What do Lewis Carroll, Charles Darwin, Emily Dickinson, and Albert Einstein all have in common? Each of these individuals were considered to be or have been reported to be on the Autism Spectrum.(*1) According to The Autism Society, “Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability, typically appearing during childhood and affecting a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.” (*2)
Autism affects many parts of the body and there are a wide variety of signs and symptoms that individuals may experience. Some of which include inappropriate social interaction, poor eye contact, compulsive behavior, impulsivity, repetitive movements, self-harm, or persistent repetition of words or actions, learning disability or speech delay in a child, intense interest in a limited number of things or problem paying attention, unaware of others’ emotions or depression, anxiety, change in voice, sensitivity to sound, or tic. (*3)
Due to these various neurological symptoms, ASD patients and their families tend to find themselves visiting numerous medical professionals seeking different treatments and therapies.
Dr. Allan Spiegel has found great success in treating patients with various neurological diagnoses including Autism. Dr. Spiegel offers Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Speech and Cognitive Therapy and Physical Therapy all of which have been proven to help patients who present on the Autism Spectrum.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is an extremely effective treatment for many conditions including, ASD. HBOT requires the patient to enter a special chamber that is pumped with 100% medical grade oxygen and that is pressurized based on the set medical protocol. “HBOT at the pressures commonly used in children with ASD has been reported to improve cerebral perfusion, decrease markers of inflammation and not worsen oxidative stress markers. Most studies of HBOT in children with ASD reported improvements in several behavioral domains…The reviewed studies indicate that the use of HBOT in children with ASD is associated with minimal adverse events and is well tolerated…Concluding that HBOT is a safe and potentially effective treatment for children with ASD.” (*4)
According to one of Dr. Allan Spiegel’s patients, “Autism is almost like a prison for them, because they are trapped within their own mind.. They aren’t able to communicate what their wants and needs are.. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for us has been such a healing for the brain.. “My son” has been able to communicate clearly, and knows what his wants and needs are now, and can communicate them to me. I am happy that I do not have to guess what his wants and needs are now… Hyperbaric Therapy is one of the only therapies that crosses the bloodline barrier in the brain and actually heals the brain. All the progress they get stays.. They need quality of life. Dr Spiegel’s office walks with us and they want the very same things for us and for our children and adults. I hope that you will go on this journey. It’s everything and more.” (*5)
One of the most common traits of ASD patients falls within communication and understanding social behavior cues. At Dr. Allan Spiegel’s office, you will find a licensed Speech-language Pathologist who helps patients who suffer from these conditions. According to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinics of North America “this type of therapy can help some people improve their spoken or verbal skills, such as correctly naming people and things, better explaining feelings, and emotions, using words and sentences better and improving the rate and rhythm of speech. Speech-language therapy can also teach nonverbal communication skills, such as using hand signals or sign language, and using picture symbols to communicate.” In addition, these therapies can include social skills and behaviors. All of these therapies are individualized and are a collaboration between the Speech Language Pathologist and Dr. Spiegel. (*6)
“Recent research findings suggest that many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) demonstrate delayed and atypical motor achievements. It has now become clear that a more holistic, integrative, and multi-disciplinary intervention is required to effectively address the motor-related impairments of this population. It is also crucial to ensure that this group of clients has access to early physical therapy interventions. Reports suggest that many children with ASD demonstrate atypical motor development and delay in motor milestones achievements such as asymmetry, oral-motor problems, repetitive motor movements, dyspraxia, motor coordination, movement preparation reaction, and motor milestone delays.” This study concluded that “In general, physical exercise is expected to reduce the risk of general health problems in individuals with ASD, as it does in the general population. Furthermore, several studies have reported a reducing effect of exercise on self-stimulatory behavior in individuals with ASD” (*7)
“At my office, I strive to help every individual reach their full potential, mentally and physically. I want you to leave my office feeling motivated to heal.” Dr. Allan Spiegel MD
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