Any Success stories in favour of Functional Medicine to improve symptoms?

Hi Yaro

It's commendable that you are working so hard to make your son's life better. As Iain said, it's best to be wary of any new medical treatments and to take the advice of established medical professionals first regarding health issues.

I am not medically trained, so don't take anything I say as medical advice, but as you've asked the community for feedback, I would like to share some observations and thoughts.

To give you a bit of my background first - I am an Autistic older woman, and in my younger years was a special needs Teaching Assistant and I am qualified to support learners from reception class up to university level. I also have a university diploma in social sciences, have done my own personal research into autism, and have an interest in diet and nutrition.

So here are my thoughts:

You may have heard of something called the placebo effect. If people are told they are being given a drug or treatment that will help their condition but they are actually given a placebo (For example, a pill or injection with no active drug ingredients) they sometimes still get better. The expectation of something can sometimes trigger the result.

Autistic people often have high emotional empathy (we "catch" the emotions of those around us) and children tend to believe what their parents tell them, so if a parent believes a treatment will work, this belief may be transferred to the child and affect their behaviour/development.

You will be aware that autistic individuals also have sensory issues and dietary issues, including food intolerances, problems with textures, and IBS which can cause severe pain. Any of these issues can cause anxiety, which worsens autistic traits/behaviours.

There are certain ages during childhood when you can get a sudden leap in development in a child's brain. One of these is at age 7 when most children will be able to start understanding the concept of time. Therefore it's possible that a report of a child becoming "higher functioning" coincided with a natural developmental change in the brain.

If treatments are available on the NHS and recommended by your GP it might be worth considering them, but if payment is required it might be worthwhile being a little sceptical for now. It could be a good idea to ask your doctor to investigate whether your son has any food intolerance, IBS, etc, and to request referral to an NHS dietician to give you support in delevoping a diet that meets his nutritional needs while preventing any possible sensory issues (e.g. textures, smells) or gut pain.

Also be aware of your own needs and take steps to eliminate any stress and anxiety from your life. This will create a more harmonious home environment and help both you and your son.

Hi Yaro

It's commendable that you are working so hard to make your son's life better. As Iain said, it's best to be wary of any new medical treatments and to take the advice of established medical professionals first regarding health issues.

I am not medically trained, so don't take anything I say as medical advice, but as you've asked the community for feedback, I would like to share some observations and thoughts.

To give you a bit of my background first - I am an Autistic older woman, and in my younger years was a special needs Teaching Assistant and I am qualified to support learners from reception class up to university level. I also have a university diploma in social sciences, have done my own personal research into autism, and have an interest in diet and nutrition.

So here are my thoughts:

You may have heard of something called the placebo effect. If people are told they are being given a drug or treatment that will help their condition but they are actually given a placebo (For example, a pill or injection with no active drug ingredients) they sometimes still get better. The expectation of something can sometimes trigger the result.

Autistic people often have high emotional empathy (we "catch" the emotions of those around us) and children tend to believe what their parents tell them, so if a parent believes a treatment will work, this belief may be transferred to the child and affect their behaviour/development.

You will be aware that autistic individuals also have sensory issues and dietary issues, including food intolerances, problems with textures, and IBS which can cause severe pain. Any of these issues can cause anxiety, which worsens autistic traits/behaviours.

There are certain ages during childhood when you can get a sudden leap in development in a child's brain. One of these is at age 7 when most children will be able to start understanding the concept of time. Therefore it's possible that a report of a child becoming "higher functioning" coincided with a natural developmental change in the brain.

If treatments are available on the NHS and recommended by your GP it might be worth considering them, but if payment is required it might be worthwhile being a little sceptical for now. It could be a good idea to ask your doctor to investigate whether your son has any food intolerance, IBS, etc, and to request referral to an NHS dietician to give you support in delevoping a diet that meets his nutritional needs while preventing any possible sensory issues (e.g. textures, smells) or gut pain.

Also be aware of your own needs and take steps to eliminate any stress and anxiety from your life. This will create a more harmonious home environment and help both you and your son.