Amino Acids and Autism

by Dr Chun Wong

Research has shown that some children with autism spectrum disorders have amino acid deficiencies and have increased amino acid requirements than other children because their bodies have problems metabolizing

amino acids.

An ARI (Autism Research Institute)

study found that 42% of children taking dimethylglycine (DMG) amino acid supplements showed significant improvements, including:-

• Improved sleep
• Better eye contact
• Increased shows of affection
• Improved social interaction
• Better verbal communication
• Reduction in seizures

But what are amino acids?

Amino Acids

Amino acids are essential nutrients which have been nicknamed "the building blocks of life" because they are the building blocks of protein, play a big part in metabolism in the body, control cellular processes and cause

reactions in the body's cells.

The body needs 22 different amino acids in order to manufacture about 50,000 proteins to keep the body functioning properly. The body can manufacture 14 of these amino acids but there are 8 "essential amino acids" that the body cannot produce and these need to be provided by our diets on a daily basis, as they cannot be stored.

Children are growing and developing all the time, and also use more energy, so they require more amino acids than the average adult. Autistic children need even more amino acids because of their problems metabolizing them, so it is vital that their diet meets their requirements. Here are the amino acids that are essential to autistic children:-

• Glutamine - An amino acid that is needed for fuel for the brain, for a healthy immune system and for a healthy gut. Many autistic children have gut problems, so this is a great amino acid for them.
• Glycine - Glycine is essential  because it provides dimethylglycine (DMG) - DMG which the body uses as a building block for DNA, hormones and neurotransmitters. It is also needed for healthy immune and nervous systems.
• Taurine - Taurine is an "anti-epileptic" and an anti-oxidant which is required for fat absorption and for the production of bile, which is used in digestion.
• Arginine - This amino acid is required for wound healing, nitric acid metabolism, hormone release, cell division and for a healthy immune system. Nitric acid metabolism problems can cause reflux and vomiting.

How to Increase Your Child's Intake of Amino Acids

A child's amino acid levels can be tested using a blood test and if they are too low you can increase amino acid intake in the following ways:-

• Through diet - Protein rich foods, such as flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, eggs, fish, meat and poultry, nuts, soy beans, cheese and peanut butter, will help to provide essential amino acids. Give your child at least two servings of 40z of protein rich foods per day.
• Supplements - Consider giving your child amino acid supplements.
• Digestive enzymes - These do not give your child amino acids, but they help the child's body to digest proteins. Give enzymes at the start of a meal.

Ask your therapist or DAN! physician about amino acid testing.

Autism Treatments that Show Promise

by Daisy Mae

It has been established that autism is a very troubling affliction to heal. This is on the account that its causes are not yet entirely comprehended, and individuals with this ailment have a variety of different maladies. Autistic people must be treated as individuals, and not everyone responds equally well to all treatments.

Still, there are some regimens that can bring hope and that are effective in some different situations and we will be reviewing some of those in this article.

One effective treatment for autism is Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA. This is a treatment that is utilized on younger children that have autism, and involves you to work with them in a highly individualized setting. ABA works by teaching children many kinds of skills which are learned in the child's own personal setting and under the close watch of a psychologist. One of the cons of this treatments is that due to the one on one training, it cannot be used in schools because of its high expense. However, for the parents who have an opportunity to use the ABA program in their area, this autism treatment is very useful. 

Another type of remedy for autism is music therapy and it might prove to be significant in helping individuals with this disease.

Exposing the autistic individual to different kinds of music, singing, playing instrument or dancing might be included in this. Because autistic people are really sensitive to their environments, which includes sound, music therapy is a technique for making them feel comfortable. Some researchers also trust that specific tones can instigate various parts of the brain, which might autistic people develop skills and not feel so at risk in the outside world. Music therapy needs to be designed specifically for each patient as autistic people start out with varying levels of tolerance for sounds and human interaction. With this form of administration, the exposure is warmhearted in the beginning and moderately increased as the individuals comfort level gets higher.

