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From the Autism Research Review International, Vol. DMG is a rather sweet-tasting substance that was described in a recent article in the Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine (1990, 481-86) as a 'natural, simple compound with no known undesirable side effects.' Aggressive behaviour, self-injury and autism spectrum disorder. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) don’t necessarily express anger, fear, anxiety or frustration in the same way as other children. They can sometimes express these feelings through aggressive behaviour towards other children.
See also the comments below under'Controversies'.
There is no standard, universally accepted treatment of autism; infact, every single method has its detractors. General approachesmay be summarized as follows:
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- Biochemical (food allergies, medication, food and vitaminsupplements)
- Neurosensory (sensorial integration, over stimulation andpatterning, auditory training, facilitated communication, daily lifetherapy)
- Psycho-dynamic (holding therapy, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis,option institute(which also falls in behavioral))
- Behavioral (Discrete trials (Lovaas and others), behaviormodification with and without aversives, TEACCH)
Note: Many of the programs mentioned above also use other approachesto some degree and an attempt was made to place them in the mostappropriate category.
The literature seems to show that food allergies and the possibilityof candida should be checked immediately because a significant numberof children may be autistic because of these problems which can becontrolled through drugs or diet. As far as other kinds of drugtherapy are concerned, there is no drug that is universallysuccessful in treating autistic symptoms and that in some casesusually useful drugs may produce negative results and vice-versa.Vitamin B6 with magnesium and some other vitamins and DMG producepositive results in many cases.
Any educational program (SI,AIT, psychotherapy, behavioral, etc), ifdone intensively, produces some positive results. There are rarecases of recovery claimed by every educational method. In addition,some methods have been reported by parents as producing negativeresults.
Behavioral approaches are backed by scientific studies as well asanecdotal evidence. The best known, because of the amount of relatedscientific literature, are Lovaas' version of discrete trial and theNorth Carolina TEACCH programs. Both are very structured programswith a lot of positive reinforcement, two factors which seem toimportant.
Clearly, it is important to have centers of expertise for PDD,autism, and related disorders in order to help families and schoolboards in experimenting and choosing the right therapy for eachchild.
Note: this list is far from complete at this time and misses somewell-known treatments.
- Vitamin B6
- Some have attributed some success in reducing thecharacteristic symptoms of autistics through the ingestion of largeamounts of Vitamin B6. Bernard Rimland pursued this line ofinvestigation. Magnesium is given with it. I think thereason is that high vitamin B6 tends to deplete the body'smagnesium. Suggestions have been that it reduces hyperactivityand obsessive/compulsive behaviors.To make it usable with small children, at least one company providesit in powder form.
- dimethylglycine (DMG)
- Bernard Rimland pursued this line ofinvestigation. Suggestions are that it sometimes helps autisticswith speech & with their attention span. DMG does not requirea prescription in the US, being considered a food supplement (oncecalled vitamin B-16, but it was ruled not a vitamin because nospecific medical problem is associated with a deficiency of it.)The health food store people say that it is supposed to increase'oxygen uptake' by the blood stream and athletes sometimes take itfor that reason.
- Eliminating dietary gluten/casein
- For some children, the effects ofthis intervention are obvious to their parents within hours ordays. Children who seem to respond most dramatically to theremoval of dairy have a history of ear infections, inconsolablecrying, poor sleeping patterns, and excessive craving of milk anddairy foods. Gluten intolerance is generally indicated by loosestools and/or a craving for bread and pasta. This is a relativelyharmless intervention and should be attempted as soon as possible,to see if a child does respond. If so, further exploration intobiochemical treatment is recommended.
- Fenfluramine
- A drug that decreases blood serotonin concentrations.Some autistics have abnormally high blood serotonin concentrationsso experiments were carried out to see if this drug affected thebehavior of such autistics (or other autistics). Some success wasreported. Dr. Edward R. Ritvo pursued this line of research.
- Periactin (AKA cyproheptadine)
- Another drug that decreasesserotonin concentrations. This drug is normally used as anantihistamine but because of its additional affect on serotonin,has been tried on autistics.
- Piracetam
- Has shown promise in helping autistic children becomemore talkative, sociable, less aggressive and have an increasedattention span. Available without prescription.
