Most parents, even those that are unaware, struggle with sensory issues if they have a child on the spectrum. A sensory craver is one that looks for sensory input, craving the sensation it gives them. As a result behaviors may ensue that are less than obvious to parents. I wanted to give a short red flag list I read for parents to refer to, in hopes this may help you identify needs your children have and get help.
Visual: likes flashing lights, spinning objects, prefers TV/video games
Auditory: uses loud voice, makes background noises, and enjoys noisy places

In my practice I see many children with gluten sensitivities and a growing number of them with celiac disease (CD). Many of us know all the benefits to breastfeeding such as improved immunity, less ear infections, allergies and new evidence suggests a decrease in risk of CD. One study found 52% decreased risk of CD among those infants breastfed at the time gluten was introduced. Just as with any other genetic disease you may carry the gene and it never express itself, for example approximately 30% of the population test positive for genes that lead to developing CD, but only 1% of them do.

Acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol®, is a medication used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. Dr. Shaw owner of Great Plains Labs wrote about this topic in his newsletter stating there is strong evidence that increased acetaminophen use in genetically vulnerable children appears to be the major cause of the autism epidemic. Of course this possible genetic susceptibility is also a concern with pregnant women ingesting acetaminophen. Most pregnant women are told acetaminophen is an option to relive headaches with little known side effects.

So, we have now discussed what CST is and how it can help children in general. If you missed Part 1 of this then go back and read it before proceeding, this will help you have a better understanding. I now want to break down how it helps Autism and other delays. Hope this helps!
How does CST help Autism?

This subject is one near and dear to me as I have been using Craniosacral Therapy (CST) for many years now and I have seen how life changing it can truly be for families. When parents go searching for information I am not sure they get a true understanding of what this is and I would like to take some time to share with you the basics.

Many people suffer with long-term skin issues and many never find the answer. Over the years I have seen “eczema” become a bigger and bigger issue beginning in infancy and evolving as they get older. We know that eczema is sometimes the catch all for skin rashes. Eczema can include red bumps, itching, inflammation, pain, swelling, scaly, and dry skin. This can be chronic or acute and due to several reasons from environmental assaults to food allergies. Many children benefit from the use of creams on the irritated skin but what happens when that does not work?

The television has done a good job at educating the larger population that positive bacteria can be beneficial and has capitalized on probiotics in many foods you can buy. This is important to do because there are bad bacteria that can wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal system leaving your child very sick.

Last month I broke down the ingredients in many different flu shots that are on the market and this month I wanted to define each of them for you in detail. Please read over October’s blog to refresh your memory. The decision to vaccinate for the flu is a decision made by each family and many feel pressured to do it all the while wondering what the facts or potential harm may be, this will hopefully help those wanting more information.
Some things to consider before you get your flu shot….

This is the time of year where many get the flu shot so, I thought it would be wise with all the media attention around vaccination to tell you what is in your flu shot. There are many option you have to choose from so its best to do the least toxic one or skip it altogether if you are weary. Its important you know they base the current flu vaccine on strains from the previous years and viruses evolve, this is why people still get the flu despite the vaccine.

In November 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doubled the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for infants and children, from 200 IU/day (2003 recommendation) to 400 IU/day. They aimed to assess the prevalence of infants meeting the recommended intake of vitamin D and the use of oral vitamin D supplements was found to be low, regardless of whether infants were consuming breast milk or formula. The findings suggested that most US infants are not consuming adequate amounts of vitamin D.
Vitamin D, also called Cholecalciferol is important for many reasons
• Hormone activity