There are special schools built for autistic children or they are placed in special education classes to help the deal with this condition. The entire program can be based on the specific needs of autistic children this way. But each program still needs to be specialized by factors such as how high functioning the child is, since not all cases of autism are the same. There are more of these programs available because this condition is becoming better understood as more children are diagnosed with it. Ordinary classrooms are not ideal for autistic children because of their difficulty responding to traditional teaching methods and the bullying the experience from other children. While there are many different autism treatments, there is still some debate about which treatment is the best. The treatment methods discussed in this article have all been used successfully by parents and doctors but, when treating autism, it's important that you take a person's specific requirements into account when figuring out the right protocol. Autism changes depending on who suffers from it, so treatments act the same way.

A variety Of Treatment Opportunities Are Available-What are They?

by BONITA DARULA

Unfortunately, the designated remedy for autism advice, has yet to be discovered. Affected children can grow up suffering from speech impairment, difficulties in social interaction, abnormal learning and an inability to enjoy many experiences of life, which we all take for granted. It has been established, that early diagnosis and intervention can help to minimize the problem and therapies can give the person with autism a certain measure of independence and show him or her how to cope.
Countless options and opportunities are available within a wide variety of therapy applications. Treatment is very much dependent on the needs of an individual and most professionals agree that it is best to start no later than the age of two. Occasionally a combination of treatments and procedures, will yield the best results, but it should be recognized that this condition. generally requires treatment for the life of the person with autism and the caregiver must be prepared to be flexible for this approach.
Generally speaking, treatments and therapy programs can be broken down into four specific areas- behavioral, supplemental, dietary and medical. Some of these represent proven programs, while others are experimental, in addition, it is important to remember, that you will find with these opportunities, there are avenues to explore as one tries to discover the cure.
Behavioral therapies handle modification techniques, to help aid the individual to achieve employment abilities, plus permit them to function in their surroundings. For example, Applied Behavior Analysis, entails the teaching of skill oriented activities. Patients can be rewarded as they discover enjoyable skills and their behavior abilities develop. This is a highly structured program, with intensive one-on-one interaction concerning a child and a therapist. This form of treatment is generally suggested to be the most effective, but many critics believe that the approach is somewhat “robotic” and does not encourage the child to be spontaneous in adapting to the real world.
When it comes to supplemental therapies, and other treatment opportunities, many people with autism react favorably to sensory stimulation. Patients are encouraged to hold objects that have various textures or listen to music. This method entails the playing of music to a child for several hours a day with the goal of improving attention and concentration.
Language applications are of maximum value. Occasionally a program is introduced allowing patients to interact by way of the use of visual stimulants, for example photographs, encouraging the child to communicate his desires and needs through image exchange.

When it comes to dietary therapies, a number of experts advocate that children with autism should be placed on special diets, basically casein or gluten free. Reports have established that a high proportion of children with autism, suffer from chronic gastrointestinal problems. Gluten, found in wheat products, and casein, found in milk products, might be the culprits. Though this type of therapy calls for substantial dietary control, many other specialists caution against the effectiveness of this treatment.
Medical procedures for autism include the use of vaccines and more controversial therapies, including some, which involves the injection of a form of acid into the blood to remove or improve metabolic functioning. Other people advocate the use of antidepressant drugs for example, Prozac to address certain specific behavior problems associated with autism, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or to help in controlling tantrums.
Autism is diagnosed in approximately one out of every 150 children. It is advised, that early diagnosis, in addition to intervention, is imperative, to enable the child to gain social skills, behavior skills along with moving out of isolation.

Biomedical Autism Treatment - Exercise and Autism

Author: Dr. Kurt Woeller

would like to talk to you today about the role exercise can play for your child with Autism. Recently there has been some new information out about the role exercise has to play in depression. For those who get regular exercise, they have found that their depressive issues were reduced up to 45% which is a significant amount and that regular exercise is defined as at least 30 minutes per day and for 3 to 5 days per week. These are very significant findings, especially in light of the fact that our primary treatment for depression in this country is through anti-depressive medications. So again, simple aerobic exercise of 30 minutes a day and 3 to 5 days per week can make a big impact on depression.

