Fever Treatment for Autism

Children with autism now have other options for treatment. A fever holds the key to treatment for those who suffer from autism.

Those who suffer from an autism disorder have limited social interactions, lack of verbal and non-verbal communication, and other limited abilities. As many as 1.5 million Americans have autism. Currently, there is no classic medical treatment for those with autism, but speech and language therapy, started after the initial diagnosis, shows great results. One anecdote for treating autism is by inducing a fever, a treatment used for years from those suffering from autism, and many other disorders, but a recent study has proven the sketch.

Bringing on a fever restores nerve cell communications in regions of the autistic brain, allowing a child to interact and socialize better during the fever, according to new research on autism.

A study, published in the journal Pediatrics, included 30 children with autism from age 2 to 18 who were giving treatment of a fever of at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Over 80 percent treated with a fever showed some improvements in behavior, while 30 percent had dramatic improvements, the researchers said. The change included longer concentration spans, more talking, improved eye contact, improved communications skills, and better relations with adults and other children.

Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, a pediatric neurologist at Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute, one of the authors from the study said, "The results of this study are important because they show us that the autistic brain is plastic, or capable of altering current connections and forming new ones in response to different experiences or conditions."