From the October 31, 2011 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health comes a case study documenting the correction of autistic symptoms of a child receiving chiropractic care.
The authors of the study start off by reporting some sobering statistics by stating, “Autism is a neurobehavioral disorder that has shown an increase in prevalence in the children of this era. It affects more than 400,000 in the United States and ranks as the third most common developmental disorder of the pediatric population.”
In this case a 9-year-old autistic boy was presented to a chiropractic office for care by his mother. She also noted that her son had a history of repeated ear infections and fell frequently due to his hyperactivity. The boy was also suffering from delayed speech at 1-2 years of age and had not spoken by 3-years of age. Finally at the age of 3 and a half, the boy was diagnosed with autism.
A chiropractic examination was performed and it was determined that the boy had subluxations in his pelvis and in the top bone in the neck, the “atlas”. A series of specific chiropractic adjustments was begun for correction of the subluxations found. Dietary changes were also made.
The results of the case were partially determined by the mother filling out an Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), comparing her son’s behavior before care, to his behavior at around the 14th visit. The overall scores of the ATEC showed a 16% improvement by the 14th chiropractic adjustment. This included a 17% improvement in the Health / Physical Behavior score.
In addition the child was able to discontinue one of the medications he was taking and at the time of the study, reduce the remaining one. The mother also reported that her son improved to the point where he had an almost complete absence of stereotypical autistic movements, improvements in his ability in sociable situations and improvements in communication, both verbal and physical.
