Healing Our Autistic Children:A Medical Plan for Restoring Your Child’s Health. Finished 1-4-15, rating 5/5, Autism/Health, 211 pages, pub. 2010

Every 20 minutes a child is diagnosed with a disease on the autism spectrum–including ADD, learning disabilities, Aspergers, Autism, and PDD–making it today’s most common childhood disability. While the medical establishment treats autism as a psychiatric condition and prescribes behaviorally based therapies, Dr. Julie A. Buckley argues that it is a physiological disease that must be medically treated.

Part personal story of her battle to heal her autistic daughter, part guide for parents, Healing Our Autistic Children explains simply and accessibly the new treatments and diets that have already proven effective for many families. Told through the case studies of her patients, the book is divided into four typical visits to Dr. Buckley’s pediatric practice so that parents can see the progression of initial treatment. Written in a warmly engaging voice, parents new to the diagnosis will:
learn about clinical treatments that work
understand how different foods affect the body and how to begin implementing diets
learn to navigate the medical system and advocate for their child
bridge the communication gap with their pediatrician
discover that recovery is possible

from Goodreads

Most children on the autism spectrum (and the numbers will be astronomical soon, one MIT researcher shockingly predicting 1 in 2 children by 2050) have similar issues that appear behavioral to most people, but in reality can be rooted in actual medical issues.  Buckley’s take on it is if you fix the medical issues (the earlier the better) then the behavioral aspects of the disorder will lessen if not disappear.  Let me be clear, she is not saying she has a CURE but she is saying that autism is TREATABLE MEDICALLY.  Since Gage was diagnosed on the mild end of the spectrum I have done lots of reading and this book is the best one I’ve read for the biomedical approach.  Biomedical, you say?  Diet, supplements, other alternative methods – treating the underlying issues.

This should be one of the very first books that parents read when their child is diagnosed.  She makes it easy to understand complex issues and gives you an overview and specifics on the first steps to take with your child.  And at just over 200 pages you can lend it to people who love your kid (after Jason and I, Grandma was the next reader).

The biomedical approach is not one that is embraced by the medical establishment, but considering their training on autism I am not surprised.  This approach speaks to me because I have always seen actual health issues with Gage that we’ve tried and are trying to address.  I won’t bore you with the details, but the lack of support I have found with almost every doctor I’ve dragged Gage to is astounding.  And frustrating.  A parent really has to seek out the answers (and often this means asking the right question) herself and this book is an excellent starting point.  Wish I’d read it two years ago.

I borrowed it from the library but then purchased my own copy to share.