Autism & Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

The environment has changed dramatically. Over the last 50 years there has been an enormous increase in the amount of toxicants (man-made toxins) in our environment and in our food.

This is due to an increased use of pesticides and herbicides particularly Glyphosate (Round-up), industrial toxicants, artificial food additives, artificial air fresheners, plastics, cosmetics, detergents, hand sanitisers, disinfectants, insecticides and antibiotics. These toxicants affect the soil, the air, our water ways and thus the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Most children are not born Autistic. Many parents have told me they can pinpoint the exact moment their child became autistic and they knew the trigger that caused it. This is called regressive autism. It is possible that this can also happen in the womb through the umbilical cord.

Regardless of when or where it happened, we need to find out why it happened. The trigger may or may not have been the only cause. Often there are many contributing factors that set up the conditions for regression and the trigger is merely the straw that breaks the camel's proverbial back.

There is no single toxicant, gene or nutrient deficiency that is known to cause Autism or ASD. However, regression is often due to a combination of many factors, usually referred to as Stressors or Exposome (sum-total of the genetic and environmental influences accumulated over a person's lifetime, i.e. starting at conception in the womb).

These symptoms can be caused by a variety of underlying biochemical problems, which are different for each child. However, research has shown that there is a connection between the gut, the brain and the immune system, which is often referred to as the gut-brain-immune axis.

What affects one, affects the others. When the gut wall is "leaky" or permeable, the Brain Blood Barrier becomes "leaky" as well and toxins and toxicants can leak into the brain. These toxins activate the immune system in the brain, resulting in brain inflammation.

Even though each child has a different set of symptoms, most children on the autism spectrum have some or all of the following characteristics:

An Australian research study from 2022 has shown that children on the Autism Spectrum have more cytokines (chemicals related to an inflammatory state) compared to neurotypical children.

Reference: Autism CRC Research Report 2022

Furthermore, an inflamed brain cannot develop, learn or perform optimally, if at all.

Fortunately, the answer is yes. Many children have already recovered from (regressive) Autism, so how is that achieved? The answer lies in identifying the root cause(s) of the neuro-inflammation.

Whether these root cause(s) are genetic, environmental, related to nutrient deficiencies, poor gut health or all of the above, once you know what the root cause(s) are, you can address them appropriately, thereby reducing gut, immune and neuro-inflammation.