The general public often doesn’t realize what parents
of autistic children are keenly aware of: It is a physical condition
as much as a mental one. Research shows that more than 50 percent of
autistic children have gastrointestinal problems such as Crohns
Disease or colitis. Some scientists theorize that autism begins in
the gut, with the gastrointestinal walls being damaged and allowing
toxins to leak into the bloodstream and affect brain activity.
For this reason, parents of children with autism must monitor not
just their children’s behavior but their eating habits, too. In
particular, products containing gluten (found in wheat, barley and
rye) and casein (found in dairy products) seem to exacerbate autism
symptoms, apparently because the person’s body cannot digest them
properly and the incompletely digested (and therefore poisonous)
proteins are leaking into the circulatory system.
A gluten-free, casein-free diet, known as GFCF, has
become very popular among parents of autistic children. Some members
of the medical community continue to be skeptical of it, but other
doctors and organizations -- including those working with Defeat
Autism Now (DAN) -- wholeheartedly support the GFCF diet.
Many parents report remarkable improvements in their autistic
children after removing gluten and casein from their diets. They
find their children having longer attention spans, making better eye
contact and in general behaving less aggressively and more
“normally.”
The difficult part is implementing the diet. Cereals and dairy
products comprise a major part of the typical American diet. People
with gluten allergies already know how hard it is to find
gluten-free products; adding dairy to the list of prohibited items
makes it that much more inconvenient.
In addition, many autistic children will latch on to particular
foods they like and refuse to eat anything else. Since so many foods
have gluten or casein, chances are good that something on your
child’s “favorites” list will be an offender. Also, because gluten
and casein foods act as opiates, autistic children may crave them in
particular -- the very foods that are doing them the most harm!
So weaning your child off these foods can be difficult. To start
with, many parents find it best to eliminate dairy. A lot of people
are lactose-intolerant, after all, and dairy products don’t make up
nearly as big a part of most people’s diets as gluten products do.
It’s fairly easy to replace casein foods with other things.
Gluten is trickier. Not only is it in a lot of foods, but even foods
that don’t have it are often contaminated with it, due to having
been processed in the same facilities. You’ll need to examine
ingredients lists carefully, and check with the manufacturer
directly if you’re in doubt.
Often, parents say their autistic children won’t eat anything else,
and they worry they’ll go hungry if these foods are taken away. It
is necessary to be loving but firm, and not to give in if your child
behaves badly in response to having his or her favorite foods taken
off the menu. Within a few weeks, you’ll probably see a change in
your child’s behavior, and you may be surprised at what he or she
will eat that previously was unacceptable.
There are many more resources and information about diagnosing,
controlling and treating Autism in, The Essential Guide To Autism.
Recent studies have shown that there is
currently a worldwide autism epidemic. In fact, more than 1.5
million people are affected in the United States alone, with one in
every 250 children diagnosed.
It's true that early detection and early treatment are the two key
factors in improving prognosis -- but too often parents get bogged
down in denial or confusion about this still mysterious disorder,
and are unable or unwilling to take the necessary steps.
The Essential Guide to Autism contains advice and information that
will help you make the right treatment decisions for your child.
Today, many youngsters can be helped to attend school alongside
their peers. Some programs are demonstrating that with appropriate
support, many people with autism can be trained to do meaningful
work and participate fully in community life.
All of the materials on this site have been included for the purpose of
providing general information, and they should not be relied on as a
substitution for professional advice.
