Autism recovery is the process whereby individuals diagnosed with autism demonstrate linear, measurable indications of rehabilitation. Indicators may include, but are not limited to,

* Language development and use
* Age-appropriate attention span
* Age-appropriate learning skills
* Age-appropriate self-care skills
* Toilet training mastery
* Development of imagination
* Interest in people, toys, and peer relationships
* Reduction in, or elimination of, tactile defensiveness
* Reduction in, or elimination of, repetitive or behaviors
* Reduction in, or elimination of, rigid need for routine
* Reduction in, or elimination of, hypersensitivities
* Reduction in, or elimination of, hyperactivity
* Reduction in, or elimination of, sleep disruption
* Restoration or development of happy demeanor (smiling, laughing, dancing)
* Restoration of social personality such as readily joining in group activities
* Restoration or development of gross and fine motor skills

While many programs offer rehabilitative options, the approach we will explore is called Comprehensive Organic Intervention. Comprehensive Organic Intervention is an individualized biological approach that seeks to identify and eliminate dietary and environmental obstacles and imbalances that prevent or impede healing. Comprehensive Organic Intervention can facilitate autism recovery without medication or additional therapies.

Autism Recovery and Comprehensive Organic Intervention

Autism largely manifests as incomprehensible social and behavioral responses, including the inability to listen, learn, respond, or bond normally. In autistic children, additional social and behavioral abnormalities may manifest, such as head banging, finger flapping and aggressive behavior. While certain abnormalities may appear in one child, the same abnormalities may or may not be present in another. Focusing on this complex and diverse range of manifestations, researchers have been baffled by autism for decades, concluding that autism is an individual brain disorder of unknown origin and without cure. However, in studying autistic populations to determine the range of manifestations, one biological commonality appeared: Every case of autism included digestive dysfunction.

Whether described in publications or interviews with parents, every case of autism included digestive dysfunction.

Investigating a relationship between autism, digestive dysfunction, and brain-related social and behavioral manifestations, Comprehensive Organic Intervention was born.

What is Comprehensive Organic Intervention?

Comprehensive Organic Intervention is an individualized biological approach to autism recovery that utilizes testing to determine dietary and environmental obstacles and imbalances that prevent or impede healing. Comprehensive Organic Intervention can facilitate autism recovery without medication or additional therapy.

How Do We Define Autism Recovery?

Autism recovery is defined as steady and measurable progress in achieving and maintaining normal developmental milestones. Developmental milestones may include, but are not limited to:

" Language development and use
" Self-care skills such as dressing, grooming, and toilet training
" Reduction in, or elimination of, tactile defensiveness
" Reduction in, or elimination of, hypersensitivities
" Normalized sleep patterns
" Increase in, or use of, appropriate eye contact
" Interest in, and development of, peer friendships
" Learning and relationship skills, such as the ability to listen, focus and respond
" Interest in, and normalized interaction with, toys and games
" Development of imaginative and reciprocal play.

How Do We Measure Autism Recovery?

We measure autism recovery by determining whether, and at what rate, an autistic individual is achieving and maintaining developmental milestones. Linear developmental progress is the type of progress observed in normally developing children. Linear developmental progress is sequential, moving from one milestone to the next in a predictable pattern. Because normal development is based on achieving linear, sequential and predictable developmental milestones, books charting children's developmental patterns correlate a child's age with expected behaviors or milestones achieved at that age. Additionally, because patterns of normal development remain linear, sequential, and predictable, normal development is based on a child's ability to achieve expected developmental milestones within normal ranges. Failure to achieve developmental milestones within normal ranges may signal the need for developmental evaluation by qualified professionals. This process may result in autism diagnosis.

Unlike classic autism whereby an individual may make random developmental strides equaling three months development in a twelve-month period, recovery is determined by an individual's ability to achieve and maintain linear developmental progress. For example, to be considered "in recovery," an individual who learns to speak must regularly learn new words, subsequently assembling simple sentences, then complex sentences, and so on. Steady, linear developmental progress is the measure of recovery.

How Do We Implement Autism Recovery?

The key to implementing autism recovery is eliminating biological obstacles and imbalances including dietary and environmental sensitivities, amino acid deficiencies, essential fatty acid deficiencies, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and presence of heavy metals.

Most tests can be administered either invasively or non-invasively, allowing maximum flexibility in meeting individual needs; however, some tests can only be administered invasively through blood samples. Once testing is completed, healing naturally commences by avoiding foods and substances that trigger reactions, remedying deficiencies, and clearing toxins from the system. Understanding and avoiding reactions, and honoring the immune system as a zero-tolerance mechanism, is key to facilitating autism recovery.