My son is 9 y/o & in 4th grade in public school. He is in mainstream class with spec ed 1hr/day, specch 30 min/wk, & OT 30 min/wk. We take him to a behaviorist regularly, he is on meds for tx of symptoms. I have heard of others using fish oil & other supplements. Do these work? Also, we feel at a loss of what to do further to help him. He still has a lot of social & behavioral issues. Thanks, Niki
You can look at our fact sheets on some vitamins and minerals and fish oil in the therapies section of the Web site. The bottom line is that the jury is still out with regards to whether or not the supplements "work" for autism.
That said, many folks agree that a sounds nutritional diet is a foundation for health and development in children. Many people would also agree that the typical American diet is over-processed and low in omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) and vitamins/minerals. So, what is the bottom line?
My bottom line is that I feed my kids the most healthy diet that I am capable of and I supplement them with omega-3 fatty acids. My son, who was born at risk for autism, gets a multivitamin/multimineral supplement and extra B vitamins.
How is your son's gut? Does he have diarrhea/constipation or gas or tummy aches? There is a very interesting theory that says that bad bacteria in the gut can be having neurological effects on kids.
PWSMom