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The Un-Prescription for Autism: A Natural Approach for a Calmer, Happier, and More Focused Child
A safe and simple action plan for autism parents. Each year, more than 50,000 U.S. families receive an autism diagnosis. On top of turmoil and worry, they share the same urgent question: What can we do to help our child? The answers parents find can be contradictory...even dangerous. The conventional approach (employed by too many pediatricians) is to medicate difficult behaviors into submission-suppressing symptoms while leaving underlying health challenges untouched. Surfing the Internet for alternatives just leads to confusion. Now, Dr. Janet Lintala, founder of the Autism Health center and an autism mom herself, shares the natural protocols used in her practice to dramatically improve the function and well-being of children on the spectrum. Drawing on the latest research developments, as well as personal and clinical experience, she targets the underlying issues (chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, gastrointestinal dysfunction, immune dysregulation) associated with the behavior, bowel, and sleep problems so common to autism. Correcting these overlooked conditions with digestive enzymes, probiotics, antifungals, and other nonpsychiatric treatments brings transformative results: less pain, less aggression, and a child who is more receptive to behavioral and educational interventions. While the medical profession is slow to change, autistic kids need help immediately. The Un-Prescription for Autism provides clear explanations, detailed protocols, and examples to help parents act quickly to restore their child's health, self-control, and language-paving the way for reaching their full potential.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2016
53 people are currently reading
1244 people want to read
About the author
Janet Lintala
2 books34 followersI'm so excited that The Un-Prescription for Autism has won eight national and international book awards:
Winner of Gold Award: Readers' Favorite Book Awards in Nonfiction - General
Winner of Gold Award: Nautilus Book Awards in Psychology
Winner of Gold Award: International Book Awards in Psychology
Winner of Gold Award: International Books Awards in Health/Alternative Medicine
Winner of Gold Award: Best Book Awards in Health: Alternative Medicine
Winner of Gold Award: Bookvana Book Awards in Psychology/Mental Health
Winner of Gold Award: Bookvana Book Awards in Alternative Medicine
Winner of Book Excellence Awards in Alternative Medicine
It is now available in French, published by Dunod as L'Autisme Sans Ordonnance at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/y6ue94ee
Please note: Nothing in this book cures, treats or prevents autism. I do NOT think that people should use bleach, and I am not anti-vaccine or anti-medicine.
Winner of Gold Award: Readers' Favorite Book Awards in Nonfiction - General
Winner of Gold Award: Nautilus Book Awards in Psychology
Winner of Gold Award: International Book Awards in Psychology
Winner of Gold Award: International Books Awards in Health/Alternative Medicine
Winner of Gold Award: Best Book Awards in Health: Alternative Medicine
Winner of Gold Award: Bookvana Book Awards in Psychology/Mental Health
Winner of Gold Award: Bookvana Book Awards in Alternative Medicine
Winner of Book Excellence Awards in Alternative Medicine
It is now available in French, published by Dunod as L'Autisme Sans Ordonnance at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/y6ue94ee
Please note: Nothing in this book cures, treats or prevents autism. I do NOT think that people should use bleach, and I am not anti-vaccine or anti-medicine.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 22, 2016
As an adult with ASD I have always been sick with a hundred different symptoms in spite of being on hundreds of meds and seeing every type of there is specialist. If all the best medicine out there hasn't helped, I figured it was low odds that anything in a book would help me.
Understandably I was hesitant to read a book that promised such amazing results through the use of supplements and probiotics. To be honest, I've always classified supplements under snake oil. But I decided to try it. After years of chronic heartburn, I've been sleeping better than ever by using Janet Lintala's methods. Digestive health and more have been improving over the last few weeks, I've found new tools for managing emotions, and found a provider to help improve the vision problems I never realized could be helped.
More than that, this book has helped me feel less alone. I always have thought of ASD as only being mental problem, one that I had worse than most. To read the stories in this book the lists of symptoms has helped me see that what I attributed to laziness and bad behavior may have been more treatable than I imagined.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, but truly do recommend it to anyone affected by ASD. I'm excited for the health gains I see ahead.
Understandably I was hesitant to read a book that promised such amazing results through the use of supplements and probiotics. To be honest, I've always classified supplements under snake oil. But I decided to try it. After years of chronic heartburn, I've been sleeping better than ever by using Janet Lintala's methods. Digestive health and more have been improving over the last few weeks, I've found new tools for managing emotions, and found a provider to help improve the vision problems I never realized could be helped.
More than that, this book has helped me feel less alone. I always have thought of ASD as only being mental problem, one that I had worse than most. To read the stories in this book the lists of symptoms has helped me see that what I attributed to laziness and bad behavior may have been more treatable than I imagined.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, but truly do recommend it to anyone affected by ASD. I'm excited for the health gains I see ahead.
