– Dr Sunitha Devi Vannemreddy, M.D (Hom)
               drsunithavannemreddy@gmail.com

What is Autism? Whether it is a Disease or Personality?

Childhood is the phase where child starts observing the
external world learns the social behaviours, communicates the thoughts in their
own language. They mimic others; try to interact with others in funny gestures.
It is bit of confusion for them to understand the outer world but slowly they
accustoms with the outer social world. Each child has unique process of
learning the ways of communication. For the social interaction and
communication, neurological development is needed.
I like to observe the children and their way of
communication with the world, they talk a lot or simply make gestures to
communicate, but they make us to understand what they are trying to tell.
I have two year old daughter who talks a lot in her own
language, if we don’t pay attention to her which shouts at us or bang her head
to get attention. She likes to play in play ground and every day she asks me to
take her to play ground, where she plays on her own but communicate with others
in her own cute smile. She doesn’t like to be touched if she doesn’t like other
person. Watching her every moment I feel surprised of her behaviour and always
think that such a small kid has her own choices and likes. Exploring the
children behaviour is a big science and how improve their personality and built
their constitution is always puzzled for me.
autism homeopathy
Autism Homeopathy
During the process of observing the behaviours of children,
i come across a boy who is two and half year old in my daughter’s play school.
He sat at the corner of the room, not talking to any one and was submerged in
his own world, keep on arranging the building blocks in same manner, looking at
the ground and not paying attention to other children and care takers. If care
taker goes and talk to him, he is not maintaining the eye to eye contact and
looking at ground, slow in answering questions and late in response. I feel
like he is not able to understand the question at all, if she try to ask
questions loudly or ask him to do something, he is closing his both ears and
trying to avoid her.

