Efficacy of Folic Acid Supplementation in Autistic Children

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Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are recognized as a major public health issue. Here, we evaluated the effects of folic acid intervention on methylation cycles and oxidative stress in autistic children enrolled in structured teaching. Sixty-six autistic children enrolled in this open-label trial and participated in three months of structured teaching. Forty-four children were treated with 400 μg folic acid (two times/daily) for a period of three months during their structured teaching (intervention group), while the remaining 22 children were not given any supplement for the duration of the study (control group). The Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) and Psychoeducational Profile-third edition (PEP-3) were measured at the beginning and end of the treatment period. Folic acid, homocysteine, and glutathione metabolism in plasma were measured before and after treatment in 29 autistic children randomly selected from the intervention group and were compared with 29 age-matched unaffected children (typical developmental group). The results illustrated folic acid intervention improved autism symptoms towards sociability, cognitive verbal/preverbal, receptive language, and affective expression and communication. Furthermore, this treatment also improved the concentrations of folic acid, homocysteine, and normalized glutathione redox metabolism. Folic acid supplementation may have a certain role in the treatment of children with autism.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27338456


I wonder if the same applies to adults.

So it might ease autistic behaviors and social communication associated with the "disease" as they call it. It might also ease the co morbids and sensory sensitivities but they would not know that because the were not testing for that.

Just another attempt to make autistics less autistic without consideration of many of the key "symptoms" as they described it that actually distress autistic people.

At least they're getting somewhere, I suppose. I'd much rather have them focusing on levels of substances than "social issues". By social issues, I mean talking less, etc. I think most of those are quite silly to be concerned over. There's nothing wrong with being an introvert in most cases.

I never trust what I read, because I've read a different medical journal that says its not folic acid that children with autism need, that's actually dangerous and synthetic. It's folinic acid... I dont know. I never know whats right and what isn't

A shortage of folic acid might be a major cause in *some* cases of autism, but not others. I think we need to make this point again and again and again.

And will I still be allowed to stim?

Will I still be allowed to dive deeply into imaginative play which means so much to me?