When developmental disorders are diagnosed in children, the parents usually seek different medical treatments and therapies. However, most of these treatments and therapies address the symptoms of the child. As a result, the child continues to live with the condition. In the functional medicine approach, experts identify and address the root cause of the problem. Read on to find out more about the functional medicine approach for treating developmental disorders.
Reena was sitting with a grim face in front of her son’s class teacher. A parent-teacher meeting was on, and from Reena’s sulking face and the teacher’s disappointed face, anyone could say that it was not a pleasant conversation. When Reena returned home, her son, Araav, was engrossed with his toy car and didn’t even notice Reena. Otherwise, as a warm child, Araav had many developmental issues and didn’t meet the “developmental milestones” that his peers reached at that age. Reena had been trying a lot of therapies and medications but with no significant results. Reena was feeling low, thinking in her mind, “What will happen to my child when he grows up? Will he be able to lead a normal life? Will society accept him?” And these are not just questions of Reena; many worrying parents in our society have similar questions. We sincerely acknowledge and empathize with such parents who are raising children with developmental disorders. The problem that we have at hand is not the developmental disorder that your child is going through, but we, the parents, look at different and often wrong directions to find a solution. We try all sorts of therapies and medications, which only reduce or suppress the symptoms but do not address the root cause of the problem.
Now, before we talk about the solution we have to offer, let’s understand the different factors that lead to developmental disorders.
We need to understand that developmental disorder like autism is not just a genetic disorder but a complete body disorder.
What are the Different Issues we see in a Special Child?
- Hypersensitivity
- Gut health issues
- Socialization
- Communication
- Repetitive behavior
- Allergies and other health conditions
What is the Solution?
The good news is that there is hope. Through the functional medicine approach, we have addressed most of the problems of children going through different developmental disorders. The fundamentals of functional medicine lie in identifying if something is entering the child’s brain or body, interfering with their ability to function optimally, and removing the toxins effectively. It also looks at whether the child’s body and brain are getting everything they need to function optimally.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a holistic approach that not only fixes the symptoms but scans the body as a whole, identifies if the body is experiencing any kind of deficiencies, and then addresses them. Functional medicine is a specialized approach that works by addressing the functional needs of brain chemistry.
Potential Environmental Causes of Developmental Disorders
Nutrition
The human body needs different types of micronutrients to function correctly. Although they are required in a minute quantity, deficiency can lead to many health issues. Some micronutrient deficiencies can also be the underlying cause of many chronic diseases. The functional medicine approach uses a framework that considers the child’s present and past dietary habits to determine the appropriate intervention.
Healthy balanced dieting concept. Selection of rich fiber sources vegan food. Vegetable fruit seeds beans ingredients for cooking.
Leaky Gut
Fixing any gut issues is essential to addressing any autism spectrum disorder. While there are many behavioral treatment options available, not many work towards finding the root cause of them. For example, due to damage to the intestinal lining, gluten proteins and other toxins may pass from the gut to the bloodstream through the intestinal wall. This has a significant impact on the behavior of the child. Functional medicine addresses if there are any issues related to a leaky gut.
Dysbiosis
Gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, chronic stomach pain, etc. are some of the most common issues in children suffering from autism spectrum disorders. These issues have a direct connection with the severity of ASD disorders. Children who have GI issues are seen to have a less diverse gut microbiome. The level of harmful bacteria is higher than the level of beneficial bacteria. Functional medicine addresses fixing the gut microbiota, thus improving the behavior of these children.
Disruptors
GI and endocrinal disruptors like antibiotics, acid blockers, gluten, NSAIDs, plastics, pesticides, sunblock, etc. also affect the behavior of ASD spectrum children. Functional medicine targets and eliminates these, thus improving autism symptoms.
Bad water
Functional medicine also puts a check on bad water that your child might be consuming unknowingly.
Non-Native EMF
Functional medicine addresses issues that may arise from the disruptive effects of non-native EMF, which affect the neurological system, brain function, cellular health, immune system, repair system, etc.
The Treatment is 4-faceted
- Removing toxins
- Reducing inflammation
- Balancing nutritional needs
- Balancing gut microbiota
Conclusion
Children with developmental disorders do have hope to live a better and healthy life. Functional medicine helps to address the root cause and thus offers a cure for developmental disorders.
Remember, your child is born to be real and not a robot!
Here’s What Some Happy Parents are Saying About our Program
“In the past three months, she surprised us by using 2-letter words that we didn’t teach, and she also plays voluntarily with her brother. We are delighted with her progress.”
"His speech has improved a lot with 20-30% clarity. Appetite has improved too."
“Shreya has started cycling, skating, potty cleaning, and brushing on his own without any support. I am so excited to see his progress!”
“My daughter used to hit others. She also used to engage in self-injury behavior. However, after participating in the functional medicine program, her behavior has improved a lot. Her speech has improved significantly as well.”
“We are noticing improvements in my child’s bowel movement, receptive language, instruction following & speech to some extent.”
Sounds promising? Give it a try now because your child deserves a chance to lead a normal and healthy life. Join our free webinar or connect with our executive to learn more about it.
Click here to register for our Functional Medicine Program for Autism and Developmental Disorders.
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