Abstract With the in-depth understanding of autism and the improvement of diagnosis and treatment in modern medicine, the understanding and treatment of autism in children in traditional Chinese medicine have been further improved and enriched in recent years. In terms of etiology and pathogenesis, it is believed that autism is located in the brain and is closely related to the concentric, liver and kidney organs, and that congenital deficiency, deficiency of kidney essence, loss of nourishment of the mind, and loss of control of the liver are the main pathogenesis of autism. Keywords Chinese medicine, autism, recognition, treatment, autism, also known as autism, is a type of pervasive developmental disorder and is one of the common childhood mental disorders. It is a group of behavioral syndromes with social interaction disorders, language developmental disorders, narrow range of interests, and stereotyped repetitive movements. In recent years, various reports suggest that the incidence of the disease is on the rise, such as 10 ~ 20 per 10,000 people in the United States, 8 ~ 10 per 10,000 people in Canada, and 13 ~ 16 per 10,000 people in Japan. 4 cases of autism were first reported in China by Tao Guotai in 1982, but there is no large-scale unified epidemiological survey report in China yet. Based on the incidence rate in foreign countries, it is estimated that China has 500,000~5 million people with autism. The disease has an early age of onset and specific symptoms, and there are no medications or training methods with definite efficacy. After decades of research and exploration, modern medical research on the etiology of autism, diagnostic techniques and treatment measures have been continuously enriched and expanded. The brain is located in the skull and is made up of the marrow. The function of the brain, as stated in the “Suwen pulse to the essence of the theory of”: “the head, the essence of the House”. In the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen even made it clear that “the brain is the house of the vital essence”. It is said that “the brain is solid, the spirit is complete, the spirit is complete, the gas is complete, the form is complete, the form is complete, the hundred gates are adjusted within, the eight evils are eliminated outside.” Wang Qingren in the “medical forest correction brain marrow theory” also said: “spiritual memory is not in the heart in the brain.” It can be seen that the ancients have long recognized the close relationship between the brain and mental activities, the brain dominates life activities, human vision, hearing, speech, movement and thinking feeling memory are related to the function of the brain. 2, congenital deficiency of kidney essence deficiency kidney is the essence of the congenital, the collection of essence to produce marrow. The brain resides in the skull and is formed by the collection of marrow. The “Spiritual Shou Hai Lun” says: “The brain is the sea of marrow”. Insufficient kidney essence will lead to a weakening of the will, which cannot reach the heart, and therefore confusion and forgetfulness. If the congenital kidney essence is insufficient, the kidney essence deficiency cannot transform the marrow to fill the brain, and the spirit is not nourished, and the mental activity is abnormal. Children with autism are often affected by external evil during maternal pregnancy, fall and fall injury, mental stimulation, misuse of drugs, etc.; or poor parental health, weakness of the pregnant mother, or lack of endowment of the fetus due to advanced pregnancy. All of the above factors can lead to congenital deficiency of kidney essence and loss of brain nourishment. In addition, during delivery, if the labor is too long or if the fetal suction or forceps are used improperly, it can also directly damage the house of the essence. In clinical practice, if the essence is deficient and the bone is not nourished, the growth is slow, the stature is short, the fontanelle is late, and the bone is impotent and soft. If the brain is not filled with marrow, then mental retardation and slow speech will occur. The heart is the master of the mind, and the heart harbors the mind. The external manifestation of human life activities, as well as the human spirit, consciousness, thinking activities are the specific manifestation of “God”. This is why the Suwen Linglan Secret Discourse says: “The heart is the official of the sovereign, and the gods come out of it”. The Ling Shu – evil guest” said: “the heart, the five viscera and six bowels of the great master, the spirit of the house also”. All this emphasizes the importance of the heart in charge of the mind and thinking activities. The normal function of the heart in charge of the mind is manifested by mental exhilaration, clarity, flexibility and responsiveness. If the heart does not function properly, the child will be mentally unstable, slow to respond, and depressed. Children with autism do not recognize relatives, have indifferent expressions, do not like to socialize, do not hear, repeat words, have difficulty in understanding, have strange behavior, have narrow interests, look smart but not wise, etc. These manifestations are all due to the loss of nourishment of the heart and mind. If qi depression turns into fire and fire heat disturbs the mind, insomnia and even mania will occur. If qi depression produces phlegm, and phlegm clouding the heart, the expression is indifferent, the mind is demented, the speech is unclear, mumbling, and the demeanor is abnormal. In addition, “Su Wen Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun” says: “The heart is the master of the tongue”. The heart is open to the tongue, also known as “the tongue is the seedling of the heart”, and “the tongue is the machine of sound”. The heart qi flows through the tongue, so that the tongue can be soft and flexible, and the language can be fluent. The “Ling Shu meridians” says: “the hand Shao Yin of the other – through the meridian into the heart, tied to the tongue. If the heart and mind are not nourished and the meridians are not connected, the tongue will become strong