FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1.  What do you do at your Center?

We offer biomedical therapies for children and adults with autism.

2.  How do you evaluate my child?

On your initial visit, we’ll spend up to 2 hours with you and your child going over our extensive questionnaire.  This questionnaire helps us identify different underlying medical conditions and areas of impaired function that may respond to treatment.  We may order lab tests as well.

3.  What are these “underlying medical conditions and areas of impaired function”?

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published a guide for pediatricians called “Management of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders”.   It acknowledges that up to 83% of the children with autism have an inflamed, painful gut condition.  They often have foul-smelling gas and bowel movements.  These gut problems are the cause of dramatic constipation, diarrhea, very poor sleep patterns, irritability and “bad” behavior. They can make the child foggy and make language difficult.  . 

 Doctors often mistake this for “autistic behavior” and don’t realize it is pain behavior. Even though the AAP advises evaluating and treating this painful gut condition before prescribing psychiatric medications, the children are usually given medications for their behavior.  They are also given sleep medication even though the source of their lack of sleep, their painful gut, goes untreated.   Because the doctors don’t understand why they are constipated, the children are given long term laxatives.   They are still in pain and difficult to handle, and the families are exhausted.  

At our center, we treat the source of the pain with a program to heal the gut and treat the fungal overgrowth.   And then the constipation and difficult behaviors usually lessen or go away completely.  And when the children begin to sleep through the night, the whole family feels better!

4. What else do you treat?

Children with autism may also have problems with low levels of oxygen in the brain, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, impaired methylation cycles, poor ability to detoxify their bodies, altered immune systems, and poor nutritional status.  All of this affects their health, self control, language and communication, as well as attention and concentration.  At our center, we try to address these issues with a step by step treatment plan.

5. I thought autism wasn’t treatable.

We don’t use the word cure, but most children will respond positively with improved behavior, language, alertness, calmness, better sleep and improved bowel habits.  Some improve a little, some improve dramatically, it is hard to predict. We don't really treat autism, we treat PEOPLE with autism. 

6. What are these biomedical therapies?

Depending on what your child needs, we may recommend a combination of digestive enzymes, probiotics, antifungals, special supplements and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.  We have protocols to heal the gut, treat yeast, reduce inflammation, support the methylation cycle, help with attention problems, and balance a suppressed immune system.

7.  What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Increased pressure and oxygen levels within a hyperbaric chamber reduce inflammation and increase oxygen levels in the brain.  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the number one treatment for returning or improving language in a child with autism, after gastrointestinal issues have been resolved. 

8. Does my child have to do a special diet?

Usually not.  The gluten-free, casein-free diet is very helpful to about 3 out of 4 children with autism, usually those with gastrointestinal problems.  However, we use digestive enzymes to “fake” this diet and get many of its benefits.  There are other diets that may be used in more unusual cases, but most patients are fine with just the enzymes.  If you choose to do a special diet, we can help you learn it, teach you to shop, convert your recipes and loan books to you!

9. What does it cost at The Autism Recovery Resource Center?

Dr. Lintala donates her time and does not draw a salary, which makes it possible to offer reduced and free treatment.  New patient visits are $75 and must be prepaid in advance.  Follow-up visits are $40 and are also paid in advance.  Hyperbaric oxygen sessions are $30/hour.  All supplements are discounted. 

 The Autism Angel Fund was created to help pay for, either partially or completely, office visits, treatments, supplements and lab tests at our center for children with autism who live in West Virginia.  Families who want to apply must fill out an application which requires proof of income, expenses and assets. All applications are reviewed by a Certified Public Accountant for eligibility.

10. Why do I have to pay for my office visits in advance?

Answer:  Due to our extremely low fees, it really does matter if you forget to call and cancel your appointment.  We structure our prices to just cover our expenses, and we cannot afford to absorb the cost of missed appointments.  If you cancel with at least 72 hours notice, we will either refund the office visit fee to you, or put it towards the newly rescheduled time. 

11. Can't I just try your protocols on my child or myself on my own?

We feel we only use very safe treatments and products, but they do not constitute comprehensive health care.  This is because our scope of practice is quite narrow--the underlying medical conditions common to autism--and our advice should not be used in lieu of good comprehensive health management by a pediatrician or family doctor.  We share our protocols on our website only because so many people are curious about them.  But they should never be substituted for medical advice from your doctor or pediatrician.  Even when people register at our center as a patient, we always make sure they have a pediatrician or family doctor for general health concerns.