I know people say "Autism can't be cured" etc. But having met other families in this process and visiting group homes and the potential for a life of happiness for kids like ours my hope grows bleak and I honestly catch myself crying when alone. Especially seeing neurotypical children playing or how other parents don't see the gift of a natural life their families have. I too turned to all sorts of exotic ideas of diets, behavioral therapies, vitamins and it was out of desperation. I put my daughter through a stem cell study at Duke that seemed promising but I then saw danger of losing potentially my daughter to experimentation. I was told by neurologist and psychiatrist that my daughter would never talk, never interact with the world. Today she's talking. I credit ABA, stem cell infusions, and a diet focused on fat consumption (basically keto) but in that same vein I've also learned to accept our fate.
Now I've cut way back and I just enjoy the gift of being with her. Her gains and triumphs whilst they pale in comparison to a neurotypical kid are harder but just as monumental. I know now the best thing parents or families in our position is to create a world that would accept our kids, take care of them, and create for them a place where individually they could have a fulfilling life. Yes a cure would be great but there are so many kids with different conditions, illnesses, accidents and circumstances that will have denied them a future. Modern day society doesn't adequately cover what children like ours will need when we are gone.