James attended his regularly scheduled pediatric check-ups, and his doctors consistently reported that he was a healthy, typically developing baby. Following their guidance, we adhered to the standard vaccination schedule for his age. After one of the visits, James became ill, causing us to miss his next appointment. Once he recovered, we resumed the schedule, but this time he received a double dose of vaccines to catch up as recommended.

James had initially been meeting his developmental milestones, but with these changes, we observed that he was falling behind in his speech development. At age three, we enrolled him in speech therapy, hoping he would catch up and that this delay might simply be part of his individual growth pattern. However, from age three to four, we saw no progress despite consistent therapy sessions. It became clear to us that this was not a phase but something more significant.

The school’s child psychologist conducted an evaluation of James’ progress and met with our family to discuss the findings. It was during this process that James was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As new parents who were still learning to navigate parenthood, the diagnosis left us feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. We had little knowledge of ASD and were unsure on how to move forward. Our immediate concern was understanding the next steps to ensure James could lead a happy, healthy, and thriving life.

The school psychologist recommended that we consult a homeopathic BioMed doctor for James. A BioMed doctor is a physician-scientist with expertise in both biomedical research and pathology—the study of the root causes of disease and illness. This particular doctor specialized in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and, as a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, brought both professional knowledge and personal experience to his practice.

Conventional autism management often relies on pharmaceuticals. Many children on the autism spectrum experience seizures, stimming, or other physical and mental health challenges that may necessitate medication, which some doctors consider essential. However, for James’ symptoms, the doctor suggested alternatives: dietary changes, a vitamin regimen, a consistent routine, and potentially the use of CBD.

When we first heard about CBD, we knew little about it, though we had often seen it mentioned alongside THC in discussions about cannabis. Growing up during the D.A.R.E. era, we were taught to view cannabis solely as a recreational drug, never considering its medicinal potential. After consulting with our doctor, however, we started to see CBD as a promising option for James.

While exploring autism symptoms and CBD’s potential benefits, we uncovered three key insights:

1. Children with autism often experience significant inflammation in the brain and gut.
2. Certain foods, such as gluten, dairy, and sugar, are known to contribute to inflammation.
3. Research on CBD has demonstrated its ability to reduce inflammation within the body

With this knowledge, we decided to implement changes to determine if reducing inflammation could alleviate the symptoms James was experiencing.

We quickly adopted a new lifestyle for James, adding vitamins and reducing inflammatory foods but delaying CBD use. Initially, we saw progress—he made eye contact when called—though he still struggled to speak. When his supplements ran out, he regressed dramatically, showing pain through tantrums, head-banging, and screaming. After restocking his supplements and seeing improvement, we decided to try CBD as well.

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Initially hesitant due to the stigma around cannabis-derived products, we were compelled to explore CBD after seeing our son’s distress. We consulted with Hemp Works to understand dosing and started giving him a few CBD drops daily with dark chocolate. Within a week, we saw significant improvements. While results vary and there are no guarantees, CBD proved beneficial for us.

Our journey has been marked by numerous challenges and triumphs over the years, each of which has taught us invaluable lessons and contributed to the progress we’ve achieved. Today, we are eager to share our story with other families, hoping it may inspire success and positive change through similar lifestyle adjustments. We invite you to join us as we navigate this path together, celebrating the unique and beautiful personalities of different brains along the way.