- Auditory Integration Training (AIT)
- A method of changing a person'ssensitivity to sound at different frequencies. It was originallydeveloped to combat the onset of some kinds of deafness, but wastried on an autistic child and cured her. Since then it has notproduced any cures, but has been credited with success in reducingsome of the symptoms of some children. In particular, someautistic children show a strong aversion to some sounds, and withAuditory Integration Training have lost their aversion and exhibitedother reductions in the symptoms of autism. There are two methodsof AIT, the Tomatis and the Berrard. They are different enoughthat they should perhaps be considered different therapies.
- Tomatis Method
- A kind of AIT developed by Alfred Tomatis. Overseveral weeks, the person listens to classical music with the lowfrequencies filtered out. Over time, voices (also filtered) areintroduced, then the missing frequencies. Treatment requiresweeks, typically 2 hours of listening a day.
- Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT)
- A method of helping people whoare her oversensitive to the 5 senses by overwhelming themwith sensory experiences, e.g. swing them, roll them, get themjumping and spinning. Usually provided by occupationaltherapists who have learned the method.
- Holding Therapy
- Martha Welch is the primary proponent who arguesthat autism results from a failure to bond with the child. Thechild is forcibly held by the mother. Both Temple Grandin andBernard Rimland have argued that it provides sensory stimulationand the psychogenic basis is erroneous. Temple Grandin has statedthat forced holding is not necessary. under such a theory, HoldingTherapy can be classified as a kind of sensory stimulation.
- Behavioral Therapy
- (also 'Lovaas Method', 'Behavioral Intervention','Applied Behavioral Analysis' (ABA), 'Discrete Trial Training'(DTT)) Use of behavior modification (a.k.a. operant conditioning)which was originally developed by B.F. Skinner (a prime developerof Behavioral Psychology) outside the purvue of autism. Lovaas andother psychologists adapted it as a therapy/educational method forautistic children, and it is his adaptation which isknown as The Lovaas Method or DTT.Catherine Maurice's book Let Me Hear YourVoice is an account of two children recovering from Autism throughuse of this method, and Lovaas's The Me Book andMaurice's Behavioral Intervention for Young Children With Autismare a widely usedhandbooks for this type of method. Behavioral Therapy now has a lotof adherents who are vociferous in their claims that it is the onlymethod with a study (complete with control group) documenting itssuccess rate. The study is documented in Lovaas's paper'Behavioral Treatment of Normal Educational and IntellectualFunctioning in Young Autistic Children'. Detractors of the methodclaim that participants of the study were not truly autistic, thatthe children are turned into robots, and that the method isdehumanizing and severe. The method also arouses controversyin cases where adherents use of punishment &aversives to decrease self-destructive behaviors. (See morecomplete citations to the above-mentioned books and paper inthe section below: 'Bibliography').
- Aversives
- Term for employment of punishment.One class of aversive would be physical pain though the term is notspecific to that. Use of aversives in the treatment of autistic or anychildren is a very controversial topic (see 'Controversies'.).Many condemn all use (or probably more specifically, alluse of pain as an aversive) and some say there are alternativesthat are always equally or more effective.Proponents say selected employment has producedimmediate positive results that has saved the lives ofautistic children inclined to continuous self-injurious behaviorwho have resisted all the non-aversive alternatives.They also say experience has shown that the degree of pain required isoften so little as to defy logic: a very slight pain or something notpainful can often stop a child from engaging in very painfulself-injury.
- Natural Language Paradigm (NLP)
- A behavior intervention, thuscould be classed with the Lovaas method, though there aredifferences. A source of information on it is Koegel & Koegel'sbook. A newer name for this is 'Pivotal Response Training'.
- Pivotal Response Training (PRT)
- Newer name for 'Natural LanguageParadigm'.
- Irlen Lenses
- Developed to treat dyslexia and other learningdisabilities, the use of coloured lenses to treat the visualprocessing difficulties of people with autism is relatively new(1994). It has been popularized by Donna Williams (author ofNobody Nowhere and Somebody Somewhere).
- Prism Lenses
- Lenses in glasses that are prisms: thicker at one edgethan the opposite edge.
- Social skills training and social stories
- Teaching verbalindividuals (including those called 'high functioning' and'Asperger's') many of the unwritten social rules and body languagesignals that people use in social interaction and conversation.Carol Gray uses a technique called 'social stories' to helpillustrate these social rules in a variety of situations andappropriate responses. Social stories and 'scripting' are alsoused with nonverbal individuals to teach appropriate responses andprepare the individual for transitions. In very young child, theymay be in the form of photographs or pictures.
