diatomaceous earth for treatment of sensory processing disorder/autism/adhd

[contactmaya]

Ive heard that an increase in bodily toxins, in particular metals, as well as internal parasites, and digestive  inadequacies, can all lead to symptoms  displayed in autism, sensory processing, adhd and other related 'disorders'' (or cluster of symptoms)

My son  has trouble staying still and quiet at school  and we were recommended occupational therapy. He definitely has  some auditory processing issues, and probably other sensory issues as well. 

Diatomacous earth,  draws out toxic metals from the body, and cleans out intestinal parasites, and in general improves  health.

Has anyone ever used this to ease symptoms, or even cure maladies in their child?

It makes sense to me, but i have only seen reference to the use of DE in animals.

[ErinYay]

Unless the child has actual heavy metal toxicity or intestinal parasites, treating those things with chelation, DE, etc, isn't going to help. If those things worked to cure autistic symptoms, we'd know it. They don't, and I think too many parents waste a lot of time and money chasing a cure that doesn't exist.

Autism and sensory issues, I strongly believe, are with a child from birth. Certainly environmental factors can trigger a genetic predisposition to ASD, but there are no treatments that will ease ASD as a whole, only therapies and coping mechanisms to help mitigate symptoms. 

Accepting your child for who he is and how he behaves is the very first step to finding peace and long-term solutions. After you find true acceptance, you can work toward helping him develop the skills to go through life as easily as possible. A sound sensory diet tailored to your son's sensory issues *will* help. Giving him the security to behave as he *must* at home *will* help. Looking for a cure? No, I'm sorry. It won't help any of you.

[laohaire]

What an odd response. The OP was asking if it was worth trying DE in case the symptoms stemmed from metal toxicity or parasites. I don't see anywhere that suggests she thought it would work if her child did not have those.

DE is pretty cheap so I hardly think the "wasting a lot of money" objection stands.

Sounds to me like your advice is:

• Science has already figured out everything there is to figure out (as of ... today? Last year? 1950? I don't know but it sounds like you think that milestone is already achieved).
• Science is somehow objective, I guess kind of like a religious experience - that science will "rise up" in a scientist and render him or her totally objective. Also science funds itself equally, so there is as much science done to prove that something works that won't make anyone a ton of money as there is to prove that a cash cow could be marketed.
• If it's not in Reader's Digest, it's not true.
• Parents should just give up on their children. They don't need to fix anything. They don't need to research. Everyone would just be happier if parents just watched American Idol and played golf and stopped trying to help their children.
• Your beliefs (like autism being from birth) override all the evidence to the contrary. Which is kind of funny with the whole science thing (see above).

Well, I have no idea on the DE in particular but there is evidence that ASD can be improved in some cases by diet (GAPS). If it were me, I'd look further into the safety and potential effects of food grade DE and if it's considered safe, why not give it a try?

[ErinYay]

If the OP wants to use DE in conjunction with OT, I see no problem at all. Using DE *instead* of OT? That's not cool, and will not help her child unless the child has actual heavy metal poisoning and/or parasites, and even then, the child very well may still have issues. If the child's issues do stem from either of those things, they need to be diagnosed by a qualified medical professional, and they're both easy things to test for. Has a full evaluation been done? Has a diagnosis been given? Is an IEP in place? These are things that need to be addressed *before* jumping to alternative treatments; if you don't know what's wrong, you can't treat it. .

If the child does *not* have heavy metal poisoning or parasites, no good will come of using DE. Good *will* come from OT and whatever other therapies the child needs.

The rest of your post is so filled with straw men that I do not feel the need to address it, other than pointing out that acceptance is *not*, in any way, denial or not seeking help. It's incredibly insulting to parents of special needs children to insinuate that acceptance is just sitting around watching American Idol (???!) or that it's a bad thing. Acceptance is paramount when parenting a special needs child, much more so than parenting a typically-developing child.

There is no cure for spectrum disorders. This is not a belief, this is a fact.

[contactmaya]

Im interested in anyone who has tried it, and seen positive or negative or neutral effects. Not a philosophical debate please. 

It stands to reason that if some behaviors stem from too much gluten, or some kind of metal toxicity, then diatomaceous earth could be helpful. As for intestinal parastites, they are very common, and my youngest has them, so most likely the whole family has it. This is what led me to DE in the first place. But when i looked further, it seems to do  whole lot of  good to anyone, insofar as it detoxes as well as provides essential minerals.  On top of that, internal parasites can have a very negative impact on health as far as the body's ability to  absorb essential nutrients.  

My son isnt autistic, but is disruptive at school, and we are looking at occupational therapy. It occurred to me that DE could be helpful to him in this regard. I know it will be good for his, and our, general health.

There is nothing out there that talks about DE and sensory disorders in people, but there seems to be quite alot when it comes to treating animals. 