I have seen some similar things with children in my practice with Autism as well. The children who tend to get more regular exercise tend to function more appropriately. This can be different for each child but they can have better behavior, better attention, less anxiety, better focusing, etc. And children have so many options in terms of ways to get exercise. A trip to the park is an excellent way to get your child moving, they can run around and play on the equipment, jumping, climbing and swinging. Just being physically active is going to be great for them so things like riding their bike or swimming can also be great activities. In general, I just encourage parents to take advantage, especially summer time with the longer days, and let their children go outside and play in the natural sun light and the fresh air. They should be encouraged to run, play and explore if it is something that they seem open to. It is so common nowadays to have children stay inside most of the time either stuck on the computer, or stuck watching movies or playing video games. Therapy sessions can also take up many hours in the day for a child with Autism. Once their therapy sessions are done they can then be hyper, anxious, agitated and have trouble sleeping. Making a small lifestyle change to include exercise can make a world of difference for your child. A nightly walk after dinner can be very helpful even, and remember, it is not just all about supplements, it is not just about medications and it is not just about diets. Many children with Autism benefit from physical exertion and physical exercise as a way to set the tone for a better attitude and a better mental state.

About the author:
Don't let ANYONE tell you there is nothing you can do to help your child. Autism really is treatable! Start your child down the road to recovery from autism

Is the GFCF Diet for Autism a Waste of Time?

Author: Dr. Nelson Mane DC

Approximately 1/100 children are affected by Autism. The GlutenFree/Casein Free Diet, which is considered a major alternativetreatment for Autism, was studied by Dr. Susan Hyman; aresearcher from the University of Rochester Medical Center. Thestudy is to be presented at the International Meeting for AutismResearch in Philadelphia. Dr. Hyman "did not find an effect onbehavior in response to challenges with gluten and casein inchildren with autism but not GI disease." The study was 18 weekslong and introduced a challenge after 4 weeks. Behavior issuessuch as language, social, sleep and gastrointestinal that arecommonly associated with autism were addressed. Observers wereasked to look for changes although they did not know if thechildren were given a true challenge or a placebo.Dr. Nelson Mane D.C., who treats patients on the autism spectrumwith Hemispheric Integration Therapy as well as FunctionalMedicine/Biomedical treatments said, "Looking at the studycritically it was too small as only 14 children were involved.The challenge or reintroduction of gluten or casein was termed asnack and may have not been adequate as a challenge. The timeperiod of 18 weeks may not have been long enough as manyproponents say the effects of gluten can last up to 6 months. Wetest for an IgG or immune response to Gluten and Casein and havefound a good response when these test are positive otherwise wemay not recommend this particular diet. In the end, critics ofthe diet need to realize that although the diet can be hard toimplement and at times expensive it does no harm. Physiciansfirst do no harm. We have seen many parents report considerableprogress on the GFCF diet especially if their child testedpositive for an IgG reaction which makes this treatment optionmore specific. In the end Autism is multifactorial and you haveto find what is going on with each individual child and it isdifferent form child to child." Dr Nelson Mane is a chiropracticphysician certified in both chiropractic orthopedics andneurology. He has sub specialty training in childhoodneurobehavioral disorders as well as vestibular disorders andelectro diagnostics. He was one of 11 doctors out of 60,000chosen by the American Chiropractic Association to start thefirst Chiropractic neurology board back in 1989.Dr Mane is aD.A.N (Defeat Autism Now) doctor. He is considered a pioneer inthe use of Hemispheric Integration Therapy for the treatment ofAutism Spectrum Disorders. For more information regarding Dr.Nelson Mane and his unique approach combining functionalmedicine with Hemispheric Integration Therapy go towww.Hitautism.com. For more information about Dr. Nelson Mane,D.C. and his treatment approach for ASD go tohttp://www.manecenter.com/ADHD.htm. Dr. Nelson Maρι, D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.N.B., F.A.C.F.N.,F.A.C.O. Maρι Center 1602 West Sligh Avenue Suite 500 Tampa, FL33604 Tel. 813.935.4744 Fax. 813.931.1427 Email:http://id.mc770.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=DrMane@manecenter.com Website: www.manecenter.com