May 1, 2016
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
My second year of teaching was a disaster. I was pregnant, but more importantly, I had a combination room of fourth and fifth graders. Among the 30 children in my class was a boy whose parents had just been arrested for murder, four students whose parents were being divorced, and one boy who would not speak to anyone or look them in the eye. He is the child I remember the most from that year, because I could do little for him. He could do more complex math problems than anyone in the class, but he could not tie his shoes. Everything, including all his knowledge, was shut up inside him. At first, he wouldn't let me hug him, but eventually he became my friend. Today we would say that he was on the Autism spectrum. Then, he was just a strange and different little boy.
We didn't have a name for Autism until about 100 years ago, and the public didn't have much understanding of it until Dustin Hoffman appeared as an autistic savant in the movie Rain Man. This movie was a major breakthrough in public awareness. Special services in public schools began to be offered in the early 1990s, until now autism and a large spectrum of disorders have come to be recognized, understood, and appreciated.
The author of The Un-Prescription for Autism, Janet Lintala, is a Chiropractor, the mother of a child on the spectrum, and has a practice devoted to integrative health and autistic health. She believes that autism and all its variants can be faced head-on with therapies and protocols that are prescription free. She suggests that many of the imbalances in the lives of individuals on the spectrum are caused by irregularities in the gastrointestinal system. Her premise is that if you get the gastrointestinal system regulated, life will improve for the autistic child. She doesn't say that the autistic child will be "cured" but that life will be better, the child will be calmer, happier and more focused. It may also break the cycle of prescription drugs (particularly antibiotics) that are endlessly given to those on the spectrum.
She also offers chapter after chapter of suggestion from her own life experience and from the experience in her chiropractic practice. There is plenty of research that backs up her practices, and useful diagrams and examples create plausibility for her assertions. The format is outstanding, the examples are pertinent, and the charts and diagrams are very helpful.
From my own life experience, I know that parents constantly search for help for their children having life adjustment problems. This book offers many helpful suggestions—although perhaps no major solutions. Any parent who reads The Un-Prescription for Autism will be intrigued with Lintala's assertions about probiotics and gastrointestinal imbalances and find lots of valuable information to incorporate into their child's therapies.
This book came from the publicist. Share it with friends and family who will find it beneficial.
My second year of teaching was a disaster. I was pregnant, but more importantly, I had a combination room of fourth and fifth graders. Among the 30 children in my class was a boy whose parents had just been arrested for murder, four students whose parents were being divorced, and one boy who would not speak to anyone or look them in the eye. He is the child I remember the most from that year, because I could do little for him. He could do more complex math problems than anyone in the class, but he could not tie his shoes. Everything, including all his knowledge, was shut up inside him. At first, he wouldn't let me hug him, but eventually he became my friend. Today we would say that he was on the Autism spectrum. Then, he was just a strange and different little boy.
We didn't have a name for Autism until about 100 years ago, and the public didn't have much understanding of it until Dustin Hoffman appeared as an autistic savant in the movie Rain Man. This movie was a major breakthrough in public awareness. Special services in public schools began to be offered in the early 1990s, until now autism and a large spectrum of disorders have come to be recognized, understood, and appreciated.
The author of The Un-Prescription for Autism, Janet Lintala, is a Chiropractor, the mother of a child on the spectrum, and has a practice devoted to integrative health and autistic health. She believes that autism and all its variants can be faced head-on with therapies and protocols that are prescription free. She suggests that many of the imbalances in the lives of individuals on the spectrum are caused by irregularities in the gastrointestinal system. Her premise is that if you get the gastrointestinal system regulated, life will improve for the autistic child. She doesn't say that the autistic child will be "cured" but that life will be better, the child will be calmer, happier and more focused. It may also break the cycle of prescription drugs (particularly antibiotics) that are endlessly given to those on the spectrum.
She also offers chapter after chapter of suggestion from her own life experience and from the experience in her chiropractic practice. There is plenty of research that backs up her practices, and useful diagrams and examples create plausibility for her assertions. The format is outstanding, the examples are pertinent, and the charts and diagrams are very helpful.
From my own life experience, I know that parents constantly search for help for their children having life adjustment problems. This book offers many helpful suggestions—although perhaps no major solutions. Any parent who reads The Un-Prescription for Autism will be intrigued with Lintala's assertions about probiotics and gastrointestinal imbalances and find lots of valuable information to incorporate into their child's therapies.
This book came from the publicist. Share it with friends and family who will find it beneficial.
April 5, 2016
I received this book free as part of GoodReads Giveaways.
