Restoration and Respect

Autism is a whole-body condition affecting multiple physiological systems, such as the immune, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems, and involving intestinal inflammation, metabolic abnormalities, immune dysregulation and detoxification impairment.

“Autism” has been a label used in ways that have impeded the children, in general, from getting the help that they need from mainstream medicine -- specifically, addressing the roots/underlying conditions. “Autism” tells us nothing about what is going on internally. It follows the outdated paradigm of behaviors isolated from the rest of an individual’s physiology. That is medically-medieval thinking as the brain is not separate from the body. This type of thinking can never respect the whole person. I feel that we need to continue to try to turn thinking around to recognize the underlying conditions (e.g., gastrointestinal pathology). Children are turned away by some gastroenterologists when the “autism” label is mentioned; “neurotypical” individuals with the same symptoms would be seen and treated. Our children deserve the same respect.

Autism is an “ism” that has engendered disrespect, like sexism and racism. Often when “autism” is mentioned, the listener ceases to view the whole person and focuses on one aspect -- an aspect that society has wrongly devalued or marginalized.

There are people who, from a philosophical standpoint, heatedly argue against the verbiage of “curing” autism or “curing” a child who has autism. What we really want to “cure” are things such as gastrointestinal pathology and agonizing, debilitating, behavior- and toxin-producing associated symptoms; immune dysregulation; and anything else that causes distress to the child and threatens cognition and their having as safe, healthy, and functional a future as possible. We love, appreciate, and respect our children and their shining personalities. We don’t want to change our children’s spirits. We want to remedy the underlying dis-ease -- the same as any doctor or parent is expected to responsibly and compassionately do for any child, individual, or patient. People often do not make the distinction between more-able individuals and severely affected/severely ill children who are in pain and who will not be able to independently keep themselves safe and healthy and meet their basic human needs without intervention.

By viewing the child diagnosed with autism as a whole person, we respect that whole person -- far from disrespecting the person and their personality, dignifying their real physical needs gives them respect.