Homeopathic care of autistic children

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  August-Sept, 2005  by Robert Ullman,  Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman

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(This material is excerpted from our new book, A Drug-Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism: Homeopathic Care for Exceptional Kids.: Edmonds, Washington: Picnic Point Press. 2005)

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An Epidemic of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Current research indicates (ASD) has become an epidemic and that the rates are rising. We are speaking here about ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), AS (Asperger Syndrome), and PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder). We refer you to our book, mentioned above, for the criteria and distinctions between these three disgnostic categories. In 1999, the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) issued a report indicating a 273% increase in autism rates between 1987 and 1998. (19) Furthermore, from 1998 to 2002, the rates in California doubled; and in just one year, from 2001 to 2002, there was an alarming 31% increase. (20) Research has shown that over 81% of the autism population in the California system were born after 1980. (21) The implications of this are staggering: autism is on the rise, and we don't know why. There are theories, however, a prominent one being the use of thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative used in immunizations.

Epidemiological studies of prevalence mirror the overall trend demonstrated in California. Since 1979, the prevalence of ASD has nearly quadrupled. Below is a listing of some of these studies.

Year       Prevalence of
Conducted  ASD, AS, or PDD  Authors

1979       1 in 667 (ASD)   Wing & Gould (23)
1993       1 in 227 (AS)    Ehlers & Gillberg (24)
2001       1 in 159 (ASD)   Chakrabarti & Fombonne (25)
2002       1 in 175 (ASD)   Scott, Baron-Cohen, Bolton, & Brayne (26)
2003       1 in 167 (PDD)   Fombonne (27)

We Began Treating Children with ASD Twelve Years Ago

Zachary, our first ASD patient, came to us over 12 years ago at the age of four and a half. This child was a long-awaited blessing from heaven, an only child born to parents married sixteen years. A shy little boy with a wiry, delicate frame, Zach had a number of traits that we now recognize to be typical of kids with ASD. What first caught our attention was Zach's habit of scrunching up his face into a curious grimace. He also had the habit of talking to himself repetitively, echoing back whatever his mom said, and counting aloud in whispers. He was a bright boy though, and by the age of two years and three months Zachary had learned the alphabet and numbers up to 50 and had begun to read. By the time he reached preschool, he was two years ahead of his peers. An extraordinarily picky eater, Zach steadfastly refused to venture a bite of any food that was the least bit unfamiliar.

A highly sensitive boy, Zach withdrew from conflicts and felt uncomfortable around strangers. Most cartoons were far too violent for his taste. Touch was another area in which Zach's sensitivities were hyper-acute. Whenever his hair was touched, he let out a scream. He was loath to touch even a plantain flower because of its spikiness. When exposed to loud noises, the child would cover his ears and grimace, as if in terrible pain. So low was Zach's pain threshold that even minor scrapes that would go unnoticed by other children caused him extreme suffering. The tiniest bug and spider bites resulted in large, open sores.

It was Zachary's sleep problems that led his mom to bring him to us. Shortly after his fourth birthday, he began to awaken around midnight, and then again at 4:00 a.m., agitated and fearful. The sound of the wind and the noise of cars on the highway made it impossible for the child to sleep soundly. In turn, Zach's restless sleep patterns disrupted his parents' rest, since he reported promptly to their bedroom each time he awoke.

Strange, Rare, and Peculiar

In treating children like Zachary, homeopaths are trained to zero in on anything unusual or unexpected about the individual. In the homeopathic literature, such symptoms are called strange, rare, and peculiar. The homeopathic approach is the opposite of the conventional medical approach of pigeon-holing individuals into diagnostic categories. Homeopaths listen carefully for what we have not heard before in order to discover what makes that person different from everyone else, even those with the same diagnosis. In Zachary's case, we were struck by his exaggerated reaction to a level of noise that would be tolerable to the average child. Though Zach had a variety of somewhat odd characteristics, this sensitivity to noise was the most extreme. We gave him one dose of Theridion, a homeopathic medicine made from a small West Indian spider found on Orange trees. It is well-indicated for children who, among other symptoms, experience oversensitivity to, or fear of, noise.

Much Less Sensitive and Much More Appropriate

When Zach's mom brought him back to see us two and a half months later, she was very pleased. Noticeably less anxious, Zach was sleeping much more restfully. His sensitivities had settled down considerably, though he still covered his ears when confronted by loud noises. The grimacing and self-talk were gone. Over the next year and a half, Zach continued to improve steadily. The night waking, grimacing, and self-talk did not return. His sensitivity to noise was dramatically reduced. We didn't hear again from Zachary until three years ago, when his mother brought him back in for situational depression and hayfever. Because the majority of his ASD symptoms had resolved, Zach's mom had seen no reason to continue homeopathic treatment during the intervening period of time. This time his hayfever resolved within days of taking Sabadilla (Mexican cevadilla), and the depression improved significantly within several weeks. After eight months, his mother again discontinued treatment. The last time we had any information about Zach was a report a year ago from his mom, who referred to her son as a "normal teenager."