Patient: Alex, an infant boy
Diagnosis: severely autistic and mentally retarded
Treatment: Osteopathic treatment
Treatment Period: 2 years
Outcome: functions at or above grade level and gets along well with his peers
Consider the case of Alex. He was a firstborn, male child. His birth was difficult. His mother’s labor continued for 27 hours. The nurse was instructed “to push the baby back” until the doctor arrived. 2 ½ hours using a vacuum extraction did not accomplish a vaginal delivery, and cesarean section became the procedure of choice.
As an infant Alex rarely slept more than 3 hours at a time. When he was awake, he screamed as if in pain, spit up after every feeding, and would only suck on one side of the breast. He favored sleeping on the right side and resisted sleeping on the left. When he was 6 months of age, his pediatrician noticed that the head was misshapen and advised the mother to do gentle neck stretching. However, his neck worsened with each immunization he received. This was dismissed as coincidental.
By 14 months old, Alex was saying 6 or 8 words but the pediatrician told the parents that he might be mildly delayed.
Alex’s eyes, once full of curiosity, now stared blankly into space. He never learned to crawl. At 20 months his parents were told he was moderately retarded and Occupational therapy was ordered once a week.
At three years old, Alex was classified as severely autistic and mentally retarded. His odd shaped head was dismissed as being unrelated. His chronic diarrhea were again dismissed as being coincidental. The neurologist told the parents there was nothing to be done and they should not waste their money on “therapies.” Moreover, he his parents were told to prepare for eventual institutionalized care at which time the parents sought another approach---The Children’s HOPE Center approach.
Alex was given osteopathic treatment over a period of two years. After the second treatment he said “ball” for the first time. His chronic head banging stopped. After testing, Alex was placed on a gluten and casein-free diet. He was treated for yeast. He was seen by a developmental optometrist.
After two years, he had a reevaluation by the same neurologist who apparently did not remember his severe case. His parents were told that Alex did not have autism and the diagnosis must be wrong, This was until the neurologist reviewed his chart and realized that he had diagnosed the child with severe autism. He had no explanation except to say he was “one in a million.”
He now functions at or above grade level and gets along well with his peers. Without treatment, his parents believe, his life would be significantly different. Osteopathy can make a positive difference in children’s lives.