“What kind of society rips a 17-year-old autistic boy from his loving home and places him in a state-run mental institution, where he is given heavy doses of drugs, kept physically restrained, kept away from his family, deprived of books and other mental stimulation and is left alone to rot?”

So begins this heart wrenching article in the Orange County Register. What kind of society, indeed? Apparently the one we’re trying to survive in right now, where disease mongering and political medicalization of society is the agenda of the day.

More and more we’re seeing courts siding with misguided government “officials” in closed family-court proceedings. Parents are increasingly cut out of the decision-making process about what’s in their child’s best interest with regards to their health.

The fact that a teenager – who’s only “crime” is that he’s autistic, and whose parents decided that drugs were ineffective in his treatment – can be ripped from his family and locked up in an institution that houses the criminally insane should be a wakeup call for parents everywhere. There’s something seriously wrong going on here.

The state claims that it knows best; that forced drugging in a closed institution is the way to “treat” this autistic child, despite the fact that he has loving parents who have been willing to treat him through alternative, non-toxic, non-lethal means at home, for years.

The United States already has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Are we also looking at a future of government-run psychiatric institutions filled to the brim with autistic children whose parents refuse to abide by drug company politics?

It’s a heartbreaking tragedy that children like Nate are being forcibly medicated into a stupor with powerful poisons -- all of which will have far-reaching, long-term ramifications. These medicines may provide some benefit in some extreme cases where an actual mental disorder exists. However, these drugs -- in no way, shape, or form -- even begin to treat the foundational cause of your child’s problem.

This article does not specify which medications are given to Nate to “treat” his autistic behavioral problems. However, throwing antipsychotic drugs -- particularly off-label concoctions meant for adults -- at kids is common practice, and one of the worst abuses of conventional medicine.

This issue is particularly distressing because the diet changes I recommend work so well for so many of these problems.

Improve Autism and Correct Behavioral Problems Without Drugs

Behavioral problems in children, including autism, are very frequently related to improper diet, and previous or current exposure to toxins.

I have treated many thousands of children with autism and ADHD and have seen most of them improve in some way, and frequently quite dramatically. Many completely normalize once we address the underlying causes, which are almost always related to these factors:

• Exposure to toxins like mercury in vaccines
• Excess of grains and sugars, along with soft drinks and fruit juices in their diets
• Lack of high-quality omega-3 fats
• Lack of vitamin D, preferably from natural sunshine
• Lack of the natural (cis) form of vitamin A

Many parents notice an improvement after starting their child on gluten-free, casein-free (GF/CF) diets. However, this is only a small portion of the dietary changes that are required. The great majority of children experience profound improvements when other grains like rice, corn and potatoes are removed from their diet.

Autistic children can also benefit from a high-quality probiotic supplement to help treat common gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.

The foods your children eat have a far more profound influence on their emotions and outward behavior than you may think. This is particularly true for sugars and grains that require insulin to metabolize them. Elevated insulin levels will lead to disrupted serotonin and other neurochemicals, which will lead to depression.

It’s downright tragic that wonderful tools like high-quality fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, are not used more frequently. Sixty percent of your brain is composed of fat and half of that fat is DHA, one of the fats in fish oil. Your body can't make it, and if you don't supply it through your diet you will suffer neurological complications.

Exercise can also be beneficial in helping children with emotional disturbances of all kinds. Today many children lead sedentary lifestyles with little physical activity, which can add to the natural inclination of children to “act out.”

Other tools, which I’ve found to be more effective than traditional psychotherapy, are energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Consulting with an EFT professional can be an amazing start.

Consistent application of EFT can help with the angers, frustrations and other behavior problems that accompany autism. As an example, Linda Johnson wrote the following on the EFT Web site.

"With my autistic son, I tapped one night as a surrogate for 'focus and attention,' 'hearing what people are saying,' 'better social connection' and 'neurological symptoms.' The next morning, for the first time, he got dressed without prompting at each step while watching the news on television. An absolute first. Doing two things at the same time."

Dr. Patricia Carrington has some guidelines on selecting an EFT therapist, followed by a list of EFT practitioners throughout the United States and the world.

There are indeed some basic options that do not include drugging your child. These simple interventions mentioned above could change their entire life.