His behaviour made me curious which forcing me to observe
him, taking permission from the care taker. After observing him for long time,
i understood that his social development is impaired and communication skills
are very poor. As his both parents are working, he was put in day care thinking
that he will start learning social interaction and communication. But i
understood that he is Autistic child and his problem is ASD (Autism Spectrum
disorder). 
What is Autism or ASD?
Autism is the neurological developmental problem in the
children usually noticed in first two year of age, characterised by impaired
social interaction, verbal and non verbal communication and restricted or
repetitive behaviours. It is spectrum of conditions, which affect in the person
in different ways at different stages of life. Most of the Autistic people live
the independently relatively but there are some learning disabilities. People
with Autism, may also experience under or over sensitive to light, sound,
touch, colours and senses. 
Asperger syndrome is other form of autism, where lack or
delay in cognitive skills and languages.
Three main characteristics are known as “triad of
impairment” in autism are,
1)      Difficulty with social communication
2)     
Difficulty with social interaction
3)     
Difficulty with social imagination
Social communication
People of autism have difficulty in understanding the verbal
and non verbal communication and language. It is difficult for them to
understand the facial expressions, common phrases and sayings, jokes or
sarcasm. Some people can understand the communication but they don’t know give
and take kind of communication. If they start talking it should be one way,
can’t communicate the way of conversation. Some severe forms of autism
communicate with sign or show languages.
Social interaction
People of autism have difficulty in understanding the
emotions and feelings of other person, difficulty in expressing their own
feelings which makes them to fit in social world. Their interaction levels are
poor, sometimes in talk irrelevantly, sometimes they prefer to be alone than
interacting with others, don’t need comfort of others and appears to behave
strangely or inappropriately.
But we should not level them that they don’t have emotions
and feelings. They have their own emotions and feeling but they don’t know how
to show them.
Social imagination
People with autism have difficulty in predicting what could
happen next and what will happen next, inability to understand the thoughts and
feelings of others, imaginative plays where they fail to understand what happen
next, so that they repeat the things again and again. Unfamiliar to concept of
danger, example crossing the roads, running in front of bus. Difficulty to
prepare to for change and future plans and inability to cope up with new or
unfamiliar situations.
As the person with autism, has confusion about the changes
and unfamiliar situations, they prefers routine which they always do and don’t
like the change. So that they will do the things in same routine every day,
looking like watching same movie every day. They are comfortable with idea of
change.
Some autistic children may experience sensory sensitivity,
either they are hypersensitive or hyposensitive to external senses. Sometimes
they lack body awareness system, while crossing the rooms they obstruct to
walls like that.
They can’t maintain eye to eye contact while interacting
with others. They even can’t focus on the object other people showing him, he
looks another object than target one. Sometimes they don’t respond to the
communicator voices, otherwise they repeat the words talk by others. They have
difficulty in pronouncing in consonants, word building and tend to pronounce
reverse.
They have repetitive or compulsive behaviour, restricted to
limited activities in order to avoid change. Some severe form of autistic children,
tend to self injure themselves by biting, eye poking, head banding and skin
picking. 
What causes autism?
Exactly what causes autism is not known. Scientists still
trying to find out what causes Autism. They are proposing different theories.
But still exact theory not comes out. Whatever causes Autism, it is a
behavioural learning problem.
It has been long presumed that there is common cause at
genetic, cognitive and neural levels of autistic triad of symptoms. Although it
has been presumed that there is strong genetic cause of autism, with complex
genetic mutations, which influenced by environmental causes, prenatal stress
and emotional condition of mother during the pregnancy.  Complexity of the mutant gene arises due to
interaction of multiple genes, environmental and epigenetic reasons.
Environmental factors and epigenetic factors do not change DNA, but are
heritable and influence genes expression.
Studies of twins show that heritability of autism is 0.7 and
as high as 0.9 for ASD and siblings of autism are more than 25 percent more
autistic than normal populations.
Autism appears to be result from developmental factors that
affect many or all functional brain systems and to disturb the timing of the
brain development resulting in final condition. Neurological studies and
associations with teratogens strongly suggest that autism’s mechanism includes
alteration of brain development soon after conception. This anomaly of brain
significantly cascade pathological symptoms which appears to be influenced by
environmental factors. Soon after birth, brains of autistic child grows
relatively faster than usual followed by lower or less growth in cognitive
functional area during childhood.
Causes for Autism
Cause for Autism 
Two major theories are proposed in the area of cognitive
functions of autistic children, are deficit in social cognition and non social
r general process of executive functions such as working memory, planning and
inhibition.
But none of the theories can explain satisfactorily, the
mechanism of autism, still scientific research is trying to lighten up on the
facts.
Some proposes a theory of vaccination. Improper vaccination
or side effects of vaccination is the cause for behavioural and learning
disabilities in children. But there is no strong route is there to support this
theory.
Whatever it is, Autism not caused by person’s upbringing,
their social circumstances and not the fault of individual with the conditions. 
What are the effects of vaccination on Autism?
It is a long debate issue for the scientists whether autism
is caused do to vaccination. There is no proper evidence shown that vaccination
is the cause for Autism. Many scientists come with new theories and then it
will deny with some proofs. The article in the journal of immunotoxicology  entitiles, “Theoritical aspects of Autism:
causes – A review. The author is Helen Ratajczak, suggested a theory of role of
MMR shots. She documented the causes of autism includes genetic mutations and
or deletions, viral infections and encephalitis following vaccinations.
Therefore autism is result of genetic defects and or inflammation of brain.
The article goes on to discuss many potential vaccine
related culprits, including the increasing number of vaccines given in short
period of time, which will cause the body to thrown out of balance.
She discusses the increase in autism incidences corresponding
with introduction of human DNA to MMR vaccine, and suggests that both could be
interlinked. She think that human DNA introduced into a human which causes
homologous recombination tiniker. That DNA incorporated in host DNA, which
changed, altered self and body kills it. It causes the ongoing inflammation
which continue throughout the life.  
But this theory still needs to be researched and proved.
How to diagnose Autism?
Main reason for identification of Autism is, to help the
people with autism and their families, why they are experiencing certain
difficulties and what they have to do about them and to access support and
services.
Diagnosis based on behaviours than causes and mechanism.
Persistent difficulties in social communications and interaction across
multiple contexts, as well as restricted, repeated pattern of behaviours,
activities and interest.
Commonly used diagnostic scales for autism are,
The Autism Diagnostic Interview-revised (ADI-R) – a semi
structured parent interview
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) – uses
observation and interaction with child.
The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS)- used in clinical
environment to assess severity of autism by observing the child.
Paediatrician generally diagnose the case of autism with
development mile stone history and physical examination, if needed to assess
the severity of Autism, they uses the special scales.
How to improve quality of life of children with Autism?
Main goal of treating children with autism are to lessen the
associated deficits and family distress and to increase the quality of life and
functional independence. Some think that Autism is not a disease but it is a
kind of personality of individuals which need to be treated.
Anyhow; to improve quality of life of autistic child
intensive, sustained special education and behaviour therapy helpful in early
childhood.  Available approaches include
applied behaviour analysis, developmental models, and structural teaching,
speech and language therapy, social skill therapy and occupational therapy.
What is the role of Homoeopathy in Autism?
Homeopathy is individual constitutional treatment which
treats the person not disease. Homeopathy doesn’t concentrate what causes the
disease and what parameters to follow. It is a constitutional treatment in
which it reads the person in emotional, mental and physical plane to find out
what kind of personality he has and according it treats the person. So that in
autistic person, quality of life will be improved and can able to concentrate
on things, speech and ability to express their feelings are improved.
There are many Homeopathy Autism forums are there which
exclusively works on autism cases and seen many controlled cases. With the
classical Homoeopathic treatment Autism can be treated. In mild cases of
autism, kids are treated and seen many of them leading the autism free life.
Most of the homeopathy treatments claim the cure in autistic children.
With the proper medication, counselling and behaviour
therapy ASD can be treated and can give problem free life for them.
With the classical constitutional homeopathic treatment we
can give basic support and independent life to autistic children.
Does Homeopathy show side effects in autism children?
Most of them think that that there will be side effects with
the homeopathic treatment but it is not true. Why because Homeopathy is based
on the personality of the patient and it treat the person not the disease and
medication used in Homeopathy are in mild doses which won’t show any side
effects.
 
