In the last 3 decades, diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder have increased 3 fold. Autism is defined as: "A developmental disorder of variable severity characterized by difficulty in social interaction and communication and by restrictive or repetitive patterns of thought and behavior" Impaired social interaction is the hallmark symptom of ASD and can become apparent as early as infancy. (Some mothers even report a noticeable change during pregnancy as opposed to their other pregnancies) According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 1 out of every 88 children will have developed ASD by age 8 and males are 4 times more likely to fall on the spectrum as girls. Early signs of ASD can include no eye contact in infancy, no babbling or pointing by age 1, no formed words by age 16 months, Some of the other notable signs include:

• Failure to make eye contact
• Unresponsiveness
• Failure to respond to others
• Struggle to interpret thoughts, feelings of others
• Trouble responding to social ques like non verbals and tone of voice
• Focusing on something so intently that all outside stimulus goes unnoticed
• Lack of Empathy
• Repetitive motions such as rocking, clapping, jumping, twirling
• Repetitive or unusual language
• Inflexible need to stick to specific routines
• Self Harm behaviors such as biting, kicking, and head banging

Researchers and desperate parents are still trying to understand the biological mechanisms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Despite the fact that science is still searching for causes and bio markers, there is so much emerging research on CBD and Autism and the studies are so very promising. Study after study is finding that the Endocannabinoid System is involved in both overall brain development and health as well as the pathogenesis of autism. These studies also suggest that clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency could contribute to other risk factors, even in utero. The ECS has been found to control the reproductive process even as early as implantation. In women, the stress reducing effects of CBD can aid in fertility. Stress and anxiety can make getting pregnant very difficult. One study conducted by Dr. Hans Hatt found that there is an ECS receptor in sperm cells that "activates the spermatozoa for fertilization". (Many other studies show the negative impacts of THC use and fertility in men)

Knowing that the ECS holds such a prominent role in reproduction, it seems to go without saying that an Endocannabinoid Deficiency can contribute to many different disease processes that can develop over time even in the most early stages of fertility. If Mom has a deficient ECS, then baby is not going to have a fully functioning ECS. There are several studies that have suggested that high doses of cannabinoids can have certain negative effects on a developing fetus so it is always best to speak to your Dr. about what dose & ratio is best for you.

Endocannabinoid System role in brain development
A paper published in 2004 shows the ECS (most notably the CB1 receptor) plays several roles in the developing brain.

1. Receptors found to be present in the fetal brain
2. Anandamide and 2AG found in human and bovine breast milk. (2AG levels up to 10 times higher than Anandamide levels)
3. Presence of CB1 receptors in white matter during neural development.
4. Anandamide protects the developing brain from neuronal loss due to trauma and outside environmental stressers.
5. Activation of the CB1 receptor triggers the suckling response in newborns
6. CB1 receptors detected early in gestation of human embryo. Anandamide levels much lower than 2AG .
7. Another study published in March of 2018 suggests that impaired Anandamide signaling may be involved in the pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The findings from this research show that children suffering from ASD had significantly lower plasma Anandamide levels than the control group of children who had not been diagnosed with ASD. These are favorable results when looking at the efficacy of CBD in Autism.

Studies on CBD & Autism
There have been many many published studies on using CBD for Autistic children and an endless stream of anecdotal reports of parents who have seen tremendous success in the lives of their children. Let's take a look at a few of these studies.

1. A 2018 study in Israel by Dr. Adi Aran included 60 children with an average age of 12 years old found an 80% improvement in children with ASD when all other conventional drug therapies had failed to improve symptoms. This study was conducted using a 20% CBD to 1% THC ratio. Some other findings worth mentioning in this study are as follows:
2. 62% of participants reported significant improvement over conventional medications
3. 50% of participating children showed improvement in communication skills
4. 40% reported decrease in anxiety (A third of the participants did not report having any anxiety symptoms before the study began)
5. Another study that was conducted showed similar results, reporting an overall 80% improvement in symptoms. ( Click the link to read the full study )

Many of my customers have reported improvements in their children using CBD including:

• significant improvements in overall communication
• decreased self harm behaviors
• decreased tantrums
• increased eye contact
• increased tolerance to touch
• increased tolerance to stimuli
• increased ability to focus on tasks

I'm very excited to see more and more studies coming out showing that CBD is a great alternative (and many times a superior alternative) to traditional medications.

Below are links to some great video testimonials of parents using CBD for their autistic children.
https://youtu.be/c4G_De-rxls
https://youtu.be/9zkM53HLsbs
https://youtu.be/aKzeau6Mlps
https://youtu.be/YaMnNj1sg_U
https://youtu.be/18J4N2uo_1Q