A drug used to treat schizophrenia may also help alleviate the angry, often violent outbursts in autistic children, according to researchers at Yale University. Nearly 70% of the autistic children studied showed strong behavioral improvements with the drug risperidone.
According to researchers, the medication shows fewer side effects than some other antipsychotic medications, making it an even more promising treatment for autistic children.
Behaviors that typify autism in children include extreme introversion, delayed speech development, and repetition. About 1 in 250 children are diagnosed with the condition, usually in the first few years of life. More extreme traits of childhood autism include regular outbursts of anger and violence - generally resulting from a change in routine - such as throwing things, knocking things over and excessive screaming.
Researchers estimate these more serious behavioral problems occur in about 1/3 of autistic children; the risperidone study was conducted on 101 children, aged 5 to 7, who had this more serious form of autism.
Risperidone tended to reduce tantrums from several times a day to several times a week. More than just relieving parents, the researchers suggest that by reducing such behavior, the drug will enable greater focus on and effectiveness of other treatment methods.
NEJM August 1, 2002;347:314-321
Autism is truly epidemic in the US. Just ten years ago, the incidence was one in 10,000 children -- now it is one in 250. Something is desperately wrong here.
Of course, the pharmaceutical-saturated 1.5 trillion dollar US medical establishment will now begin offering us their "solutions." One of the first I've seen, risperidone, is precisely what I expected from them. The multibillion-dollar, ever-expanding vaccine industry and the one trillion dollar food processing industry cause the problem in the first place, and then offer this drug solution that will worsen the epidemic but generate even more profits for the industry.
Sound good? Time to put these kids on another antipsychotic drug to further damage their already disabled brains?
"No!" is the easy answer - except for those already brainwashed, or paid directly or indirectly by the drug industry.
Instead, we need to address the cause of the problem.
In my experience, there is a high probability that all the symptoms of autism can be reversed if the causes are addressed before the child turns three. After three the window of complete recovery seems to close rapidly. I have treated many hundreds of children with autism and am confident that a severe restriction of grains and sugars produces a profound improvement in the brain injury that accompanies this illness.
Many parents recognize that a gluten- and casein-free diet is important and frequently provides benefit. However, this is only a small portion of the dietary changes that are required. It is quite common for many children to follow a gluten- and casein-free program and receive only minimal or no improvement.
This is largely related to the fact that they are consuming other grains or grain-like starches such as potatoes, rice and corn. Once the child rigidly follows the eating plan, there is a profound improvement in the disease.
The new modification of the eating plan includes generous portions of cod liver oil that has incredibly useful omega-3 fats and vitamin D, and also the natural (cis) form of vitamin A, that seem to provide an independent benefit in many children with autism.
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