As we near the end of Chapter 2 of Behind the Wheel with Autism: Overcoming Barriers to Driving for Autistic Teens and Adults, we continue to explore why the basic medical and vision differences of the autism spectrum should be addressed before starting to drive.
I’m sharing a touching letter I received from an #actuallyautistic reader a few months after my first book, The Un-Prescription for Autism was first published (10 years ago this month!); it’s a powerful testimonial to how much better his life—and his driving— were after following the Basic GI and Immune Support Protocols found in it for just a few weeks.
It was May of 2016, and my day at the office was starting much like any other. Angela, my office manager and dear friend, and I were sitting at our desks going through mail and emails before our day got super busy. I was immersed in my task when I began to notice a quiet sniffling sound. It was coming from Angela, and when I looked up at her, her eyes were brimming with tears. I looked at her in concern and she said, “You’ve got to read this letter. It just came in this morning, and it’s so powerful.”
I took the letter from her, and soon I was the one wiping away tears from my cheeks.
This reader, “Jason”, describes how he went from a disillusioned skeptic to a more vibrantly healthy believer in a beautifully moving letter that I carry with me to this day.
Here’s what he had to say:
“Dear Dr. Lintala,
I wanted to write and thank you for the major ways your book has improved my health, my life and my family.
A little background on me, I’m a 30-something-year-old man with high functioning ASD that was only diagnosed a few years ago. Originally all my troubles were chalked up to being weird, bipolar disorder, or spiritual impurity (I didn’t have the best upbringing.)
In the span of just six years, I was put on every dosage for more than 43 different psychiatric medications, up to 10 at a single time. I’ve been in psych wards for depression four times and have been to the ER for asthma problems several times every year since I was born.
With all that going on, the chronic acid and bowel problems weren’t even worth seeing a doctor for until the rest of my problems could get figured out. I’d resigned myself to the idea that throwing up 4-5 times a week was just a normal part of life since I was in elementary school.
I learned about your protocols from your book, and I’m now embarrassed to say, I almost didn’t try them. After so many years of every medication, treatment, and specialist not making a lick of difference, your book was telling me that herbal supplements would solve my problems.
Most physicians I’d seen, even gastroenterologists, dismissed probiotics as snake oil, something about as effective as magic crystals.
Luckily, …I’d recently been taken to the hospital by ambulance once again and I was willing to try anything. When I first started the enzymes, I was still needing daily nebulizer treatments just to get by. I decided to follow your protocols to the letter, just on the off chance that they might work.
I’m so very glad I did.
I’m now starting the 4, 5, 6 weeks of Antimicrobials and I’m an absolute believer. I’ve gone from taking antacids 2x a day to not needing any. I don’t throw up anymore and I don’t have heartburn problems. Come to find out, my asthma and allergies were largely due to GERD and now I’ve been taken off everything but a rescue inhaler that’s fairly rarely used.
I’ve only had two meltdowns this year (a new record), and my moods have been much more even, allowing me to be taken off all psych medications. I’m even sleeping through the night when I used to be woken up with heartburn.
I also am especially grateful for the suggestion where you mentioned vision therapy.…I had never heard of it, and my wife, who is a health professional, had never heard of vision therapy either. We found a specialist nearby and I have been astounded at what’s possible.
I’ve had daily migraines since I was 12 and in the last few short months, I’ve been able to stop wearing glasses and have all but stopped having headaches. I’m reading better and have been shocked to realize how much of my anxiety was due to vision problems that I never knew were possible.
Those are all the medical changes, but those don’t reveal a lot of the other things that have changed. My wonderful and patient wife has noticed a big change in my anxiety level, and it’s been easier to get me to go to social events. Dates and family gatherings are much less scary now, which helps both of us.
Before the vision therapy, I’d almost stopped driving at night altogether and there was always a finite limit on how much I left the house without having a meltdown. You can imagine how glad she is to have a calmer, higher functioning husband.
