So, this subject was opened up, and I am going to throw in a skeptic's view. Please understand that I mean no disrespect, as I am sure you meant no disrespect to those of us that are working with our own children with any of these disorders in a different way. So, here goes:
I would like to point out that as Autism is a spectrum disorder, there are those on the high and the low end. Many times diagnosis is based only on a series of questions about things such as speech delay, sensory issues, etc. I could see how if someone had an underlying issue such as a food disorder, it could show them as being on the spectrum, as this is manifested largely as a social/communication disorder and those struggling early on with health issues could also demonstrate those same symptoms. It's hard to learn the social rules if your brain function is being effected by other medical disorders. Therefor, their treatment for their underlying issues would alleviate the symptoms that gave them a diagnosis of being on the spectrum in the first place. Some forms of autism can show up on an MRI. But, that is more costly and not always done.
There have been no clinical studies on the effectiveness of chelation. The only one that was initiated in 2006 was canceled due to risk outweighing possible benefit. Therefor, it is difficult to research the effectiveness of the use of chelation as current information is compiled of mostly hearsay and/or is anecdotal. If there was a large scale study of autistic children, with comparative MRI's done both before and after treatment that would be much more reliable. Again, if a child is struggling and withdrawn because of underlying issues, treatment of those issues would look like their autism was cured, when in fact they were wrongly diagnosed as being on the spectrum to begin with. Hence the need for real, conclusive scientific research.
My family has Aspergers running thick and deep through the lines, mostly the males. We also have ADD in many members, as diagnosed through brain scans by neurologists. This is how their brains work, there is no changing that through diet. Again, if someone has a reaction to a food, it can impact brain function and give symptoms that make it look like ADD or ADHD, and of course treating that condition will erase those symptoms. Those cases are different than true ADD that is verified through brain scans. I also live in a town with a very high rate of Aspergers. This is an educated town, with an overabundance of parents who are very cautious and aware of what they feed their kids. Yet, our rate of Aspergers is above average.
I have a 12 year old son on the spectrum (Very High Functioning). He has friends, he does well in school, and he is a delight to have around. He has made tremendous progress in his social skills, organization, and flexible thinking skills. This is because we worked very hard to create an environment that would help him succeed in later life, and he has also had extensive speech therapy since 2nd grade. We have had the benefit of learning from family experiences what worked and what didn't for my adult-diagnosed relatives. He still has Aspergers, that's how his mind is wired, but he is learning to live life well in a world filled with neurotypicals. There is no quick fix for him, and his autism was not caused by anything I did or did not do other than provide him with his particular genetic roadmap.
Science really is just beginning to get hard data on many neurological issues, it's going to be exciting to see what they figure out.
