Every rare once in a while, I simply must share a client’s success story with you. Of course, the success stories I hear are myriad … but some just stand out above the rest.
This is one such case: A little boy with severe autism who is now showing marked improvement and receiving mystified raves from his teachers.
This is what I like to call a “clean case,” which is rare. There were no meds or supplements to muddy the results. There was no nutritionist, so he followed no special diet. Being able to eliminate other influences from his treatment enabled us to recognize this result was achieved with just homeopathy.
Let me give you some background first, and as Jack Webb used to say in Dragnet, “Only the names have been changed, to protect the innocent.” (I’m just not comfortable sharing clients’ names, even when I have their permission.)
Cindy’s beautiful son Paul developed normally. He had bright eyes, walked early, and was cute-as-a-button. But, starting at about six months old, he was plagued with almost constant ear infections. He was sick, sick, sick!
As many moms do when trying to do the right thing, Cindy made an almost weekly trek to the pediatrician. (She had an older son, so she knew this was different.) It seemed that once a month, little Paul was put on antibiotics — different types each time. He was given a flu shot at 12 months old. And soon, the pediatrician advised tubes be put in Paul’s ears.
That brought on “the moment” — the exact moment when things markedly changed. When Paul woke up from anesthesia, Cindy noticed he was different. He was very quiet and didn’t exhibit any facial expressions. The doctor advised the change was likely because Paul’s hearing was different post-surgery — little Paul was hearing new sounds and having to relearn his reactions to them, said the surgeon.
But Cindy knew something was wrong. And it never went away. “We lost him,” Cindy said sadly.
The next year was filled with sickness, more antibiotics, another surgery to remove his adenoids, and anxiety. Lots and lots of anxiety. (And lots and lots of sleepless nights.)
Paul had withdrawn. He didn’t talk. He couldn’t maintain eye contact. He wouldn’t eat normal food. Food, in fact, disgusted him. He would only eat dry, packaged, crispy things. He spent his entire day spinning things, such as the covers of Cindy’s kitchen pots. Spinning. Spinning. Spinning. Little Paul was lost.
Paul couldn’t communicate and had no other way to express himself except for violent tantrums. Cindy tried everything. Her attentiveness to Paul was truly admirable. When her family moved to New York, he was diagnosed with severe autism. Paul went through hundreds of hours of therapy. He worked so hard just to be able to say “Mom.”
Then he came down with a case of croup. Normally, croup is not what I would consider to be a blessing — but in this case, it may very well have been.
Cindy called the local health food store to see what they recommended. She now admits she must’ve sounded desperate, because the lady at the health food store took a special interest in her, advising her to check out my website.
After reading the blogs and testimonials, Cindy decided to call my office to schedule a consult. Today, she says — to my humble honor — she felt I had a certain “confidence” that enabled her to trust (and dare try) the homeopathic process.
So, we set to work addressing his croup. Normally, when Paul would have bad attacks, he would not be able to breathe. Panic would set in, making the situation worse. Cindy would carry him from his bed to outside in the cold. It would help — a little — at least enough where she felt comfortable placing him back in bed.
But, that pattern would soon become routine. Carrying him from the bed to the outside was taxing. Nobody got any sleep. However, once her homeopathic remedies arrived and Cindy gave Paul Aconitum, he calmed down. Thirty minutes later, he fell asleep — and he never had to leave his bed in the middle of the night again.
And with that, she was sold on homeopathy. “This is not a placebo!” Cindy exclaimed.
So, with this newfound confidence of her own, we began implementing other remedies to address Paul’s autism. At 3 ½ years old, shortly after our efforts began, Paul looked at Cindy one day — right in the eyes. It was as though a veil had been lifted, however brief it may have been. At that moment, Cindy said “a little bit of Paul” came back.
Unfortunately, Cindy had to give up her appointments with me for a quite a while. Yet, she was unable to tweak the remedies by herself, and they started aggravating.