I requested the book for my sister as my nephew has Autism. She is tired of reading books that say they have all the answers (or that they can cure Autism) if only you do what they tell you to do. So I first read this book cover-to-cover and I have no hesitation in passing this book onto her.
Firstly the Author is anti drugging our children (except for extreme circumstances). Excellent! Autistic children do however have a tendency to have many digestive problems. These problems often get ignored by Doctors who treat the symptoms individually - the constipation with laxatives, rashes with creams, sleeping problems with Melatonin, hyperactivity with ADHD meds, etc. What Janet Lentala suggests is that we look at fixing the problem (digestion issues). Could irritability, anger, hyperactivity issues come from the child being in pain or discomfort and not being able to express it any other way? If so, they don't need Anti-psychotic or ADHD drugs, they need their digestion sorted out.
This is not a cure for Autism - nothing can cure Autism, but behaviours can be improved by taking away discomfort and pain and allowing the child to sleep better. Janet Lentala also believes that the parent is the expert in their child. She does not prescribe a "solution" as a be-all-end-all. She treats the parent with respect and assumes that the parent is an intelligent person who can decide what is best for their child. As such, the book does explain everything she is suggesting, so I took over a week to read it - not something that you can just skim through. It is written so that anyone can understand it, but it did take some concentration to get through. It is American, so somethings are not applicable, but 95% of it was useful.
If your doctor (or the school) wants to medicate your child, and you don't want to do it, there is no harm in trying this first. The basis of it is supplements and probiotics (I am going to try it myself to cure my own digestive issues). Lentala shares many stories from her clinic and her own family, including stories of things that have gone wrong (so you know what not to do). She also suggests many other therapies you can try (if you need more help). There is no strict diet to follow (unless you want to) which is great as my Nephew will only eat around 10 foods, getting him to eat at all is sometimes a struggle. There is a enzyme you can use which eliminates the need to go on a Gluten Free Casein Free Diet (which is great - because that's all he does eat). Once he is digesting those foods properly, it may be easier to expand his diet.
There is also a list of symptoms that your child may have - some of which (such as chewing clothes) we had no idea was a symptom. It's good to know that you are not alone and that other's out there are struggling through the same issues.
4 1/2 stars - not 5 as we haven't tried it yet!
I requested the book for my sister as my nephew has Autism. She is tired of reading books that say they have all the answers (or that they can cure Autism) if only you do what they tell you to do. So I first read this book cover-to-cover and I have no hesitation in passing this book onto her.
Firstly the Author is anti drugging our children (except for extreme circumstances). Excellent! Autistic children do however have a tendency to have many digestive problems. These problems often get ignored by Doctors who treat the symptoms individually - the constipation with laxatives, rashes with creams, sleeping problems with Melatonin, hyperactivity with ADHD meds, etc. What Janet Lentala suggests is that we look at fixing the problem (digestion issues). Could irritability, anger, hyperactivity issues come from the child being in pain or discomfort and not being able to express it any other way? If so, they don't need Anti-psychotic or ADHD drugs, they need their digestion sorted out.
This is not a cure for Autism - nothing can cure Autism, but behaviours can be improved by taking away discomfort and pain and allowing the child to sleep better. Janet Lentala also believes that the parent is the expert in their child. She does not prescribe a "solution" as a be-all-end-all. She treats the parent with respect and assumes that the parent is an intelligent person who can decide what is best for their child. As such, the book does explain everything she is suggesting, so I took over a week to read it - not something that you can just skim through. It is written so that anyone can understand it, but it did take some concentration to get through. It is American, so somethings are not applicable, but 95% of it was useful.
If your doctor (or the school) wants to medicate your child, and you don't want to do it, there is no harm in trying this first. The basis of it is supplements and probiotics (I am going to try it myself to cure my own digestive issues). Lentala shares many stories from her clinic and her own family, including stories of things that have gone wrong (so you know what not to do). She also suggests many other therapies you can try (if you need more help). There is no strict diet to follow (unless you want to) which is great as my Nephew will only eat around 10 foods, getting him to eat at all is sometimes a struggle. There is a enzyme you can use which eliminates the need to go on a Gluten Free Casein Free Diet (which is great - because that's all he does eat). Once he is digesting those foods properly, it may be easier to expand his diet.
There is also a list of symptoms that your child may have - some of which (such as chewing clothes) we had no idea was a symptom. It's good to know that you are not alone and that other's out there are struggling through the same issues.
4 1/2 stars - not 5 as we haven't tried it yet!