- Anafranil (cloripramine)
- a tricyclic antidepressant which may relievesome symptoms of autism.
- Desipramine
- a tricyclic antidepressant.
- Zoloft (sertraline)
- Second-generation antidepressant (SSRI, or selectiveserotonin reuptake inhibitor). Studies on SSRIs reveal significantimprovement in perseverative behaviors and some other autisticspectrum symptoms (social withdrawal, behavioral rigidity, etc.).
- Ritalin (methylphenidate)
- one of a group of stimulants whichinclude amphetamine, amantidine and fenfluramine.it can sometimesbe very effective for certain hyperactive children (so much so thatit gets overused for others). See also 'Dexedrine'.
- Dexadrine
- ?
- Ritalin SR
- ?
- Dexedrine
- used to treat ADD and ADHD in the same way as Ritalin.Likely used less than Ritalin because its name is associated with drugabuse. One develops a tolerance for both drugs so that increasesin dosage over time are often necessary to maintain their effect.
- Psychology
- a lot of treatments on this list come under the generalheading of psychology (in its most general sense, perhaps all do).There are parents of autistic children for whom 'psychology' is adirty word because they associate it with theories and treatmentsof autism which hypothesize bad parenting, e.g. lack of bondingbetween mother and child (see 'History' section below). Treatmentsassociated with such theories include Psychotherapy and HoldingTherapy. Other therapies in this list (such as Behavioral Therapy)clearly fall under the heading of Psychology, yet are certainly notpredicated on any 'bad parenting' theory.
- Psychotherapy
- See 'Psychology' above, and'History' section below.
- Psychodynamic Therapy/Psycho-dynamic Therapy
- I'm not certainwhether this term is used for a specific therapy, but I've seen itused for what might be termed Psychotherapy and related kinds oftherapy. (see 'Psychology' above and'History' section below).
- SRRI 'Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor'
- A class of psychoactive drugs that includes Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, and Paxil (paroxetine), part of a larger class of such drugs that also includes non-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Serotonin is a brain chemical released by neurons and 'reuptaken' by neurons.
- Prozac (fluoxetine)
- Also an SRRI (see Zoloft). Studies have been done.
- Clomipramine
- From American Health October, 1993: Washington:Psychiatrists at the National Institute of Mental Health have foundthat clomipramine, an antidepressant, also relieves many of thesymptoms of autism, a severe developmental disorder. Patients'ability to interact with others is much improved.
- Clonidine
- Normally used to regulate blood pressure and perhapsother purposes. It is used for ADD children at suppertime orbedtime to help them attend to evening activities and to settledown sufficiently to get enough sleep.
- Dilantin (phenytoin)
- an anti-convulsant used for seizures whenothers do not work. It is usually avoided in children due topossible serious side effects during development.
- Lithium
- a salt used primarily to treat bipolar disorder, also usedin other, possibly related conditions including autism.
- Naltrexone
- ? (oral version of naloxone) a narcotic antagonistreported by Lensing & Panksepp to have a dramatic and global effecton autism. Hypothesis: In the late 70's and early 80's several ofscientists suggested that the behavior of some autistic individualssometimes resembles the behavior of people stoned on hard drugs(heroin, morphine, etc): little sociability, fixes on strangeobjects, little or no pain sensation, no interest in life, statesof euphoria, etc. It was suggested that perhaps these autisticindividuals have, for whatever reason, an excess of pleasure,painkilling hormones in the brain such as endorphines to which theyare addicted (like joggers to joggers' high which is produced byendorphines). As a result they may require/desire a minimum doseevery day and that the self-stim and/or auto-aggression may be waysto produce these hormones and satisfy the craving. Naltrexone'seffect: Naltrexone blocks the effects of drugs such as heroin andmorphine on the brain and has been used since the early 70's fordrug addicts. Therefore, naltrexone should also block the effectsof the natural hormones such as endorphines. (Morphine apparentlyis very close in structure to and simulates the endorphines.). Anumber of very well controlled studies on the effect of naltrexoneon autistic traits and deficiencies have been published. Nearlyall indicate some positive results for many of the test subjects:less auto-aggression, less hyperactivity, more sociability, morecommunication, etc. Not all the studies report all of theseeffects but most report some positives.
