Biomedical Treatment Checklist for Autism

A condensed version of the DAN! guidelines by James Adams

Follow in this order:

  1. Improve quality of diet. Eliminate junk food. Increase intake of vegetables, whole fruit, and protein, while limiting sugar/starch intake.
  2. Minimum 3-month trial of total avoidance of casein and gluten.
  3. Add digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals.
  4. Test thyroid function and iodine level – consider thyroid hormones and/or iodine.
  5. Test for food allergy, using blood.
  6. Test gut function: Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis and urinary organic acids, using both tests to check for intestinal yeast/bacteria. If necessary, treat with antifungals, probiotics, and possibly antibiotics. Try low sugar/starch diet, and consider Specific Carbohydrate Diet to starve yeast/bacteria.
  7. Test for amino acids, and add if necessary.
  8. Test plasma sulfate and glutathione; supplement if low.
  9. Assess heavy metal toxicity by chelation challenge, and treat if high.
  10. Try additional nutrients (Essential fatty acids, DMG/TMG, methyl-B12)
  11. Try mega-B6 with Magnesium (8 mg of B6 per pound bodyweight, and 4 mg/pound bodyweight of Magnesium), especially if kryptopyrole test high.
  12. Test for viral infections, and treat if necessary.

NOTE: Behavioral therapy is also strongly recommended, and should be done simultaneously. Applied Behavior Analysis, Relationship Development Intervention, and other methods are available.

Articles Available for Download

Advice for Parents of Young Children with Autism
This paper is geared toward parents of newly diagnosed autistic children and parents of young autistic children who are not acquainted with many of the basic issues of autism. Click to download.

Summary of Biomedical Treatments for Autism
By James B. Adams, Ph.D.
April 2007 Version

More Information is Available...

Autism Research Institute
Founded by Bernard Rimland, a parent of an adult with autism and a leading advocate of research on autism. Publishes a newsletter summarizing current research on autism, and also provides a wide range of information. Contact: www.autism.com, 4182 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116 Fax: (619) 563-6840

Arizona State University Autism Research Program
Directs several autism-related research studies, and maintains a web site with information for parents. http://autism.asu.edu Call to be added to the waiting list for future research studies: (480) 965-3316.