I remember hearing that folic acid helps with scripting. I also remembered hearing that TMG helped improve language and lessoned scripting. Many months ago I decided to add Folinic acid to Sophie’s regimen, it is folic acid with some with stuff to help the body process it easier.

She has been scripting much less. To be honest, I really didn’t notice how little she was scripting until I skipped supplements for a couple of days. Her scripting completely came back, constantly talking, repeating her favorite lines from TV shows.

After adding back her folinic acid and TMG, it is very minimal again. She can once again concentrate on other things instead of the unending chatter. I don’t know what is helping her more, TMG or Folinic acid. I might do some experiments soon to see which it is, I suspect the folinic acid. I will keep you updated.

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I hear crazy laughter ringing through the darkness. It is in the bed next to me. It is the middle of the night and I haven’t been able to sleep, it is so loud and the bed keeps shaking. Something is bouncing on the bed right next to me. I shiver thinking about the blows to my face, the times when I have felt a hard skull smash against my nose or mouth in the darkness, and I am left with a fat lip or blood around the edges of my nose. And then something unexpected happens, I feel sharp teeth clenched down on the skin on my arm, ripping at my flesh.

No I am not having a nightmare or writing a horror novel. Sophie is having yeast issues and getting a molar in. Sometimes I can’t believe that this is my life.

I received this email yesterday and wanted address it.

I’m sure my son has yeast issues. How much of the different components do you give? And how will I know when to move on to the next step? Thanks for your time.

I am not a doctor and urge you to seek medical advice for any of your health problems. With my rear now cover, here is what I do step by step

I would first start my child with 1/2 capsule, twice a day, of No-Fenol enzymes by Houston Enzymes . You could also use other anti-candida enzymes, but I am not sure on the dosing, just check the label. If you are already using TriEnza it already contains No-Fenol so skip this step.

After 3 days, to make sure they are tolerating the enzyme, 1/2 capsule of probiotic- twice a day. Watch closely for die off symptoms, (flu like symptoms), if they occur give 1 or 2 capsules of activated charcoal.

After 3 days, to make sure they are tolerating the probiotic, I would add 2 drops of Grapefruit seed extract twice a day. Watch closely for die off, (flu like symptoms), if they occur give 1 or 2 capsules of activated charcoal an hour or 2 after the GSE.

If there is no problem tolerating the probiotic, then I would wait a couple of weeks to add the biotin. If probiotics are not tolerated, add the biotin in it’s place.

Here is what my schedule would look like

Day 1-3

• 1/2 capsule No-Fenol 2X per day (this amount will not change)

Day 4-6

• 1/2 cap. No-Fenol 2x per day
• 1/2 cap. of probiotic 2x per day

On day 6 increase to 1 cap of probiotic 2x per day

Day 7-9

• 1/2 cap. No-Fenol 2x per day
• 1 cap. of probiotic 2x per day
• Give 2 drops of GSE 2x a day with the No-fenol. Give the probiotic 2-3 hours later.

If a lot of die off occurs, give activated charcoal and stay at this dosage a little longer.

Day 10-12

• 1/2 cap. No-Fenol 2x per day
• 1 cap. of probiotic 2x per day
• Give 2 drops of GSE 3x per day

Day 13 and on

• 1/2 cap. No-Fenol 2x per day
• 1 cap. of probiotic 2x per day 9 (you can increase this to 3x a day)
• GSE 3x per day.

Increase the amount of GSE by 1 to 2 drops every few days until you feel like the yeast is under control. At that point, you can back down to a maintenance dose of 2 drops, a couple of times a day, or stop it completely. I would keep the probiotics on board. The no-fenol is optional, but it does have benefits beyond yeast. If my child seems to do better with the no-fenol, I would keep it, if not drop it.

I have put together a amazon store with all of the products I have mentioned here.

I have not heard of a child with autism that doesn’t have a yeast problem. That being said, one could exist and if you treat yeast and there is not an overgrowth issue or your child already had a bacteria issue, you can end up with major bacteria overgrowth. Adding probiotics will help to contain the bacteria and if you are sure there is already a bacteria issue, treat for both.

How do I know if my child has a problem with yeasts?

There are lab test to check for yeast. Great Plains Labs has a test that gives an in depth look at yeast and bacteria, it is call an Organic Acids Test or OAT. There is also the spit test , though I cannot testify to it’s accuracy.

