ERIKA BRAGDON

Homeopathy
and Autism
RESEARCH, STORIES, & HOPE
 All Rights Reserved
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erika@livingwellmom.com.

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Copyright © 2021 By Erika J Bragdon, Living Well Mom,

LLC. All rights reserved.
 Notice to the Reader
The author of this book is not a medical professional. The
information provided in this book is for informational
purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice
or substitute for medical advice or care in any capacity.
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 Contents
05 | Introduction
06 | How Homeopathy Might Help Your Child or Teen
07 | What is Homeopathy?
09 | Research
11 | Our Homeopathy Story
15 | Before Homeopathy
16 | After Homeopathy
17 | What Is a Homeopath?
18 | How to Find a Homeopath
19 | Questions to Ask a Homeopath
21 | Things to Remember
22 | Homeopathy & Autism Success Stories
25 | There is Hope...
27 | About the Author
28 | Resources
 Homeopathy and Autism -
Introduction:
You're probably exhausted right now and while you’d run
to the moon and back to help your child, it would be a
breath of fresh air if that something didn't require a huge
effort when you're already worn out!

If you were to choose one "natural" way to help your child

who has autism, I recommend homeopathy. It’s one of the
simplest, least stressful things you can do that requires
minimal effort on your part.

5
 How Homeopathy Might
Help Your Child or Teen
Homeopathy has the potential to help your child in many
ways, including:

fewer meltdowns
reduced anxiety and fears
improved tolerance for things that previously caused
irritation and stress
more patience
calmer, less irritable
improved communication
increased awareness of his/her surroundings
improved mood
improved sleep
higher self-confidence
improved affection

6
 What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a form of natural holistic medicine that works
with the body’s own abilities to help heal, restore, and
improve overall health and well being. It can help with
everything from acute injuries and illnesses, such as sprains,
strains, common colds, flu to deeper issues like ADHD,
depression, anxiety, autoimmune diseases, and autism.

Homeopathy is often confused with holistic medicine. “Holistic

medicine” means natural or “the whole body.” People tend to
think homeopathy is the same thing, but while homeopathy is
indeed natural or holistic, it is a separate natural approach all
by itself.

Homeopathy is NOT herbal remedies, essential oils, flower

essences, acupuncture, vitamin supplements, Chinese
medicine, etc.

Homeopathic medicine or “remedies” is FDA regulated and

made from natural substances. Because those substances are
diluted over and over and over, they are safe to use even with
babies, young children, and during pregnancy. Many stores
now carry homeopathic remedies for common issues,
including arnica gel and tablets and Oscillococcinum. You may
have already seen or used a homeopathic remedy with or
without realizing it.

7
A homeopathic remedy usually looks like these small pellets:

Homeopathy is a very gentle form of natural medicine and when

the correct remedy is used, there are no side effects. The goal with
homeopathy is to restore the person to “balance.”

Homeopathy is extremely gentle and only a small amount is used

at one time. The remedies are easy to take, even for picky kids
with sensory issues. Typically, a homeopathic remedy is a few tiny
pellets that easily dissolve in the mouth. Sometimes the remedy
can be dissolved in water, making it truly tasteless and
undetectable. Your child’s homeopath will help you with
suggestions.

Another advantage to homeopathy is that it’s often not given on a

daily basis. One dose may last anywhere from 1-5 months!

8
 Research
How do we know homeopathy can be beneficial? There have
been a number of studies linking homeopathy with improving
the challenges associated with autism.

One study of 123 autistic children "showed that a reduction of

autistic features and rehabilitation of the child into
mainstream society can be achieved through classical
homeopathy."

Another study found that homeopathy "possibly helps bring a

quick recovery of mild spectrum disorders, and offer a
glimmer of hope for even the severe end of the spectrum." It
also noted that overall results in children with autism after
homeopathic treatment are as follows:

reduction in hyperactivity
improvement in sitting tolerance/attention span
improvement in sensory-perceptual skills
better & appropriate expression of emotions
improvement in both fine motor & gross motor
abilities
improvement in social skills/eye contact
improvement in speech, language & communication
skills
reduction in anxiety states/temper tantrums
better sleep patterns

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Yet another study demonstrated the usefulness of homeopathic
treatment in the management of neuropsychological dysfunction
in childhood autism disorder, which is reflected in the significant
reduction of hyperactivity, behavioral dysfunction, sensory
impairment as well as communication difficulty."

A comparative consecutive case series of 20 children with a

diagnosis of ADHD receiving homeopathic treatment compared
with 10 children receiving usual care determined that "treatment
by a homeopath was associated with sustained, increasing
improvements and the intervention was acceptable to
participants." It also recommends "more methodically rigorous
research is warranted."