and speechless. In children with autism, the symptoms are less speech, wrong speech, no speech, unclear pronunciation, etc. The liver is not well regulated and has the function of regulating the flow of Qi and the emotions. If the liver functions normally, the qi will flow smoothly and the mood will be cheerful. If the liver is not drained, the liver qi will be stagnant and the mood will be depressed and difficult to resolve. Conversely, repeated and persistent abnormal emotional stimulation will also affect the draining function of the liver, resulting in liver qi stagnation. Due to their special behavior, autistic children inevitably receive a lot of criticism and blame in their lives, which causes great psychological and even physical damage. This kind of bad mental stimulation causes liver depression and qi stagnation in the child, which further affects the function of liver draining, and liver draining will affect the physiological function of the spleen and stomach. Clinically, the loss of drainage of the liver is often seen at the beginning of the disease, manifested as depression, indifferent expression, sullenness, the condition fluctuates with the change of emotion; the course of the disease is prolonged, the emotion is not satisfied, liver depression turns into fire, the temperament is impatient and irritable, liver fire attacks the head and face and see red eyes, heat consumes fluid, then constipation and yellow urine. The physiological function of the liver is the main ascending, active, the main qi flow, ascending hair is vital to the growth and development of children. Long-term stagnation of liver qi and unfavorable promotion and development will inevitably lead to delayed growth and development, introversion and loneliness in children’s heart and behavior, and eventually to a state of self-imposed isolation. The liver is open to the eyes, and the liver meridians are tied to the eye system. Therefore, the function of the liver can also be reflected in the activity of the eyes. The autistic child’s lack of eye contact, lack of gaze, and active avoidance of the eyes can also be considered as a manifestation of the liver’s loss of drainage and unfavorable promotion. 2. Current status of TCM treatment 1. Chinese medicine treatment: Yan Yufen et al. in Guangxi used the addition of warm gall bladder soup with teaching training to correct the abnormal behavior of autistic children in 25 cases. The control group used ABA behavior training method and guided education, each for 45 minutes five times a week. In the treatment group, on the basis of the rehabilitation training of the control group, we added the treatment of Plus Flavor Warm Gallbladder Soup: 5g of orange red, 6g of made semi-hsia, 6g of poria, 2g of licorice, 1g of bamboo rhizome, 4g of heliotrope, 6g of codonopsis, 5g of calamus, 5g of puzzle nut, and 2 slices of ginger. One dose was taken daily with water decoction, 2 times per mouth, and added and subtracted as needed. The duration of rehabilitation training or treatment was 1 month in both groups. After treatment, there were 25 cases in the treatment group, with 5 cases of apparent effect, 16 cases of effective, and 4 cases of invalid, with a total effective rate of 84%; 12 cases in the control group, with 1 case of apparent effect, 4 cases of effective, and 7 cases of invalid, with a total effective rate of 41,7%. When comparing the two groups, the efficiency of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group P < 0,05. In Shanghai, Wu Hui et al [32] used the trinity of acupuncture, massage and oral Chinese medicine to treat autism, and treated more than 400 cases. 90% of the children had varying degrees of efficacy, and 34% of the children who adhered to the treatment for more than 3 courses could enter normal elementary school, while 10% had no effect, mainly children with severe mental retardation or older children who had lost the best time for treatment. 2. Acupuncture treatment: Liu Zhenhuan used head acupuncture to treat 38 cases of pediatric autism, using acupuncture points such as Sishencong, Shenting, Benshin, Touwei and Emotional Zone. After treatment, the apparent effect of 14 cases accounted for 36,8%, effective 16 cases accounted for 42,1%, and ineffective 8 cases accounted for 21,1%,. The results were followed up for 1 to 2 years, and among the 30 cases with effective results, 14 children were gradually recovering, 9 of which were able to follow the class. 10 cases had insignificant progress, and 6 cases had degeneration and aggravation. The recent efficiency was 78,9%, and the long-term follow-up efficiency was 36,8%. Wang Chunnan et al. used electroacupuncture with behavioral therapy to improve the social adaptive behavior ability of children with autism. After treatment, the social adaptive behavior quotient of the electroacupuncture behavioral therapy group was significantly higher than that before treatment P< 0 O5, and the incremental score value of the electroacupuncture behavioral therapy group was significantly higher than that of the behavioral therapy group after treatment, and the difference was significant P< 0 OS). The difference in the efficacy of socially adaptive behavior after treatment in the electroacupuncture behavioral therapy group compared with the behavioral therapy group was significant P< 0 05). Luo Guangfeng et al. treated 35 cases of childhood autism using Jin Sanzhen therapy with the following main points: Si Shenzhen, Temporal Sanzhen, Zhi Sanzhen, Hand Zhizhen, Tai Chong, Yong Quan, and Tai Xi. Add or subtract with symptoms: inflexible tongue muscles, difficulty in pronunciation and slurred spitting add Tongue San Acupuncture; for children with longer duration of illness, more severe symptoms and above 5 years old, add Foot Zhi Acupuncture and Qi Closure Acupuncture; for children with obvious hyperactivity, add Shen Yi and Zhao Hai. Results: 8 cases with significant effect 22,9%,, effective 21 cases 60,0%, invalid 6 cases 17,1%, total effective rate 82,9%. Zhang Quanming et al. used acupuncture treatment to observe the improvement effect of acupuncture on language disorder and