Im not looking for a miracle cure. But im of the opinion that diet has an impact on behavior and wellbeing, and toxic build up is the cause behind almost any issue of ill health you can think of, at any age.

But im new at this, and was interested to hear if anyone had experience.  Thanks for your help. 

[contactmaya]

Originally Posted by laohaire 

 

Well, I have no idea on the DE in particular but there is evidence that ASD can be improved in some cases by diet (GAPS). If it were me, I'd look further into the safety and potential effects of food grade DE and if it's considered safe, why not give it a try?

Right,  the diet connection has definitely been brought up by a couple of people doing evaluations. This is what made me think of DE. I do work hard on diet, and would even without the ASD issue. But it seems to be getting harder as time goes by. He is increasingly a picky eater. Anything that can help right? From what ive looked at, it appears that food grade DE is safe.

[Spirit Dancer]

I looked into DE quite a bit awhile ago and I am convinced it is safe for human consumption (the food grade one) and can help in certain ailments. My Dh and I took it for parasite and it worked. But it is nasty stuff to take- like drinking mud. From my research a child would need to start at a teaspoon and work up to a Tbsp. Not sure how you would get them to take it but for sure worth a try. I would think that since there are so many toxins in our enviroment that everyone has toxins that they could use to get out. Good luck. If you try it, let us know how it goes.

[coffeegirl]

Originally Posted by laohaire 

Sounds to me like your advice is:

• Science has already figured out everything there is to figure out (as of ... today? Last year? 1950? I don't know but it sounds like you think that milestone is already achieved).
• Science is somehow objective, I guess kind of like a religious experience - that science will "rise up" in a scientist and render him or her totally objective. Also science funds itself equally, so there is as much science done to prove that something works that won't make anyone a ton of money as there is to prove that a cash cow could be marketed.
• If it's not in Reader's Digest, it's not true.
• Parents should just give up on their children. They don't need to fix anything. They don't need to research. Everyone would just be happier if parents just watched American Idol and played golf and stopped trying to help their children.
• Your beliefs (like autism being from birth) override all the evidence to the contrary. Which is kind of funny with the whole science thing (see above).

Seriously? THIS is an odd post. ErinYay said nothing of the sort.
 

[2lilsweetfoxes]

I had not heard of that. However, food grade DE is harmless to humans, so it couldn' t hurt. And if there is a parasite issue can help. We are doing OT, speech therapy, ABA, Specific carbohydrate diet, hyperdoses of vitamin D and Epsom salt baths. Children are showing progress- more since we changed to scd and started the vit d.

I don't expect a cure, but if I can make my kids feel better, then they will be able to do their best.

[tri31]

"If those things worked to cure autistic symptoms, we'd know it. They don't"

"There is no cure for spectrum disorders. This is not a belief, this is a fact"

These statements are great examples of cultural bias- the phenomenon of interpreting and judging phenomena by standards inherent to one's own culture. I disagree with the OP assertion that the medical community has concrete answers. In fact as the mother of a 16 year old with ADHD I would say little of the "professional" advice we have been given has offered any meaningful change in my sons ability to manage the expectations that the world has of him. As for the digestive issues, he definatley suffers. So much so, that he takes no meds at all at this point because his gut was always angry. He had serious (weekly) vomiting and diarrea and the doctor answer was pills to manage the pills. So we asked him if he wanted to stop and he has adjusted really well. His grades are better than ever. His depression over not being part of the pack hasn't improved. Most of his difficulties stem from the outside worlds view of what he should be, and the subsequent pain and self medicating (in his case gaming) that he does. What has worked wonders is changing "my" idea of what he should be like. So in that respect, I think we all agree that acceptance is key. As for beliefs, as a poor family forever struggling to get away from processed meats/foods, it seems that GMO is the ever present (from birth if you insist) vector in our families story. My daughter has Celiacs. My 60 year old mother has frontal tremporal lobe dementia. None of these impacts come with the luxury of a cause!The same doctors that want to tell me that they don't know why they are seeing _____ also want to tell me they have everything worked out so just read these pamphelets? I don't need anymore data to tell me there is something gone wrong, and the doctors laugh when I ask if _____ may help. I don't have all the answers but I am not arrogant enough to assert that no culture anywhere could. Seems like maybe our "designed for the landfill economy" is having an impact on our health, we have potential pathogens in all aspects of our lives and yet the official medical opinion remains in lock step with economic will.   

[ErinYay]

That autism has no cure is not a cultural bias, it is absolutely a fact. 

I guess we've cured my DD's maybe-autism. Her chronic, severe constipation is now under control, and her mood is drastically improved because of it. She meltsdown less frequently and is generally much happier. She's not in pain anymore, and it shows.

