Chiropractic and Autism

Many people will have heard about Max Willson, 7 year-old son of the TV motoring correspondent Quentin Willson, who benefitted greatly from McTimoney Chiropractic.

Max's case was reported widely in May and June 2005 with stories appearing in a number of publications including the Daily Telegraph (Thursday, 26 May) and the Mail, along with radio interviews and an appearance by Max himself on the 'This Morning' TV show.

Max had suffered with a variety of problems throughout his short life including an inability to concentrate, hyperactivity and generally demanding behaviour. His eyes did not focus properly and his movements were uncoordinated in comparison to his contemporaries. At school he required a classroom assistant. He was very sensitive to noise and never slept through the night.

Max had been examined by a variety of healthcare professionals and given an assortment of diagnoses including dyspraxia and dyslexia. He was also displaying signs commonly associated with autism: he walked on tiptoes, had an obsession with soft clothes and didn't like labels next to his skin.

When Max was 5, the Willsons were at the point of putting him onto Ritalin, the drug used to treat children with hyperactivity disorders. By chance, a Mum who had been watching Max's behaviour at a party (he spent the whole time sitting under a table with his hands over his ears), suggested that they take him to see a chiropractor. Deeply cynical, but with a 'what have we got to lose?' attitude, the Willsons took him to see Deirdre Edwards, a McTimoney Chiropractor in Stratford on Avon.

Deirdre found Max to have a marked misalignment of the vertebrae in his neck; a condition that almost certainly stemmed from Max's very difficult birth (the umbilical cord was knotted and wrapped twice around his neck), and treated him with the gentle McTimoney approach: light flicks around the neck and shoulders.

The effects of that first treatment were dramatic: Max went home and slept soundly for 13 hours - it was the first time he had slept through the night since he was born. He continued to see Deirdre on a weekly basis for four weeks, then fortnightly for 2 months after that. His speech, behaviour and general abilities have improved dramatically. He sleeps well and has lost 'all that weirdness' as his father describes it. He no longer needs a classroom assistant and is flourishing in his local state school. By the time of his appearance on 'This Morning' he was clearly a normal, happy little boy who was very pleased to be appearing on television. He continues to receive chiropractic on a monthly basis.

Children at Active Chiropractic

Children coming to the clinic are assessed using the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), this is a one-page questionnaire about the child's development and progress that is answered by the parents.

The ATEC assessment is repeated at regular intervals (usually monthly) to monitor progress.

Further resources:

Autism Research Institute

If bringing your child to the clinic, please complete the online ATEC questionnaire and use the space provided on the questionnaire to forward the results to davidghallam@aol.com

All information received will be handled in the strictest confidence.

ATEC online questionnaire