One of the very important parts of my life is Autism. Not for me, specifically, but for my son, Duncan.
Duncan is five and was diagnosed with autism in late 2008 after a series of tests and evaluations we underwent with him. My wife, Jennifer, and I knew something was up with him because he wasn't developing at the same rate as other kids his age.
It wasn't that he was slow, he was faster in a lot of stuff but slower in others. His memory was fantastic - he startled his daycare teachers by knowing all the planets, in order, when they were working on a solar system mural for their classroom. And he learned his numbers and letters (and even shapes and animals) really early.
But he had a lot of trouble with what we thought was hyperactivity, repetitive behavior, and inattention, and that was what led us to seek the help of the ECRN+. Early Childhood Resource Network is an organization of the Central Ohio YMCA that helps families as they look for answers with their children. ECRN+ did some initial screening with Duncan and that led them to believe that he was autistic, and that further, more thorough evaluation was required. Columbus City Schools does that sort of thing for free, and after a couple more evaluations it was offiicial: Duncan was autistic.
He's sort of fortunate - he's a high-functioning autistic. He can talk and communicate with people. And he doesn't shut out the outside world completely like some autistics do. He basically needs behavioral and speech therapy, as well as some help with small muscle group therapy, to teach him to do the things that most of us take for granted. He'll always struggle a bit with social situations and have to observe them intellectually instead of emotionally - for instance, you and I might see a crying child and think "oh, that poor kid," and run to help, but Duncan will look at them and have to logically work out that "the child is crying, therefore they are sad. I'm supposed to go see if they're okay."
The causes of autism are thought to be varied, but the consensus is that some people are simply at higher risk of it due to genetics, though there are still many who think that mercury is a major cause of it (whether mercury in vaccines is the cause is still up for discussion, despite what many agencies claim).
But recently, as I became more interested in the Primal Blueprint lifestyle
and started reading more about nutrition and our evolutionary heritage, I became aware that there may be more to the condition than I thought. There are many who think that poor diet, partially from our grain-rich and animal fat-starved diet (which we aren't evolutionarily equipped to handle) and partially from the lack of nutrients in our modern food supply are combining to make our children less able to handle the challenges that the world throws at them, and autism is an immune response to help our kids overcome these issues internally - with the side effects that are now well-known.
Nutritionists like Nora Gedgaudas have addressed the dangers of our modern diet on our children even going back in utero and their possible contribution to autism
. And many nutritionists also talk about sea vegetables as a fine source of nutrients to help fight against autism. The Body Ecology Diet is a great example of this need to treat our bodies better nutritionally to help ward off many conditions such as ADD/ADHD, Autism, and multiple sclerosis.
Body Balance from Life Force is made from sea vegetables, and these are a nutrition source that is full of vitamins and minerals for healthy living across the board. But it may be particularly important for such conditions as those mentioned above. They help provide vital nutrition that is otherwise lacking, and also help clear toxins away. And Body Balance, as a liquid, makes those nutrients more easily absorbed than they would be from a vitamin capsule - as well as being a whole food source, which nutritionists call the best way to get our necessary vitamins.
To start helping your own health, contact me at jfellrath@gmail.com to get started with Body Balance today!
And for great advice and information about Autism and Parenting, follow my wife Jennifer's articles at Examiner.com.
Duncan is five and was diagnosed with autism in late 2008 after a series of tests and evaluations we underwent with him. My wife, Jennifer, and I knew something was up with him because he wasn't developing at the same rate as other kids his age.
It wasn't that he was slow, he was faster in a lot of stuff but slower in others. His memory was fantastic - he startled his daycare teachers by knowing all the planets, in order, when they were working on a solar system mural for their classroom. And he learned his numbers and letters (and even shapes and animals) really early.
But he had a lot of trouble with what we thought was hyperactivity, repetitive behavior, and inattention, and that was what led us to seek the help of the ECRN+. Early Childhood Resource Network is an organization of the Central Ohio YMCA that helps families as they look for answers with their children. ECRN+ did some initial screening with Duncan and that led them to believe that he was autistic, and that further, more thorough evaluation was required. Columbus City Schools does that sort of thing for free, and after a couple more evaluations it was offiicial: Duncan was autistic.
He's sort of fortunate - he's a high-functioning autistic. He can talk and communicate with people. And he doesn't shut out the outside world completely like some autistics do. He basically needs behavioral and speech therapy, as well as some help with small muscle group therapy, to teach him to do the things that most of us take for granted. He'll always struggle a bit with social situations and have to observe them intellectually instead of emotionally - for instance, you and I might see a crying child and think "oh, that poor kid," and run to help, but Duncan will look at them and have to logically work out that "the child is crying, therefore they are sad. I'm supposed to go see if they're okay."
The causes of autism are thought to be varied, but the consensus is that some people are simply at higher risk of it due to genetics, though there are still many who think that mercury is a major cause of it (whether mercury in vaccines is the cause is still up for discussion, despite what many agencies claim).
But recently, as I became more interested in the Primal Blueprint lifestyle
and started reading more about nutrition and our evolutionary heritage, I became aware that there may be more to the condition than I thought. There are many who think that poor diet, partially from our grain-rich and animal fat-starved diet (which we aren't evolutionarily equipped to handle) and partially from the lack of nutrients in our modern food supply are combining to make our children less able to handle the challenges that the world throws at them, and autism is an immune response to help our kids overcome these issues internally - with the side effects that are now well-known. Nutritionists like Nora Gedgaudas have addressed the dangers of our modern diet on our children even going back in utero and their possible contribution to autism
. And many nutritionists also talk about sea vegetables as a fine source of nutrients to help fight against autism. The Body Ecology Diet is a great example of this need to treat our bodies better nutritionally to help ward off many conditions such as ADD/ADHD, Autism, and multiple sclerosis. Body Balance from Life Force is made from sea vegetables, and these are a nutrition source that is full of vitamins and minerals for healthy living across the board. But it may be particularly important for such conditions as those mentioned above. They help provide vital nutrition that is otherwise lacking, and also help clear toxins away. And Body Balance, as a liquid, makes those nutrients more easily absorbed than they would be from a vitamin capsule - as well as being a whole food source, which nutritionists call the best way to get our necessary vitamins.
To start helping your own health, contact me at jfellrath@gmail.com to get started with Body Balance today!
And for great advice and information about Autism and Parenting, follow my wife Jennifer's articles at Examiner.com.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Proper nutrition is vital if you have this kind of disorder. Always take what's necessary.
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Stay on a healthy track by monitoring your nutrition. This is especially true for people afflicted with the condition.
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ReplyDeleteAt least it's a good support for the children with the condition. There needs to be more of these activities.
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