But that's all that's changed. Improvements are improvements, though, and it's wonderful. Does she still have pretty major speech and social issues? Yes. Does she still have sensory issues? Yes. Did we cure anything other than constipation? No.

GI issues are big deal with lots of spectrum kids for sure, but easing their GI agony doesn't cure everything else.

[tri31]

Sorry to be so unfairly putting your views on the spot. I don't mean to offend. My problem is the language used. Autism is a very poorly understood condition. So even using the word "cure" is cruel, okay. Our current understanding of many illness is lacking, and a broader prospective would be complementary to solution building.  I value mainstream medicines contributions to my families well being but I would prefer a middle road be taken where questions can be asked and all perspectives are weighed in more seriously.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by ErinYay 
....cceptance is *not*, in any way, denial or not seeking help. It's incredibly insulting to parents of special needs children to insinuate that acceptance is just sitting around watching American Idol (???!) or that it's a bad thing. Acceptance is paramount when parenting a special needs child, much more so than parenting a typically-developing child.

There is no cure for spectrum disorders. This is not a belief, this is a fact.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErinYay 

That autism has no cure is not a cultural bias, it is absolutely a fact. 

I guess we've cured my DD's maybe-autism. ... But that's all that's changed. Improvements are improvements, though, and it's wonderful. Does she still have pretty major speech and social issues? Yes. Does she still have sensory issues? Yes. Did we cure anything other than constipation? No.

I'm with Erin. I see autism as a neurological difference, not as an illness. There is such a strong genetic link that the environmental toxin theory seems very, very limited to me.

I think acceptance that a child has a life long difference is the first step to really helping the child. As long as we are trying to change another person into what we see as the *right* way to be, we cannot even be kind to them, much less help them. For me with my DD, accepting who she is an how she is and then going from there -- what will help her have the best life *for her,* what will help her bring her gifts to the world, what would make life happier and better *for her.*

Trying to cure her wouldn't be about her, but rather how much I could get her to *act* normal for my own comfort, or under the mistaken belief that if she *acted* normal, that would mean she was happier or I was a better mother or something.

When I read about parents who claimed to *cure* their child's autism, it always sounds to me like they moved to the higher functioning end of the spectrum.

The way this relates to parenting is that I think a lot of NT people grow up feeling like their mothers don't accept them for who they are, how much more extreme would this be for a child with autism whose mother spend their entire life trying to *cure* them?

Because I see autism as more genetic than anything else, I'm not convinced that trying to change it would be any better parenting than constantly trying to straighten my DD's naturally curly hair. It's part of who she is. Yes, we work with it and try to get it to work for her, but to try to *cure* something that is a fundamental part of who another human being is, that effects how they view the world, every interaction they have with another person, how they interact with information, their idea of fun, etc. seems to phenomenally miss the mark *to me.*  It seems to say "everything about you is wrong." 

None the less, years of my life have revolved around figuring out and then making happen what I felt was best for my DD as part of helping her have the best life possible *for her.*  As part of helping her find *her happiness.*  Not about trying to get her to act *normal.*

[contactmaya]

I should have really distinguished adhd, spd, and autism, as they are 3 different things, although there can be overlap. I also apologize for my implication that these things are caused entirely by environmental toxins.  I dont believe that, and am not in a position to know very much about it. I do believe that environmental toxins have a huge  and sometimes invisible impact on a person health in general.   My only experience with special needs though,  is with my 6yo who  has sensory imbalances and has been recommended OT. I know anecdotally autistic children who benefitted from diet related  interventions. That doesnt mean to say that their  autism was ''çured''.

From what ive garnished, some kids with autism, adhd, and  spd, may actually be more sensitive than the general population to environmental toxins and  things like gluten, because of their condition. That is why something like DE could be helpful to them,  in the same way that it is helpful to the general population.

But, maybe not, maybe it depends on the child. I came to this forum to find out more. Surprisingly, there is little discussion about this anywhere, but some references to  behaviorial improvements in animals brought on my DE

As for my son, i dont know for sure that his behavioral symptoms are diet related, neurological, inborn, inherited,  or maybe just immaturity.  I mean, i do know that his symptoms are worse if he is tired, underfed, not feeling 100%, because his body has to work harder to deal with sensory input. For that  reason alone, something like DE, which would improve digestion and cleanse the body, and increase vitality, could only be helpful. 

Anyway, here are some links about DE and its uses.

