I am worked my son has autism

[Louise_29]

Hi I have twins boys who will be 21 months on 26th Jan 12.  I am worried twin 1 Jordan has Austism.  My concerns are - He doesnt talk only says mum over and over again,  He hardly ever waves bye bye and when he does its a strange wave, he doesnt respond to his name a lot of time when I call him,  he loves to watch tv and seems clued to it,  he has started to flap his hands back and fourth, if i ask him to do something he ignores me or does not follow instructions, he puts all his toys in his mouth rather than playing with them, hes not interested in books jsut eating them, he loves climbing on things,  His brother is always waving bye, saying new wors everyday, pointing to things, if I was ask to put something in bin or get me something he does it.  He seems to know what everything is when ask him were the fridge is, were the window is he points.   Jordan always sleeps with bum in air and bumps his head of cot in sleep.

Jordan and Jamie cause each other around the house and laugh at each other.  Jordan always is very affectionate he comes over and gives me kisses,  is very clingy to me just wants me all the time.  He is always smiling at me and laughing which is not a sign of Autism.

I have contacted my Health Vistor with my worries and she arranged a earing test but everything came back ok.  Im very worried everybody is telling me he is to young to tell if he has Autism but I know myself something is not right. as ask to put something in bin or get me something he does it.  He seems to know what everything is when ask him were the fridge is, weree the window is he points.

Can you please help me or advise me.

[Richard B. Graff, PhD, BCBA-D]

The studies that you mentioned did show that certain types of treatments can lead to changes in certain metabolites, as measured in blood samples taken from the children (for example, in one of the studies you cited, following treatment, the researchers found that "mean plasma methionine, SAM, homocysteine, cystathionine, cysteine, and tGSH concentrations and SAM:SAH and tGSH:GSSG in these 8 children were higher".  Clearly, this constitutes scientific evidence, and this type of research is important.

However, the individual who wrote the original post reported being concerned about some behaviors that she had seen in her child, such as delayed communication skills, the presence of repetitive,stereotyped behaviors, etc.  It is important to understand that none of the studies you cited showed any evidence that these treatments led to improvements in communication skills or in socialization skills, or in reductions in problem behavior--the behaviors that were reportedly of concern for this parent.  

Clearly, we need to continue doing research related to the causes of autism, and how to provide the best treatments, so that all children can maximize their potential and lead happy, healthy, productive lives.  We just don't have any evidence yet that these sorts of treatments are helpful in that respect.  This is just my opinion, but I cannot advocate for treatments that involve introducing something into the body--taking a pill, receiving an injection, etc.--when we have no evidence that this will lead to any meaningful improvements related to a child's learning or behavior.  

Thank you for taking the time to write, and I truly appreciate your taking the time to look at the actual research articles related to this treatment. I wish more people took the time to do this!

[milesrf]

So you don't consider these articles scientific evidence?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19056591

http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2008/12/03/ajcn.2008.26615.abstract

http://www.ajcn.org/content/80/6/1611.full

It looks to me like there is now some scientific evidence, just not enough for a definite conclusion.

I looked at the Assoociation for Science in Autism Treatment website.  It looks like they describe what they don't approve of, but say little about what they do approve of other than a type of behavioral treatment.  At least I was able to ask them to say more about this two-vitamin treatment.

[Richard B. Graff, PhD, BCBA-D]

Using vitamin supplements as a treatment for autism has been around for quite a number of years.  However, to date, there is no scientific evidence that there are any beneficial effects for any of the vitamin therapies,

It's problematic when a treatment is supposed to be effective because it targets the cause (or in this case, one cause) of autism, because at this time,the exact cause of autism remains unknown.

I strongly suggest that readers look at the website of the Assoociation for Science in Autism Treatment (http://www.asatonline.org/).  Their mission "is to share accurate, scientifically sound information about autism and treatments for autism".  In the section of the website related to treatment, it will provide information about the amount of scientific evidence their is to support many treatments that have been proposed. Hopefully readers will find it helpful.

[milesrf]

I've read of unusual forms of two vitamins that are sometimes used in such situations.

http://www.wellsphere.com/autism-autism-spectrum-article/methyl-b12-and-folinic-acid-raise-glutathione-levels-in-autistic-children/534542

The idea is that inability to convert the forms of those vitamins normally used as supplements to the form the body actually uses is one cause of autism.  Not something I've ever tried, though.

[Richard B. Graff, PhD, BCBA-D]

Thank you for taking the time to write. You indicated that everyone is telling you that he is too young to tell if your son has autism, but please remember, most of the people who have told you this are not qualified to diagnose autism in young children!  Obviously, I cannot tell you whether or not your child has autism (no one can based on reading a short statement), but what I can tell you is that if he does have autism, early intensive behavioral intervention is the key.  Thus, it will be important for you to speak to your pediatrician, and describe your concerns.  Sometimes, getting some video of a child engaging in concerning behaviors can be very helpful for a pediatrician.  Then, I would suggest asking the pediatrician if he or she could put you in contact with someone who has expertise in diagnosing autism in very young children.  If it your son is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, you will want him to receive some services from a board certified behavior analyst who has expertise in providing early intensive behavior intervention (or EIBI, as it is sometimes referred to). If you go to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board website (www.bacb.com), you can search their certificant registry to see if there are any board certified behavior analysts in your area.

I wish you the best of luck with your family.