Question About Autism and Supplements

We tried supplements earlier when my son was younger but they never made much of a difference anyway. I think it is better to find out if there are food sensitivities. My son had a severe reaction to red dye...we found out because he would always melt down or get hyperactive when we gave him liquid tylenol which had red 40 in it. After we started using dye free, he didn't have that reaction to it anymore.
I have to share that the best way for our son to calm down was for us to use a system of scheduling, using a disappearing clock (let me know if you need to find one), deep pressure/tissue massage/brushing, using a tool book (I can show you how to make one), and heading off meltdowns by having a place where he could go to decompress (earphones/music/special pillow/timer). We also never did the diet either because our problem was actually trying to get him to eat a variety of foods due to the texture, etc. I'd be happy to share any and all that you want to know. My son is 15 now and doing great...so take heart and know that every little step forward makes a huge difference because in the end it all adds up....
Hugs, B.

Hi, J.:
Have you tried asking someone in a local health food
store?
Just wondering.
D.

Our nephew has autism and his parents allow him to drink coffee with calms him down. It's worth a try. Do you work with an OT?

I have an autistic son also. He has been taking supplements since he was 3 years old. He was extremely hyper when he was younger. Since we started working with a DAN! doctor (Defeat Autism Now!), he has made amazing progress. I have found that regular doctors have no idea about how to treat kids with Autism. We found out that our son has tons of food allergies and intolerances, yeast problems, and digestion issues. Most of the regular pediatricians and even some specialists don't know what to look for in these kids.

Our son is now mainstreamed into a regular school, is working at grade level, has friends, his energy levels are much more normal, and he sleeps through the night. Our DAN doctor runs specific tests to determine what supplements to give him and what amounts. It is super important that you have testing done to know what supplements to use. Each of these kids are unique and it isn't a good idea to just give supplements if you don't know what they need.

Good luck. If you want to learn more about DAN doctors and using supplements, etc. You can check out www.generationrescue.org. You can even find parents in your area who can give you advice on the website.

Koala Pals are guaranteed to be more absorbable than anything other vitamins on the market. 100% money back guarantee, if you are not satisified, or i.e. if they make him hyperactive. Getting the chemicals out of the home and off the body can be helpful too. Good luck to you!
P.S. You can check out the science on the vitamins here. The same technology is used in the adult & children's vitamins.
www.oligofructosecomplex.net

I am not a doctor. I do not have medical training. However, I'm going to say that I'm very smart and very rational. I'm a very careful researcher, and don't just trust an opinion because a person has a medical degree. All of that is the disclaimer to my opinion. I have a 4 year old son, who is autistic, who is EXTREMELY hyperactive. You seriously could have been describing my son, it's sort of uncanny. We've gotten him to sit for 3 minutes before. Literally, 3 minutes - that was a big deal.

So, now that you know me - have you taken your son to a specialist group - ideally a hospital setting where several doctors will be looking at him? vitamins don't help autism (if he seems more hyperactive - might be food dyes, very likely just coincidence, honestly). cod liver oil isn't going to help anything unless he's hyperactive because he's constipated. Behavioral therapy works. Sometimes psych drugs work, though I'm not willing to entertain the idea until my son is quite a bit older and has done some intensive behavioral therapies.

Is he in behavioral therapy? Is he verbal? Does he have an IEP and other supports? It really tends to be communication > behavior > not drugs (and PLEASE do not do anything having to do with minimal diets or chelation. I PROMISE you, your son is not impacted by heavy metals.).

My best advice to you is to get as much therapy/interventions as possible in the next couple years. It's a really formative time. Also - all 4 year olds are hyperactive. It's just in autism it's boosted a bit more.

Best
Rachael