| Part 1: Why Do Vitamins and Supplements Work? | | | | vitamins: B6, B12, B1, B3 and B5. Vitamin A, |
| Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | | | | vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D, folate, biotin, Gamma |
| usually have a number of nutrient and mineral | | | | Linolenic Acid (GLA), and omega-3 fatty acids are |
| deficiencies. This could be due to diet or | | | | also commonly low. The brain can be greatly |
| physiological abnormalities that cause certain | | | | hindered by these deficiencies and it is no wonder |
| nutrients to be poorly absorbed or misused by | | | | that most autistic children have a very hard time |
| the digestive system. Many children with autism | | | | progressing without nutritional supplementation. |
| benefit from diets that exclude certain foods, but | | | | A vast majority of autistic children have an |
| these limited kinds of diets can leave their brains | | | | elevated level of oxidative stress. This impairs |
| lacking the nutrition that they need to function | | | | their immune system and puts their nervous |
| and develop. Whether the autistic child is on a | | | | system into a hypersensitive state. The |
| special diet or inflicts a severely limited diet on his | | | | hypersensitive state is thought to be caused by |
| or her self, supplementation can help fill in the | | | | the oxidative stress and a long-term inflammation |
| nutritional gaps and facilitate progress. The | | | | of the body and nervous system. When the brain |
| majority of autistic children can achieve higher | | | | is inflamed, it tends to function on a primal level, |
| brain function (like speech, language and social | | | | often staying in survival mode. Cognitive skills, |
| skills), have less repetitive and detrimental | | | | social skills and frontal lobe development are |
| behaviors, increase immune system function and | | | | severely hindered when the brain is in this state. |
| improve sleep patterns with the use of vitamins | | | | Children will often feel the need to exhibit |
| and supplements. | | | | stemming behaviors, which can include vocalizing |
| The Gluten-free/Casein-free diet and the Specific | | | | loudly, tapping, hitting or stroking things, rocking, |
| Carbohydrate diet seriously limit nutritional intake. | | | | spinning and other repetitive behaviors. This keeps |
| This does not mean that you should waver from | | | | the brain focused on something other than their |
| what is helping your child, but you should be | | | | hypersensitivities. |
| aware that supplementation may be necessary. | | | | Vitamins and Supplements have successfully been |
| This is also true for autistic children that are very | | | | used to target inflammation, oxidative stress, |
| picky eaters, have texture issues with food or | | | | immunity deficits, stemming, brain development |
| who are obsessive about controlling what they | | | | and higher learning in autistic children. |
| eat. Studies and parents have found out that | | | | "Part 2" of this series discusses which vitamins |
| most autistic children greatly benefit from vitamin | | | | and supplements target and improve the nervous |
| and supplement implementation. Great | | | | and immune systems. Vitamins and supplements |
| developments have been seen in children that | | | | offer a safe therapy option that has given many |
| have no food allergies, as well as in the ones that | | | | autistic children a chance to overcome the |
| need to be on special diets. | | | | challenges of autism. As a precaution, you should |
| Vitamins, minerals and nutrients that autistic | | | | always talk to a doctor about a vitamins and |
| children are often deficient in include the B | | | | supplements regiment before you begin. |