- Children with autism and related ASDs are known to have abnormal bowel motility, high levels of parasites and possibly difficulties with absorption of nutrients through the gut wall. These problems interfere with the absorption of nutrients and produce waste by-products from the metabolism which can affect the nervous system’s functioning.
- Children with autism and other ASDs are shallow upper thoracic breathers.
- Conversely deep diaphragm breathing increases oxygen supply to the circulating blood (and therefore the bowels).
- Rapid shallow breathing steadily disrupts the finely orchestrated balance between oxygen, carbon dioxide (CO2), pH levels and free radical activity in the lungs, circulating blood and mitochondria.
THE HIGH OXYGEN NEEDS OF THE GUT
- The bowel digests food by oxygen directed reactions
- The bowel absorbs digested food by oxygen controlled mechanisms
- The bowel eliminates waste by-products by oxygen activated enzymes systems
- The bowel protects the blood ecosystem and the liver metabolic pathways by oxygen’s ‘detergent’ functions.
- The bowel influences the function of the endocrine (hormone producing) organs as well as the nervous system by oxygen mediated responses.
- Thus oxygen preserves bowel health by a vast and intricate network of signals.
- Many chronic bowel issues are probably rooted in the disruption of oxygen signals.
The parent can learn the exercises at the Advance Centre without the child and then choose how best to perform the exercise at home, as full support is given by the Centre between visits.
The child plays no active role in the therapy, for example the TST exercises can be performed while the child is sleeping or sitting down.