Newbridge
Autism Treatment
Treatment for Autism in Minnesota
Additional Links
Accessible Holistic Healthcare Classes:
Ready to Learn More About Autism?
At Newbridge Health & Wellness, we understand the difficulties that autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder) can cause for you, your child, and your entire family. We’re sensitive to these difficulties because we’ve been working with individuals with autism since our founding in 2009. And our primary goal is to ensure that you and your loved one get the best treatment possible.
With Newbridge by your side, you don’t have to navigate the challenges of autism alone. Because through our holistic model, we’ve got your back.
What Is Autism?
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with no one singular known cause and is characterized by a broad range of symptoms, which can include but are not limited to:
- Difficulty with communication
- Inappropriate use of gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, and tone of voice
- Difficulty recognizing, expressing, and responding to emotions
- Feeling uncomfortable in social situations
- Extreme interest or disinterest in specific topics
- Repetitive body movements (rocking, flapping hands, or spinning)
- Resistance to change
- Inability to speak or delayed speech
- Difficulty carrying on back-and-forth conversation
- Specific food preferences or aversions
- Sensory processing differences
- Immune system abnormalities
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (constipation, loose stools, frequent stomach aches)
- Lining up objects
- Labile mood
- Increased tantrums or emotional outbursts
According to the CDC, one in 36 eight-year-olds in the US has received a diagnosis of autism. And this number has risen significantly in the past few decades. Here in Minnesota, our numbers are considered higher than the national average.
What Are the Causes of Autism?
Researchers have determined that autism is caused by a combination of environmental (more-so), and genetic (less-so) factors, or environmental factors that appear to trigger underlying genetic predisposition. Autism spectrum disorders are a myriad of symptoms caused by underlying medical and environmental and to a small extent, genetic causes.
How Is Autism Diagnosed?
In order for your child to be diagnosed with autism, a few other disorders such as Rett Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder need to be ruled out.
In addition, through a series of clinical tests your child must demonstrate two social impairments, at least one language-based impairment, and at least two repetitive behavior patterns in order to meet DSM-V diagnostic criteria.
How Is Autism Treated?
Treatment options for autism vary considerably. And here at Newbridge, through our functional medicine approach, we focus on various environmental, psychological, and physiological factors. As such, our treatment approach typically includes dietary interventions, detoxification protocols, behavioral interventions, speech and language therapy, and treating pathogens in the gut to address microbiome imbalances to allow for the restoration of optimal digestive function, improved nutrient absorption, neurotransmitter production, decreased inflammation, improved immune function, vagal nerve tone, and more. We also work with families during the preconception period and throughout pregnancy to help optimize reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes for their children.
Would You Like to Learn More About How Functional Medicine Can Help with Autism?
What Our Patients are Saying
All of a sudden, our son was present and I just can’t tell you what a big difference that mean for us, and I felt like “oh, we might be able to get my son back.”
Carol F.
Newbridge has changed our lives! My son had a difficult birth, but was a “normal baby”… As he grew he became sensitive to social situations and had a significant speech delay. Eventually, he was evaluated by our school district and the school psychologist came to our house, telling us he was autistic. We saw Stephanie in March of 2015 and he began to change immediately. We removed dairy and gluten and instantly he became more present. Stephanie recommended an occupational therapist, and she has worked wonders, social situations have improved dramatically. It has been a lot of work but we have seen so much progress. The most drastic improvement we have seen has come from the immunotherapy we began in May of 2017. Within a week of taking it, school reported he had his best week communicating of the entire year. Words cannot express that appreciation and gratitude I have for all the help that Newbridge has given our family. It takes a lot of dedication, persistence, and patience to implement some of the plans – but the rewards are beyond worth it.
Krystal
