Carl's Story: A Case Study in Autism and Compulsive Behavior

I have worked within the field of autism treatment for over 15 years, yet the mystery that is this complex disorder continues to peak my curiosity daily. Despite decades of research, dozens of official federal expert committees and millions of dollars of funding, the causes of autism remain unknown and the treatments even more hotly debated. My approach is holistic – considering the child’s physical health, behavioural and cognitive development along with the welfare of the family unit among other aspects of the child’s environment. While there have been some important notable variables linked to autism such as diet and toxification and some very promising treatments, it remains the interplay of the many variables that we have not yet understood. For example, it seems that many children with autism require more antioxidants (as per biological tests), along with reduced casein and gluten diets for some. Yet, there is no research which examines the combined effect of these two treatments; is it positive, negative or neutral. The body is incredibly complex. Searching for answers and direction for some of the most challenging cases, I have used Doug Cottrell’s talent. His clairvoyance, especially in the area of physical health issues, has proven exacting.

Carl was a particularly interesting and challenging case. He was (already) 9-years old when I first met him (and his family) and diagnosed with classic and profound autism. A striking, tall, and lanky boy with a long head and short dark hair. His shoulders slouched and his neck was held slightly too forward. He followed my every step with wide-open eyes but not a word. His fix was intense. He didn’t turn his back on me for even a second, yet we remained completely detached and unconnected. Still at the age of 9 he was, for some reason, non-verbal and lacked the social behavior repertoire to interact in any meaningful way.

Specifically, one particular behaviour I was having trouble determining a treatment for was his stereoptyped compulsivities. Transfixed by his repetitious self-stimulating finger-licking and finger-blowing behavior, he would pace back and forth seemingly unsettled for up to 30 minutes at a time. He avoided physical touch and closeness. With the exception of his mother, with whom he had a very special rapport, he remained what could appear to be aloof to his family and therapists alike. As he paced, Carl would hold the tips of his fingers of his right hand up to his lips and blow on them while amazingly quickly darting the tip of his tongue in and out briefly licking his fingertips. Over and over, for hours each day, anytime he wasn’t using his hands for something else like eating, he would perseverate in this blowing-licking behaviour.
There are several accepted mainstream treatment strategies to help a person with compulsive repetitious behaviours that seem to inhibit their learning and functioning. The most conventional is with the use of drugs. The second most common and widely used is applied behavioural analysis using positive punishment and reinforcement to inhibit the unwanted behaviour while increasing new more useful behaviours. Carl’s family had for many years before I met them tried a variety of different strategies without success. They had however not yet considered a biological imbalance underlying the strange behaviour. Since Carl was already 9 years old and the family was desperately searching for some answers, I thought I would turn to Doug Cottrell for some insight. I outlined a list of questions focused on Carl’s underlying biological imbalances and what could be done to help with the finger blowing-licking behaviour.

Within just 30 minutes Doug easily provided the insights and appropriate strategies that had previously remained a mystery until then. I was eager to return to the family and to implement the specific directions given by Doug Cottrell in trance. An important note to make is that I followed the guidance and implemented the steps in conjunction with the family’s values and principles. In other words, it was obviously important to ‘interpret’ the guidance and ideas according to the family and child’s then present situation, needs, values, resources, and beliefs. For example, Doug insightfully identified that Carl had several pinched nerves in the atlas and 1st and 2nd vertebrae resulting from forceful pulling and twisting at birth. The pinched nerves were in fact those connected directly to the fingertips. The result was that Carl felt a burning and tingling sensation in his fingertips most of the day; he therefore blew and licked them for comfort. It was a full-time feeling and a full-time distraction for the young boy. I began first by asking Carl’s mother for more details about the birth. She explained that it had been a long labour, Carl had been a breach baby and was, after a long struggle, pulled out using forceps and some twisting, she recalled. All of the historical information matched up with Doug’s “diagnosis”.

Along with pinched nerves, there was some chronic inflammation at the base of the neck as well as some slight cranial deformity. There would need to be several treatments. However, given the family’s conventional and more conservative beliefs, I encouraged them to have several x-rays taken to confirm Doug’s insightful “diagnosis”. The medical x-rays indeed confirmed every point outlined including the compressed vertebrae, inflammation, and pinched nerves. The family was ready to implement the treatment. Again, following Doug Cottrell’s guidance, we directed a trained certified Doctor of Osteopathy to apply traction to the neck. Carl’s mother also applied cold packs on and off throughout the day to decrease inflammation and relieve the chronic blockage of blood flow at the base of the neck. After two short weeks of these treatments, the Doctor was confident to make an actual manipulation and adjustment of the neck. Along with some gentle massage, several more adjustments and the cold packs, within 4 weeks we were in awe to witness Carl’s previously full-time “obsessive” behaviour decrease to less than 10 percent of the day. This remarkable healing of the pinched nerves consequently relieved Carl from the chronic burning sensation; he no longer had the impulse to blow and lick his fingertips. He was no longer distracted by the sensations and was able to begin to focus on socialization and interaction. His mother and family were at once in disbelief and yet grateful for the speedy positive change.

Carl has many ‘lost’ years to catch up on learning and many other social and developmental challenges to overcome. However, by simply healing this one impediment to learning, Carl has been able to develop from mute to over 200 spoken words! We are thrilled, and Carl has so many more opportunities to learn and participate in meaningful ways.

Name Withheld By Request, Autism Educator, Harvard University, M.Ed

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