticking with it. Try to be patient. Autism cures are usually slow -- but slow and steady wins the race. If you have no improvement whatsoever over a significant period of time (6-9 months), it may be time to try another homeopath. Successful homeopathic treatment, unfortunately, depends on the ability of the practitioner to successfully find the right remedy for your child.

Helpful Tips

Don't give up hope for recovery!

So many parents with autistic children become despondent and don't believe their child can recover. This really works against them. Don't give in to despair! Try as hard as you can to be loving, accepting, but confident that full recovery is possible. In addition, try not to become accommodated or invested in your child's illness. Don't try to convince yourself that your child is just fine as an autistic person; they will be much better off if they aren't autistic! Striking a balance between love and acceptance of your child and confidence in their improvement can sometimes be difficult, but you can achieve it. Moreover, don't be afraid of potential disappointment. What's worse, experiencing disappointments or never trying at all? You owe it to your child to not let your own fears get in the way.

The sooner you seek treatment the better.

In a way, autistic children "leave" us and the further away they get, the harder it is to bring them back. Besides, as the brain grows and matures, it becomes more set in its ways. When allopathic (conventional medicine) drugging comes into play, the situation becomes even more difficult. Ideally, you should treat homeopathically before age 5. However, even older autistic children and young adults can manifest significant improvement and homeopaths have become more and more skilled at helping them too.

Give the issue of vaccination serious thought.

There's been a huge rise in autism in the USA over the past twenty years -- from about 1/10,000 to 1/45 -- and the most suspected culprit (at least from the perspective of parents in the autism community!) is vaccination damage. Some believe it is the mercury in the vaccines. Some believe it is the vaccines themselves -- the most suspected ones are the MMR and DPT. If your child experienced convulsions, fever, and shrieking before the onset of autism, DPT is highly suspect. If the onset was more insidious, especially if accompanied by gut problems, MMR is more likely. The Hepatitis B vaccine is also suspected by some parents. Whatever the reason, many believe that vaccines are the cause of 99% of the cases of autism and the reason for the dramatic rise over the past 20 years. The vaccinations trigger autism as a kind of auto-immune disorder. More children are experiencing other kinds of auto-immune diseases as well -- diabetes, severe allergies, etc. The vaccination trigger for autism may also be one reason that homeopathy is successful in treating it, because homeopathy has a good historical track record in correcting vaccination damage.

Links to more information about vaccination can be found at the bottom of this page.

Pay attention to potential food allergens.

Many autistic children improve significantly if they adhere to dietary restrictions. It is likely that the vaccinations have triggered severe food allergies in these children that affect their brain and gut. Eliminating the allergens can unburden their systems and provide relief, though usually not a cure. My advice is to eliminate one thing at a time (give it at least a 2 week trial) and see if you notice any improvement.

Over time, homeopathic treatment can then go in remove these allergic tendencies altogether. However, because this can take a number of years, it is best to remove foods from the diet that are aggravating your child's condition. As homeopathic treatment creates improvement, you can slowly experiment with introducing foods back in. For useful information and studies about possible food elimination strategies, visit the Autism Research Institute.

One of the most implicated problem foods is milk -- especially cow's milk. One 1999 study at the University of Florida on the effects of milk protein on the brain found that eliminating dairy helped a significant number of children. Goat milk is not as bad (it contains less milk proteins), but try to cut out all cow milk and dairy in general. Some people also believe that pasteurization is the culprit and advocate using raw milk instead.

Other common food allergens are wheat and gluten. In fact, some homeopaths have observed that wheat/gluten allergies are more common in DPT-damaged children, whereas those affected by the MMR vaccine suffer from milk/casein allergies.

You might also experiment with eliminating corn (why add genetically engineered foods into the problem?) and avoid food colorings as much as possible.

Another tip. Recently, we have heard some good things about a diet described by the www.noharmfoundation.org.

Try to keep things constant when you embark upon homeopathy.

Most homeopaths will request that you do not add in or remove other treatments in the initial stages of homeopathic treatment. In this way, the homeopath can assess the effects of a remedy on your child. If you change many things at the same time, it is hard to assess what treatment is achieving what effect.

Other Therapies to Consider

Besides food elimination, there are many other therapies being recommend for autistic children. In our experience, none of these are likely to cure autism, but many can greatly improve your child's condition. Please note that some of these treatments may interfere with homeopathic treatment; so you might wish to try them before homeopathic treatment or to forego them until you give homeopathy a thorough try. Others are highly complementary and work synergistically with homeopathy. We are not experts in any of these treatments besides homeopathy. So the following should be taken merely as our opinion.

Traditional Hands-On Osteopathic Treatment (or Cranio/Sacral Therapy).

Osteopathic manipulation is very gentle and was very helpful in Max's case. It works very synergistically with homeopathic treatment. Make sure the practitioner you select is very experienced in this kind of treatment -- not simply a massage practitioner who has taken a course on cranial-sacral treatment or an osteopath who practices as a conventional doctor. This osteopathy site provides excellent guidance in finding a good practitioner.

Energy Healing -- Reiki, Prayer, etc.

These kinds of treatments, if performed by yourself or a knowledgeable practitioner, can be very helpful and can boost the effects of homeopathic treatment.

Chelation

The goal of chelation therapies is to remove toxic metals such as mercury from the body. While these treatments can have striking results, they are sometimes short-lived. They can also be very harsh in their effects, and they may interfere with homeopathic treatment. Be aware that successful homeopathic treatment can also effectively, though often slowly, chelate harmful metals from the body. However, there are some cases where some form of chelation may be necessary. Since chelation can interfere with homeopathic treatment, please let your homeopath know about this and other forms of treatment you are pursuing.

Supplements

A variety of supplements are often recommended for autistic children -- e.g., Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, DMG, Magnesium, Omega-3 fats, and others. We are not experts on these supplements, but many have reported significant improvements when using them. If you use them, you should do so under the guidance of a practitioner. They will probably not interfere with homeopathic treatment. You should discuss the issue with your homeopath. (Max did not use any supplements.)

Behavioral, Auditory, Occupational, Language and other Therapies

These kinds of therapies are very helpful in helping autistic children learn to communicate and navigate in the world. While these therapies may provide only limited help without homeopathic treatment, with homeopathic treatment, a child will benefit much more greatly from them and truly begin to blossom. If you pursue homeopathic treatment, you should continue such programs until they are no longer necessary.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

EFT is an amazing non-invasive therapy that can be a huge boon to both parents and children. It might prove especially effective for verbal ASD children who struggle with frustration and tantrums. It can be easily learned in one or two sessions and self-administered or administered by a parent in any context. It often provides immediate emotional relief. EFT blends gentle tapping on certain acupuncture points with affirmations of a particular form. To learn more and to find a practitioner, go to Gary Craig's site (the originator of EFT) or the Emotional Freedom Technique site.

Autism Links

There is an unbelievable amount of information on the web about autism and autism treatment. Here are just a handful of suggestions that people have told me about. I can't vouch for them all, but they may be useful to explore.

Vaccination and Other Useful Links