A study between 2006-2009 included 60 children and

"demonstrated usefulness of homeopathic treatment in
management of neuropsychological dysfunction in childhood
autism disorder, which is reflected in significant reduction of
hyperactivity, behavioral dysfunction, sensory impairment as well
as communication difficulty."

Beyond the research, there are thousands of parents with

testimonials sharing the improvement in their child due to
homeopathic treatment.

I have personally seen homeopathy bring about just about all of

the listed benefits above with my own son.

10
 Our Homeopathy Story
I was first introduced to homeopathy by an acquaintance. She
told me how much it had helped her son who had ADHD and
other behavior challenges and suggested it might help my son
as well. I thought it was just another version of something
"natural", but I soon learned that while homeopathy is indeed
natural or holistic, it is a separate natural approach all by
itself.

At the time I was first introduced to homeopathy, my son was

not yet diagnosed with autism, but his behavior was becoming
increasingly challenging. I was mildly interested in
homeopathy but dismissed it for two reasons you might relate
to:

1) I didn’t think we could afford the out-of-pocket cost. While

some insurance companies do cover homeopathy, ours (like
most) did not.

2) I was afraid the homeopath would give me a list of things

to change at home, such as changing to a gluten-free, dairy-
free diet. At the time, even the thought of those massive
changes overwhelmed me; there was no way I could have
handled it then.

11
But my son continued to have challenges and, when he was 10
years old, I was desperate. He was confused, angry, and easily
frustrated. He would melt down into massive tantrums,
screaming and throwing things to the point that I worried
about the safety of my three younger children and myself. I
almost called the police several times because I was afraid of
my own son. It was a terrible feeling. We tried medication, but
that only made him worse.

So I bit the bullet and decided to take him to the classical

homeopath who had been recommended to me. I was
pleasantly surprised; the fee wasn’t unreasonable and she
didn’t once tell me to change diet, add more supplements,
stand on my head, or any of the things I had feared. Our
consultation went very well and I left feeling hopeful for the
first time in a long time.

Once we found the correct remedy for my son, over the course
of a month, I began to notice that he was less anxious. It was
exactly like our homeopath had told me: it was a gradual
lessening of his symptoms. He began to be more tolerant of
situations that previously “set him off.” And best of all, he
seemed happier, more well balanced, and life became easier all
around for everyone in our family.

12
Fast forward eight years and we've used homeopathy ever
since that first appointment. My son has improved by leaps
and bounds.

In 2018, I randomly came across a new homeopath in the

United Kingdom. I investigated and was astounded at the
testimonials. Children and teens with autism completely
healed through homeopathy. WHAT?!

I scheduled a free 15-min appointment with her and I loved

her. She had absolute confidence she could help my son and in
the real, lasting way I so badly wanted.

Her approach was a bit different than I was used to. She
ordered homeopathic detoxes for my son. Twice-a-week in
water detoxes. No diet restrictions, no around-the-clock
supplements with scary detox symptoms. It was SIMPLE.

Those homeopathic detoxes unlocked my son.

We went through three different detoxes and over the course

of about 6 months, my son improved so much that he is
technically no longer considered autistic per the ATEC score
system.

13
Before homeopathy, my son struggled with:

difficulty communicating - he seemed to live in his own

world unaware of others
irritability and short-tempered
hyper-fixation on things - topics in conversation, general
themes
difficulty with transitions and a low tolerance for anything
out of the normal routine
tantrums and "freak-outs" (we had 20+ literal holes in
our walls at one time)
some freak-outs so bad we almost had to call the police :(
at school, he's thrown chairs, scissors, and other things,
screamed at people
depression and anxiety
low self-esteem from bullying as he got older
difficulty seeing the big picture
and more

14
After homeopathy, my son:

was downgraded from an IEP to a 504 plan with the whole

team at the high school saying how he "blew them away" and
is doing "SO well" the 504 is just a formality.
finished 8 weeks of driver's education successfully (at the top
of his class) without an autism diagnosis - no one at driver's
ed including the other students were aware he had ever been
diagnosed with autism
passed AP Calculus (during Covid-19 remote learning too)
has 2 jobs now working almost full time
passed his driving test the first time and now has his driver's
license
earned the money and purchased his own car
can now eat normal food - before he couldn't handle gluten,
dairy, or excess sugar. He would "flip out" and break things.
Try keeping a teenager on a strict diet? Nearly impossible! It
was a source of tremendous stress and anxiety for me, but now
that is in the past.
is graduating high school in the top 7% of his class.
has applied to multiple colleges and universities and was
accepted into all
has received multiple college scholarships
is happy, more confident

I'm not saying life is now perfect. My son is still socially awkward
at times and still doesn’t have many friends. But that huge block
that was stopping him is gone and I’m confident that as he goes
away to college, he has a bright future to look forward to.

