Has anyone tried gluten free diets?

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I think you were justified in posting that, DW. Even though I have no experience with a DAN doctor, I have spoken with many moms who have used them. I was shocked at the cost of them and that they aren't covered by insurance. Many of the parents felt they had seen improvements, and maybe they have, but I just wonder sometimes if it could be therapy that is making the improvements. I do realize that some children definitely have the bowel issues, and so far I don't think we do, so I have chosen to not get a DAN dr.

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thank you for a wonderful and generous reply PenguinMom. My family and his father's have no history of gluten/casein intolerance. His grandparents on his fathers do have diabetes and my sister is allergic to certain melons, tropical fruits, and avocados. She developed this allergy when she was an adult, and her reaction is not that bad, just a itchiness in the ears and throat. My son's father is the same way also.
I would like for him to see a gastroenterologist though. He does poo more than once a day, is that normal? What are the symptoms of food sensitivity?[/quote]

After what we went through I feel obliged to help any parent considering special diets. ANYTHING can be a symptom of a food sensitivity. That is why the DAN! people get so many positive results. For years my daughter had lots of seemingly innocent unconnected symptoms that people told me not to worry about, it wasn't until her diet was gluten out of control and the symptoms were causing serious suffing that my husband agreed something was wrong. Even then our general practitioner said not to worry. Furthermore, our (mainstream)neurologist told us "She clearly has aspergers, but I'll eat my hat if she has celiac, you can waste time with the gastroenterologist if you want." The gastroenterologist said, after having her on gluten for 1 month, "Wow! She really looks gluten allergic! I wouldn't worry about her being on the spectrum though, she acts just like my daughter did at that age." This is where the hollistic doctors find things specialists miss, even with all their problems they do try to look at the whole picture.

Again, to answer you question Jenvi, if you think that there is something wrong with your child that happens in relation to food then start a food log. It could be manic behavior or it could be lethargy. There could be a rash or eczma, or bloating, or there could not. There could be diarhea, or constipation, but then again all humans have different excretory patterns so pooping once a day may just be normal for your son's body. My daughter was getting migraine headaches. Obviously she didn't know how to describe this so she did stuff that looked straight out of the "excoricst" banging her head against the walls, howling like an animal, losing language ability and biting herself. I know a mother whose little boy FLIPS OUT when he eats red things (apples, cranberries, red grapes, etc.) This same mother is using the same DAN! doctor who we had such a rough time with, but I have to agree I've seen that boy on dried cranberries and there is something truly bizarre.