Autism is a neurological disorder that affects a child’s ability to socialize normally. It impairs language skills and causes other behavioral abnormalities. Most cases of autism are diagnosed before the child reaches the age of three.

While no one is exactly sure what causes autism, many holistic practitioners believe that immunization has something to do with it.

Of course, not everyone who is immunized becomes autistic. But many believe that vaccines made with mercury such as DPT, Hib, and Hep B are the main culprits. The theory is that certain children process the vaccine differently than other children and are poisoned by the mercury.

The reason the holistic community is concerned about this is that the symptoms of mercury poisoning are very similar if not identical to the symptoms of autism.

However, standard medical tests for mercury poisoning performed on autistic children often do not show any abnormal levels in the body.

Hair analysis has been suggested by some as a better alternative to test for mercury toxicity in autistic children, but it has failed to gain credence in conventional medical circles.

To date, nearly 1 in every 175 American children is being identified as having autism, and these numbers continue to rise each year. Medical treatment of this disorder has been relatively ineffective and holistic treatments such as chelation therapy have not gained wide acceptance.

Whatever the cause of autism, ridding the body of toxic chemicals and improving cognitive functioning cannot harm an individual. Hopefully, in the future better tests and better treatments can be developed.

I believe that conventional medicine and alternative medicine will need to work together if this is to be achieved.