15
 Getting Started with
Homeopathy
If you're interested in looking into homeopathy for your own
child, you will first want to find a homeopath.

While you can buy some homeopathic remedies yourself, it is

well worth the time and money to take your child to see
someone who specializes in homeopathy, especially
considering that autism can be so challenging. There are
hundreds of different remedies and it can be difficult to find
the correct one or combination for your child all by yourself.
Homeopaths also have access to more specialized remedies
than the average person does.

A quick note: in my opinion, it is never too late to start. We

didn't start homeopathy with my son until he was 10 years old
and the most remarkable changes didn't occur until we found
our second homeopath when he was 15 years old! If you have
a teenager or even a young adult who has autism, it is still
well worth consulting with a homeopath.

16
 What is a Homeopath?
A homeopath is someone who has been trained to use
homeopathic remedies. In the United States, most practicing
homeopaths are required to have some sort of degree in
healthcare. A homeopath might be a traditional medical
doctor, an osteopath, a nutritionist, etc. The exact
requirements can vary from state to state.

Homeopathy itself does not carry a traditional degree, but

there are certification programs for homeopathy.

A homeopath will determine which remedy is most likely to

help by looking at your child’s overall well-being: emotional,
mental, and physical health. He/she won’t merely look at one
factor, such as your child’s social behavior; many different
things about your child and their overall “big picture” will be
considered as it all factors into which remedy will be the best
“fit” for your child. This is usually done during an initial one or
two-hour-long consult.

One thing to remember is that homeopathy is not a quick-fix;

it can take some time to assimilate into your child’s body and
begin to make a difference. This may be a couple of weeks or
even a month before you begin to see subtle differences. Your
homeopath will be able to give you more insight into what to
expect and what to look for.

17
 How to Find a Homeopath
If you know of a recommended homeopath in your area, you
can start there. Remember you are looking for a practitioner
who treats with homeopathic remedies - not a naturopath,
herbalist, etc. (Those are separate fields of natural medicine.)

Look on Facebook and do online research. Referrals and word-

of-mouth recommendations are always helpful and can save
you a lot of time, money, and hassle. Additionally, there are
websites that have directories for classical homeopaths, such
as the National Center for Homeopathy that offer a
homeopath director. You can find that here.

I recommend looking at homeopaths overseas too. Many of

them have even more training than practitioners here in the
United States because homeopathy is more routinely accepted
in other countries. I personally found the best results with our
homeopath in the UK.

If you are interested in our homeopath, you can find her

information here. She is often booked, but if she is not
available, she will refer you to another recommended
homeopath who can help. (Note: if the link is not working, you
can email me for her updated contact information -
erika@livingwellmom.com)

18
 Questions to Ask a
Homeopath
Once you’ve found a homeopath you are interested in working
with, give them a call or send an email and ask questions. The
number one question to ask is “Do you have experience
treating kids with autism?”

Just because a homeopath may not “specialize” in autism does

not mean they won’t be able to help your child. On the other
hand, if you do have the option to choose a homeopath with
experience in treating children who have autism, that is your
best bet assuming you feel they're a good fit for you and your
child.

You should ask:

What is the cost?*
How often will I need to bring my child in?
How long have you been practicing homeopathy?

* A note about the cost: because homeopathy is rarely, if ever,

covered by insurance, you may hesitate, just like I did, because
of the price. However, there are a couple of things to keep in
mind with homeopathy:

19
While the initial consultation may cost anywhere from $100-
500, it will usually last between 1 and 2 hours (it’s not the
average in-and-out doctor visit) and follow-up visits almost
always cost less.

Also, homeopathy is not like some natural practitioners, such

as a chiropractor, where they will ask you to come back 2 or 3
times a week for the rest of your life. (If they do, look
elsewhere.) In my experience, after the initial 2-hour visit, we
saw our homeopath once a month for follow-up
appointments for a few months and now we book a follow-up
every 6 months or so.

Your experience may vary somewhat depending on your

homeopath and your child’s symptoms. This is also why it’s a
good idea to ask about the typical frequency of visits when
you first inquire - so you can work this into your family
budget.

Homeopathy has literally been some of the BEST money we

have ever spent. Even my husband said so and he is much
more skeptical about “natural” things than I am. It has been
worth every single penny and even more. The difference in my
son’s life because of homeopathy is so amazing, it’s hard to
put into words.

