Cannabis Treatment for Autism?
Many parents of autistic children are desperate due to the lack of effective treatment methods. Medical cannabis could, however, provide hope for improving the condition of not only children with autism. Why? We'll explore that in today's article…
What is Autism?
Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a collection of complex brain developmental disorders. As a "spectrum", ASD affects individuals in various scales, but generally, a person with autism suffers from three main symptoms:
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Communication difficulties
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Social interaction challenges
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Repeated, often self-harming behavioral patterns
While some ASD children are considered intellectually delayed, others are characterized as highly intelligent and functional - they may excel in music, mathematics, or art. Moreover, some symptoms can improve with age. However, other children with autism are unable to communicate and may engage in self-harming behavior.
Autism manifests through difficult social interaction.
What Causes Autism?
Research tells us that autism can be traced back to early brain development. Over the past few years, many mutations and rare genetic changes have been identified, with several potentially acting as autism catalysts. In other cases, autism may be caused by a combination of environmental influences and genetic predispositions affecting early brain development.
Other risk factors may include:
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Parents' age at conception
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Mother's illness during pregnancy
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Problems during pregnancy or birth, such as insufficient oxygen supply to the child's brain
None of these factors alone causes autism, but combined with a genetic predisposition, the risk increases. According to encouraging evidence, women can reduce the risk of autism development in their children by following a diet rich in folic acid and taking prenatal vitamins before and after conception.
Current Autism Treatment Methods
Every autistic child is unique. What works for one child may have an adverse effect on another. Most commonly, we encounter behavioral therapies, which include social skills training or parent-led sessions under therapist supervision. With increasing age, extensive structured therapeutic activities, social skills development, motor skills development, and rhetoric training become more effective.
Very few medications for autism are approved. Only two medications for irritability associated with autism exist, but no medication has been approved to treat the 3 main characteristics of autism - communication difficulties, social interaction problems, and repeated behavioral patterns.
Although the 2 approved medications can help with irritability and restlessness in autistic children, they may also carry some negative side effects - including rapid weight gain. These medications are:
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Risperdal
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Abilify