Dr. Lintala, things are night and day from a few months ago, and I have your book to thank for it. I can’t imagine how things might be different had I known about this information when I was younger, but I am grateful to have it now. It’s saved my life and given me a better future.
Thank you, a thousand times thank you,
“Jason”
Some of his statements are haunting: “I’d resigned myself to the idea that throwing up 4-5 times a week was just a normal part of life since I was in elementary school.” Or “In the span of just six years, I was put on every dosage for more than 43 different psychiatric medications, up to 10 at a single time. “
Can you imagine being gaslighted by conventional medicine that this was in any way normal?
In my last blog post, I discussed how the unaddressed health challenges of the autism spectrum can build up in a domino fashion, with one small problem leading to another, and yet another, until the whole thing is out of control. Ignoring these chronic health issues and suppressing the symptoms without healing the underlying physiology, just lets them build and build until life does seem hopeless.
But Jason was able to take the first few simple steps, and his dominoes began to fall in a good way.
He improved his GI health and balance which led to:
- Eliminating GERD, which led to not needing his inhaler on a daily basis any more
- Less acid reflux which led to getting off of antacids, and no longer throwing up on an almost daily basis.
- Less heartburn which led to better sleep and energy levels
- Better brain balance which led to better self-regulation, less overwhelm, and fewer “meltdowns”
- Better brain balance which led to more even moods and getting off of all psych medications
- He is delighted that he is now a “calmer, higher functioning husband” to use his own words
If you’ve been reading any of my content, you know that I constantly harp about developmental optometry and vision therapy for autistic children, teens, and adults.
And look what it did for Jason:
- His daily migraines since he was 12 (daily, can you imagine?!?) have stopped
- He’s been able to stop wearing glasses
- He’s reading better
- He’s shocked to realize how much of his anxiety was due to vision differences that he didn’t know he had (remember, if it’s always been your normal, you probably think everyone sees that way!)
- Due to less anxiety, he and his wife now enjoy more date nights and social gatherings with family and friends
- He can now safely drive more at night and without having the inevitable meltdown over how stressful it is
Some days, I just pull out Jason’s letter to remind me of why I do all that I do, and then I keep on fighting the good fight. Sharing the good news about vibrant health on the autism spectrum has become the foundation of my life and my work.
Compare Jason’s story with Gary’s situation which I shared on my last post, A Tale of Brain Fog and Dominoes. Both found themselves in pretty dire health circumstances initially, and that’s not uncommon for my adult patients on the autism spectrum. Just because the medical and health cards can be seemingly stacked against those on the spectrum doesn’t mean it’s hopeless; quite the opposite––a few simple steps and foundational supplements can often make a big difference in quality of life.
Over the years I’ve noticed a troubling pattern of language in our culture that blames the autistic person for their medical troubles. Even Jason’s very real medical problems were “chalked up to being weird, bipolar disorder, or spiritual impurity ” to use his words. I’d like to note that managing and overcoming these health problems often requires a support system that may be missing in someone’s life, so no blaming yourself if that’s the case.
Although Jason had struggled for years to find answers, our conventional medical system was merely suppressing his symptoms and behaviors without providing real help or support for his underlying medical issues. (See my recent opinion piece on that kind of approach here!)
Jason sounded convinced that he was broken, but look what a difference being able to try the few simple steps of my Basic GI Support protocol made in his life. And he was only a few weeks into the protocols when he wrote this letter!
Which situation would you rather be in, Gary’s or Jason’s?
This seems like a good time to tell you about an absolute gem of a wonderful free resource I’ve created for everyone: the 84-page booklet I’ve just published titled, “Developmental Optometry and the Autism Spectrum: My Miracle Referral for Autistic Children, Teens, and Adults!” will be shared in my next blog post to finish up Chapter 2.
Did I mention that it’s FREE???? (Remember, I work pro bono at my clinic, and the vast majority of my content is free!)
Check back in with the blog next time to get your free copy!