subject: Autism Treatment - Biomedical Treatments for Adults With Autism [print this page] Autism Treatment - Biomedical Treatments for Adults With Autism
I want to discuss an issue with respects to adults who have an Autism spectrum disorder. The word "cure" has been used for a number of years by some in the biomedical community. Now the word cure is not used by all doctors but there have been a few individuals who use this word as a potential or goal in Autism. The use of this word has sparked some anger and controversy within the Autism community, particularly among the adult who are on the Autism spectrum.
One thing that I want to do is make my perspective clear, and I have never used the term "cure" when addressing the biomedical intervention for individuals with Autism. I have however, seen people with Autism "recover" from many of the medical issues they face, but using the word "cure" implies a total change of personality of someone on the Autism spectrum. So I do not use the word "cure". I can see why people with Autism may disagree or be frustrated by the use of that word.
From my perspective, biomedicine involves much more than just giving supplements, a diet or dosing certain medications, it is understanding the complete clinical health of a person. There can be many underlying medical issues that individuals with Autism, children, teens and adults, face. They can include vitamin and amino acid deficiencies, biochemical imbalances, dietary allergies, digestive problems, etc. and if you can improve those things then you improve the individual's cognitive abilities and their life as well. So we are really talking about optimizing someone's health and their potential rather than a "cure" and I believe that there is nothing wrong with that approach. I also think that any health pursuit should have this focus, to make things function better in the body, not alter their personality. You want to optimize the body in a way so that the brain, gut, immune system, heart, lungs all function better.
The reality is that a lot of individuals on the Autism Spectrum, for example, have digestive problems. In changing those digestive issues, you may not have "recovery", but you may just have an individual who feels better. If their gut feels better, if they're digesting their food more appropriately, that they're having less bowel problems they may function better. It's just common sense that if physical pain disappears, then mental harmony and mental capacity likely is going to be improved and enhanced.
I wanted to touch on issues that adults with Autism face because they have the same health challenges as children. And although I mostly see children in my practice, I have seen adults as well. And sometimes I see adults who also have a child with Autism which shows you really how these things go hand in hand. What we are doing is working towards the optimization of the individual's health and function so that they are able to reach their full capacity, whatever that may be. And this is not about a "cure" but about improving the individual's functionality and improving their overall health.
