Kids change you. They
do. They make you love more, love
deeper, give more. They make you fear
the unknown and they bring out a part of you that you didn’t realize was
there.
But what happens when you realize that your perfect child
isn’t so perfect? He or she suddenly
isn’t doing the expected things. They
are no longer making eye contact or they are constantly ill. The dark circles under their eyes scares you
and they seem more content to play by themselves than with others. They may be constantly constipated or have
chronic loose stools. They can’t sit
still for more than a moment without some sort of high energy, colorful TV show
to keep them still. And even then, sometimes,
they just jump and watch.
You take them to your pediatrician who says, “let’s wait and
see” or “she is still young” or “boys
are rambunctious, it’s okay” or “lots of kids are constipated, it’s
normal.” You press on and take them to a
specialist, who tells you that your life will never be the same because “Your
child has Autism. He may never
talk. He will never be the same as other
kids.” Your heart is broken and you can
barely breathe. This is your baby. How
could this be? How could THIS be?
It is at this point that you have to make a decision. This is the turning point. This is the crossroad. Do you give your child the antipsychotic drug
that was prescribed to them by their prestigious doctor? Or do you search for other reasons for their
erratic behavior? Do you scour Google
for any and all things that are helping other children with autism? When you run across that article that says,
“My kid is better because I treated his GI symptoms!” what do you do? Do you say….but my doctor says that a GFCF
diet doesn’t work. Do you say it’s too
hard to try?
That is the thing that is different about Autism. If your child has cancer, there is a
protocol. You do A, B and C. But with Autism, it is go to Speech and
Occupational Therapy, take this drug and I’ll see you again in a year. What the hell? Really?
It is left up to the parents to find your own way. And all kids with autism are different. They have different symptoms. Some may have Cerebral Folate
Deficiency. Some may have methylation
gene mutations. Some may have thyroid
problems or gastrointestinal problems. Some have food allergies. Some have eosinaphilic esophaghitis. Many have heavy metals in their bodies that
they cannot detoxify. And MOST have mitochondrial dysfunction, which makes them
very susceptible to toxins.
Our babies do not need anti-psychotic drugs…they need
medical intervention. They need to be
tested for all of these things and more.
They need to be treated as sick children. Because truly….autism is a set of
behaviors. These behaviors are caused by
SOMETHING. And unfortunately, it is up
the parents to find out what. It is up to
us to coordinate several doctor visits and figure out where to send them.
Yes, kids change us.
And being a parent of a child with Autism makes you a fighter. Because if you don’t fight for your child’s
health, no one will.