- Play Therapy
- Roughly consists of therapist playing with child while talkingto the child and trying to induce the child to talk.The goal is to help the child acquire language and the workingknowledge of every day life we all require.The method is to use play, which is a component of a typicalchild's language acquisition, in conjunction with constantinteraction with a therapist.Play therapy has been used for autistic children and childrenwith emotional disturbances.
- Melatonin
- A hormone that has a role in the immune system and incontrolling ones sleepcycle. It is sometimes given to childrenwho have trouble sleeping at night. For that reason and others,it has been tried on Autistic children. Lately a lot of claimshave been made about the benefits of melatonin for a varietythings.
- Haldol (haloperidol)
- a neuroleptic which is used to abate symptoms ofpsychosis.
- Trexan
- the trade name for Naltrexone.
- Vision Integration Therapy
- ?
- Craniel Sacral Therapy
- a form of myofacial release performed byphysical therapists and osteopaths.
- Cognative approaches
- ?
- Luvox (fluxovamine)
- Antidepressant which is being used for obsessivecompulsive disorder and in some cases autism.
- Prednisone
- a steroid. It and other steroids are used when LandauKleffner Syndrome is suspected, but there have been reports ofchildren responding to steroids even though they don't have theclassic EEG findings of LKS and their language disability wasalways present.
- EPD (Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization) shots
- Sort of homeopathicbrew of stuff that your allegric/sensitive to and it is given inshot form once every 6-8 weeks. It is being used for people withmultiple chemical/environmental sensitivities/ADD/ADHD/Autism.
- Doman-Delacatto
- brain stimulation activities for brain-injuredchildren developed by Glenn Doman and Carl Delacatto. It involvescross-patterning, patterning and sensory exercises developed toenhance memory and processing.
- Dolphin Therapy (or Dolphin-Assisted Therapy)
- I can't give details,but involves being in a tank with a dolphin or dolphins. Used forAutism, Down's Syndrome, ADD, Muscular Dystrophy and spinal cordinjuries among other disabilities. Researchers in the field includeDr. Betsy Smith (Florida International University) and Dr. JohnLilly.
- Therapy Dogs
- experimental therapy to see if teaching children with disabilities tolearn typical human/pet interaction is of use.
- Risperdol (risperidone)
- (Risperdal?) anti-dopanine agent which also worksagainst serotonin.A neuroleptic.
- Epsom Salt Baths
- see Phenolsulphertransferase (PST) deficiency insection 'Theories and Causes'.
- Dimethyl Amino Ethanol (DMAE)
- A food substance (abundant in fish)said to effect mood, memory, and learning.Sold as a nutritional supplement by some health-food outfits.
- Ginko Bilboa supplements
- ?
- Cranio-Scaral Therapy
- Involves unlocking certain areas in the bodythat are blocked in order for the cerebral spinal fluid to flowcorrectly. Among the practicioners are some chiropractors.
- Tegretol
- Drug used to prevent seizures, also sometimes used forautistic symptoms.
- Nizoral (ketoconazole)
- Anitfungal medication used in the treatmentof candida and other yeast infections.
- Nystatin
- Anitfungal medication used in the treatment of candida andother yeast infections.
- Folic Acid
- ?
- Eliminating dietary yeast
- ?
- Music Therapy
- ?
- Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IGIV, IgIV, or IVIG)
- IV solution something like a blood transfusion, butuses only a solution made from donated blood rather than whole blood.Used to address certain immune-system problems.
- Intravenous Gamma Globulin (IVIgG)
- A treatment for autism basedupon the theory that autism can be caused by an autoimmune conditionin the brain. The treatment is generally confined to patients whoshow a positive response to Myelin Basic Protein, a proteincomponent of brain myelin.
- Adderall
- ?
- Imipramine
- ?
- Desyrel
- ?
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- ?
- Dipiperon
- Drug used to treat hyperactivity.
- MST Surgery
- Surgery typically done for LKS children, but has been used withautistic children for whom intractible seizures appear to be a cause.
- Secretin infusion
- Experimental treatment reported to have helped autisticchildren. Secretin is a hormone involved in digestion.
- Floortime
- Intervention method developed by Stanley Greenspan fordevelopmentally disabled children including autistic children.Stanley Greenspan has a series of books includingThe Challenging Child andThe Child With Special Needs.(See morecomplete citations to the above-mentioned books and paper inthe section below: 'Bibliography').