Autistic Spectrum Disorder Improved with Chiropractic Care

On April 10, 2023, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic published the results of a case study documenting the improvement of a young chiropractic patient with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

According to the CDC website, "Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention."

The CDC also notes that "About 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network." Additionally, "ASD is nearly 4 times more common among boys than among girls."

In this case, a 7-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor by his parents. The boy had been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the age of three. At the age of two, his parents noticed unusual behaviors including that their son preferred to be alone and would not walk up to them. Instead of playing with toys, he would line them up in a row, and the boy would not let his parents know when he was hungry.

Chiropractic care was started for the correction of subluxations at the rate of two visits per week for the first four months. A variety of specific chiropractic adjustments were used starting with the gentlest ones, as sometimes autistic children do not tolerate receiving adjustments well.

After three months of chiropractic care, the study reports that there were multiple areas of improvement in the boy. It was recorded that his eye tracking had improved, and he was able to make eye contact. The boy’s mother reported that her son showed multiple areas of improvement with his autistic behaviors. It was noted that on one visit to the chiropractor the boy, "…was very talkative and explained all the Star Wars characters in an animated way."

In their conclusion, the authors wrote, "This case study demonstrates the relationship between chiropractic care and decrease in autistic symptoms." They also concluded, "This report supports the possible link between reduction of vertebral subluxation and improvement in the behavioral patterns of ASD."