An autistic boy; a case of Helium

I first saw Ginuwine in June 2002, when he was four and a half years old. He had a developmental disorder and was diagnosed with a problem in the autistic spectrum. When he was two and a half, his mother noticed that he was not functioning normally and she brought him to a medical crèche. She asked me for homeopathic support for her son, since she already had good experience with homeopathy and wanted to try this for him, too.

Ginuwine is the second child in the family. There were some problems during his pregnancy: his mother had anaemia and was often nauseous. During the whole pregnancy, she was very tired, and the combination of a busy job plus the care of another child was too much for her. The birth itself, however, was not difficult for her. Ginuwine was born at home, three days past his due date. For the first two weeks, his mother could give him the breast then, she had to resort to the bottle, as she did not have enough milk for him.

Ginuwine was a cheerful and lively toddler who started to walk at 12 months.  He had the tendency to walk on his toes, which he continued to do later on. Sometimes, he “fluttered” with his arms. One often sees toe-walking in autistic children. From the age of one year, he had asthmatic bronchitis. Although he laughed a lot, he would panic easily with new experiences. When he was angry, he would hit himself on the head. At two and a half, he was diagnosed with a pronounced retardation in his speech and language development.

During our first encounter, I saw a blond boy with clear blue eyes, who gave a soft impression. I noticed straight away that it was very difficult to communicate with him. He did not ask any questions and it was difficult to assess what he understood or whether things were actually getting through to him. He used almost no language to communicate with others. He often repeated the last two words of what the other said (echolalia), and he made animal noises, growling like a lion, for example. He was not toilet trained yet. He did not like fruit or vegetables, but he loved pancakes with bacon, pork chops, meat, and fish. He loved to swim and he loved riding in the car. When he heard music, he started to dance.

Prescription

Based on my observations, I gave Ginuwine Barium muriaticum 200K, one dose every 4 weeks. This remedy suits his developmental and language retardation, as well as a number of physical symptoms.

Follow-up

Two months later: he has improved immensely. He is talking more and his speech is clearer. His eating pattern has also changed: he now eats things that he never used to eat.

Five months later: again he has improved. He answers questions, whereas previously he only spoke in echolalia. He names thing that he sees in books.  

Eight months later: he is still progressing, and he has now been dry for the last two months, both during the day and at night. His speech is much better, sometimes making whole sentences; his mother can understand him better and the contact between them has improved. His asthmatic complaints have disappeared since three months. In January 2004, he left the medical crèche and was put into a school for children with severe learning problems, which was more than his parents and carers had expected for him.

Then, came a point where he was not make any more progress, which for me is a sign that a different remedy is needed. He now receives Helium 200K, two pilules once per month. I have learned to use this remedy via my colleague Jan Scholten, who has described it in his book “Homeopathy and the Elements”.

Nineteen months after the first dose of Helium: Ginuwine is making progress at school and is going up to the next class. His speech continues to improve and he now talks about things at home. At school, he learns pictograms. He is learning to swim and he can ride a bike without side wheels. He can also withstand changes better than in the past. He is now eating vegetables, and as always he is very fond of pork chops and other meat.

Five years later: Ginuwine still receives a monthly dose of Helium MK. He is now talking on his own, describing all the things that he experiences at school. He is a cheerful and contented child, despite the divorce of his parents a year ago.

Exerpt of an interview with his parents (before their divorce)

Q: Do you have any advice for other parents of autistic children?

A: As soon as you notice that your child is not functioning normally you need to take steps. No matter how difficult it is, you have to try to accept the fact that your child is different and has different behaviour. The sooner a diagnosis is made, the better.

Our son is healthy and happy, and we are glad that we brought him to the right place in time. Sometimes, society places demands on us and on our children. For instance, if Ginuwine was born in Africa, it would not have been a problem – he would just have been included in the tribe and would have participated on the land.

Q: How do you see the future for Ginuwine?

A: He will probably be in a supported group-living situation. At the moment, he is learning to read and write. Even at school they cannot say for sure how much he can still progress, so we are happy with every bit of progress that he makes.

Photo: www.life123.com; Understanding the Autism Spectrum