Homeopathy for Asperger Syndrome:

Remarkable Long-Term Transformation

by Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, ND, MSW, and Robert Ullman, ND

Asperger Syndrome Needs No Introduction

Twenty years ago the term Asperger syndrome was virtually unknown outside the pediatric psychiatric community. When we first published A Drug-Free Approach to Autism Syndrome and Asperger’s in 2005, the syndrome was not as familiar as it is now. Perhaps the average American might have been familiar with the concept of savant, having seen The Rainmaker, but there was little differentiation between Asperger’s and other autism spectrum diagnoses. Now approximately 1 in 88 children in the US is diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum and 1 in 250 with Asperger syndrome. The constellation of communication difficulties; repetitive, stereotyped behavior patterns; and social communication problems, in combination with quirky behaviors; fascination to the point of obsession with specific subjects (commonly trains, fans, electrical items); and rapid-fire speech makes these individuals highly unusual. Uniqueness is what allows the homeopath to find the best match for the patient, so we have found these individuals to be some of the most rewarding to work with in our practice.

Ricardo, from the beginning, was highly unusual, even among our many Asperger patients. We began treating him 13 years ago and his mother has been faithful to homeopathic care throughout all of this time. The family has had phone appointments consistently every 6 weeks and have only met in person once. Ricardo benefited from various medicines over the first 5 years. Though he continued to improve gradually, we found it challenging to find his simillimum – the one best homeopathic medicine for all of his symptoms. As happens, typically, when we have not yet fully understood our patients or discovered that simillimum, we prescribed medicines from all three kingdoms (animal, plant, and mineral), as well as nosodes. It was in summer 2006 that we found the medicine that would benefit him for the next 7 years. It is not surprising that it took a number of years before finding this medicine, because it is rarely prescribed, especially for patients on the autism spectrum. Ricardo’s case was so inspiring that Judyth presented it at the Mental Health Congress in Bad Krozingen, Germany, in March 2012. Since then, we have changed the medicine and he has progressed much further.

Ricardo, Age

5

To appreciate the virtually miraculous change that Ricardo has undergone, we really need to give a picture of this child when we first saw him. In the initial interview, Ricardo’s mom, Carol, described him as follows:

He never really had any playmates. When he was 14 months old, he developed a fascination with oscillating fans. At the age of 3 he told us he could see inside his body. Ricardo talked about killing himself with a saw and asked his mom whether she killed people or animals or whether she ate intestines. The child had strange ideas such as a dislike of cones on the street, shoes on the Mervyn’s rack that were not perfectly lined up, and cereal boxes hanging off the top of the fridge. Ricardo didn’t like to look at his dad’s navel because of the cracks. Nor did he appreciate holes. The child talked about cutting off his head, writing on his eye with a pen. On and on. …

His mother summed it up as “bizarre, bizarre thinking.” He told his dad, “Kill mommy,” threatened to poison God. Recurrent themes were dying and hatred. Ricardo feared the dark, being around other children, and meeting other children. He was fascinated with fire and talked about digging up people in the cemetery, blowing up cars, eating poison, shooting trees, eating electricity, and putting batteries in fire. There was a family history of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Ricardo exhibited periodic compulsive hand washing, touching one side of his body and then the other, and found much in his environment to pose danger: mushrooms growing in his back yard and berries on holly bushes. Other obsessions included matches, lighters, electrical outlets, flags, construction work signs, torches, lanterns, matches, the skull and cross bone symbol, sprinklers, speedometers, old record players, steering wheel covers. Ricardo exhibited no interest in riding bikes, though he did enjoy playing with cars. He spent his days screwing on outlet covers and, when scolded, replied that his outlet was broken. Rather than wanting toys, he preferred new outlet covers from the electrical department of the local hardware store. There were more ordinary symptoms such as clumsiness, an inability to get a grip on his pen to write, dislike of touching dirty socks or underwear, repetitive questions about the same topic, toe walking and flapping. . He had a recurrent tendency to personalize inanimate objects such as pretending his shirt was daddy or kissing the outlets. He was also averse to bathing.

Ricardo had a tendency to allergies and had suffered recurrent strep throat.

He had taken Prozac, Risperdal, Klonopin, Paxil, Luvox, and other psychotropic medications with no satisfactory results, and some made him aggressive. His mother was so distraught during the first interview that she cried. She had given him several homeopathic medicines without success.

The Next Five Years

A variety of homeopathic medicines were prescribed with slow, yet steady results. We were able to meet once in person at an airport 5 years later during our travels. Eight months later, in August 2006, we restudied Ricardo’s case, hoping to find a better match. Around this time, the personalization of telephones, laptops, stuffed animals, and other objects was a common topic of conversation. Ricardo often described theses as “cute.” He began to develop a concern with environmental sustainability. “People are wasting our natural resources … ruining our world. … I’ve always wanted to recycle.” His fear of chemicals, poisons, gasoline, and dying were more apparent. We were continually struck by Ricardo’s overall sensitivity to the world around him.