I believe the most accurate way to know if your child has yeast is to look for the symptoms. Here is the list:

• spinning
• flapping
• gas & bloating
• constipation
• hyperactivity
• spacey, inattentive, and fuzzy thinking
• yeast infections (vaginal, nail fungus, athlete’s foot, or thrush)
• irritability
• acting drunk
• inappropriate laughter
• food sensitivities
• digestive problems
• itchy areas (genitals, anus, ears)
• red ring around anus
• scaly patches on skin (ears and scalp)

I am sure there are more symptoms, but these are the ones I could think of.

How do I treat it?

This is how I treat yeast using naturals.

First start with an enzyme that will break down the hard shell of the yeast. I use No Fenol by Houston Nutraceuticals. Some other brands would be Candidase, Candex and Candizyme.

Then use something to kill it. Grapefruit Seed Extract(GSE) is very effective. Oil of Oregano will also kill yeast along with bacteria and garlic kills yeast. I use GSE, although it is absolutely HORRIBLE tasting. You can hide it in orange juice, yogurt, chocolate ice cream, any citrus drink. Start with 1 or 2 drops- 2 or 3 times a day and slowly work up, watching for die off*.

Then Add biotin. Biotin is produced by good bacteria in the intestines. From what I can gather it helps to keep yeast from clinging to the walls of the intestines, becoming the more invasive from of candida. I would start somewhere around 200-300mcg 2 ot 3 times a day and work up. It can also cause constipation, so you may want to give it with magnesium. My daughter has taken up to 10mg (10,000mcg) a day.

Finally Give probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria in our digestive system. They keep the bad bacteria and yeast in check. We are trying to restore the balance of good and bad bacteria. I use pro-bio gold by Kirkman labs and Therabiotics by Klaire Labs, but the second one requires physician approval. I give 1 capsule 2 times a day, sometimes more.

Keep a low sugar diet. Sugar feeds yeast. There is a yeast diet that cuts out all food that feeds yeast. The SCD diet is also said to kill yeast because on it you only eat simple sugars so everything is easily digested, not leaving fermenting food in your system.

*While killing yeast, die off symptoms may occur. The symptoms are fatigue, brain fog, gastro-intestinal distress such as nausea, gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, low grade fever, headache, sore throat, body itch, muscle and / or joint soreness or pain, feeling as if coming down with a flu. These are a sign that large numbers of yeast are being killed and when they die they release toxins. Activated charcoal will help by absorbing these toxins, but the best way to deal with this is by going very slow.

I have also used prescription drugs to yeast. I will discuss these in another article. Certain things will also cause yeast to flare up, like chelation and viral treatment.

Here is a page where you can buy all of these things

Sometimes I freeze, just momentarily. I get trapped by hopelessness and I am paralyzed. My breathe falls from my chest and I can’t seem to suck in any air. What if she never gets better? What if what I have been doing with her isn’t helping at all and we are trapped in this pit.

I have no choice but to stop to encourage myself. Light always overcomes the darkness. Even the tiny flame from a single match will chase away the darkness leaving only shadows remaining.

My daughter is still here. Her mind is full and wonderful. I will build a bridge from her mind to the world and she will walk over it someday.

Finally yesterday we got some relief from the watery diarrhea. I dropped all the medicine she was taking, started probiotics 4 times a day and started adding biotin. I suspect the biotin made the big difference. When I started thinking about biotin, I remembered that it not only fights yeast overgrowth but it can also cause constipation.

Sophie seemed very aware last night. She is actually tearing the house apart exploring. Seeing some progress would make all of this weeks carpet scrubbing worth it.

“It’s indisputable that (autism) is on the rise among children, the question is what’s causing it. And we go back and forth and there’s strong evidence that indicates it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines.” –John McCain, Texas town hall meeting, February 29, 2008.

McCain was responding to a question from the mother of a boy with autism, who asked about a recent story that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program had issued a judgment in favor of an unnamed child whose family claimed regressive encephalopathy and symptoms of autism were caused by thimerosal.

“We’ve been waiting for years for kind of a responsible answer to this question, and are hoping that you can help us out there,” the woman said.

I am trying to find video of this. I will post it when and if it is found.

Sarah Palin spoke directly to families with special needs saying:

Our family has the same ups and downs as any other — the same challenges and the same joys.

Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.

And children with special needs inspire a special love.

To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.

I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.

From one mom to another, I cried.

This story is reprinted with permission from Recovered from Autism. Thanks Erica!

Our Story

Kaiden was born July 5, 2001, a healthy 9 pounds, 10 ounces. He scored a 9 and 10 on the APGAR. The next day he developed a small fever and jaundice. I found out later he had a HepB vaccine without my knowledge and against my request. Despite persistent thrush and yeast rashes, my son flourished. He maintained growth in the 95th percentile, began very early babbling sounds, and began sleeping through the night. Except for persistent thrush and yeast, he was the perfect happy, healthy baby.

