gluten free a no-go???

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Are there any aspies out there for whom, upon trial of the gluten-free diet, found it DID NOT work for them? I am still debating trying this diet with my 6 year old aspie son, but it will be so hard (almost his entire diet is wheat related) that I am kind of dragging my feet. It wouldn't be so bad if a trial was only 2 weeks, but everything I have been researching has stated a minimum of 6 months to see if the diet really helps. Not sure what to do.

Thanks for your input,
Kacy

Well I've never really tried it, but I'm not a bread eater in general. I went through long stages as a child where I wouldn't eat bread, and can't say there was any difference.

There is some sort of allergy test for this one out there. No clue where you're located, but try talking to an allergist about this one, maybe they can help you.

I don't see how 6 months would be different than 1 week or even 1 day. Food is digested and gone pretty quick.

I was thinking of trying it, but I refuse to eat that nasty gluten free bread, I heard it tastes like gritty wallpaper paste. There is something called the Caveman diet which excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar and processed oils.
It seems like an interesting diet, but I like having bread, or porridge in the morning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet

I'm trying gluten-free at the moment, I'm one week in and not really feeling much of a difference, though I don't expect to after such a short amount of time. I'm going to give it another four weeks and see how I am then. I don't eat a lot of gluten anyway, but it is a lot more than I thought it was now that I'm actively avoiding it! It's not too difficult, there are lots of gluten-free foods around like pasta, gluten-free cereals, crackers, cakes, biscuits, pizza-bases, cakes... all the high-flour things. There are some great recipes online as well you can try.

some people say that it is of benefit, but the adult AS i know off arent on it an dhave never tried it.
im throwing it in the "i will charge you money to help your son because your anxious and want to spend money on a solution " pile.

everyone wants to cure As help you treat AS and charge you for it.

Best not to eat known allergens. May individuals have a problem with wheat, the Gluten content grows higher each year to improve texture of produce. Our digestive systems are not adapted to suit such modifications. Also, Milk was designed to nourish calf’s not humans, its not difficult to image that a diet free from these substances would benefit the human body with or without Autism. Personally speaking I developed celiac, its noted that Autistic individuals are more susceptible to gastro-intestinal disruptions (Leaky gut/opiate effect.) Immune reaction aside, an Allergen free diet decreased anxiety, meltdowns and general sense of impending doom! Good luck anyway, watching for red ears, flushed cheeks; dark circles under the eyes and skin rashes are pretty much fail-safe signs of intolerance of one form or another. As are nausea, headaches, IBS and craving certain foods i.e. Tomato ketchup and baked beans (contain wheat) craving = dosed up. This aside, “Eat to live, don’t live to eat,” diet is essential to development and since we're already hindered...

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
I just read "Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome" by Luke Jackson and really liked the book (my son is 6 and the author is 13, but I think it will still be a great reference for him when he gets older). Apparently Luke and his 2 brothers are all on a GF/CF diet, and he has written a companion book about this diet and some recipies he likes. He states in the first book that the diet helped him "with the bad bits", which I thought was well put in explaining that it wouldn't solve everything but may help "iron out" some behavior kinks. I know Luke is from the UK so there will be some food differences, but I think I will check it out since I enjoyed his first book so much. I will probably get the diet change started here in the next few weeks!

Oh, and on a side note. Any thoughts on WHEN to tell my son he has AS? I think I have read that the median age, assuming the child is diagnosed quite young, is 8. Thoughts?

Kacy

If wheat is a problem, it should only be a matter of hours before the individual experiencing the symptoms notices a difference. For a parent to notice a difference in their child, it may take a bit longer, but..... a week a most. Once the food is out of your body system there should be an improvement. It may take longer for the villi on the intestines to regrow and become healthy again. But once this food is eliminated, the allergy response should cease, almost immediately.

I've been on a g-f diet for over a month now. Unfortunately my doc says i need to be on it for at least six months. I suppose the length of time is that large because any positive effects will only occur gradually. I'm in my 20's so maybe the full positive effects will take longer, afterall according to my doc i've had the wrong (unsatisfactory) diet for two plus decades.

The positive changes thus far include:
reduced anxiety, better concentration and more energy. (BUT THE CHANGES HAVE BEEN SLIGHT, NOT MIRACULOUS)

Well, I accidentally had a bread stick last night and I've had some of the symptoms back really badly today. So I'm not sure if that's linked or if it was something else I ate, but it says to me perhaps I'm on the right track in avoiding the stuff. Problem is it's so bloody expensive!!

Kacy, to answer your question... when you think he's ready and can understand it. I was told when I was 14, though my parents had known for at least a year before that. It was a bit of a shock but it's good to be able to understand you aren't just weird and crazy!!

I've never been allergic to gluten so I don't see any reason to to get involved in a gluten free diet.

Alex, I've found it really interesting... I don't think I'm massively allergic in any way, but I've been trying it as an experiment and as much as it's a pain in the butt because there's so much gluten in the world, I feel absolutely amazing being off it so far!

I think also it tends to become more apparent around our age too. I'm almost 22 and I know a few people who found out when they were 20-24 because it started to affect them more, though they say they'd been allergic for years, if not their whole life. It's a strange thing!!

(But you're right, I wouldn't recommend it unless you really feel the need because it's a pain in the bum trying to find gluten-free things, at least where I'm living, and when you do they're all so expensive!! )

I did it for 3 months and it made no difference to me. I didn't feel any better, or have better digestion.