Autism: Is There A Cure In Sight?
Autism: What causes it, and can it be cured?
Autism is a disorder that is affecting more and more children.
But many autistic children have been able to lead normal lives.
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the early
stages of development of a child, mostly in the first three
years of development. It is a neurological disorder that affects
the proper functioning of the brain and affects the development
of the social and communication skills of the individual.
Early diagnosis of autism is most important for the treatment of
this disorder. However, there is no blood or medical test
available which will help in the diagnosis of autism. Generally,
it is delay in the development of language skills or lack of
appropriate social development that causes parents or teachers
to seek a medical evaluation. There are no racial or ethnic
specifications for the occurrence of this disorder, although
boys are three or four times more likely to have autism.
Autism is seen to affect each individual in different levels and
so is considered a spectrum disorder. Generally, autism is seen
to affect the verbal and non-verbal communication skills,
leisure activities, and the all-round social interactions of the
individual.
There is no standard treatment for the cure of autism. Different
medical professionals have different philosophies and practices
for treating autistic individuals. The results of the treatment
of autism will also vary from individual to individual. However,
autism cannot be completely cured; there can only be
improvements in the abilities of the autistic person. Autistic
children are seen to benefit greatly from treatment approaches
that include special education and behavioral management.
An important strategy in the treatment of autism is to keep the
diet of the autistic children gluten- and casein-free. A gluten-
and casein-free autism diet is seen to produce a marked level of
improvement in autistic children. This is because in their body
system there is incomplete breakdown of the peptides in the food
substances containing gluten and casein. This leads to an
increased absorption of peptides causing disruption in the
biochemical and neuroregulatory processes in the brain. Adding
vitamin B6 and B12 to the diet is beneficial to the treatment of
autism as it improves digestion, symptoms of allergy, and
sociability in children.
Despite one child in every thousand being affected by this
illness, the awareness and the number of support groups for this
illness is negligible. Efforts are being undertaken to create an
increased awareness and to generate funds to support research
and treatment of autism.
Autism awareness bracelets and ribbons help spread awareness
about this disorder. The sale of these bracelets supports many
autism research foundations and also provides financial
assistance to many parents with autistic children.
'Autism walk' is another novel fundraising effort for the
support of those suffering from autism. The money generated from
registration of the 'Autism walk' events is used to provide
financial support to the parents of autistic children, or to
establish support groups to facilitate their treatment.