These structural damages may be attributed to viral infections, toxins produced by yeast overgrowth in the intestines, and are not seen to be results of atrophy or post-natal damage. In the regressive forms, damage may be post-natal, but autism usually sets in at the age of two or three.

　

　

As the causes of Autism are not readily treated, treatment focuses on the practical aspect of limiting the effects of the symptoms of the illness.

　

There are four main methods of treating autistic symptoms. They are auditory integration training, visual management training, music therapy, and sensory integration training.

　

Autistic patients sometimes have "auditory peaks" which are ranges of frequency that they can hear much better than others. To eradicate these "auditory peaks", the autistic patient undergoes a 10 day Auditory Integration Training (AIT). The AIT consists of high and low frequencies selected by a device at random from songs and played into the ears of autistic patients. Thereby, autistic patients are able to pay better attention to a normal range of frequencies.

　

Also AIT helps the autistic patient "tune in" to the environment around them, as the autistic patient cannot predict what frequency they will hear.

　

Autistic patients are often said to have poor eye contact. Visual Management training is designed to develop and enhance visual performance. Improving visual performance results in changes in the visual processing parts of the nervous system, and often results in more cooperative, normal behavior on the part of patient. Autistic patients spend so much effort looking for visual information (which is said to comprise 80% of the total input into our brains) that comes in a flawed way, that they are quite frustrated. Thus, behavior of autistic children usually improves in some way after receiving visual management therapy.

　

This is a treatment for enhancing the linguistic capacities of autistic patients. Autistic patients have in many cases an unusual sensitivity to music. Through singing repetitive songs, rhythymical patterns, they imitate speech patterns and gradually learn them.

　

The vestibular system, located in our inner ear, gives us our sense of balance and the nerve input related to gravity and balance is large. This system does not work properly in autism. Also, proprioceptors, giving us our sense of where our body is (ie, pulling back a leg to kick a ball) and the tactile and touch senses are abnormal in Autism. Sensory Integration training works with these senses. For example, children with autism are given weighted vests to wear because a larger amount of propioceptive and tactile input helps the brain and nervous system process information more efficiently. This program is integrated with other therapies.