Homeopathy is really works in ASD cases?
Main motto of Homeopathy physician is to give proper gentle,
permanent and symptom free life for the patient. As homeopathy works on the
mental, emotional and physical plane of the person’s constitution, there is
definite relief and improvement in the quality of life of the patient. There
are many cases are there recovered from ASD and leading better life with the
homeopathic treatment.
What are the parameters for the ASD treatments?
Nowadays a debate is going on that homeopathy doesn’t show
any effect on the disease and it is just like a placebo treatment. To prove
that homeopathy really works most of homeopathic physician should come out and
have to submit their cured cases and need to present the papers and have to
record the symptoms and cure percentage and they have to submit the papers
which proper proofs.
For ASD, there is assessment scales are there called,
“Autism treatment evaluation checklist”. 
Every homeopath while treating the cases of ASD has to use this check
list to evaluate the case and treatment result. It will help to assess the ASD
case and helps in the proper treatment plan of Homeopathy.
I. Speech/Language/Communication
Not True (N), Somewhat True (S), Very True (V)
Sr no
Question
1
knows own name
2
respond to no or stop
3
can follow some commands
4
can use one word
at a time
5
can use two words
at a time
6
can use three words at a
time
7
know ten or more words
8
can use four or
more words at a time
9
explains what he
or she wants
10
asks meaningful words
11
speech tend to be
meaningful or relevant
12
often uses several
successive sentences
13
carries on fairly
good conversation
14
has normal ability
to communicate his or her age.
II. Sociability
(N)-Not Descriptive, (S)-Somewhat Descriptive, (V)-Very
Descriptive
Sr no
Question
1
Seems to be in shell/ cannot reach her or him
2
Ignores other people
3
Pay no or little attention
4
Non cooperative and resistant
5
No Eye contact
6
Prefers to be alone
7
Shows no affection
8
Fails to greet parents
9
Avoids contact with others
10
Does not imitate
11
Dislike being cuddled or held
12
Does not share or show
13
Do not wave “bye bye”
14
Disagreeable/ noncompliant
15
Temper tantrums
16
Lacks friends and companions
17
Rarely smiles
18
Insensitive to other’s feelings
19
Indifferent to be liked
20
Indifferent if parents leave