December 28, 2017
The link between autism and gastro-intestinal balance is now well-documented, as is treatment with medication, and I err on the side of caution with both. I don't believe that there is 'one' method for improving the symptoms of autism, whether it be chemical or natural, and as a parent, in fact as a member of a family of four with first hand experience, and who were quite literally at the end of their tether, medication provided us with immediate relief while we came to terms with a diagnosis and began to plan to move forward. Also, having IBS, being wheat intolerant, and therefore dealing with Gastrointestinal issues personally, I have experienced first hand the benefits of dietary improvements, pro-biotics and pre-biotics etc; however, I have also seen autistic children taking control through food, and subsequently parents who just want to get their child to eat something, anything - but just to eat! Food can also be an extremely tricky area for someone with autism, often focussing on texture, colour, combinations - not just nutrition.
This is a very good, very informative book, but like all books on autism, it will form part of my wider library informing the bigger picture for managing my child's very individual autism.
This is a very good, very informative book, but like all books on autism, it will form part of my wider library informing the bigger picture for managing my child's very individual autism.
June 2, 2020
I received a copy of The Un-Prescription for Autism by Janet Lintala in a contest on Goodreads. This is a fantastic book and a must read by parents with children on the spectrum or therapist who work with this population. As a therapist who works some with this population, I was excited to see other options, besides a handful of medications, that work for many in the ASD population. This book is explained in a simple, concise and straight forward manner. It is a more natural and gentle approach that walks you through assessment, what issues can mean in their body system, as well as, behavioral cues to possible problems. Natural means of addressing those issues are applied and startling results often occur. The book talks a lot about probiotics and diet changes and how they help heal the gastrointestinal tract which then affects so many other things for ASD children and teens. There is nothing to lose in trying this approach, there is beginning to be more science to back it up and there is a lot to gain. A fantastic book that I highly recommend.
October 28, 2019
This book was full of enough practical information to help me heal my body from the health issues common folks with this neurotype face, that it just slightly outweighed the ableism and other problematic beliefs and language laced through the text by the author. I still recommend this to my friends on the spectrum, or who have kids on the spectrum, as a useful tool to heal our bodies so we can live our best lives for ourselves.
July 14, 2020
I love that this book does not try to “cure” autism, but rather provides management of the underlying gut health issues that many people on the autism spectrum experience that leads to irritability and aggression. No one can function well while in pain! This entire book advocates for the use of enzymes both with and as a substitute to a gluten-free, casein-free diet (GFCF diet) and tells many stories of the benefits of this diet and the enzymes that accompany it.
May 29, 2021
Author does not claim to cure or treat ASD, but suggests ways to make the GI tract more comfortable, which in turn may improve behaviors. After all, not many people in pain exude joy and peace. The book states there are 3 steps and suggests schedules and rotations for Enzymes, Probiotics and Natural Antimicrobials.
November 25, 2016
Dr. Lintala's research, book and practice gives us hope that better health is possible for people with ASD. Her stories brought me to tears and into bursts of laughter. I look forward to digging into her extensive endnotes for more information.
August 10, 2018
Reinforces the importance of diet in everything, because you gut is what matters most. Eat healthy, take digestive enzymes and probiotics. She has other helpful tips for boosting the immune system as well.
November 22, 2017
We as a Autism Ministry and a group need this book!
June 19, 2020
Easy to read, well presented with TONS of back up and referenced research. Easy read took 4hrs and I have 5 pages of notes
February 13, 2017
it's good enough to recommend to others and I will be trying parts of it.
August 3, 2016
The Un-Prescription for Autism is a detailed guide on effective strategies for improving the gastro-intestinal health of children with Autism, as a starting point for supporting and improving the health and well-being of ASD children. It is well researched and supported by industry experience, and provides a detailed, personalisable plan for implementing changes. For a reader who works with children but had little knowledge of ASD (but plenty of experience with gastro-intestinal health!) it was an interesting and enlightening read, and everything said made a degree of sense. However, what you will not find in this text is an overview of autism or broader strategies. This book is really designed for caregivers, to help provide a baseline of health for their children, and it achieves this competently.
I received this book as a goodreads 1st read in exchange for honest feedback.
I received this book as a goodreads 1st read in exchange for honest feedback.
August 17, 2016
Interesting concept that food affects the brain and causes behavioral problems and thought processes in some children - I have an inclination to believe this theory as I have seen the transformation of simple foods to complex chemical approximations of food in my life time. I think that our food industry has sold us a poor substitute for real food and we are paying a dear price.
February 2, 2016
Excellent.
You can't "cure" neurological conditions with vitamins, industrial bleach or anything else!
You can't "cure" neurological conditions with vitamins, industrial bleach or anything else!
May 20, 2016
This book is full of pseudoscience and misinformation. It doesn't just border on hate literature, it IS hate literature.
March 12, 2016
Early review for GeekDad.com.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews