Autism diet

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Have any of you with AS tried or are any of you on a wheat-free and or casein-free diet? If so, do you think it helps in any way?

Thank you,
Susan

I don't believe in diets, so I can't really help you. I'm sure that somebody else can help you, though.

It's been proposed that Celiac's Disease can present as autism. If this is the case I'd just have the person tested for it. If they have Celiac's get them on the diet. If not don't bother.

Interesting. I hadn't heard of that misdiagnosis. I don't think my husband has Celiac, though.

There are a number of threads about the question of gluten and casein playing a role in the development of AS and ASDs, as well as affecting people's quality of life.

Consensus is that if you're sensitive to either, an elimination diet will make you feel better. I've read through the recent published research on the subject, and the general conclusion is that no one knows, and more research is needed to see what if any role casein or gluten play in the development or presentation of AS and other ASDs.

Just search through WP and you'll find lots of people's experiences and ideas on the subject.

We have had huge success with the GFCF diet. My son has been on it for about 2 1/2 years now. I believe in this diet so much that I now help other families in my city transition their children with Autism, Aspergers, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder to the diet. So far every family has seen success with it.

Despite the recent study that came out saying the diet has no effect, I figure thousands of parents can't be wrong. And thousands of children are living proof that it can potentially be very beneficial. It doesn't work for everyone. And the changes differs for each child. But it doesn't hurt to try it.

However, if you're going to try it you really need to stick with it for at least 3 months wholeheartedly. If after that time you're really seeing no changes then it's probably not for your child.

I'm new to this site as well and so I can't post links yet. But if you go to wwwdotautismdotcom you will find a link to "parent ratings" where thousands of parents were surveyed on different therapies for autism. The GFCF diet rates high with parents as a successful intervention.

You can also find info on my website wwwdotapplestorangesdotca.

Hope that helps!

It's just fishy the dude that came up with the idea, was proven a complete science abuser.

Not saying some diets can't help, but I strongly doubt some food items send opiates into our brains. I'm a milk addict myself, but yogurt can never replace my milk, and yet it "should" create the same opiate effect. But yogurt does nothing for me.

I'm vegan, and therefore when I went gluten free for a few years I suppose I was on this diet. It never did me any good, as far as my asperger's. It did reduce my bowel problems.

The well-designed studies about it showed that the diet doesn't do anything. Those studies eliminated people who were allergic to gluten and casein from the group of test subjects.

Food allergies are common among autistic people. Milk and wheat gluten are common food allergies. Autistic people, like everyone else, do not function as well when they are ill. Thus it stands to reason that it would seem to work pretty often.

I don't remember if those two studies said allergy or sensitivity. Or possibly even intolerance, though you'd think that would just mean you can't digest it and it either comes up or goes through relatively unchanged. I had not heard of the distinction you draw and don't understand it.*

Anyway, I presume the studies were talking about a measurable physiological response that could be tested for simply and quickly, without requiring a behavioral assessment, or it wouldn't make sense in the context of the reports.

*Somebody I know, NT, reacts badly to wheat gluten. A little bit, he becomes stupid, grouchy and withdrawn. If he eats more, he'll behave that way and complain of a headache. Even more he will develop a fever and become visibly flushed. So is this an allergy, or a sensitivity? I understand it to be a common reaction to the substance. I bet if I played with him, some pastries, and the blood-test machine at my old job, I could watch his histamine levels rise (along with his ill temper, and my own). Wouldn't that make it an allergy in spite of the fact that most of the time his reaction to wheat is behavioral?