When Finley regressed into Autism at 18 months, I would spend hours every day researching any therapies that could help him recover. Amongst dietary and biomedical interventions, which I implemented immediately with varying results which saw gains but then plateaued, I came across an inspiring Youtube video about a boy who was recovered fully by his brother through Craniosacral therapy. I have included video link below:
I was hooked from my first session of Craniosacral therapy.
At the time of his first visit, Finley was lost in his own world. Prior to his regression he was such a sociable, happy boy but a week after his MMR vaccine he became very severely autistic (with an ATEC score of 180) to the point where he would not make eye contact with anyone and would spend hours engaging in self stimulating or repetitive OCD behaviour such as lining up his toys or switching lights on and off. When friends or family would visit he could either be found standing on his tip toes flapping with his nose pressed against the TV screen or spinning for hours on the dining room table. It was heart breaking to see our happy boy now lost in a world of his own and in obvious pain from his chronic constipation and many allergies that followed his routine vaccinations.
Fin at his worst : Vacant stare and no desire to be cuddled or kissed
The Craniosacral therapist, who is now a very dear friend of mine, asked me to lie down first on the massage table as she wanted to demonstrate what a session felt like. She put her hands on my shoulders to tune into my Craniosacral system.
As soon as she did I felt a huge wave of emotion come over me as I released all the stress and tension I had been carrying throughout my pregnancy due to my Liv’s cancer treatment. And as I began to sob like a baby, Finley got up off the floor where he had been lining up toy cars in the corner of the therapy room, climbed on the bed, lay on top of me in a foetal position and re enacted his birth!
I was completely overwhelmed, and a bit frightened to be honest, as I had never experienced anything like it. My therapist reassured me it was normal and that she sometimes witnessed children re enacting their birth and that it was part of healing so I should go with it.
So I did….for the next 3 hours Finley alternated between so many emotions from laughing to anger then sobbing however he did not want any comforting. The therapist told me it was just a process he had to go through so I decided to have faith.
Finley’s birth was not an easy one. Having spent my entire pregnancy at the Royal Marsden hospital undergoing very intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy to save my daughter Olivia’s life, I was so exhausted during the labour that they had to use a ventouse to pull him out. His head was terribly swollen, bruised and flat at the back.
It always concerned me but the doctors said it would not affect his brain development.
Two weeks after his first Craniosacral therapy session however his head started to round and his eye contact and sociability returned so I am convinced that the ventouse was partly to blame for Finley’s sensory processing issues. Having now studied Craniosacral therapy I understand about the anatomy and biology of the body and how any restriction of the Vagus nerve through birth trauma can result in inflammatory, immune and digestive issues. I now believe the MMR was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It is my personal opinion that whilst most children can withstand the assaults of modern life relatively unscathed, some children with a weakened immune system or genetic predisposition can and do have neurological reactions to vaccines, viruses, food allergies, environmental chemicals and other immune triggers. Some studies show this imbalance in immune function can begin in the womb, often influenced by mother’s health.
This might explain why some children are born with autism as opposed to those who regress later on in life when their immune system is triggered and their body’s bucket overflows with toxins that it can’t cope or get rid of. A combination of factors pile up such as yeast, bacteria, viral, metals, vaccines, antibiotics and environmental toxins. When their bucket overflows you get a host of symptoms we call autism.
The Vagus nerve inhibits inflammation and stress by regulating immune system reactions
The Vagus nerve and it’s many connections to our organs also highlights the importance it has on the functioning and well-being of our system
I began weekly then monthly sessions for myself and Finley and eventually decided to study it myself. Finley is not fully recovered yet as he still has an ATEC score of 29 due mainly to his speech delay, however he continues to make steady improvements every day in cognition, sociability and he is so much healthier and happier.
I am so grateful for the many improvements from his years of Craniosacral therapy sessions. Alongside therapies such as Son Rise, homeopathic CEASE and constitutional remedies he no longer has allergies and can eat any food without
Taking him out to is now a pleasurable experience as he is always well behaved, sociable and happy and can eat what he likes. I can take him to the cinema and he recently sat through 2 hours of Star Wars. I was a very proud mum that day!
He no longer freaks out from sensory overload at the funfair and I can take him on holiday without having to worry about taking supplements with me or worrying about finding a gluten free restaurant.
Overall family life is just so much easier and I have great hope for the future.
Useful links and resources to help you on your Autism journey:
Lois Duquesnoy: Homeopath, Bioresonance screening and allergy testing
Touching Lives: How CST helps Autism
Balance the body: Calm the chaos
How Craniosacral therapy can help Autism
The vagus nerve. Part of the Autism puzzle part 1 What is this and why is it important?
The Vagus nerve core piece of the Autism puzzle Part 2 How does it cause symptoms of Autism?
The Vagus nerve part of Autism puzzle Part 3: What can be done to help?
Miki Ettore Healing 
I see a wonderful craniosaral therapist who treats vaccine injured children, including mine who developed awful facial tics following a vaccination. They have gone now and I put it down to cranisoacral therapy as that had the quickest and most effective results – within 3 days her tics had lessened immensely! I found your website by chance as I am trying to decide whether to study reiki and had to comment! 🙂
Sorry I have to add – she had the tics for three years until she had craniosacral therapy and then they lessened after three days and continued to lessen from that point on until they are almost non existent, no one would notice if they weren’t aware of it! 🙂