By Karin Krisher

A recent report that states more than one percent of children have Autism has the health community puzzled. We’re not sure if that one percent means that more children are experiencing issues associated with Autism or if it’s a mere fact of more widespread diagnosis, awareness and data collection. (The finding shows a 78 percent increase in just six years, from 2002 to 2008.)

This puzzle got us thinking about what it all means. We recognize that we can classify any one person in terms of a defined spectrum, but the at-home concerns of raising a child with one of several Autism Spectrum Disorders often have less to do with a title or diagnosis and more to do with behavior. Therefore, as important as so-called diagnosis is (it corresponds to educational funding and insurance capabilities), it doesn’t define the family or the child. Public efforts and definitions truly don’t address the more private, day-to-day concerns.

That’s not to say that public efforts are unimportant. The public education system is adapting quickly to address the growing need for behavioral support, offering more one-on-one and special services than ever before, which can carry over to the home. But parents and caregivers are still searching for support in other areas from acupuncture to supplementation. That’s where we come in.

FoodScience features several supplements for behavioral support, but one has stood out over the years.* An endorsement by the National Autism Association and research from the Autism Research Institute make us feel that our supplement is truly special.

DMG, or dimethylglycine, is recommended for supporting balanced mood states.* The Autism Research Institute has published 2008 parent ratings of DMG use with Autistic individuals that establish a 42% improvement rate amongst 5,807 cases (that is, 42% of parents expressed that DMG made a significant positive difference). (Adams, 2008).

It’s not just perception that tells us DMG supports speech processes and socialization.  Dr. Lee Dae Kun administered DMG to 39 autistic children (age 3-7 years) for three months; benefits were reported for 31 (80%). (Kidd, 2002.)

The late Dr. Bernard Rimland, founder of the Autism Research Institute, co-founder of Defeat Autism Now! and author of Treating Autism: Parent Stories of Hope and Success, recommended DMG from 1980 to his death, noting that “Although speech is the most consistent benefit, behavior might also improve.” (Kidd, 2002)

The tremendous successes of DMG led us to formulate a supplement to address behavior and socialization more specifically, and include DMG. Behavior Balance DMG was born. Ingredients like magnesium and l-carnosine support neurological health and socialization, and TMG and DMG support circulation to the brain, gut health, detoxification pathways and auditory processes.*

Because Complementary and Alternative Medicine is somewhat new to Autism, and Autism to it, negotiating the idea of supplementation on an individual level can be difficult. Skepticism is widespread. But FoodScience has arrived here because customer after customer shared stories of successful support, and because we believe that supplementation can offer unexpected support for total health (that includes the promotion of mental balance in families trying to understand and address behavioral needs).

Now that you know what we think, we’d like to hear from you. Are you open to the idea that supplementation and nutrition can support socialization skills and behavior, or do you hold tight to the idea of traditional therapy, as we see in schools and one-on-one counseling?

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.