Some Autism Treatment Options

The simplest options -- low in cost and can be carried out by parents:

  1. Use a high quality omega-3 essential fatty acid (sources: fish oil or flax seed oil)
  2. Use the Feingold Program materials available at to:
  3. Remove the worst of the synthetic additives from the child’s food & environment
  4. Temporarily remove salicylates.
  5. Remove non-food products with the suspect chemicals.
  6. Avoid fragrances and harmful environmental chemicals.
  7. Remove additional food additives like corn syrup, MSG, sodium benzoate, etc.
  8. Learn how to avoid toxins in vaccines. is a good resource.
  9. Reduce sugars.
  10. Consider removing milk and other dairy products.
  11. Consider removing wheat

More complex option for parents:

Try a gluten-free, casein-free diet.

More complex options; call upon professionals for help:

  1. The Autism Research Institute has advice on finding a clinician using an evidence-based approach, and the questions to ask any prospective doctor, at
  2. Consider environmental allergies.
  3. Ask about testing for parasites.
  4. Seek professional help on the use of vitamins, minerals and other supplements.
  5. Look into sensory integration therapy, auditory training, and vision therapy.
  6. Consider adding enzymes.
  7. Learn about detoxification of heavy metals.
  8. Great Plains Lab below can advise on appropriate testing.

Useful Resources:

  1. Autism Network for Dietary Intervention –
  2. Autism Research Institute
  3. Feingold Association for Feingold Diet:
  4. Developmental Delay Resources
  5. Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet
  6. Great Plains Laboratory
  7. NationalVaccineInformationCenter
  8. TACA (Talk About Curing Autism)

Autism Interventions – Parent Ratings

In 2008, Autism Research Institute (ARI) published their findings on various interventions, rating them according to their effectiveness.

More than 26,000 parents of autistic children completed forms on the benefits & downside of three types of intervention: drugs, supplements / biomedical interventions, and diets. The ARI has been collecting data on treatments since 1967.

The results for antifungal drugs (Diflucan, Nystatin) were very positive, with 57% and 50% of the children reported as improving, and positive effects were also seen for Valtex and Secretin. But the typical ADHD drugs fared poorly. 43% of the children given Adderall and 47% given amphetamines got worse, as did 45% on Ritalin, and for a large percentage of children the drugs were reported to have no effect.

Many of the supplements and biomedical interventions yielded positive results with only small percentages of parents reporting that their child got worse.

Special diets scored very high in effectiveness and extremely low in negative effects. The highest were: the Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet (66% improved), the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (60% improved), the Feingold Diet (56% improved), and the Candida Diet (56% improved). For details see

Reprintedfrom the April 2009 issue of Pure Facts

Autism spectrum disorders

There are many ways to help children and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Envisioning a Bright Future, edited by Patricia Lemer, Executive Director of Developmental Delay Resources, is a valuable aid.

Ms. Lemer writes: "Human functioning is incredibly complex because the various senses are interrelated. When an environmental impact (perhaps food dyes, heavy metals like mercury, or dairy in the case of a food allergy) impairs one of the senses, a domino effect occurs, which impairs other senses. A clear example of this is when babies have ear infections. This infection (and the drugs used to treat it) can disturb the vestibular system in the inner ear (which controls balance). The vestibular system works with the language center of the brain, the muscles that control the eyes, the part of the brain that controls emotion (the limbic system), as well as the digestive tract. So, this environmental impact (additives, heavy metals, allergens) can lead to problems in any of these areas: hearing, balance, vision, emotions, understanding, speaking and the ability to pay attention."

This helps to explain why a treatment that addresses one aspect of the problem can often help others. Such a treatment might involve getting rid of toxins/allergens, therapeutic training of one of the senses, or adding nutrients precursors to neurotransmitters. Multiple approaches might be particularly useful. Something as simple as using a dye-free medicine to treat an ear infection is a step in the right direction.

Reprintedfrom the December 2008/ January 2009 issue of Pure Facts