Autism Spectrum Disorder is a genetic condition affecting the way a child communicates or interacts in the social environment. Autistic children have delayed behavioural development, often characterized by restricted and repetitive behaviour. Many recent treatments for autism have emerged, among which stem cell therapy is talked about, says the best speech therapist in Kolkata.
But the question is how much effective is stem cell therapy for autism.
What is stem cell therapy?
Stem cells are raw materials from which other cells are formed in the body. Stem cells can repair and regenerate damaged tissues and hence, is used in the treatment of various medical conditions.
Stem cell therapy has emerged as a recent treatment for autism. The idea to implement this therapy began as a treatment option for cerebral palsy, which in turn was gradually used for other disorders, stated the best speech therapist.
During this therapy, stem cells are taken from the umbilical cord or bone marrow and administered to autistic patients in doses.
How does stem cell therapy work?
Stem cells repair and regenerate damaged tissues in the body. Stem cell therapy works in the body by following this mechanism.
- Stem cell therapy regulates the hormonal imbalance in autistic children by releasing growth factors while repairing the damaged tissues.
- Stem cells help to form new blood cells by a process called angiogenesis which in turn increases the blood supply to the damaged.
- Stem cells replace the non-functional tissues into which they are implanted.
Till now, speech therapy was considered the first-line treatment for autism which was conducted by speech-language pathologists.
But now research is going on to know the effectiveness of speech therapy in children who have undergone stem cell therapy.
Does stem cell therapy work for autism?
Although stem cell therapy has a promising future in the treatment, experts say that now it’s too quick to jump to any conclusion about its effectiveness as we are still in the early stage.
Previously it was speculated that stem cell therapy will be an effective treatment option for autism, but till now, no positive result is known. Research and several clinical trials are still going on to demonstrate the efficacy of stem cell therapy in autism.
Stem cell therapy claim to improve the behaviour, speech and communication and social skills in Autism Spectrum Disorder, but there is no clear scientific evidence proving the same. More research and trials are needed to approve this therapy.
Autism Spectrum Disorder can be manageable with speech therapy to reduce the problematic behaviours in patients and help in building social and communication skills.
Online speech therapy can also be effective for autistic children, where experienced speech therapist uses a wide range of techniques and exercises to improve their quality of life.
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