 

discussion on mdc about using DE for detox

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/957750/food-grade-diatomaceous-earth/120

 

 

behavioral disorders and DE

http://freshwaterde.blogspot.com/2007/11/autism-and-behavioral-disorders.html

 

good summary of uses of DE from killing insects to detoxing humans, and how dangerous it is to inhale

http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp

 

what does DE remove, and metal toxins in general

http://freshwaterorganics.com/detox1.html

[jmarroq]

My son has seen a psych, LMHC, cardiologist, numerous neurologists, and neuro psych, two developmental peds, OTs, PTs, STs, had riding therapy, aqua therapy...the list goes on. I have asked most of them, and his pediatricians, if the lead poisoning he had at age 1 1/2 could have contributed to his symptoms. They were all doubtful that it did. No one even suggested chelation and his level was 17 at the time of testing. He was re-tested twice after that until his level went down to 3.

I think it's like everything else. Piece of the puzzle. Some people are probably more sensitive to the metals. Some people will have certain combinations of other things going on too. So what works for one person, won't work for everyone. Also, in my son's case, he had an illness, and some signs of delays before he even ate the lead paint. I am sure it didn't help, but there was so much more going on too.

[mamarhu]

Except that it sounds really yucky, I imagine the DE treatment would be physiologically quite harmless. But the outlook of trying to fix autism, of looking for a "cure", seems derogatory to me. I strongly support teaching the skills a person needs to get by in society. I totally get OT and other systems of making a person more comfortable and competent in life. I even advocate for pharmaceutical interventions in some cases. But I try hard to lead my clients (parents of kids with autism) away from the search for a cure for their kids' autism; toward a feeling of acceptance. And as a parent of a teen with autism, I see my son thriving, although nothing ever got fixed. He was never broken.

[Kannmartinez]

There is always hope. When my son was born with irritability, infant acne that lasted for years, chronic colic and vomiting, in addition to rashes, we were told many things. In infancy, we were told it was colic, then it was his temperament, then at age three it was autism, etc. 

It was a rough ride as I got Lyme disease  when pregnant with him, but was told that it couldn't be passed in utero. Years passed and we tried special diets ( which we were discouraged by authorities from doing). I am thankful for parents who encouraged us because he did have improvement in his digestion and distended stomach, and then could finally tell us " I love you" and  also tell us how much he hurt in his stomach and all his joints. He had one positive antibody body for Lyme dx on testing and thankfully that was enough for a wonderful doctor to treat him with antibiotics and today he is cured'!! He is no longer autistic! We were told by multiple facilities that his autism was for life and that Lyme couldn't do this.

Our daughter, two years younger than our son, was dx. With a brain tumor. I was told there was no connection between our son's autism and her brain tumor and not to look for one. 

When she was 3, she started having night sweats and high fevers (like our son had pre- treatment). Her Lyme antibody test was negative but her immune system was not strong, as it is weak in most people with lyme disease, so she couldn't produce adequate testable antibodies. We almost lost her several times:her already injured hypothalamus and pituitary glands couldn't adequately cope with the Lyme.  A few doctors laughed that we insinuated that she had Lyme. With her negative antibody test, although she had a high opening pressure (indicative of infection) upon spinal tap. We had her frozen section (biopsy) of her tumor sent away to a lab. None of the authorities are laughing now as it showed conclusive proof of the DNA of the Lyme spirochete- borrelia bordorferi ) to bpresent in her tumor. If it wern't for her tumor, we would never have proof.

Science is always evolving and ther is much hope. I am thankful for those who keep searching for answers. We too were told that there was nothing we could do, but It just didn't make sense to me. Maybe the answers aren't her for all of us now, but it doesn't mean that they won't be some day. Keep searching and following your gut. Science has a ways to go because the testing to prove such things is highly inadequate. Trust your instincts and talk to those who have had successes.

Praying for much success and peace,

Kristen

[contactmaya]

Such an interesting story Kristen, and i am so glad it worked out for the best in the end for your children. Why does it always surprise me how arrogant and ignorant doctors can be?

[Indianagirl]

We have an 8 1/2 year old son  who was diagnosed with ADHD about 2 years ago. He also had some behavior issues at school and at home.   We did not go the drug route and looked into all natural things to help him.  About a year ago we were introduced to Organic Diatomaceous Earth from the owner of our local natural foods/health foods store.  I have to say that it has been amazing and our 8 1/2 year old son is now sitting in class  paying attention and does not have any of the angry outburst in school or at home.  He is much more calm and does not have the argumentative attitude that he did 10 months ago.  I give him 1 1/2 tsp of Organic DE each morning in a small glass of juice.  At first he did not like it but he is much more used to it now.  I now give it to my husband and our other 2 children and my parents starting using it just a couple weeks ago.  It is very inexpensive to try compared to a lot of other things.

[contactmaya]

Thanks for sharing. I have started a regimen of DE recently for the whole family (minus the baby). It got rid of pinworms, but i havent seen much effect anywhere else so far.  I will keep at it and see what happens.

 In case anyone is interested....

(http://www.mothering.com/community/t/957750/food-grade-diatomaceous-earth/140#post_17181646)