breakthroughs
managing
autism
MitoSpectra helps autistic children
with mitochondrial dysfunction thrive
W
hen a child is diagnosed
with autism, parents
have a number of treatment options available,
most of which, such as behavior
therapy and speech, treat the symptoms of the disorder. Few treatments,
however, target the underlying
causes of autism. Alpine-based mom
Michelle Hasson and her company,
MitoMedical, are changing that with
MitoSpectra, a supplement designed
to optimize the health of dysfunctional
cells present in the bodies of a majority of those with autism.
26 2017 EDITION | SPECIAL PARENT
When Hasson’s son, Jake, was
diagnosed with autism in 2004,
she didn’t know where to turn.
“Jake was 18 months old and, like
many parents given the diagnosis, I
felt lost. There were so many different approaches with no clear path, so
I bounced around between therapies
for years,” says Hasson.
Despite 50 hours a week of heavy
intervention, by age 4, Jake had made
minimal progress, not talking, barely
walking and making no eye contact.
Desperate for another option, Hasson took Jake to the Kennedy Krieger
201magazine.com
GETTY IMAGES/WAVEBREAK MEDIA/THINKSTOCK
WRITTEN BY JACQUELINE GOLDSCHNEIDER