Can CBD Help With Autism
A recent study of children with ASD included a nine-year-old male patient with nonverbal ASD, who displayed emotional outbursts, inappropriate conduct, social impairments, as well as difficulties conveying his requirements to others.
The patient’s situation was a tremendous strain on his caregivers, as he could not achieve independence at school and at home. The patient was given a full-spectrum high CBD oil with low levels of THC.
His initial dose was 0.1ml twice a day and gradually increased to 0.5ml twice daily every three to four days.
Upon completion of the study, the patient’s negative behaviors, such as violent outbursts, self-injurious conduct, and sleep disruptions, decreased, while his social relations, attention, and emotional stability all improved.
A combination of high CBD and low-dose THC oil was a viable therapy choice for treating autistic symptoms, resulting in an improved quality of life for the patient, his caregivers, and his parents.
Note: they administered the boy a full-spectrum CBD. Full-spectrum CBD produces the “Entourage Effect”, which may have been the reason for his positive results.
How CBD Helped Change our Child's Life
As a parent of an autistic child, I was continuously looking for innovative products, teaching systems/therapies, and medications that could potentially improve the quality of my son’s life. As I watched him struggle throughout the years with a multitude of sensitivity issues, repetitive behaviors, and the challenges of simply being social, I was determined to find a solution.
The fact is, there is no single solution, in contrast, it’s a series of experimental processes, and believe me, early on we tried everything. Elimination diets, fresh camels' milk, even the controversial, quackish, chelation therapy! Each child is different and some of these worked for us. Diet adjustments, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Occupational Therapy, Sensory-Integration Therapy, and Social Skills Therapy worked especially well. One of our best decisions, however, was enrolling in Montessori (9 to 12 years old) (Check out a Montessori in your area)
So where does CBD fit into all of this? It was just 18 months ago when we tried CBD for the first time. Within the first few months of using a full-spectrum CBD oil, we experienced positive changes in his ability to relax and ease his anxiety. This helped tremendously with his communication and social skills. He also was able to sleep through the night and was capable of staying focused for hours.
I could speak on this topic for hours, maybe even days! The interaction we have with our son today is nothing short of a miracle! Given our own personal experience and the growing body of clinical research on CBD’s utility in treating individuals with mood disorders, anxiety, chronic pain issues, and other behavioral difficulties, CBD should be a strong consideration for you. This is an option that changed our son's life. It just might be the treatment that helps control some of your child's symptoms as well. I wish we had access to CBD years ago!
CBD & Autism Articles
Effects of CBD on Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms
... overall, mostly positive outcomes were reported for the 15 patients that adhered to the standardized Cannabis sativa extract (CE) treatment (one case for 6 months and 14 cases for 9 months), especially regarding improvements in sleep disorders, seizures, and behavioral crisis. Also, signs of improvement were reported for motor development, communication and social interaction, and cognitive performance (Table 2).
We highlight that 14 out of these 15 patients (93%) showed improvements equal to or above 30% in at least one symptom category. Most patients that adhered to the treatment had improvements in more than one symptom category: seven patients (47%) had improvements equal to or above 30% in four or more symptom categories; two patients (13%) presented improvements equal to or above 30% in two symptom categories, and five patients (33%) presented improvements equal to or above 30% in one symptom category.
Only one patient, referred to as Case 9, who was receiving multiple neuropsychiatric medications throughout the study, presented overall maintenance or worsening of symptoms.
Cannabidiol in Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study
The patient was treated with full-spectrum high CBD and low THC oil formulation, with each milliliter containing 20 mg of CBD and <1 mg of THC. CBD oil starting dose was 0.1ml twice daily, increased every three to four days to 0.5ml twice daily. Overall, the patient experienced a reduction in negative behaviors, including violent outbursts, self-injurious behaviors, and sleep disruptions.
There was an improvement in social interactions, concentration, and emotional stability. A combination of high CBD and low-dose THC oil was demonstrated to be an effective treatment option for managing symptoms associated with autism, leading to a better quality of life for both the patient and the caregivers.
Cannabidiol Based Medical Cannabis in Children with Autism
Results: Following the cannabis treatment, behavioral outbreaks were much improved or very much improved (on the CGIC scale) in 61% of patients. The anxiety and communication problems were much or very much improved in 39% and 47% respectively. Disruptive behaviors, were improved by 29% from 4.74±1.82 as recorded at baseline on the HSQ-ASD to 3.36±1.56 following the treatment. Parents reported less stress as reflected in the APSI scores, changing by 33% from 2.04±0.77 to 1.37±0.59. The effect on all outcome measures was more apparent in boys with non-syndromic ASD. Adverse events included sleep disturbances (14%) irritability (9%) and loss of appetite (9%).
Conclusions: This preliminary study support the feasibility of CBD based medical cannabis as a promising treatment option for refractory behavioral problems in children with ASD. Based on these promising results, we have launched a large, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial with 120 participants (NCT02956226)
Is CBD During Neurodevelopment a Promising Therapy for Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorders?
Immediate improvements in the patients’ behavior were observed, such as a decrease in anxiety, sleep problems, hyperactivity, rage attacks, and self-injury. Progress in the patients’ autonomy, increased motor, and cognitive performances as well as communication and social interaction improvements were also reported. The expected anticonvulsant effect of CBD was confirmed in two studies in which seizures were at least partially or even completely controlled!