All H*ll Breaks Loose

At 9 weeks old, he had his first round of vaccines. Something intuitively made me question vaccinating him. I did some research but the internet was not yet what it is today. The day of the appointment, I talked to the doctor about it. We have an extensive history of reactions to vaccines. My brother completely lost his hearing in one ear after a vaccine. He also had severe allergies and asthma. I had a reaction to a tetanus vaccine as a child. In college, I was revaxed with the MMR. I developed symptoms of measles, mumps, and rubella. I was very sick. I then developed severe allergies to everything, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, IBS, and other immune related problems. However, I never made the connection to the MMR revax until after my son’s ordeal. My oldest daughter also reacted to the MMR and began hitting herself in the face shortly thereafter and then developed sensory integration dysfunction.

The doctor negated my fears and spent 30 minutes convincing me to give my son the shots. I refused the HepB and he agreed it was completely unneccesary for a baby. The doctor emphatically reassured me the shots no longer contained thimerosal. I put my trust in him and held my son down for the shots. I found out later they did include thimerosol (September of 2001).

My son screamed basically non-stop from that moment on. He stopped sucking his thumb, stopped sleeping almost completely, screamed relentlessly, developed all over body hives and eczema, severe reflux and aspirating, and his chronic yeast and thrush worsened.

He ceased all babbling, and plummeted from the 95th percentile to below the 5th to off the chart for weight. He stopped having BMs (having only 3 in 2 months in the time right after his shots!) He developed food intolerances to nearly everything. He began headbanging as soon as he could crawl (at an early 5.5 months).

Confronting the Doctor

After his reaction, I noticed he was very gassy and colicky and figured he had developed a dairy sensitivity as my daughter had also developed this after her first shots. I eliminated all dairy from my diet (he was exclusively nursed) except baked in things. There was slight improvement (4 hours sleep, less crying). But he was still refluxing and aspirating terribly.

After many unhelpful trips to the doctor, I demanded to see a GI specialist. Our ped insisted nothing was wrong because (I kid you not) he said my son was “so good looking there couldn’t possibly be anything wrong with him.” He called him his “movie star baby” and told me I was over-reacting.

Shortly thereafter my son went 14 days without a BM and started spitting up bile. We got our GI referral. In the appointment with our doctor, I demanded to read the package insert for my son’s vaccines. The doctor stormed out of the room and came back in with the DTaP shot insert. He made a big deal of unfolding the insert and began reading the ingredients. He stopped, covered his mouth, nervously giggled, and said, “Oops, I guess it does still contain thimerosal.” He quickly folded the sheet back up, tossed it at me and said, “for what it’s worth” and walked out of the room. We never went back.

We had an Upper GI series and discovered severe reflux and aspirating. Also, at my ped’s recommendation, we had begun giving him rice cereal and mashed bananas to try to help with the reflux. He developed a little red dot hive next to his lip everytime he had the cereal so I stopped it. He also seemed worse when I had chinese food. The GI specialist determined there was soy lethicin in the rice cereal and that he was also sensitive to soy. He was right. I eliminated dairy and soy completely from my diet and he improved - sleeping 6 hours per night - no more crying - but still no babbling.

The GI specialist put him on Pepcid which eliminated the aspirating. However he continued to lose weight and stayed off the weight charts for a year.

A Name for the problem… Autism

Ironically, I had read part of Lisa Lewis’ book, “Special Diets for Special Kids” at the book store looking for casein free recipes and after reading her intro about her son was so freaked out I threw the book down and ran out of the book store terrified as it sounded so much like my baby.

As Kaiden got older, typical and severe autistic stims (self-stimulatory behaviors) became more apparent -headbanging 50 times per day, staring into space with no blinking or reaction, licking things, lining things up, raging, etc. He had severe food intolerances, PST (phenol sulfur transferese) deficiency, leaky gut syndrome, hypotonia, and a multitude of other issues (most of which I didn’t recognize until I read Karyn Seroussi’s “Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and PDD” and William Shaw’s “Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD.”

By July of 2002 when my son turned 1 year old - he was still off the weight charts despite eating well. He had chronic eczema, all over body hives, a weepy eye, and all the other issues. I was desparate and knew he was probably autistic because of his classic behaviors. He was headbanging about 50 times per day, had never played with a toy, didn’t interact with his 5 year old sister, and didn’t talk. He stared at the TV for hours at a time (if I let him) without looking away, did not respond to his name, had never pointed, and basically just wandered around the house all day. Despite this, he still smiled easily on his own terms.

