Autism Treatment – Light and Sound Sensitivity and Autism

Throughout the years, I have seen many children with Autism who also have various sensitivities. Some sensitivities are to sound or even to light and can be very problematic. Some children even need to wear earphones to muffle sounds to be able to leave their home. The sounds inside of a home can also be challenging for some children like those coming from a loud TV, a vacuum, etc.

If a child has these sensitivities, I generally look at a couple of different things. The first is a possible heightened sensitivity as a result of yeast overgrowth. I look at an organic acid test to check for arabinose or other yeast biomarkers for information on yeast levels of the child. Another possible cause is a mineral deficiency, specifically magnesium. Magnesium deficiency can cause a child to be irritated and agitated. When you give additional magnesium, for some children, it helps with light and sound sensitivity. IV magnesium would be the best way but this form is not feasible for all families so there are other ways.

You can also give magnesium orally. Magnesium does come in different forms. Magnesium glycinate is a form of magnesium that is quickly absorbed. For most children this can be very useful at doses between 250 – 400 mg and over time you can see positive changes. Another form is magnesium citrate but your dose with this forms usually has to be lower because of its laxative effect at higher doses. So comparing the two, magnesium glycinate is probably a better form to use if addressing sensitivity issues. Epsom salt baths can also provide magnesium sulfate. One to two cups of Epsom salts added to your child’s bath each night can help. And Epsom salt creams can be another alternative if a bath is not feasible. You can apply one to one and a half teaspoons to the skin twice a day.

When a child has sensitivities to light or sound, my two most common things to look at are yeast overgrowth or magnesium deficiency. Another thing to look into is a therapy called Auditory Integration Therapy or AIT which is designed to help with auditory sensitivities and auditory processing. Magnesium supplementation is often times very helpful for children with light sensitivity since magnesium is helpful at reducing the stress and irritability factor that can be seen in some children with Autism.