THE FOLLOWING ARE SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS COMMONLY TREATED BY THE WASHINGTON ACUPUNCTURE CENTER. AUTISM Autism is a deficiency of response to other people. Autistic children do not imitate people and learn to speak like other children although they may have normal or high intelligence. These autistic behavior patterns become evident in the preschool years and may cause children to be considered mentally retarded, because they ignore most attempts to communicate with them. They seem to be more interested in things than in people but may be very responsive to music. The cause of autism has not been determined, but there is considerable evidence that it is related to metabolic abnormalities, allergic reactions or nutritional deficiencies. Various types of psychotherapy, however, have been more successful than medications as treatment. Although sedatives or stimulants may cause a temporary change in behavior, they have serious side effects and may cause addiction. According to acupuncture theory, autism is due to imbalances in the body energy system which can be corrected by acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture can regulate metabolism and reduce allergic responses. The Washington Acupuncture Center has treated more than 100 autistic children successfully. Most autistic children show significant improvement in responsiveness by the time they have had six treatments, but many more are usually required to enable the child to function normally. Psychotherapy and nutritional therapy can be given along with acupuncture and should be continued afterwards. The autistic child should have a diet free from anything to which he is known to be allergic, artificial food dyes, preservatives and other toxic substances. All drugs should be discontinued, but such drugs as amphetamines, barbituates, Valium and cortisone derivatives must be discontinued gradually to avoid serious withdrawal reactions. Although children may not cooperate well with acupuncture therapy at first, they usually become surprisingly willing to have the needles inserted as they begin to improve after the first few treatments. Apparently they soon discover that the treatments are not very painful and are helping them to function better. next