Not every child with autism will benefit from changes in
diet, but a number of individuals with autism will see some improvement in
behavior while on a restricted diet.
Changing your
child’s diet is not easy, but the sooner you start, the better. After all, it’s easier to change what’s on a
2-year-old’s dinner plate rather than a 15-year-old’s! However, it should be noted that even parents
who started dietary changes later in life have reported improved behaviors.
Many parents choose one of two tactics—cold turkey or gradual introduction! You
know your child and family the best, so go with what you think works best for
you. Some parents report immediate
results; for others, it’s more gradual.
No single treatment is best and treatment is typically
tailored to the child's needs.
The Autism Research Institute (www.autism.com)
has been the pioneer in biomedical interventions for individuals with autism,
and has a lot of information about dietary interventions.
So, what diets
can support change?
Casein Free/Gluten Free Diets
Some scientists
theorize that many people with autism spectrum disorder cannot properly digest
gluten and casein, which then form substances that act like opiates in their
brains. This alters the person's behavior, perceptions, and responses to the
environment, according to this theory.
Casein is a protein found in milk and
products containing milk, such as cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, whey and
more. It also may be added to non-milk products such as soy cheese, cookies,
and hot dogs in the form of caseinate.
Gluten Free: This diet is
completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat (including Kamut
and spelt), barley, rye, oats
and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as
a food additive in the form of a flavoring,
stablizing or thickening agent. Many
individuals also avoid soy. Those
individuals familiar with celiac disease are very used to avoiding gluten! http://www.celiac.com
Link to Sites with Recipes
http://gfcfdiet.com/unacceptable.htm
http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/archives/category/gluten-free-casein-freerecipes/
http://www.gfutah.org/gfcfrecipes/
http://gfcfmommy.blogspot.com/2007/09/autumn-menu-ideas-2.html
Yeast Free Diet
Some
children suffer from an overgrowth of yeast in their gut. This is determined generally by a stool
sample (check with a DAN! doctor for a kit; DAN! stands for Defeat Autism Now! and
these doctors follow protocols established by the Autism Research Institute
www.autism.com). A yeast free diet helps to inhibit the overgrowth of yeasts
within the body, promoting health and well-being. The yeast, Candida
albicans, makes toxic chemicals which, in theory, can affect the developing
brain.
A popular
book about the yeast free diet is Feast Without Yeast: 4 Stages to Better Health: A Complete
Guide to Implementing Yeast Free, Wheat (Gluten) Free and Milk (Casein) Free
Living (available at www.amazon.com).
Once addressing a yeast overgrowth, some parents report better focus,
improvements in the level of obsessiveness of their child, and generally better
health.
Specific
Carbohydrate Diet (SCD): http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info
The SCD™ was
pioneered by Elaine Gottschall, whose daughter suffered terrible
gastrointestinal problems until she put together a dietary regime that
addressed her daughter’s GI issues. It is a diet that was initially intended
mainly for Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diverticulitis,
cystic fibrosis and chronic diarrhea. However, some families of loved ones with
autism have found that this diet helps their child, particularly those with
significant gastrointestinal problems. It is based on the premise that limiting
the diet to simple sugars (usually for at least a year) will starve out toxic
organisms in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and restore gut integrity and
immune function.
This diet
eliminates starches and most sugars, and consists mainly of meats, fish, eggs,
vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. (www.autismndi.com-has
a comparison table of allowed foods between SCD and GF/CF)
It should be
noted that the SCD allows dairy products, however, they were not designed for
children on the autism spectrum.
There are
websites that are dedicated to supporting families with loved ones with autism
on the diet, so you never feel alone! www.pecanbread.com has a parent support
group.
The
Feingold Diet: http://www.feingold.org
The Feingold
Diet addresses the synthetic food additives can have serious learning,
behavior, and/or health effects for sensitive people. The Feingold Association
does not oppose the use of medicine, but believes that practitioners should
first look for the cause(s) of the problems, rather than only address the
symptoms.
The Feingold
Program eliminates these additives:
Artificial
(synthetic) coloring
Artificial
(synthetic) flavoring
Aspartame
(Nutrasweet, an artificial sweetener)
Artificial
(synthetic) preservatives BHA, BHT, TBHQ
If parents
choose to do the gluten free/casein free/soy free diet, the yeast free diet, or
the SCD, they will automatically eliminate the artificial colorings,
flavorings, and preservatives that The Feingold Diet recommends.
Website
recommendations
http://talkaboutcuringautism.org/index.htm
www.autism.com
www.celiac.com
www.breakingtheviciouscycle.com
http://www.pecanbread.com
www.autismndi.com
www.feingold.org