Today’s Chiropractic 1999 May-Jun; 28(3): 82-85
ABSTRACT: Autistic children typically manifest prior to age 30 months. The syndrome is characterized by insistence on routines and rituals, speech and language disorder, extreme difficulty relating to other people and odd motor patterns. This case report describes a 5-year-old girl with autism she first presented for chiropractic care at age 3-1/2. She was non-verbal, had marked compulsive disorders and daily rituals including: constantly rocking anterior to posterior; banging her head, regularly inflicting damage; and frequently becoming violent to herself and others. She had profound difficulty relating to others, and refused to be touched. After chiropractic care was initiated, within a one-month period, her parents and teachers had noticed a 30 percent improvement socially. After one year of care, an 80 percent improvement was noted. Her daily rituals diminished by 50 percent, and she quickly became markedly less violent. Verbal skills followed.