At his one year check up his new doctor said, “You know this all equals autism.” I already knew. I went back to the bookstore and bought several books on autism. That day changed my life. I started reading that night and read three books in the next three days. It was like reading my life story. (See links for resources.)

At 13 months, he had started saying some words, calling his sister by name, etc. But by 16 months, he had stopped most of that. I could shout his name 25 times (I counted once) and he would not turn to look at me.

The Diet

In June, just before his first birthday, I took us down to 4 foods (I was still nursing him so I had to follow his diet) for 2 weeks (turkey, asparagus, pears, and sweet potato as my research indicated these were the least likely to be allergenic). Most symptoms rapidly disappeared. I reintroduced one new food at a time every 5 days until we worked our way up to 10 foods. By Thanksgiving he was doing remarkably better. He headbanged maybe 10 times per day, would sit and color for hours at a time (which to me was better than raging) and was a little more “with it.”

We could keep symptoms to a minimum if we ate only these things: rice, potato, pears, beef, chicken, pork, occasionally asparagus and brocolli, and pancakes and waffles made with rice, tapioca, and potato flour.

A Turning Point … Homeopathy

We began homeopathy treatments in November, 2002. By Christmas, he showed minimal behavioral symptoms of autism. But he still had a drunken sailor walk and occaisonal stims. He had about 5 words which were actually stims. However, he played with toys, engaged his sister, pointed to things all over the place and was finally “here!”

I received minimal help from our pediatrician. We had two developmental screens from our child development services and they always happened just after we did a food elimination so he was always improved at the assessments. He was assessed at 1.5 years old after we did the elimination diet and started homeopathy and they said he was probably no longer full blown autistic but was still PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) at a minimum. We were put on the 1+ year wait list to see the developmental pediatrician.

We remortgaged our house to pay for medical bills. We did qualify for free speech, OT, and developmental therapy which the assessment found warranted. We found a DAN doctor who confirmed our suspicions and documented our son had high mercury, high arsenic, leaky gut syndrome, excess yeast, and tetanus titers 3 times what is considered immune after just one shot (they are supposed to receive four). He said our son was “a classic case of autism.”

By February of 2003, I eliminated the last of our highly phenolic foods (peaches) and all corn sources we had reintroduced as he had begun licking things and spinning. That brought us down to 7 foods (rice, potato, chicken, pork, tapioca flour, egg yolks, and pears) - occasionally he could tolerate asparagus and broccoli. Most of his “bad” behaviors disappeared and he began babbling and saying a few words.

Also in February, he developed what we think was a severe case of the “flu” and almost died. He spent two nights in the ER and was basically unconscious for three days. He raged with yeast rash and thrush and a high fever. Amazingly, he awoke from this after 5 days, sat up in my lap and pointed to my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth and said each word! We were flabberghasted! He did it twice. Afterwards, he was dramatically improved and no longer needed the Pepcid he had been on for 15 months. The homeopath and our DAN doctor believe it was a “healing crisis.” Who knows!

In the spring of 2003, we gave him his first dose of DTP remedy. The change was phenomenal. His personality really began to shine and he made huge leaps in development. His weepy eye cleared up. His hypotonia went away and his physical strength increased so that he could climb up on the furniture, etc. He would respond to his name on the first try and seemed to understand everything going on around him, although he was still mostly nonverbal.

His own Language and Yeast

Although the diet and homeopathy helped, Kaiden still had issues. His speech was severely delayed as well as disordered. What little words he did use, were made up words other people could not understand. For example, “ticky-tick-ah” meant pears, “bah hip” meant sheep yogurt, “hmmhmm” meant music, “oh” meant yes, etc.

He still had leaky gut problems, and occasional headbanging or spinning if we tried a new food. In July (at 2 years old), we began giving him Culturelle, a probiotic, Lactobacillus LL. The change was dramatic. He had his first formed BM in over 4 months. Within 3 days he was babbling and his language jumped from 9 months to 15 months. He had about 20 words. I also discovered I had my own yeast issues. Because I was still nursing him to try to keep him as healthy as possible, I had to eat what he did. I also began the probiotic with much improvement.

We also began Kirkman’s Super-Nuthera, DMG for speech, and Carlson’s Cod Liver Oil. He also continued with cranial sacral therapy which he had received since birth. We saw good improvement with each. Later we added NoFenol enzyme which allowed him to eat bananas and peaches again. In the fall of 2003, we discovered sheep yogurt. Kaiden tolerated it with no symptoms. It caused considerable yeast die off but further improvement for his gut. Tired of the same old foods, he ate it with every meal for weeks. His physical appearance improved and we saw less and less raging and tantrums from yeast.

