The Autism debate: suffering and solutions

You can love and accept people on the Autism Spectrum while admitting the treatment options for the profound end of the spectrum are terrible.

I have watched the out cry, rage bait posts, and fighting over Autism the last couple of weeks. I think people are nitpicking factors like the way the information was presented and their personal feelings. They are not seeing the massive crisis at hand when it comes to people that are on the Profound end of the Autism Spectrum.

The Autism Spectrum is a SPECTRUM. Did you know there is no medical test to diagnose Autism? It's diagnosed only based on behavior. You can have someone that is diagnosed with what used to be called "Aspergers". This person can perform academic tasks and life skills but demonstrates atypical social behaviors. The DSM-5 criteria for Autism are: social interaction struggles, communication differences, and restricted or repetitive behavior (Autism Speaks, 2002).

The current conversations around Autism are not for the population of people that would be considered "Aspergers". This current conversation is for the other end of the Autism Spectrum. This current conversation is for the families that deal with severe symptomatic issues like GI issues and violent behaviors. The families that struggle on a day to day basis to find balance, peace, and relief from severe symptoms associated with Profound Autism.

As a Special Education teacher, I saw what life could be like for these families. If your child struggles with constipation, your GI options are "laxatives or deal with it". I have watched children on the profound end of the Autism Spectrum scream, cry, and want to jump out of their skin from GI distress. Am I really educationally serving these children in this condition? The only way to get relief is to do your own research, branch into the private sector, and get a stool test done. The modern and mainstream systems do not give stool tests, any additional answers, or any additional relief. These quality of life diminishing symptoms are disregarded as "Just Autism".

Another issue with not getting a stool test and testing the gut properly is that a lot of outward infections (strep, other bacteria, etc) originate in the gut. You can see these bacteria strands on a stool test. The bacteria in the gut overgrows and spreads elsewhere. There are countless testimonials and case studies on "The Wellness Way" social media pages on how this appears. What is given for the outward infections? Antibiotics. The term antibiotic literally means "ANTI-BIOTIC". These medications kill the overgrowing "bad" bacteria and beneficial bacteria alike. They kill everything. No discrimination

I once had a client whose school made the claim on his "behavior evaluation" that he was "better behaved while on antibiotics". It was one of the reasons I suggested to the parent to get a stool test done. Why was this the case? Why was he "better behaved" on antibiotics? Because his stool test results showed bad bacteria overgrowth and the antibiotics would kill everything. He was getting some relief associated with the bad bacteria overgrowth while being on antibiotics. But he was not recommended a pro-biotic to restore his gut flora/bacteria. Because there was no restoration process occurring, the bad bacteria would overgrow and come back. The cycle continued over and over again.

Not addressing the gut health of this population has profound ramifications. Laxatives and antibiotics are band aid solutions that don't give lasting relief.

Now, what does modern medicine say about behaviors? Try an SSRI or any psychiatric medication. SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. These drugs are supposed to offer "mood stabilization" in the profoundly Autistic population. Another commonly prescribed drug is the anti-psychotic drug, Abilify. The Abilify website advertises it for "treating irritability associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder in children age 6 to 17" (Abilify, 2000). It treats those irritability symptoms. It must make a world of difference for families? Eh, the results are mixed.

In my book "IEP vs Inflammation", I write about a student that showed positive outcomes after introducing Abilify. Sadly, the positive outcomes only lasted through the introduction period. In the beginning of taking Abilify, this student went from out of control outbursts to sitting down and writing his name. The difference was remarkable. But, this temporary high and positive outcome did not last.

This student gained a lot of weight being on this medication. He ended up with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. In the parent's defense, diabetes is listed as an adverse reaction to this medication. But, the parents also fed him the Standard American Diet. The Standard American Diet definitely did not help his blood sugar levels. This child ended up with massive behavioral regression, he had 911 called on him from school 3 times, and he was re-evaluated and accepted into a Residential Facility. The temporary symptomatic relief he got while being on Abilify did not last.

I had another student years later that was placed on "Abilify" as well. Based on observations, this student's behaviors were less "out of nowhere" and "psychotic" and more structure related. He didn't take too well to hearing the word "No" to put it simply. He was also VERY attention seeking. These behaviors can be seen as typical child developmental behaviors when you remove the "Autism" diagnosis for a second. But, he had an Autism diagnosis, he had behaviors, and the neurologist recommended "Abilify".

The parent told me he was on Abilify after I called her to tell her his behaviors had taken a turn for the worst. He had hysterical crying fits out of nowhere. The mood shift in him was remarkable. The asinine part of teaching is that "we can't give medical advice", but we can recommend a parent go get medication (make it make sense). I treaded lightly but I told the parent my experience with the medication and what I was observing. I told the mom I had a student years before that temporarily benefited from the medication, behavior and academic wise. I told her in her child's case, I saw out of character hysterical crying fits and I wasn't seeing the same beneficial outcome. She took my findings back to the neurologist, the neurologist took him off Abilify, and the hysterical crying fits went away.

So when all the "treatment" options for symptoms associated with profound Autism fail, what options are left for families? Keep them home and deal with it or have them re-evaluated for a residential facility. Now do you see why the current options are unacceptable and this discourse on symptomatic relief is necessary?

It is not erasing Autism or being unaccepting of people as human beings. It is acknowledging a population on the profound end of the Autism Spectrum, acknowledging their pain and struggles, and acknowledging that the options for managing symptoms need radical improvement.

This is why "The American Dream Learning Center" is "Learning Coaching" and "Health Restoration Coaching". I love to teach but families also need other wellness options

with the explosion of childhood illnesses. The dismissive behavior of the suffering associated with childhood illness (especially for those on the profound end of the Autism Spectrum) and the limited options from the modern and mainstream institutions are no longer cutting it.

References:

“ABILIFY® (Aripiprazole)| Official Site.” Abilify.com, 2000, www.abilify.com/.

“Autism Diagnostic Criteria: DSM-5.” Autism Speaks, 2022, www.autismspeaks.org/autism-diagnostic-criteria-dsm-5.