What Treatment or Therapy Have You Tried Last to Cure Autism?

[AGXStarseed]

While his reputation has been tarnished following news of his co-operation with the Nazis, I'm reminded of a Ted Talk where Steve Silberman said the following regarding Dr. Hans Asperger:

"Seventy years later, we're still catching up to Asperger, who believed that the "cure" for the most disabling aspects of autism is to be found in understanding teachers, accommodating employers, supportive communities, and parents who have faith in their children's potential."

 

[danielle ze]

hello everyone, My son is a 5 years old child with autism. I tried many kinds of stuff like different diets and I find something that extremely helps him . a food supplement .
In the beginning, I didn't really buy it for him. but as a superfood, I bought it for me.
then my son joins me taking it with me as he likes to copy whatever I do. we took it for 4 months before I can notice some improvement. he became calmer less hyperactive and more responsive to the environment. then he started to improve in his verbal language. It is now one year we take it. and I promise that he has improved more fas than his 2 years is the autism center.
the product is full of vitamins and minerals and oligo-elements , I think this was what really helps

 

[Kalinychta]

I'd agree.
But would first like to know what the child was "suffering" from?

Would a parent hell bent on curing their child of Autism cause more damage or trauma to the child?
I'd have to ask who the cure was for?
To have the parent less frustrated at what they didn't understand? To make their parenting a little easier?
Or to help the child?

Yes, I am offended over the word "cure"
Change the title question and I'll change my initial answer.

Well, you cut off the first half of my post, which answers the question you ask here. I said, many autistic kids suffer and struggle terribly. Most parents don’t enjoy seeing their children in pain, hence my comment: I can understand the desire for a cure.

The person who posted this thread wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. If we answer questions rudely and sarcastically, all we’re doing is making them think that autistic people are unapproachable jerks.

 

[Gracey]

Most parents don’t enjoy seeing their children in pain,

.

I've quoted the pain part of your post.
Pain from what? Headaches? Injury? self harm?

This is what I'm attempting to understand.

"suffering" how exactly? (specifics)

suffering from Autism doesn't make sense.

experiencing anxieties due to overwhelming social situations has more clarity.

Looking to "cure" or manage anxiety, not Autism.
?

 

[Kalinychta]

I've quoted the pain part of your post.
Pain from what? Headaches? Injury? self harm?

This is what I'm attempting to understand.

"suffering" how exactly? (specifics)

suffering from Autism doesn't make sense.

experiencing anxieties due to overwhelming social situations has more clarity.

Looking to "cure" or manage anxiety, not Autism.
?

There are many excellent posts on this site that discuss the difficulties faced by autistic people, both young and old, including ones from parents with autistic children. Read some. You can pedantically pick apart my posts and criticize the wording, but I think you do understand what I’m saying.

I get that you’re offended by the word “cure.” An unfortunate turn of phrase by the poster, who didn’t mean any disrespect. By responding with hostility to questions by those who are curious about autism, you are ensuring the opposite of what you’re talking about here: people won’t accept autistics and will see us as odd and rude and in need of curing.

 

[Aspychata]

I think we come from so much pain and suffering that it is quite normal for adult autistics to bring sarcasm and humor to this post. We are reminded once again of our "social disease ", and we respond with what has helped always. But there is no cure for being NT either.

 

[GrownupGirl]

I am an autistic adult, and any parent who thinks they can "cure" their children of autism is a complete and utter fool.
These so-called cures and treatments were invented by quacks who know that many parents are clueless about autism, and have heard so much negativity and misconceptions about autism that they think their lives are over, so the parents are desperate to try anything to make their kid "normal", including things that cause severe harm or even death. I don't know which is worse, the snake oil salespeople who get away with selling poison like bleach enemas and fermented cabbage seawater concoctions, or the parents STUPID enough that they would rather force their kids to take that garbage or put them in abusive ABA "therapy" than realize that autism is NOT a disease and is NOT the end of the world, and that their children's brains just work differently.

 

[Starfire]

I am an autistic adult, and any parent who thinks they can "cure" their children of autism is a complete and utter fool.
These so-called cures and treatments were invented by quacks who know that many parents are clueless about autism, and have heard so much negativity and misconceptions about autism that they think their lives are over, so the parents are desperate to try anything to make their kid "normal", including things that cause severe harm or even death. I don't know which is worse, the snake oil salespeople who get away with selling poison like bleach enemas and fermented cabbage seawater concoctions, or the parents STUPID enough that they would rather force their kids to take that garbage or put them in abusive ABA "therapy" than realize that autism is NOT a disease and is NOT the end of the world, and that their children's brains just work differently.

Do you have an autistic child?

 

[Starfire]

I am an autistic adult, and any parent who thinks they can "cure" their children of autism is a complete and utter fool.
These so-called cures and treatments were invented by quacks who know that many parents are clueless about autism, and have heard so much negativity and misconceptions about autism that they think their lives are over, so the parents are desperate to try anything to make their kid "normal", including things that cause severe harm or even death. I don't know which is worse, the snake oil salespeople who get away with selling poison like bleach enemas and fermented cabbage seawater concoctions, or the parents STUPID enough that they would rather force their kids to take that garbage or put them in abusive ABA "therapy" than realize that autism is NOT a disease and is NOT the end of the world, and that their children's brains just work differently.

If you had an autistic child you would know just how upsetting, unhelpful, judgmental and hateful your last comment was.

You talk about parents who are “clueless about autism” and how they fall prey to quacks but where do these parents go for good information, wouldn’t a forum such as this be a good start? However, when they get here they are described by some as “a complete an utter fool” or “STUPID” are they likely to stay? I don’t think so, that contributes I have no doubt to why there are so few parents here and the ones that are, often lurk or just leave.

As for “their lives being over” their lives as they knew it often are. An autistic child can demand and need so much attention and care and be at times so destructive that they have to become the centre of a family often to the detriment of siblings. The home changes too, you can’t have anything nice anymore because often if it’s in reach, it will be scratched, damaged, stained or smashed etc.

You don’t have carpet anymore for example because a plate of food can and will be thrown across a carpet because the peas touch the potatoes, or the carrots are the wrong size or shape. So carpet is replaced by wood for hygiene reasons, but a wooden floor will smash cups and plates so you end up with everything being plastic.

Your personal life, family, home and every aspect of your life changes. Add to that you might only get a couple of hours sleep at a time because your child wants to watch TV at 3am, can’t find the remote because you hid it so is now in meltdown waking everyone up including neighbours, so sleep is constantly disrupted night after night but you still have to go to work to buy food pay the bills etc. The siblings still have to go to school, exhausted again.

What if you as a parent are diagnosed as autistic too, as I am, can you imagine the toll living like this has on your health and well-being and relationship with your partner?

You may have “a dash of autism the way a recipe calls for a dash of salt” and that’s good for you, but others lives, parents included, have lives which are totally dominated in every aspect by autism.

Please think carefully in future before you press post reply.