Detoxification

Introduction

Why does my child have autism? Dr. Judy Stern, Harvard educated professor at UC Davis succinctly put it; "The genetics load the gun and the environment pulls the trigger." One underlying factor with autism is the excessive accumulation of toxins from various sources in our environment combined with an inability of the body's biochemistry to excrete those toxins efficiently during the developing stages of the developmental milestones. This toxic overload for a developing baby/toddler whose immune, nervous, neurological and sensory systems are too immature to handle this overload may cause a child to regress back in time.

Many children with autism may also have the genetic mutation MTHFR, which means the biochemical pathways in the body have deficiencies causing the levels of glutathione to be low. This affects the body's ability to excrete toxins. Therefore, detoxification is a very important protocol for autism recovery. There are many different methods of detox, but what is most important of all is the preparation needed prior to beginning any kind of detox. This is important to discuss with your doctor. Preparing the body by cleaning up the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and making your child physically stronger to tolerate a detoxification process is the first step. This will ensure a more successful outcome and easier process for the child. Preparation may include: dietary changes, epsom salts baths for sulphation, and various GI detoxes which include: yeast overgrowth, mold, parasites, bacteria and viruses. In addition, supplementing with probiotics, the good bacteria, improves the micro flora that is needed to protect the immune system. Enzymes are also needed for proper digestion to restore a healthy functioning GI tract which will prepare the body for detoxification.

Some of the different methods of detoxification are as follows:

Infrared Sauna – the skin is the largest organ and can sweat out toxins
Chelation – agents to cleave the heavy metals from the body
Homotoxicology – a detoxification process through homeopathy
LED – Laser Energetic Detoxification using light energy
Cease Therapy – homeopathic detox using specific substances
Promotion of the Metallothionine Protein System to eliminate toxins
Clay baths – clay is a binder that can pull toxins from the body
Sound Frequency Therapy – energy medicine using frequency for detox
Ionic Foot Bath Therapy – detoxes toxins through the feet in water

Related Sites

Autism &Toxicity
Description: This site discusses sources of toxicity and problems associated with toxicity.

Autism Treatments: Detoxification for Heavy Metals as a Treatment for Autism by Lewis Mehl-Madrona MD PhD
Description: An article regarding the concept of detoxification of heavy metals.

Books

Children with Starving Brains: A Medical Treatment Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder by Jaquelyn McCandless
Description: Children with Starving Brains is a treatment guide for both parents and physicians outlining many of the environmental triggers in conjunction with the genetic susceptibility which has resulted in impaired immune systems, poor GI functioning and starving brains. Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless focuses on a thorough biomedical evaluation and workup in order to prepare the child for detoxification of heavy metals

Outsmarting Autism by Patricia Lemer
Description: Outsmarting Autism is the ultimate guide to management, healing and prevention of Autism. Patricia Lemer’s “total load” theory is a perfect explanation of what happened to our children before they were diagnosed with autism. Parents will have a systematic outline of how to approach the disorder from every area that is important in a child’s life with autism.

Tools

Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS) Practitioner List
Description: List of Medical Practitioners and Other Professionals who have attended MAPS Training Conferences.

General Homeopathic Practitioner Referral Lists
Description: This site provides a list of classical homeopathic practitioners.

Parent Forums/Blogs

Some forums require you to sign in to Yahoo or Facebook to locate forum names.

Forum/Blog Name: Autism & Alternative Detoxification
Description: This group is for all parents wanting feedback and discussion specifically on herbal, homeopathic, or other alternative methods or additions to chelation detoxification of heavy metals for autism or autistic symptoms.

Forum/Blog Name: CEASE -Therapy for Autism
Description: This is a group for parents and practitioners alike who are interested in and/or know the power of CEASE Therapy (Complete Elimination for Autistic Spectrum Expressions). This groups mainly to share your experience using Tinus Smits' Detox method.

Consumer Corner

The AEX Directory
Description: We do not provide medical advice on this site. Please consult your practitioner to discuss treatments for medical conditions. We do have a Directory feature that includes Practitioner Lists as well as Supplement Suppliers, Lab Test Companies, Compounding Pharmacies, and Prescription Drug Lookup. This feature can be accessed by clicking the link above or clicking The AEX Directory icon from our home page or any of the Navigation bar pages.

Community Library

Detox Part 2: Healthy ways to Support Detoxification
Description: Tips and guidance to support detoxification, ways to reduce toxic exposure, and the importance of good gut health.

A Key Role for an Impaired Detoxification Mechanism in the Etiology and Severity of Autism Spectrum Disorders by Altaf Alabdali, Laila Al-Ayadhi and Afaf El-Ansary
Description: This study confirms earlier studies that implicate toxic metal accumulation as a consequence of impaired detoxification in autism and provides insight into the etiological mechanism of autism.

(coming soon)