The REAL Epidemic

I'm ANGRY. 

And you should be too. 

Autism rates were just updated by the CDC.

Nationally, every 1 in 36 children has autism. 

1 in 36. 

Let that sink in. 

That means just about 1 kiddo in EVERY CLASSROOM IN AMERICA has a kiddo with autism. 

In 1997, that rate was 1 in 500. 

Before that? In the 70s? It was 1 in 10,000. 

This is STUNNING. 

Why am I mad?

Because no money has gone to figure out why this is happening to our children, and primarily our boys. 

We've spent MILLIONS of dollars looking at the genetic causes for autism, yes. But genetics do NOT evolve this rapidly. Genetics DO NOT explain this rapid rate of increase. Neither does improvements in diagnostic criteria.  

Genetics lay the foundation, environment pulls the trigger. This is important to remember with the rapid increase of all co-morbidities nationwide.

Now, before the internet bots and trolls come for me (because they have before), this post is not about shaming or fixing or devaluing anyone with autism. This is definitely not about saying that kiddos or adults with autism aren't amazing as they are. They are NOT a problem to be fixed. 

However.

I can tell you from the dozens of families that have sat in my office and poured their hearts out to me, they LOVE their children AND they struggle ALL THE TIME with the consequences of autism. 

We CAN accept kids as they are AND fight to end this disease.

It is not one or the other.  

These families often don't get the simple things that we parents of neurotypical kids get all the time. Hugs, laughter, joy, direction following, telling us how they feel, playing joyfully with siblings. Going to the bathroom by themselves. Getting dressed by themselves. Not needing HOURS and HOURS of therapy in order to stay regulated in the car or a busy grocery store. 

Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars over the child's lifetime in therapies. 

And that's just if you have one child with autism. I work with several families who have multiple children with autism that they are raising. Some of these children will never live independently. 

These children (and future children) are owed the fight. The adults in the room cannot forget these kids and we must fight to end this true epidemic. 

Working with kiddos with autism is why I went back to school for my masters in holistic nutrition. I saw too many families struggling to get answers to explain why their kid was in pain, wasn't sleeping, wasn't pooping, and wasn't eating. 

Up to 80% of kiddos with autism have chronic gastrointestinal dysfunction.

The mainstream solution? Pain meds and Miralax.

Does that get to the root of the issue? Or just fill their bodies with more toxins?

We also know that a large percentage of children with autism are not great at methylating, which is key for detoxification. In fact, in the brains of kids and adults with autism, scientists have found scary high levels of aluminum just hanging out in the tissue. 

We know that children with autism generally have pretty restricted diets due to sensory challenges and rigidity in behaviors, which makes it doubly difficult to give them the nutrition that we know helps them. It's a vicious cycle. And an exhausting one. 

I'm here to offer hope. 

If you or someone you know has a child with autism, there is hope. 

Autism cannot be cured (well, according to the science, but there is debate about this in functional medicine), but it can be helped. 

Helping children with autism looks like regulating their sleep patterns.

Helping children with autism looks like figuring out the root cause of why they can't empty their bowels daily. 

Helping children with autism looks like figuring out how to decrease neuroinflammation to help stabilize their sensory systems. 

And so, so much more. 

It's not a fast fix. 

Nothing worthwhile is. 

It's a slow and bumpy ride. 

But, you are in good company because some of the most incredible humans on this planet are on the road with you. 

And our children with autism deserve everything we can give them. 

You can reply to this email or find me here to learn about working with me. 

I'm here to fight for our kids. 

Stay tuned for an upcoming blog on action steps you can take to support children and adults with autism.