ALL NATURAL ADVANTAGE

Natural Healthcare And Advice

Guidelines For Implementing Supplements in ASD Children

There is a lot of information written and on the internet as to what supplements may be of benefit for ASD children. Rarely is any advice given as how to safely introduce these supplements. A common mistake made by health professionals that treat children on the autism spectrum is to implement a range of supplements, at the full dose, all at once. If the supplement regime is beneficial, the parents are happy. If the child gets worse or regresses, the parents are devastated, the health professional may have no idea why or which supplement caused the regression, and the parents are unfortunately less likely to persist with trying the biomedical approach, which can greatly benefit their children. Occasionally it may take the child weeks or months for the regression from incorrect dosing to subside. Hence the need for a structured approach to supplementing these children.

Introducing Supplements

Always implement supplements one at a time. By introducing supplements one at a time it is much easier to see if there are any benefits or adverse behaviour. Also for parents just starting their children on supplements, there are some supplements that may initially cause a deterioration in their child's behaviour, however this will settle down in a few days and the child will get better. This often happens when treating gut issues like Candida. An experienced health care professional is essential to help reassure and guide parents through the maze of supplements that are available, whether the behaviour is expected and whether it is an indication of a deficiency in some other supplement. For example hyperactivity or an adverse response to vitamin B6 may require the activated form of B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) instead or more commonly increased levels of magnesium.

The second important point is to always begin implementing individual supplements at a low dose and slowly increasing the dose until the full dose is reached. The reason being that the child may respond better to a certain dose, which may be lower than the optimal dose. If the dose is increased the child may regress. This is seen sometimes with zinc supplementation. If the child's behaviour becomes worse when the dose is increased, then simply lower the dose to the previous dose that was tolerated by the child. As a general rule, always begin supplementation at a quarter of the recommended dose and slowly increase the dose. Occasionally even lower doses may need to be used initially.

There is often an optimal dose of certain supplements which is in excess of the recommended dosage for a product. The dose of vitamin B6, magnesium and omega-3 oils for instance, is required in doses above the recommended dosages. An experienced practitioner will be able to guide you what dose is appropriate for your child's weight.

Finally, allow a few days between implementing new supplements, just to be confident that there are no adverse reactions developing. Sometimes there is an initial improvement in behaviour, however after a few days the children appear to regress. In this case decrease the dose to the last dose that was tolerated.

Adverse Reactions to Supplements

If a child has an adverse reaction to a supplement or product this may indicate:

•    that the child cannot tolerate that supplement at that dose and the dose may need to be adjusted

•    the need for another complementary supplement that is needed for the biochemical pathway to work

•    the active ingredient in the product is in the wrong form for the body to be able to utilise it (e.g. pyridoxine hydrochloride not being as effective as pyridoxine-5-phosphate: the active form of vitamin B6)

•    that the child is reacting to one of the excipients in the supplement (colours, flavours, gluten, casein, etc.). It is always best to choose supplements in their purest form. 

The use of practitioner only quality products or products that have been specifically designed for use in the treatment of ASD children, often avoids the worry of adverse reactions to supplements.

For advice or to book a consultation for your child with an experienced practitioner, call (03) 8802 7687 or email me. 

Always seek a consultation with a qualified practitioner first before trying any new treatments.

Natural therapies through a qualified practitioner, specialising in your disorder, provides safe and effective treatments that work.

Disclaimer

This website has no financial connection to the supplement or health products industry.

The information on this website is provided as a guide to your healthcare options only.  The All Natural Advantage website makes no statements, representations or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of, and should not be relied on as a sole source of information.  We take no responsibility or liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for any expenses, losses, damages or costs you might incur as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way, and for any reason including but not limited to, you deciding whether or not to choose specific treatment based on the information.

Please contact me or another qualified health professional before embarking on any health treatment program

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Last modified: 05/28/08