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 Things to Remember:

A few things to remember:

Communicate with your child’s homeopath. If you’re not

seeing any changes, let him or her know. Ask questions.

Homeopathy takes time to work. It’s not like popping an

aspirin for a headache where you’ll begin to feel relief in less
than an hour. Homeopathy helps balance slowly and
holistically, thus reducing stress, anxiety, and many other
symptoms gradually over time.

Give it time, be persistent, and you and your child can reap the
benefits of homeopathy.

21
 Homeopathy & Autism
Success Stories

“As a parent of an autistic child, the search for anything that

can make a positive change in your child’s life is endless.
Autism has led me down many pathways to seek physical,
mental/emotional, and social well-being for our daughter. Of
the countless things we’ve tried, homeopathy has been a
major positive player in her journey. We’ve used homeopathy
across a broad spectrum of issues, from initially treating the
whole child with remedies to bring her into balance to more
specific symptoms such as sleep, nightmares, hyperactivity,
anxiety, phobias, focus, gut issues, etc. Homeopathy is well
worth the patience and experimentation involved for the
results we’ve seen. It’s also become a valuable tool for the
wellness of our whole family.”

- Megs B.

22
"Homeopathy has been a godsend to our family. When we
first realized that autism was the likely diagnosis for our son, I
felt we might be walking into a world full of multiple
medications just to help our son function and the thought of
any prescribed medication made my husband and me nervous.
After meeting Erika, she shared some of the same experiences
with traditional medications I'd heard about, the adverse side
effects, and seeing no real improvement until they switched to
homeopathy. Having a more natural approach to treating our
son's symptoms was exactly what I was longing to hear. She
connected me with the homeopathic specialist she works with
and the changes have been amazing already!

He's been treated by this homeopath for over a year now.

Angry outbursts that lasted 20 to 90 minutes that included
throwing things, hitting, requiring the evacuation of his
classmates during one episode, became almost non-existent.
When they would happen, with the remedy in effect, his
outbursts were shorter, less frequent and when they did occur,
he was able to come out and calm down using the techniques
that previously didn't work. He has progressed much further
than we expected this past school year. With his IEP in place,
his team has seen a change in how he communicates and is
more verbal, letting his aides know when he is overwhelmed
instead of lashing out.

(continued)

23
All of these changes, I know are because of the homeopathic
treatment he's receiving.

The biggest surprise in his treatment using homeopathy is the

fact that his doses are not on a schedule like traditional
medications are. He is not taking pills or supplements every
day, every week or even every month. We receive a dose in a
simple sugar pellet dose that dissolves in his mouth about
every 6 - 8 weeks. We can tell when it is time for his next
dose by his moods and irritability.

It's become quite clear that this method of treatment really

works. We love that this is more cost-effective and affordable.
Homeopathy is not covered by insurance and costs us out of
pocket, but it is worth it because the treatments are effective
in what they do. The remedies bring about a balance in our
son that we hadn't seen since he was a toddler. We are so
blessed by homeopathy and highly recommend it to other
families, even if you have no symptoms yourself, homeopathy
is wonderful to bring balance to anyone. I too have started
receiving homeopathic remedies and it has helped me as a
mom find my own balance and be able to be stronger for my
son and my other children."

- Christen

24
 There is Hope...

Dear Autism Mom, there is hope that your child or

teen can live a life free from the challenges of
autism. It is absolutely possible; my son is living
proof.

Sending you so much love and support

xoxo
Erika

25
When you get into a tight place and
everything goes against you, till it
seems as though you could not
hang on a minute longer, never
give up, for that is just the place
and time the tide will turn.
-HARRIET BEECHER STOWE
 about erika
Erika Bragdon lives in the beautiful the medicinal benefits of nature as a
hills of New Hampshire with her young girl.
husband, Nate, and four children -
Nathan, Emily, Joshua, and Luke. She is now a flower essence expert,
an essential oil coach, and an avid
She is the creator and owner of homeopathy user who is always
LivingWellMom.com, a popular learning more.
lifestyle blog for moms, and she
enjoys writing, baking, and spending After years of helping her family
time with her animals, including her heal from health challenges,
flock of 50 chickens. including her oldest son who has
recovered from autism, Erika has
Erika has been fascinated with turned that passion into teaching
herbs, plants, and natural living and encouraging others through
since her father taught her about simple resources.
 Resources:

Our homeopath is Sally Lloyd in the United

Kingdom. Thanks to technology, we see her from
our home in New Hampshire through video
meetings. Her current website can be found here.
https://internationalhomeopath.com/

Join my Autism Hope Community email list for more

encouragement and support as an autism mom.
Click here.
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