Alternative Autism Therapies Can Be Dangerous

So far, there are no clearly established causes for the occurrence of autism in children. While genetics are believed to be one of the major culprits, every other research brings out one distinct cause for autism spectrum disorder. Parents of autistic children are always on the look out for the latest developments in this field, with which their child could benefit. Besides continuing with the regular treatment, you may also want to consider one of these latest therapies:

Chelation Therapy
The symptoms of autism are very similar to that of mercury poisoning, and so some therapists have been using chelation therapy, conventionally used for mercury poisoning, to treat autism. In this therapy some chemicals are injected into the blood, which bind up the toxic metals present in the blood and make them to get out of the body via urine or stool. However, before you opt in for this treatment, do read about the damage these chemicals can do to the kidney and the liver of your child.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
This treatment is basically meant for carbon monoxide poisoning, but therapists feel that increasing the oxygen supply to the brain with this therapy can result in some positive developments in autistic patients. The treatment poses no health risk to the child, and parents of autistic children who have undergone this therapy say that they have noticed some minor relief in their child’s problem with this therapy.

The Testosterone Therapy
This therapy came into being, based on the fact that 75% of the autism patients are boys. So therapists administered certain drugs to the patients which would curb their testosterone production. But certainly this is not a healthy alternative, since interfering with the sex hormones can lead to retarded sexual development, heart diseases and hypertension.

Special diet
There is believed to be some link between autism and problems of the digestive track, although nothing can be said for sure. Based on these assumptions special diets, which are devoid of gluten and casein, are being given to some autistic children, but so far their effectiveness has not been proven. Meanwhile most nutritionists condemn these diets, since these can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies.

These are some of the latest autism therapies that are being used for the treatment of autism, without having been scientifically tested for their effectiveness. There are many more such therapies too, but as far as possible you must avoid these alternative therapies – for they all can be damaging to some extent.

For all parents who are eagerly looking for alternative treatments for autism, my only advise is to wait for some more time, till we finally have some proven therapies, which won’t pose any health risks.