III. Sensory or cognitive awareness
 (N)-Not
Descriptive, (S)-Somewhat Descriptive, (V)-Very Descriptive
Sr no
Question
1
Respond to own name
2
Respond to praise
3
Look at people and animals
4
Look at pictures and T.V
5
Does drawing, colouring, art
6
Plays with toys appropriately
7
Appropriate facial expressions
8
Understands stories on T.V
9
Understands explanations
10
Aware of environment
11
Aware of danger
12
Shows imaginations
13
Imitates activities
14
Dresses self
15
Curious, interested
16
Venturesome, explored
17
Tuned in, not spacey
18
Looks where others are looking

IV: Health/ physical/ behaviour
 (N)-Not
Descriptive, (S)-Somewhat Descriptive, (V)-Very Descriptive
Sr no
Question
1
Bed wetting
2
Soil pants/ diapers
3
diarrhoea
4
constipation
5
Sleep problems
6
Eats too much or too little
7
Hyperactive
8
Lethargic
9
Hits or injured self
10
Hits or injures others
11
Destructive
12
Sensitive to sound
13
Anxious / fearful
14
Unhappy/ crying
15
seizures
16
Obsessive speech
17
Rigid routine
18
Shouts or screams
19
Demands sameness/orderliness
20
Often agitated
21
Not sensitive to pain
22
Hooked or fixed to certain objects
23
Repetitive movements