A New Look at the Case

We were not satisfied with the improvement and took another look at Ricardo’s case. The prominent features were pacing, spitting out germs, obsession with poison and filthy, messiness, lack of concern about hygiene, and disorganization. Often, when there are indications for more than one homeopathic mineral, a mineral salt is required. In this case, we had previously prescribed Arsenicum album and, briefly, Sulphur. We came upon a new prescription: Arsenicum sulphuratum flavum, which we had never before used in our practice. Looking at the material medica for the medicine, it was not so much its unique features that led us to prescribe it, but rather the combination of the Arsenicum album and Sulphur symptoms. We gave it in an LM1 potency and only needed to gradually increase the potency to LM4 nearly 7 years later.

The first follow-up, a month later, was impressive. “He is much improved. He adjusted remarkably quickly to the beginning of the school year.” He is less anxious, not worried about germs, and was washing his hands much less often. Carol described the improvement as 75%. We noticed a significant change in his speech – much more easeful and less high-pitched, which was permanent.

Over the next 7 years, Ricardo continued to become happier and more relaxed, maturing in a surprisingly natural fashion. He was better able to adapt to school, talking less and less about his previous obsessions. His mother was relieved and pleased with his development. We were not once inclined to change Ricardo’s prescription. No longer was he so self-focused. He steadily developed a growing fascination with television, especially news anchoring, and dreamed of working in the field. And, most of all, he began to be concerned about friendships. We cannot begin to describe how much Ricardo changed over the years. Our conversations with him became much more personal, feeling-related, and deep. We genuinely looked forward to each of our interviews with Ricardo, and he continued to amaze us with his depth of caring, writing talent, and his determination and dedication to his envisioned television career. Also impressive was his strong desire for independence and self-expression.

A New Medicine

7

Years Later

No matter how long we have treated a patient with a particular medicine with good results, we try to be fresh and open to the possibility of changing the prescription if the need arises. And so it did. We did the retake when Ricardo was 17.

I have trouble getting along with my friends. We are supposed to be working together on a film. I want to have them as my friends forever. They are what make me happy. I want to be the producer of the film. I no longer feel so shy. … Being in television is what I live for. To be on my own and be able to give what I want to give. Not just have a nice house or car, but to be able to share what I have with others. It’s about being a leader in ideas. If I can’t give to the group, it is a terrible feeling. I don’t want to just be alone. That is no fun. Being alone I would feel despair, sadness, loneliness. … The material things aren’t worth anything unless you have someone to share them with. It is our life together. What you see on television is kind of fake. Just working to get your ratings up. Be number one. It is the people who make it special.

We gave a medicine with which we did not have much clinical experience but had heard a number of teaching cases with various themes. It is Lac humanum (human milk), which is made from the human milk of one donor; it is different from but more commonly prescribed than Lac maternum (mother’s milk), which is made from a mixture of human milk from nine donors at different stages of lactation, including colostrum. One main indication of this medicine is being helpful to others so that you receive acceptance and do not feel alone. The “I” needs to be sacrificed for the good of the “we.” In our homeopathic training, we have seen only a handful of cases of these two milk medicines, and the themes of Lac humanum are varied. Besides those mentioned above, the following are additional features of those needing this medicine from the homeopathic literature: conflict between one’s higher (spiritual) and lower (animal) natures; issues of community; the polarity between simple human living/needs and values and the quest for materialism; individuality versus group conformity; the need for control and to put the world close to home in order; detachment or isolation from the world. We find this to be one of the most complex homeopathic medicines to understand, and this is our only case needing it to date.

After deciding on the prescription, we checked with Carol to see if she had breast-fed Ricardo. Her reply: “I tried. I pumped to the point of exhaustion. He was on a soy formula and would get very upset. He just couldn’t get enough milk. I also had the problem of being on medication following the C-section with him.”

Three-month follow-up: Carol reported that Ricardo was doing “great.” He eagerly ate lunch with friends, compared with the previous year when he didn’t have any and was relegated to eating alone. Ricardo was volunteering to do community service and was working on a design project. We have only given Ricardo the LM1 potency once a day. Eight months later, he shared his excitement about the school prom and about beginning driver’s education. Most recently: Ricardo had just graduated from high school, thoroughly enjoyed the graduation party, and was planning to attend a local community college. Having completed driver’s training, he was proud to have obtained his driver’s permit. Though he was sad to leave his friends, Ricardo was looking forward to his future. “Everything is good. I’m at the crossroads.” Neither we nor Carol would have ever believed, 13 years ago, that Ricardo would be where he is today – a talented, caring young man who will undoubtedly make a positive contribution to the world, likely in the field of television, his dream. This is our reward for being homeopaths!

Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman are licensed naturopathic physicians, board certified in homeopathy. Much of the material for this column was excerpted from their new book, The Savvy Traveler’s Guide to Homeopathy and Natural Medicine: Tips to Stay Healthy Wherever You Go! New, revised editions of Ritalin-Free Kids, Homeopathic Self-Care, and Whole Woman Homeopathy are available. Their other books include Treatment of Depression, Anxiety and Bipolar Disorder, A Drug-Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism, Rage-Free Kids, The Patient’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicine, and Mystics, Masters, Saints and Sages: Stories of Enlightenment. Kindle and EPUB versions of all of the books have just been released. They live on Whidbey Island, Washington, and in Pucón, Chile, and practice at the Northwest Center for Homeopathic Medicine in Edmonds, Washington. They treat patients by phone and videoconference as well as in person. They can be reached at 425-774-5599, drreichenberg@gmail.com, or drbobullman@gmail.com. Their website is www.healthyhomeopathy.com.