CBD Oil for Autism

CBD has proven to cure various health conditions, including Autism. This condition is now known as ASD or autism spectrum disorder. But can CBD oil for Autism make a difference? Can it alleviate the symptoms of Autism without side effects? Is it safe for people to consume CBD oil for Autism?

What is the difference between Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism is a complex developmental disability found in humans. It shows up in the first three years of human life. Some symptoms of this disorder are impairments, social anxiety, and difficulty interacting with people in public.

People with Autism have trouble talking to people and understanding their feelings. They are not as quick and prompt as normal human beings. They are slow learners and take more time in learning as compared to a normal human being. Other than that, they are lagging when it comes to responding to others’ non-verbal communication.

Sometimes, they also misinterpret others’ non-verbal communication and also exhibit sleeping and eating disorders. People with Autism pose a risk to their lives as they often band their heads against desks, walls, etc.

However, not everyone with Autism exhibits the same severity of symptoms. Hence, Autism has many classifications and ranges from person to person.

While some people with Autism need a lot of human assistance to carry out daily tasks, others do it very well independently. Since Autism becomes part of the mental disorder list in the 1980s, the number of diagnoses has increased.

The centers for disease control and Prevention has reported that 1 in 54 children have Autism. Cases of Autism occur all across the globe. They don’t divide this disease by socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial groups.

Ten things you should know about Autism

Here are the ten most important things to know if you are studying about Autism:

How are people with Autism treated?

Early diagnosis of the disease can make a big difference in how a patient reacts to a treatment. Early intervention allows patients to take care of themselves in the future.

Annette Nunez, a licensed psychotherapist, has worked with people with Autism for 22 years of her life. She says that several therapeutic treatments have been beneficial for patients.

Most of the therapists use innovative ways and technology to develop learning capabilities in children.

An internal medicine specialist at Ohio State University, Dr. Harrison Weed, says that the programs and courses build for autistic children are very important for mental development.

Every program focusing on autistic children must include:

Individual learning and programming for each child
More staff than the students
Teachers who have expertise in working with autistic children
The program must complete 25 hours per week for visible development in children.
The program must have an adaptive curriculum focusing on social interaction, non-verbal communication, self-advocacy, imitation, and attention.
The curriculum should set as per the child’s progress.
Family involvement is essential
Predictability and stability to the daily routine

In addition to psychological support and educational programs, many children also follow a specific diet. Annette Nunez says that the diet autistic children follow is gluten-free. It is a dairy protein that eliminates casein. Eliminating gluten from the diet has been beneficial for many autistic children.

In some cases, psychological intervention is significant. Dr. Harrison Weed says that besides medication, it is essential for children to have psychological attention as it improves their concentration, imitation, socialization, health, non-verbal communication, and learning capability. It helps autistic children to spend quality life with other normal beings.

Weed further says that medication depends upon the severity of the symptoms. A case-by-case intervention is necessary when it comes to treating Autism with medication. Only 2 medications- aripiprazole and risperidone have been approved by the FDA for autistic children. These medicines help to reduce the repetitive behavior in autistic children. Any medicines other than these two can cause side effects that are yet to be known.

How to buy CBD oil for Autism?

Before beginning with CBD oil for Autism, you need to know what CBD is and how it is derived.

What is CBD oil?

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is an active compound of the hemp plant. Cannabis sativa has a high content of THC, which is responsible for giving the ‘high’ feeling.

Only a hemp-based cannabis plant is legal in the US. When cannabis Sativa has low concentrations of THC, it is known as the hemp plant. However, when THC is high, this plant is Marijuana.

The hemp-derived CBD oil has very low content (less than 0.3%) of THC. All the CBD products available in the United States have a very low THC content, making them perfect for treating various medical conditions, without getting the ‘high’ effect.

Medicinal properties in CBD

Weed says that CBD has remarkable medicinal properties and is used to control various health conditions, including epilepsy, anxiety, depression, insomnia, Parkinson’s disease, seizures, and even symptoms of Autism. It also suppresses the life-threatening symptoms of Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome.

However, all the CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the US, as there is not enough scientific evidence that proves all CBD benefits with no side effects. Weed further says that CBD products are widely available in all forms, and anyone without a prescription can buy and consume them.

CBD became a popular choice when it treated various conditions, including anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Weed says that CBD can also be sedating and treat insomnia in a matter of days.

Many people consider the CBD ‘safe’. However, that’s not the case. As CBD is non-FDA approved, many can also mislabel the product and sell without caring for human life.

Like chronic pain, other conditions make our lives difficult and have no potential treatment. So, some people are turning to CBD for the cure or treatment.

How to use CBD oil for Autism?

Weed quotes, ‘autism is a complex disability in children.’ Therefore, the evaluation of medicinal treatments is complex. The research does not lead to simple answers at all. Families with autistic children are desperate and have a hard time finding the right solutions. This leads to them selecting dangerous treatments for their children.

However, CBD oil for Autism can seem attractive to many parents. There are many testimonials in which parents talk about the benefits of CBD oil for Autism. Parents say that CBD oil relaxes their minds and calms them.

One research study focused on giving CBD oil to autistic children. However, they did not have another group to compare the results.

It is hard to know if those improvements came from CBD oil as autistic children improve with age.

Zuckerman says that it won’t be useful to reject the CBD oil treatment as there’s a possibility it can improve autistic children’s behaviors. The American Clinical Academy, however, does not recommend using CBD oil as there’s not sufficient research to prove its credibility.

They still consider Marijuana a class 1 drug. Class 1 drugs are restricted, and non-FDA approved. Most of the research involving autistic children come from federal health facilities. As long as Marijuana is a class 1 drug, it cannot be recommended for treatment at all.

But there’s hope for approval for Autism as there’s a study that shows no side effects on autistic children who consumed CBD oil.

Should you try CBD oil for Autism?

Zuckerman suggests every parent consult with the child’s pediatrician before giving them CBD oil. It is not insane for parents to try something out of the box.

Just like other medicines, CBD is a medicinal drug. It has healing properties. It has benefits, but it can also pose risks to your child’s life. Therefore, you must weight the pros and cons before giving it to your child as a treatment.

Some adverse effects of using CBD oil for Autism include:

Dry mouth
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Dizziness
Fatigue
Sedation
Negative interactions with other medicines

Annette Nunez advises parents to research CBD oil products if they consider adding it to their child’s treatment. Most of the studies show that the high content of THC hinders brain development. If you do not know the right dosage, your child could be at risk.

You must research the product carefully. You should know where the product and its ingredients are coming from. Some manufacturers mislabel their products. That’s why it is best to go for CBD oil products that have third-party lab results available. This way, you can be sure that it is right for your child. If a CBD supplement is causing your child to act strange and ill, quit it immediately and take him to his doctor right away.

Bottom Line

It is usual for parents with autistic children to be desperate about treatment. But a little research will go a long way. Make sure to consult the doctor before beginning any CBD-based treatment.

DISCLAIMER

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics requires this disclaimer. We collected this information from different sources for the benefit of our consumers. The Food and Drug Administration did not evaluate the statements made regarding these products. The effectiveness of these products is not confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not meant to cure, diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. The information presented here is not intended as a substitute for knowledge from health-care practitioners. It is also not meant as an alternative to expertise from health-care practitioners. You should always consult with your doctor and ask about the risk of interactions or complications before using any products.