A Return to Normal Life

In October of 2003, he was doing very well. He had about 35 words but used mostly sign language to communicate. He learned over 50 signs in 2 days from Signing Time videos. He still had occasional stims, still had rages and headbanging, and ate only 7 foods (rice, potato, pears, chicken, beef, bananas, and sheep yogurt). We discovered he could pick out states on a map, knew all his colors, all his shapes, and was very bright. He weaned himself at 27 months. His only drink was water. The only rice milk he could drink was discontinued and he refused homemade.

Late October, we again dosed him with the DTP remedy. The change in him was absolutely dramatic. Within 3 days he had completely potty trained himself (at 27 months). He went from never having put on a piece of clothing to completely dressing himself every day. He began talking in full sentences. His language jumped up to age appropriate. I lost track counting at 150 words. He stopped almost all stimming, and he just blossomed. With a month, he presented like a normal, happy toddler.

On Christmas, he excitedly ran downstairs and opened all his presents, enjoying every one.. .talking all the time. Just 6 months before at his 2 year birthday he had sat quietly and happily watched his sister open all his presents. At Christmas, not only did he open all of his, but he wanted to open every one else’s as well!

In January 2004, at his assessment with Child Development Services, he no longer qualified for services as he was age appropriate and tested out advanced in many areas. He sleeps 11 hours per night, is incredibly happy, and a true delight.

In Feb. 2004 while driving in the car he told me all about how “bears hibernate in the winter, lions roar in the jungle, and baby kangaroos ride in their mommy’s pouch.” At bedtime, he would sneak out of bed and turn on his light to read books in his bed. Every day he surprises and delights us with new stories and new thoughts and ideas. His speech is extremely articulate and his inflection is heartwarming. He has also become very loving and snuggly. Whereas before he did not like his fingers, toes, and ears touched, today he will happily climb on my lap and snuggle in. One of the happiest days of my life was when he recently held my face in his hands and said, “I love you, Mommy.”

We began GSE sometime in 2004 with tremendous results. This stuff is liquid gold and the whole family benefits from maintenance dosing.

I believe the homeopathy played a significant role in his recovery. It’s hard to tell how much of the initial improvements were from diet or from the homeopathy but I think each played a different role. It has also worked wonders for me and our daughter.

In September 2005, Kaiden was almost completely recovered. He attended traditional preschool with no mention of autism. He has many, many friends and is extremely social. He loves striking up a conversation in the grocery store and is a happy, smiling, loving child. He is extremely well behaved and is just a delight to be with. He is learning completely on schedule and is advanced in many areas.

With the help of NAET, which was done in 2005 and 2006, he now eats a regular diet. We saw some minor issues when introducing new foods which evened out after more NAET (acupressure) and continued homeopathy. We continued to deal with yeast as well and even today maintain probiotics (Culturelle) and GSE on a semi-regular basis as needed.

I believe both the food and gut issues were due to the mercury toxicity. Thanks to homeopathy, he no longer requires the No Fenol enzyme.

As of early 2007, I consider him completely cured of autism. He has no food sensitivities or allergies and eats a normal diet. He is advanced in his classroom and scores above average in all social categories on his report cards. He has many friends, is very social, empathic, and bright. Please see the update section for more recent information.

If you have a recovery story to share, please send an email to sarah at wakingsophie.com , replace the at with @

It part two of Supplementing for Autism, we discuss getting basic nutrition to our children. So what comes next? Do we start trying to treat specific issues, do we try supplements that we know have helped others or do we start removing heavy metals?

To share my experience with this, I first began by seeing a DAN doctor who gave me samples of 7 or 8 different supplements that were the latest greatest fads. It had nothing to do with my child’s actual symptoms. I gave each supplement for 3-7 before moving to the next. The result, none of the supplements had any positive effect and I had wasted another month.

All that being said, I do think that those supplements are worth trying, but treating actual issues first makes so much more sense to me. When I go to the doctor because I have a broken arm I expect to get a cast not something to improve my memory. Not that improving my memory wouldn’t be great, I would like that too, but lets deal with immediate problems first.

Since I don’t know your child’s issues, go to this page http://autismshare.com/symptoms.htm. It has symptoms and treatments. Take the most pressing problem and start trying out solutions. You can also check out yahoo groups. You can find a ton of information and support. Here are the ones I frequent
GF/CF Kids
MB12 Valtrex
Autism Mercury
Enzymes and Autism

Try going to the yahoo groups and ask for help for specific problems. Experienced parents will be able to guide you through trying a treatment for a specific issue, or send me an email. I am always happy to answer any questions I can. sarah at wakingsophie.com, replace at with @

Next in this series I am going to tackle supplements to treat yeast.

Part 1
Part 2