Autism: treatment options and myths you should know

Autism is a condition that typically develops in the early years of life and, with proper medical and nutritional care—especially through an immunonutrition-based approach—can improve over the long term.

There are often doubts surrounding this condition, such as what it is, what causes autism in children, and what treatment options exist.

In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions and explain how a diet designed to meet the specific needs of a growing child with autism can promote their well-being and support their development.

What is autism or ASD?‍

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects neurodevelopment and therefore the functioning of the nervous system.

People with autism can display various manifestations, which is why it's referred to as a spectrum. In some cases, individuals may have difficulty communicating; in others, social or motor skills may not be fully developed, or there may be a combination of these.

There is no single pattern for everyone within the spectrum. Symptoms of autism vary from person to person, and sometimes there are no visible traits typical of the condition. For this reason, it is very important to see a specialist for early diagnosis.

According to the DSM-V, there are five types of Autism Spectrum Disorders:

• Autistic disorder
• Asperger syndrome
• Rett syndrome
• Childhood disintegrative disorder
• Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)

Is autism curable?‍

Autism is not classified by the scientific community as a disease, but rather as a neurodevelopmental disorder. Therefore, it is treated and approached as a neurodivergence.

The goal of autism treatment is to improve quality of life, social interaction skills, motor abilities, and even the ability to learn new skills.

Treatment options for autism‍

The approach to individuals with autism must be multidisciplinary.

Within the medical-nutritional therapy, which includes planning an appropriate diet for individuals with ASD, nutrition has become one of the key pillars in improving quality of life.

In the field of immunonutrition, the focus is on:

• Removing cereals, animal dairy products, sugars, preservatives, and processed foods, as well as identifying individual food sensitivities
• Removing harmful microbiota: targeting pathogenic microorganisms or dysbiotic gut flora
• Replenishing with friendly foods and beneficial microbiota through specific probiotics
• Reducing the child's toxic environmental exposure

This approach avoids pro-inflammatory foods like cow’s milk derivatives, refined sugar, and ultra-processed foods, as well as gluten-containing foods, to improve the typical symptoms of ASD in most cases.

Other therapies carried out by a team of professionals include:

• Applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy)
• Speech therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Early intervention
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Speech and language therapy
• Nutritional therapy

Autism and digestive health‍

In recent years, one of the identified causes of ASD has been linked to gastrointestinal health.

In fact, a study showed that children with autism who frequently experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, and constipation tend to be more irritable, socially withdrawn, and hyperactive compared to children without these symptoms.

Moreover, people with autism have a reactive immune system, difficulty metabolizing certain nutrients, and limitations in detoxification processes.

For this reason, nutritional therapy is essential for improving the skills and symptoms that neurodivergent children may present.

Myths and frequently asked questions about autism

Despite all the studies and scientific evidence, several myths and doubts about autism spectrum disorder still persist. In this section, we clarify the most common questions.

People with autism have amazing abilities‍

While it is true that people with autism are often passionate about certain topics and may even master them with remarkable ease, only a small percentage have unique abilities.
It’s important to note that the term “spectrum” highlights the broad diversity among individuals with ASD. For example, some people with autism may have very limited language skills, while others have a broad vocabulary and can talk for hours about specific topics in great detail.

Children with autism don’t like to interact with others‍

People with autism may be shy, have difficulty interacting, or struggle with eye contact, which is due to their condition and not necessarily a lack of trust in others.
Some show a lack of eye contact or difficulty with spoken language, which may be a sign of B-complex vitamin deficiencies, such as thiamine.

People with autism are aggressive‍

Some individuals with ASD avoid eye contact and have difficulty making gestures or pointing at objects to express themselves when speaking. This may make them seem rude or upset, but that’s not necessarily the case. Lacking the communication tools to express their emotions, they can become frustrated.
Frequent irritability or aggression often signals a chemical imbalance caused by nutrient deficiencies or infections that should be addressed to improve well-being.

People with autism have no emotions‍

People with ASD are capable of feeling the same emotions as everyone else. However, they may find it difficult to express them naturally, especially with people they don’t trust.

People with autism don’t have friends‍

Although individuals with this disorder may find it difficult to start conversations or understand social rules, they can form friendships and be very receptive.
They simply need support to learn how to interact with others in a fluid and comfortable way.

People with autism have an intellectual disability‍

While ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, this does not mean that all individuals with autism have an intellectual disability.
In fact, many people with the condition have intellectual capabilities equal to or greater than the general population.

Children with autism can’t learn new things‍

Autism is a complex condition that should be assessed by a multidisciplinary team to improve quality of life in all aspects.
There are currently various educational support therapies that have produced positive results in teaching new skills and knowledge to people with autism. A solid nutritional evaluation by specialists is also extremely helpful in improving nutritional status and seeing progress.

If you want to learn more and hear the experience of many parents of children on the spectrum who have seen a before and after through personalized dietary changes, we invite you to follow the link below.

Discover the different diets available for people with autism through one of our nutritionists specialized in children with autism.