Imagine your child smothering you in hugs and kisses when you come back home after work. Truly priceless. But did you know that many parents in the world are denied this simple yet beautiful pleasure because their children fail to acknowledge their presence? It’s not because these children are antisocial, it’s because they have Autism, a developmental disability that afflicts one in every thousand children, taking away their ability to communicate and forge relationships with others using language. 

Convention treatment for Autism leaves a lot to be desired since it only focuses on treating the symptoms of the disorder and not the child. The world is now slowly waking up to the powers of alternative medicines especially when it comes to treating disorders on the Autistic spectrum. One such discipline that has seen brilliant results in not only treating but also reversing Autism is homoeopathy.

On April 10, World Homeopathy Day, we spoke to renowned homoeopath Dr Shreepad Khedekar from Imperial Clinics about his take on Autism and how homoeopathy works towards stimulating the child’s DNA to correct the disorder, helping him or her cure Autism rather than learning how to function around it. Dr Khedekar is an authority in the field of paediatric developmental disorder management, and he has initiated a seven-year-old international study involving children with issues such as delayed development, Autism, tuberous sclerosis, dyspraxia, borderline Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and cerebral palsy.

What is wrong with conventional treatment methods?

“In Autism, there is a complete breakdown in coordination between mental activities,” says Dr Khedekar. “In the conventional system of medicine, the treatment for Autism is not the best; it, in fact, is very suppressive in nature. Remedies are given to suppress the hyperactivity of child can be suppressed, or they try to take care of the secondary effects of Autism, like its complications. The answer to curing rather than just managing Autism lies in the DNA of the child according to Dr Khedekar. “

The repair has to be done at the level of the child’s DNA. Only then can you bring it out of Autism. This is what I call the genetic repair process. Through homoeopathy, we stimulate the child’s own repair mechanism,” he adds. The focus of the treatment and management through homoeopathy is not to treat the isolated symptoms of the developmental disorder, but to treat the child as a whole and help in building up the personality traits of the child from the time of the treatment.

What causes Autism according to homoeopathy ideology?

Dr Khedekar says that it is difficult to pinpoint exact causes of Autism. But in his experience, he has come across certain factors that were common in most of the cases.

1. Stress during pregnancy: Dr Khedekar says, “50% of the time, stress during pregnancy is a positive finding. Mother’s mental health during the time of pregnancy can impact the development of the child. “In most cases, the mother was going through stress during pregnancy such problems with the husband or the in-laws,” recounts Dr Khedekar.

2. Mercurial compounds in vaccines: “Some newly introduced vaccines can be a trigger for Autism mainly due to their mercurial compounds,” states Dr Khedekar. “Although there are no studies to support this, I have found this to be a trigger in my experience.”What are the signs of Autism in children?

Dr Khedekar says that the initial symptoms of the disorder start showing at two years of age. 

Following are some of the most conspicuous symptoms of the disorder:

  • Lack of eye contact in the child
  • No separation anxiety is seen in the child on being taken away from its parents
  • No emotional attachment towards parents or caregivers
  • Prefers to stay alone and play solitary games
  • Does not make friends
  • Impaired verbal skills, cannot make full sentences
  • Repetitive activities like pinching oneself, banging head, rubbing genitals
  • Attachment towards inanimate objects like toys

Although the symptoms start showing only after 2 to 2.5 years, the actual damage happens when the child is in the womb. “When the mother is going through stress, the child, even in the uterus, uses its intelligence to fend off the effects of the adverse conditions in its mother’s womb,” he says. This is when the developmental disorder starts taking shape.

How does homoeopathy treat Autism?

1. Good behaviour therapy: The child has to be left in the care of a therapist who can mould the child’s behaviour. This will bring out a positive change in the child who will be taught basic skills like looking, listening, reading, conversing and mimicking.

2. A good diet: In Dr Khedekar’s experience with autistic children, he has found that most have some sensitivity to proteins such as casein (found commonly in milk) and gluten. “A diet free of these two can go a long way in helping the child fight Autism,” he emphasises.

3. A good homoeopathic remedy: Finally, formulating the right homoeopathic remedy is the last step in curing the child. For this, prescriptions should be made through observations. The child has to be understood as a whole and not just as a clutch of symptoms. So understanding the child’s mind and body is important in curing Autism.

Homoeopathic remedies like Merc Sol, Bell, Tarent, Tub, Syph, Sulph, Lach have been greatly beneficial.

How does homoeopathy work?

To formulate a similimum or a cure, a homoeopath has to observe the child acutely for its behaviour and preferences. “The doctor makes a note of the child’s behaviour, whether it is screaming, shouting, crawling or performing repetitive behaviours. He will also observe whether the child prefers warmer or cooler temperatures or sweet or sour foods,” the doctor states. This, according to Dr Khedekar, gives the homoeopath insights into the child’s genetic makeup, which will in turn help in formulating the right homoeopathic remedy. Once the remedy is administered, the genetic reversal is triggered and the child is cured.

A way forward: Research

Sceptics should know that autistic children treated with homoeopathy were monitored by Dr Khedekar in a seven-year-long study. Pre and post-treatment observations have found that 80% of these children are living physically and psychologically balanced lives! Even when convention medicine gropes in the dark looking for answers, homoeopathy has proved that a seemingly complex disorder like Autism can be reversed with simple and holistic steps.