Impression/ final assessment of the patient:
Complaints basing the behaviour, social communication,
interaction and social imagination, repertorisation has to be done basing on
the mental, physical and emotional symptoms of the person and choose most
appropriate medicine which suits person constitution and treated in high
potencies. Accordingly we can choose drugs basing on acute as well as chronic
totality of the complaints.
Basing on complaint of Autism, following rubrics we can
choose,
Impaired social interaction and behaviour:
MIND – AUTISM
MIND – INDIFFERENCE – Apathy, surrounding to
MIND – INVOLVEMENT – reduced
MIND – MONOMANIA
MIND – RESERVED
MIND – AFFECTION – Show affection unable to
MIND – COMPANY – Aversion to
MIND – SOLITUDE – Desire for,
MIND – AILMENTS – Reproaches
Impaired verbal and non verbal communication:
MIND –
TACITURN
MIND –
SPEECH – Inarticulate
MIND –
SPEECH – Names cannot pronounce
MIND –
SPEECH – Wanting
MIND –
SPEECH – Incoherent
MIND –
TALKING – Himself, to
MIND –
Abstract thinking
MIND –
THINKING – Abstract thinking, inability for
Other
rubrics which helps in Autism:
MIND – ROCKING – desire for being rockedMIND – RITUALISTIC, Behaviour
MIND – GESTURES, makes – repeating the same
actionsMIND – GESTURES – make automaticMIND – OBSTINATE, headstrongMIND – CHANGE – aversion toMIND – NEW IDEAS – aversion toMIND – Hyperactive ChildrenGENERALS – ENERGY – Excess of energy, children
in
MIND –
BITING – nails
MIND –
GESTURES, makes – fingers – mouth; children put fingers into the
MIND – MUSIC – desire for
MOUTH – SPEECH – wanting – accompanied by convulsions
GENERALS – CONVULSIONS – speak, on attempting to
MIND – AUTISM – Vaccination after
GENERALS – VACCINATION, ailments after
MIND – FEAR
– noises from
MIND – FEAR
– animals from
MIND –
LAUGHNING – immoderately
MIND – INTOLERANT
– Music, sound
MIND –
RESTLESS – Sounds, music from.
6 Best Homeopathic Remedies for AUTISM without side effects:
Agaricus,
Androctonum, Borax, Baryta, Bufo Ran, Carcinosinum, Calcaria Carb, Calcaria
phos, Cuprum metallicum, Helleborus, Helium, Hydrogenum, Saccharum officinale, Secretin,
Stramonium, Medorrhinum and Thuja.
Helium:
withdrawal of individual, autism. Autism is very appropriate word for Helium.
They don’t feel like entering in this world. They prefer to stay in them self
to experience their own world. They are not interested in finding out the value
and meaning of life. They don’t feel affinity to world matters. Their behaviour
is unable to understand by others, they are simply unapproachable and distant
and the lock up them self.
Thuja
occidentalis:
Anti sychotic remedy, helps in the complaints or ill effects
after vaccination. Fixed ideas, sensation as if body seems to be like glass,
illusions. Don’t like to be touched or approached. Imbecility after
vaccination, restless, mental dejection. Hurried, talks hastily, music
unbearable, makes him sad. Quarrelsome, easily gets angered. The child is
excessively obstinate; in reading and writing he uses wrong expressions. Talks
hastily and swallows the words. Thoughtlessness, forgetful. Slow of speech and
its reflexion, seeking the words during conversation. Incapacity for reflexion.
Baryta carb:
lachrymose disposition, repugnance to strangers or to society, want of self
confidence, child doesn’t want to play, anxious, suspicious temper, fear and
cowardice. Great weakness of memory, inattention to studies, cannot pronounce
words properly. Deficient memory cannot learn and remember.
Calcaria
carb
: child prefers to stay in secured environment, don’t like to be mingle
with strangers and experiments new environment. Slow in learning, eating,
trying something new, and making friends. Preferably they don’t like the
concept of change. They are dull, sluggish, unadventurous in action, not much
interested in conversation, resists, talks slowly, search for proper words
while talking, very less eye to eye contact because of lack of confidence.
Withdrawn nature. Lack stamina both physically and mentally. No ability to
sustain prolonged mental effort. Great rigidity, stubbornness.
Carcinosinum:
Sensitive to reprimands, restless children with destructive nature, frequent
tantrums, when angry becomes stiff and hysterical. Shyness, cannot talk to
others, don’t like to play; don’t like to try new things. Under excessive
parental control, cowardice. Self contempt, repeats actions,

Hydrogenum: there is
difficult concentration, mental confusion and forgetfulness. A peculiar symptom
is the mistaking of left and right. There are mistakes in writing and the sense
of time is distorted. Emotionally, there is much depression along with
lethargy. They can feel detached and indifferent with a desire to be alone.
This can lead to irritability and anger. They often feel hurried, suffer from
nervous anxiety and feel fear in the stomach. Confidence is lacking and there
is a general sense of vulnerability. Irritability, anger, quarrelsome. Laughs at
ordinary or serious things.

Proper case
taking, drawing the totality of symptoms, repertorisation and comparing the
drugs basing on remedy indication like classical homoeopathy in autism will
help the person in emotional, mental and physical plane. It will improve the
quality of life and independent life of autistic child. Appropriate counselling
and proper care help them to live there life without others support and care.
Classical homeopathy
will help to cure or improve the ASD children.    
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Drdevendra Kumar munta

Autism is really a great problem in developing countries where they use superfluous vaccination. Homeopathic medicines really works on the bad effects of vaccination and further sequel of vaccination. thank you dr.sunitha for providing a complete guide for us on Homeopathy treatment for autism.