DURANGO, Colo. - Shauna Young, a Durango-based Certified Traditional Naturopath (CTN), has earned a Ph.D. Degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Natural Medicine, and was recently knighted into the international Sovereign Medical Order of the Knights Hospitaller. The Knights Hospitaller’s mission is to establish, equip, staff and maintain humanitarian and medical treatment centers worldwide.

Young’s honors reflect the merits of her successful research and ground-breaking work with children and adults suffering with Autism and other related learning and behavioral disorders, as well as her advancement of the field of natural medicine in general.

With research and findings in a “missing link” area of Autism and the clinically-related “Spectrum” disorders, Young’s work has produced the revolutionary development of initial assessment and natural-based therapy protocols. The therapy protocols include moderate natural supplementation along with realistic, inexpensive and family-facilitated diet modification. More than three years of administration of these unique protocols by Young to affected individuals from throughout the country has produced dramatic, rapid and consistent improvement of symptoms, resulting in sustained relief and new hope for both the afflicted children and their families.

Young is currently working with various international media to ensure broad exposure and free release of her work to the general public. According to Young, hope is to generate public interest and provide access to the new protocols to a multitude of cases, and that the resulting success of those cases can stimulate new and extensive research in this fresh direction of treatment.

In addition to her naturopathic practice as owner of the Assertive Wellness Research Center in Durango, Young will also serve as chief medical advisor for a currently forming not-for-profit organization. The new non-profit’s mission is to advance the field of natural medicine, sustain health freedom and disseminate information regarding Young’s research and successes with Autism to the general public and peer medical communities.

Young is also author of If Naturopaths are Quacks, then I Guess I’m a Duck, an entertaining chronicle of her first seven years as a practicing naturopath. It is currently available in audio-book format pending release of the print version.

Further information on Young’s accomplishments and plans are available at www.assertivewellness.com.

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