Paul got an ear infection again, though Cindy was determined not to allow antibiotics back into her home. She saw a local classical homeopath who tried three or four different remedies for almost a year, but they just didn’t solve the problem.
At this point, she returned to consultations with me. That low-level ear infection was stubborn, but after two months, it began to disappear.
Plus, we also returned to addressing Paul’s autism.
Now, as you know, I take joy in offering my readers particular homeopathics for specific conditions, but autism is a little different. I have a couple of protocols that I’ve used, but there’s more to it than one or two remedies for this condition.
Subtle symptoms can make all the difference in the remedy choice.
Hence, I am forgoing mentioning the autism medicines I taught Cindy to use, and am instead including those recommended for his food intolerances and severe allergies, and appetite (or lack thereof).
These are important because autism is so closely associated with gut conditions:
- Bovista 200 — allergies and food intolerances
- Tuberculinum 200 — allergies, growth, and appetite
*(Remember to scroll down to download the free remedy cards naming these remedies.)
When Cindy and I first began our consultations, Paul was in special education classes. He was nonverbal. He couldn’t initiate a conversation. He was known to throw desks or chairs at school during his tantrums. He even slapped a teacher!
But now, in a very short amount of time (about four consecutive consultations held every two months), Cindy has begun to see increased improvement. Paul’s teachers are blown away. In fact — in a moment that certainly left an impression on me — one teacher actually took the time to text Cindy her amazement.
His teachers say he is no longer autistic.
Paul’s language is blossoming; his personality is flourishing.
He maintains eye contact. He is eating more foods and is more open to variety.
Now in second grade, he’s been mainstreamed from special education into a regular class; something Cindy never thought possible! He’s had no further ear infections and doesn’t get sick nearly as often as before.
Paul is also able to handle change more smoothly. In fact, Cindy and her family have moved into a new house, and at the same time, Paul changed teachers! Normally, that would have thrown him completely. But this time, it did not.
One of the most precious changes is that Paul has developed empathy! For instance, Paul had a brief setback at school and in his frustration, pushed another student. But, unlike in the past, he immediately apologized, cried, and began caring for the little girl with great concern for her comfort. Those of you familiar with autism will recognize this as an especially amazing achievement.
And, Paul now has a sense of humor!! He and Cindy have been working on math flashcards and recently, when walking to the bus, she quizzed him. “What is 7 + 2?” Paul answered “ZERO!”
Before Cindy could react with hidden concern, she noticed he had a cute little look on his face as though he had pulled a very clever joke — and Paul corrected his answer to, “Nine.” It was a beautiful moment for Cindy.
It’s difficult not to use one superlative after the other because some of these achievements seem miraculous. However, Cindy is quick to point out that you can drive yourself mad trying to eradicate all traces of autism completely. But, what Paul has achieved is no less than amazing — in her words, it is a “tremendous difference.”
There are still a couple of veils between Paul and the world, but the veils are more transparent. “We can see him there now,” she says. He’s popping out of his shell. He’s moved up the spectrum toward Asperger’s and is hitting his developmental marks — a bit late, but he is hitting them.
He taught himself to ride a bike. He swims now. As Cindy says, “We have Paul with us!” She is confident he will grow up to live on his own, go to college, and have a job. Before homeopathy? She would have told you there wasn’t a chance for any of that.
I have to commend Cindy. She is a very specific type of mother, designed perfectly for working through such a severe issue with the use of homeopathy.
She is attentive, yet not hyper-focused. She never seems to freak out. If it were me, I must admit, I might just freak out. She is different. She is careful and cautious, yet not neurotic nor insecure. She is pragmatic; her emotions don’t dictate her responses to life’s many challenges. She is a good model for all of us who are mothers.
And here (paraphrased), is what Cindy advises other mothers do in similar situations:
“Health is work. Roll up your sleeves and work for it. Never sit. You can win back control. It is worth the money and the effort. Be competitive — don’t give up. Is it immediate gratification? No. Homeopathy can take some time, but when it works you can say, ‘I healed them!’ And there is no greater gratification than that.”
