One concept in the diagnosis and treatment of Autism is the effect of heavy metal toxicity on the central nervous system. The major offender is thought to be Mercury exposure due to the use of Thimerosol used in vaccines and flu shots. Another common documented source in older children are amalgam fillings used by dentists.

First, your doctor needs to assess whether there are heavy metals present. A baseline 24 hour urine sample is taken and then followed by another 24 hour sample after DMSA (Dimercaptosuccinic acid) has been given. DMSA is a chelating meso isomer that can cross the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to extract metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic and bismuth.

If indicated a typical treatment utilizes 10 mg/kg three times a day for three days with a break period of 2 weeks. This on again, off again program is performed until tests show a decrease in metal toxicity. Lab tests should be performed regularly such as a CBC and to monitor liver enzymes to evaluate the effect of DMSA.

Other supplements that have been shown to augment the effect of DMSA are lipoic acid, magnesium and selenium.

This treatment is recommended in conjunction with other therapies such as nutritional supplementation and dietary eliminations discussed in other entries.