Environmental Effects on Children with Autism

Doris Rapp, MD, one of the most highly regarded doctors on environmental allergies, poses the question: "What did your child touch, taste or smell?"  When your child has a meltdown, it is important to consider the most recent daily living occurrences in order to understand what is altering behaviors and why.  The environmental toxins your child is exposed to on a daily basis may be some of the contributing factors to your child’s behaviors.  These toxins can trigger allergic reactions which are capable of altering your child’s personality.  As Dr. Rapp explains in her book, Is This My Child, that most unsuspecting culprits can be within your home or your child’s school, or during a certain season or time of day or even on the school bus.  Since many children with ASD are unable to articulate their misery, it is our job as parents to investigate our child’s environment to determine what the triggering factors are.  In your investigation you should also consider the community in which you live.

Sometime entire communities may have pockets of illnesses such including autism, allergies, asthma, ADHD, and other integrative illnesses.  When an entire community seems to be sick with something, not just within a family, we should consider the environment they share, the air they breathe and the water they drink.

If your child has these symptoms followed by a sudden change in behavior, consider his environment and discuss with your physician.  This is a list of some allergic symptoms:

• Red ear lobes.
• Nose wrinkle, or rubbing nose upwards.
• Wrinkles below the eyes.
• Blue or black under eye circles, puffiness under the eyes.
• Red puffy cheeks.
• Swollen cracked lips.
• Ear pain, or ear ringing.
• Headaches.
• Intestinal symptoms diarrhea or constipation.
• Wiggly legs or arms.
• Bed wetting or wetting their pants or soiling their underwear.

Below is a list of some possible environmental exposures:

• Vaccines:  Vaccines are formulated with a long list of ingredients which can have potent side effects.
• Mold:  It can damage your immune system.
• Lyme:  It mimics other diseases and many of our kids have undiagnosed Lyme.
• Dental amalgams:  They are 50% mercury.
• Round Up (for your lawn) or the ingredient Glyphosate:  Can change DNA and gut flora.
• Antibiotics:  Also can change the gut flora.
• Lead:  Exposure can cause anger and rage.  Lead and mercury together is more toxic than either one alone.