Biomedical Therapies

A note before you read: this article was written in 2011 and lists what practitioners were recommending then. Several of these, chelation and secretin above all, have since been tested and found not to work. None of this is medical advice; any treatment for your child is a conversation with your child’s doctor.

It is important to remember that Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disorder and not a disease that can be cured.  However, a number of biomedical therapies for the treatment of autism are recommended by various practitioners for improving a child’s well-being and mental performance.

Some of the most recognized biomedical therapies for children with ASD are: (Levy SE, 2005)

Gluten Free/Casein Free (GFCF) Diet

Gluten-Free/Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet refers to a diet in which food containing gluten and casein is removed. Gluten is a protein that exists in wheat, oats, rye, and barley. Casein is a protein found in dairy foods. It is based on the idea that gluten and casein affect children with autism. Controlled trials have not shown that this diet improves autism symptoms. A child with celiac disease or a diagnosed food allergy or intolerance is a separate case. Talk to your child's doctor or a dietitian before changing their diet. If the GFCF diet is followed, it should first be consulted with a dietitian.

Medications

Medications that are associated with the treatment of autism are:

• Antidepressants
• Antipsychotic
• Stimulants
• Risperidone
• SSRIs
• Oxytocin
• Antidepressants
• MAOIs
• Tricyclics
• Catapres and Tenex
• Medications for anxiety
• Anti-seizure drugs
• Neuroleptics
• Atypical
• Antifungal
• Antiviral and antibacterial drugs
• Other drugs

All medications given to a child with ASD should be under the guidance of a psychiatric medical doctor in conjunction with other professionals involved in the care and therapy of the child.

Metabolism

Treatments that improve metabolic functioning are usually performed with drugs, diet and nutritional supplements in some combination. A small number of children with autism have a specific metabolic condition, such as untreated phenylketonuria, and treating that condition matters for their health. For most children with autism, metabolic treatments have not been shown to reduce autism symptoms. Metabolic irregularities may cause some autism spectrum disorders like:

• Phenylketonuria
• Histidinemia
• Adenylosuccinate lyase deficiency
• Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency
• 5prime-nucleotidase super activity
• Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase deficiency

Secretin

Secretin treatment may be used for children with autism. It is intended to raise the amount of pancreaticobiliary fluids, which may lead to gastrointestinal changes. It was once claimed to improve social and behavioral skills after repeated injections; controlled trials since have found secretin no better than placebo. It is given intravenously.

Vitamins

Some practitioners have claimed that the cis form of vitamin A supports the parts of the brain that control speech and vision; this is not established. Vitamin B12 is also another important vitamin that is required for the healthy functioning of the brain. It helps in producing the protective layer around the nerves in the brain. It also helps in the production of neurotransmitters that are critical for communication inside the brain. There is no good evidence that vitamin B12 supplements reduce the core features of autism; the few small trials of methyl-B12 injections have had mixed results. Talk to your child's doctor before starting any supplement.

Chelation Therapy

Chelation is commonly used in the treatment of lead poisoning. It is an unconventional and controversial form of treatment of autism. Some people once believed mercury or other metals cause autism. Research has not supported this.  Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic acid (EDTA) is known to be a chelating agent. When it is introduced into the bloodstream intravenously or orally, it bonds with metals like mercury. It is passed out of the body in stool, along with the metal. Chelation has not been shown to help autism, and it has caused deaths in children; it is not a treatment for autism.

References:   

Levy SE, H. S. (2005). Novel treatments for Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev., 11(2):131-42.

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