Most Treating Autism members began the process of helping their children by listening to the stories of other parents, noticing similarities with our own children and our own experiences and proceeding from there to explore possibilities in autism treatments and therapy options, approaches that can lead to improved health and quality of life for our children and adults on the spectrum. Following some of these treatments, sometimes as simple as a change in diet and eating habits, children's autistic behaviours can be reduced, sometimes significantly, and parents observe an overall reduction in symptoms of autism.
We gain insight and direction from each other's stories, and also hope, as well as admonitions and warnings. The parents' stories here have been generously shared by people who have seen improvements in their children's overall health and behaviour through the use of various biomedical interventions. They recount their experience of the devastation brought by a diagnosis of autism, which then acted as a catalyst for renewed vigour and determination as they set off on their quest to help their children.
Although these are not a series of miraculous cures and complete recoveries from autism, all of these children have made notable, sometimes remarkable progress. These are the stories of hope.
In November 2010 we received the diagnosis that our son, almost four years old, was autistic. That's pretty much all we were told. The Dr was very pleasant but the view was 'get on with it, there's nothing that can be done, you might be able to sign up for a support group'.
Fortunately, since the diagnosis was not a surprise, I had started to look for information on autism and found a copy of Sally Kirk's 'Hope for the Autism Spectrum'. This was my accidental introduction to a biomedical approach.
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