Autism is a neurodevelopment disorder that impairs social ability, communication including behavior issues in individuals. The treatment for autism is limited to various types of therapies, such as stem cell therapy, to bring about significant changes in a person’s life. Although there is ‘no’ complete cure, still stem cell therapy for autism treatment helps to evoke the lost brain plasticity.
A child on the spectrum shows some symptoms of autism by the time he/she reaches 8 to 10 months of age. These include:
- Unresponsiveness to his/her name when called
- Not playing or talking with others
- Not sharing belongings such as toys and sweets
- Prefers to stay aloof
- Avoids physical contact like a pat or a hug
- Avoids eye contact
- Gets upset due to a sudden change in routine
- Does not understand emotions (sad/happy)
- Gets distressed easily
Stem Cells
Stem cells are raw materials of the human body having the ability to acquire specialized functions. These are also called ‘mother cells’ that can self-renew into multiple daughter cells having specific functions to treat or replace the damaged brain cells or tissue. No other cells have the natural ability to generate and differentiate into new cell types.
Types Of Stem Cells
Different types of stem cells can self-renew or make copies of themselves and also differentiate into specialized cells. They include embryonic stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells, and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
The autologous stem cells (obtained from a person’s own body) are extracted from the abdominal fat and the bone marrow. They have immune-modulating capacity and the ability to stimulate regeneration and also anti-inflammatory activity.
How Does Stem Cell Therapy Beneficial
Stem cell therapy for autism treatment is beneficial for treating incurable neurological disorders such as autism. The procedure of stem therapy includes the infusion of stem cells into the person’s body through a procedure that requires minimal incisions. The infused stem cells travel to the areas of the brain that is damaged and replace cells that are not working.
This stem cell therapy for autism treatment aims at replacing the damaged cells and in repairing and restoring the lost or impaired functions. Thus, stem cell treatment reduces the impact of autism and help children and adults live independent and integrate into society.
Benefit Of Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy for autism treatment shows promising behavioral improvement in individuals. After treatment, an overall improvement is seen in the following area:
- Decline in self-stimulatory behaviors
- Improved eye contact
- Enhanced speech and communication skills
- Improved social interactions
- Reduction in aggressive behavior
Apart from stem cell therapy the experts also suggest a combination of a few conventional and complementary therapies such as art therapy, aqua therapy, occupational therapy, and sensory integration management to help individuals with autism revive their lost skills.
It’s great to know that stem cell therapy can help repair and restore the lost or impaired function of individuals with autism by replacing the damaged cells in the areas of their brains. My husband and I have a child with autism in middle school, and we’d want him to have some improvement in his social skills so he could integrate into society better. I’ll talk to his doctors soon if regenerative stem cell treatment is an option for him because my husband and I would definitely want to try it out. Thanks for this.
Thank you for sharing your experience of stem cell therapy with autism and this post will encourage more individuals to go for the treatments.