April 1st means the start of autism awareness month.
I love the idea of more people being aware of autism spectrum disorders. But what I would like even more is for people to understand what is happening in our world right now.
When my son was born, the rates of autism were 1 in 150.
The year he was diagnosed it was 1 in 88.
Now the rates are 1 in 44.
The rates of all neurological disorders bring the numbers to a staggering 1 in 6.
Let that sink in, 1 in 6 children today have some sort of neurological disability.
So if you are not already aware of the drastic rise in children who have issues with speech, language, attention, focus, self-regulation, likely you will be soon.
The current conversation focuses on genetics, if you are an autism parent, I encourage you to look for a physician or practitioner skilled in assessing and treating the often co-morbid and underlying biomedical issues. Because the body and brain are intricately connected, when you support and optimize one, you also support and optimize the other.
That means that looking at things like toxin exposures, diet, gut health, microbial overgrowth, inflammation, food allergies, chemical sensitivities, etc. can result in improvements in sleep, language, behavior, sensory sensitivities, GI issues, mood, and even school performance.
Whether your child has a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, eczema, psoriasis, learning disabilities, speech delays, or no diagnosis at all, reducing the number of toxins they are exposed to, making dietary choices based on their bioindividual need, working with a knowledgeable physician or practitioner who understands gut health and functional medicine can do wonders for not just them but also your whole family.
We are watching an epidemic right now. And soon we will be facing a tsunami of children who need more supports than our schools and system can provide. It is time to look around and consider all of the ways we’ve poisoned our world at the detriment of our children. 10 years later and I am still sounding this alarm. The next time someone you love gets a diagnosis or just knows their child is struggling to speak, learn, pay attention, sleep, handle sensory input, or behave, consider what I have shared.
Parents are putting these things into practice and seeing profound improvements in their children. We have to turn this tide, for the sake of our children.
So when you see the promotion of autism awareness, please consider the message of autism action as well.
And if you are a parent of a child with autism and want to learn more, please check out my resources page. There are ways you can get started today on getting the information you need to support your child biomedically in addition to physically and emotionally.
