April is Stress Awareness Month, IBS Awareness Month, Community Service Month and Women’s Health Month. It is also Autism Awareness Month. While stress, IBS, women’s health issues are all very important and topics we encounter every day, Autism pulls at my heart. As any parent who has a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder well tell you, it is very challenging. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex set of developmental disabilities. Every child may experience autism very differently and that is what makes it a “spectrum” disorder.
It is considered a neurobehavioral disorder that includes issues with social interaction, language development and lack of communication skill. Most have issues with sensitivity to sensory input. It could be touch, taste hearing or smell. These individuals may response differently to people or may want to harm themselves. They may have a motion they like to do repetitively such as rocking or pacing. They have learning and comprehension issues. Autism is more common in boys than girls. One in 42 boys is diagnosed with autism according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Autism appears to present itself between the ages of 2-3 but can be as early as 18 months.
Possible signs of Autism: avoids eye contact and wants to be alone, struggles with understanding other’s feelings, nonverbal or language delays, repeats words over and over, gets upset by change, has interests that are very restricted and almost obsessive, has often intense reactions to sound, lights, smell, taste, or textures.
As mentioned earlier, it is considers a neurobehavioral disorder. The “neuro” part is what chiropractic strives to help in an autistic individual. Preliminary studies indicate that the chiropractic adjustment may influence sensorimotor integration. We, of course, encourage further research in the influence chiropractic has on their developing nervous systems. Given the ineffectiveness of a majority of pharmaceutical agents, parents need to know there is help in regards to autism.
Chiropractic looks to the body to identify areas of the nervous system that may not be functioning optimally. Are the cranials, vertebra, pelvis, sacrum, atlas all moving properly? Are altered biomechanics of the spine causing more stress on the nervous system than the brain can process? Majority of autistic children have other complaints such as sleeping issues, GI complaints, allergies and lack of motor control. These are all issues that should be address. Do they have lingering primitive reflexes? Do they have posture issues? Do they have a head forward posturing? Do they have flat feet? Do they lack nutrition because they will only eat certain foods? Are these food nutrient packed or processed? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg when treating an Autistic child/teen or adult. At Minser Chiropractic Clinic, we strive to make any child’s life easier and embrace each child’s individual needs and gifts. Isn’t time your child lives up to his or her potential? Yours for better health….naturally!