What’s The Dose of CBD For Autism?

Finding the dose of CBD is perhaps the most confusing part of the entire process.

This is because the endocannabinoid system is incredibly diverse from one person to the next, making it hard to know exactly how much CBD is needed to produce the desired effects.

With autism, it’s important to always start at a very low dosage and build up slowly over time, as you learn how it affects the individual directly.

For teens and adults, you can use our CBD oil dosage calculator. However, for children, you’ll need to adapt the dose differently. It’s best to visit a pediatrician to get expert advice on how to use CBD oil safely with small children.

For autism, we recommend staying on the conservative side and start with a much smaller dose than you think you’ll need — then gradually increase.

The right dose is identified when you find relief from symptoms.

Best CBD Gummies For Autism

• Royal CBD Gummies
• Gold Bee CBD Gummies (Vegan-Friendly)
• Just CBD Gummies

Why You Should Avoid THC with Autism

THC has been shown to lower anandamide concentrations, which is already at risk of being too low in people with autism. Pushing this further could worsen symptoms, rather than improve them.

Cannabinoids like THC and THCV may also induce anxiety, rather than alleviate it, which is one of the most problematic symptoms for people with an autism spectrum disorder.

Cautionary Note When Using CBD Extracts for Autism

It’s important to note that virtually all the benefits shown to come from the cannabis plant towards autism come from high CBD and low THC extracts.

In fact, THC is likely to make symptoms much worse.

Therefore, it’s critical that only hemp extracts containing less than 0.3% THC are used for this condition.

What is Autism?

Autism isn’t a single condition, rather a group of related neurological disorders.

The official term for autism is Autism Spectrum Disorder, which highlights the fact that there is an entire spectrum of disorders associated with it — some far more severe than others.

All forms of autism will involve at least some degree of cognitive deficit. It often affects communication skills and one’s ability to function in school, work, or other areas of life.

Some of the Disorders Included in or Related to the Autism Spectrum Are:

• Asperger’s disease
• Angelman syndrome
• Rett syndrome
• Dup15q syndrome

While autism frequently brings cognitive impairments, in some cases (~10%) ASD involves something referred to as “savant syndrome”, where the person can display excellence in math, science, and artistic aptitude.

The savants tend to be much stronger auditory and visual learners, and have an excellent memory.

Of course, in the spectrum of autism disorders, this is not always the case.

How Common is Autism?

An estimated 1% of the entire population is suspected to have autism [1]. That accounts for approximately seven and a half million people.

In the United States, it’s estimated that roughly one in 59 children have the disorder [3], and that number is on the rise.

It’s becoming increasingly important to find an effective prevention and treatment plan for those suffering from the condition.

What are the Signs & Symptoms of Autism?

Autism symptoms can vary a lot from one person to the next.

In order to classify them within the autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, there are some general signs and symptoms that doctors take into consideration during diagnostics.

Signs and Symptoms of Autism May Include:

• Aversion to eye contact
• Frequent ignoring or interrupting
• Rarely sharing enjoyment with other people by pointing or showing things to others
• Solitary habits
• Difficulty carrying on with a conversation
• Showing facial expressions that don’t match the conversation
• Unusual tones of voice (robotic or sing-song)
• Difficulty understanding other people’s point of view
• Repetitive behaviors
• Abnormally intense interest in certain topics
• Increased sensitivity to lights or sounds
• Irritability
• Epileptic seizures (20–30% of cases)

What Causes Autism?

The causes of this condition are not well understood. There are just a lot of theories.  In reality, there are likely to be many factors working together to cause autism.

What we do know is that autism is more common in people who have other family members with the condition (genetic link), in children who were birthed by much older parents (40 years or older), in combination with other disorders (such as Down’s syndrome or Rett syndrome), and in children who were severely underweight at birth.

Potential Causes of Autism May Include:

• Infectious diseases during fetal development or early childhood
• Severe underweight at birth
• Low thyroxine levels in the mother during the early stages of pregnancy [13]
• Autoimmune disease
• Lack of vitamin D during early development
• Lead or mercury poisoning
• Fetal alcohol syndrome

How is Autism Diagnosed?

Autism is a developmental disorder, which means that it originates during early childhood. The initial diagnosis is usually made around the 2-year mark but it can happen at any age.

More severe forms of autism are easier to diagnose, while subtle forms can go undiagnosed for decades.

The standard method for diagnosing autism is through the criteria of a book called the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders – or DSM5.

Doctors will often screen all children for any signs of autism during regular health checkups. If there are any signs and symptoms associated with the condition, a further psychiatric evaluation may be ordered, though this depends on the doctor.

If autism is suspected, blood tests, hearing tests, and further psychiatric evaluations are conducted to rule out any other condition that may explain the symptoms.

Often, children showing autistic tendencies simply have difficulties with their hearing, as it results in very similar symptoms.

Conventional Treatments For Autism

There are currently no effective treatments for autism.

Any medication or treatment given is for symptomatic support only. This can include anti-anxiety medications, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications, antidepressants, and muscle relaxants, which are the most common.

In recent years, CBD has come to the surface as a potential treatment for the disorder after a series of parents and doctors have started to share their success stories in using CBD oils for autistic children.

Let’s get into how this works and what the evidence says about it.

What Is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol.

It’s one of the two major cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.

What are cannabinoids, you ask?

They’re a group of compounds that interact with the endocannabinoid system in the body (more on this later). They can be natural (from plants) or artificial.

The two main cannabinoids are THC and CBD. There are, however, over 60 other cannabinoids also present in varying concentrations in the cannabis plant.

Of the two major cannabinoids, THC is responsible for the psychoactivity, while CBD is non-psychoactive. This means it won’t produce any psychoactive effects, even in high doses. It does, however, produce a wide range of medicinal benefits, from anti-anxiety all the way to immune boosting.

The Role of the Endocannabinoid System in Autism

All mammals have a set of receptors and hormones/neurotransmitters that collectively form the endocannabinoid system.

It’s a diverse system, involved with regulating processes all over the body including the liver, kidney, brain, and immune function.

It also plays a major role in the regulation of such things like emotion and social interaction, two aspects that are profoundly affected in those with autism.

Studies have shown that those with autism have lower concentrations of the body’s main endocannabinoid, anandamide when compared to healthy patients [4]. This is a strong indication that a dysfunctional endocannabinoid system is involved with the symptoms of autism.

Some studies have even gone so far as connecting autism with the release of oxytocin, the primary neurotransmitter involved with reinforcing parental and social bonds. This process appears to be regulated through the endocannabinoid system [5], so you can see how CBD could be helpful.

Key Takeaways: Which CBD Oil Should I Use For Autism?

When choosing a CBD oil, it’s always important to look for something high-quality and avoid the cheaper, poorly made options which are common in the market.

These extracts are unreliable and may contain harmful additives.

For autism, you can choose to go with a full spectrum extract — which includes all of the other cannabinoids and terpenes found in the plant — or a CBD isolate.

Full-spectrum extracts contain other compounds that help enhance the effects of CBD by improving absorption, passage across the blood-brain barrier, and maybe even offering therapeutic support of their own.

CBD isolates don’t contain these other ingredients but have higher doses of CBD. Most of the research on autism was done using CBD isolates.

It’s also important to remember to avoid anything that includes THC. In many ways, it has the opposite effect of CBD and can lower anandamide levels even further, thus worsening the condition. Always check the bottle for THC concentration.

We recommend taking a look at our article on the best CBD oils to learn more about it and to see what oil is best for you.

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References

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