Ben Unkle knows what it's like to be different.
"I have trouble doing things that other people can do naturally," he said.
Ben was diagnosed with autism at age six. His little sister Katie watched as he struggled.
"When we were in elementary school, people would tease him, in middle school, a lot. I didn't like to watch him get hurt."
There are only two FDA-approved drugs for autism and they only treat irritability, tantrums and aggression. There is no medication for core autism symptoms, but that could be changing.
Doctors are targeting a child's digestive system. Some, including Dr. L. Eugene Arnold of Ohio State University, believe that might be one source of the problem.
"Proteins can get through that shouldn't, that should be digested first, and there might be a reaction in the nervous system."
The inability to digest protein affects the release of amino acids -- the building blocks essential for brain function. Children in this study are given digestive enzymes to see if they clear up issues in the gut, and in turn, improve behavior. In a second study, doctors are investigating whether cholesterol plays a role.
"There may be a subgroup who have autism because of low cholesterol," said Dr. Arnold.
Experts believe some autistic children are missing an enzyme that makes cholesterol, needed for normal brain development.
In a third trial, doctors are testing an Alzheimer's drug. Investigators want to know whether Namenda can help with motor skills and expressive language. Still, Dr. Arnold cautions what may work for one child may not work for another.
"There are different reasons for different people having autism."
Dr. Arnold says finding the cause is critical. $35- billion dollars is spent on caring for people with autism each year in the US alone.
