PIECING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER

Exploring autism spectrum disorder

M uch like a thousand-piece puzzle, autism spectrum disorder first appears to be an overwhelming collection of fragments. Each individual on the spectrum is unique, and researchers are still working to find missing information about the disorder. Only by fitting the pieces together does a full picture of ASD begin to take shape.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ASD is a developmental disorder that affects one in 68 children. Individuals on the spectrum vary widely in their behaviors and abilities. Symptoms begin in childhood and may include difficulties with language development, social interactions and sensory perception, as well as repetitive behaviors, the CDC states.

Although researchers are still investigating the causes of autism, the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs has found a link between ASD, genetics and environmental toxins passed from mother to child during pregnancy, said Janna Jennings M.D., pediatrician and medical director at R.E.A.C.H. Pediatric Health Services in Bryant.

“We live in a toxic world,” she said. “Our children are being born into that, and if they have the type of genetics where they don’t detox well, then it’s going to have a stronger effect.”

Jennings prescribes supplements and dietary changes that lower patients’ inflammation and improve their ability to detoxify, she said, adding that patients take traditional therapies as well.

Treatment of ASD involves a team of people, she said, including a MAPScertified doctor, an occupational therapist and an applied behavioral analysis therapist. Children with ASD may also require speech therapy, physical therapy and developmental optometry, she added.

“These children are very complicated, and what works for one child doesn’t work for another,” she said. “It’s kind of like they’re all an individual lock, and I have a whole lot of different keys that I try until I find the one that fits their lock, but it’s a combination of a lot of things, usually.”

Early intervention is crucial to reducing the impact ASD has on an individual’s life and future development, she added.

Adults on the spectrum can and do lead