intelligence of autistic children: the acupuncture group took Sishenzhen acupuncture, temporal three acupuncture, cerebral three acupuncture, head wisdom acupuncture, tongue three acupuncture, hand three acupuncture, hand wisdom acupuncture, foot three acupuncture, foot wisdom acupuncture, Fengchi, dumb door, acupuncture 1 time/d, 30 min/time, 10 min line acupuncture once, weekly rest 2 d, 4 weeks as a course of treatment, a total of 4 courses of treatment. In the control group, the oral administration of Zhi Kang Oral Liquid consisted of He Shou Wu, Yuan Zhi, Longan Flesh, Female Zhen Zi, Dragon Bone and Fu Ling, containing 3 g/mL of raw herbs,. Piracetam oral solution, 3 times/d, 10 mL each time, for 4 months of continuous treatment. After treatment, 1. IQ results: the acupuncture group was significantly higher than the pre-treatment and drug group after treatment P < 0.01, 0.05,, and there was no difference between the drug group before and after treatment P > 0.05 . 2. Social adaptive behavior quotient: the acupuncture group was significantly higher than the pre-treatment and drug group after treatment P < 0.01, and there was no difference between the drug group before and after treatment P > 0.05. 3. Language impairment efficacy: the total The effectiveness rate was higher than that of the drug group 65%, 30%, P < 0.01,. Li Huimin treated 30 children with acupuncture and combined with sensory integration training and language training. Through one course of treatment, the improvement of symptoms of lack of partnership, low intonation or too fast and too slow speech and hearing without hearing was obvious, with an improvement rate of 75, 0%; followed by the improvement of pronoun misuse, hurting oneself and others, and aggressive behavior, with an improvement rate of 71.4%. Yuan Qing et al. divided 80 children with autism into 40 cases each in the acupuncture group and the intervention group. In the acupuncture group, the main acupuncture point was the "Autism Ten Points", which was used once a day, 6 times a week with Sunday off, and 120 times a course of treatment. The intervention group adopted comprehensive measures, including physical therapy, cognitive training, behavior analysis and correction, and language training, once a day for 4 hours, 6 times a week with Sunday off, 120 times for one course of treatment. After one course of treatment, both the acupuncture group and the intervention group were able to increase the functional development scale score P<0.05); the overall efficacy of the acupuncture group and the improvement in the four aspects of perception, fine motor, gross motor, and oral language were more significant P<0.05) compared with the intervention group. Since the 1940s to the present, research on autism has been conducted by modern medical research and is more comprehensive, with extensive research on the etiology and treatment of autism, such as social psychological and medical biological research on the etiology, but no clear consensus has been reached. In general, the results are not satisfactory in terms of language and social skills, and educational rehabilitation methods have not been widely implemented in China due to the long time, high cost, and unmanageable training methods. At present, traditional medicine in China has conducted preliminary research on the treatment of autism with Chinese medicine and acupuncture, which has a preliminary theoretical basis and accumulated some clinical experience. Most of the therapies focus on the improvement of language and cognitive functions, but less research has been done on the core part of autism, social interaction disorder, and most of the reports have not been able to track the long-term effects of autism. In clinical research on TCM treatment of autism, acupuncture is the mainstay of treatment, and the use of various acupuncture therapies for autism has gradually matured. Head acupuncture is one of the most commonly used acupuncture methods, which has the characteristics of easy operation, less painful stimulation, and precise efficacy in neurological and psychiatric disorders, etc. It focuses on acupuncture points and techniques to regulate qi and blood, tonify the kidneys and educate the mind. According to modern medical research, autism is caused by dysfunction of the cerebral cortex, especially the prefrontal lobe, which is closely related to intellectual activity, memory, emotional response, language function, etc. Among autistic children, prefrontal lobe dysfunction is the most common, mostly manifested as emotional behavior disorder, memory processing disorder of objects, visual attention failure, rapid processing and integration of sensory information outside the center of attention, etc. The prefrontal lobe dysfunction is the most common among children with autism. Head acupuncture is based on the functional subdivisions of the cerebral cortex and the corresponding acupuncture zones, directly adjusting the blood flow of the cerebral cortex and improving the cellular compensatory function, thus achieving the effect of improving intelligence, emotional disorders, attention disorders, and behavioral abnormalities. The current shortcoming is that acupuncture therapy lacks a unified typing treatment for autism, and it has failed to conduct a multicenter, large sample double-blind controlled acupuncture standardized treatment study, which cannot accurately and comprehensively confirm the effectiveness of using acupuncture to treat autism. Future efforts should be directed at exploring the mechanism of acupuncture, especially head acupuncture, for the treatment of autism based on TCM theory, combined with modern methods, and using advanced techniques of molecular biology and modern immunology, in order to provide a more solid theoretical basis for the treatment of autism with head acupuncture. At the same time, combining modern medical treatment methods, Chinese and Western medicine are combined to provide comprehensive treatment for autism and improve the treatment effect, so that autistic children can come out of the closed space and return to society as soon as possible.