Treating autism in children with acupuncture

Studies show that the treatment of autistic children with traditional medicine and life skills education is effective. Children know how to communicate, listen, speak with purpose, learn and absorb better.

Symptoms of autism

According to Meritorious Physician - Doctor Nguyen Quoc Van, Head of the Department of Special Care Treatment for Autistic Children, Central Acupuncture Hospital, autism syndrome is a disorder of psychological development in children in terms of language, communication, social relationships, behavior, emotions, intelligence, etc., usually appearing before the age of 3.

Currently, there is no research in the world that confirms the cause of autism, but some risk factors are believed to be related. Such as genetic factors on weak genes, environmental factors before birth, the mother having an infection or taking drugs during pregnancy, pregnant women having thyroid problems, stress before birth...

Symptoms of autism often appear before the age of 3, such as: not knowing how to smile, playing alone, poor eye contact, not being social. Children also often repeat certain behaviors or body movements; extremely short or no attention span; not responding when called by name, like being deaf; not knowing how to point or wave goodbye.

In Vietnam, there is currently no official research or statistics on the number of children with autism. At the Central Acupuncture Hospital alone, in recent years, each year there have been over 1,500 children with autism coming for treatment.

Acupuncture, hydroacupuncture, electroacupuncture for autism treatment

According to Dr. Van, although it is not yet a specific treatment method, more and more countries in the world are using acupuncture to treat children with autism. Through the impact on acupuncture points using electroacupuncture, hydroacupuncture, and thread implantation methods, acupuncture helps to clear heat, calm the mind, open the senses, nourish the five internal organs, nourish blood and qi, clear the meridians, and balance yin and yang...

"Research shows that, up to now, the effectiveness of treating autistic children with traditional medicine and life skills education has achieved 60% integration, of which over 20% of children can go to school. The children know how to communicate with people around them, listen to grandparents and parents, speak to the point, learn and absorb better...", Dr. Van shared.

For children with autism in particular, as well as patients with intellectual impairment, aphasia, hyperactivity, etc., parents need to take their children for treatment early. The best time is around 3 years old for effective intervention. At the same time, experts recommend that non-drug treatment methods should be combined in parallel for children to develop more comprehensively. This requires cooperation from the parents of the children./.

According to TNO