Recently I have been reading on most Celiac sites that a Gluten free diet may help with children with Autism. I watched Oprah and she had Jenny McCarthy on and she claims her little boy is nearly cured of Autism by this diet change. Its very interesting.
autism
A mystery for the past six decades is Autism, and is now receiving much needed attention as the number of children with Autism has increased ten-fold in the past 20 years. Autism is a brain disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate, reason and interact with others. It is a spectrum disorder that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees of severity. Autism, like Celiac Disease, affects 1 in 130 individuals, or about 2.3 million Americans. It is four times more common in boys than girls, and is found equally in all walks of life and in all populations around the world.People with Autism may exhibit low tolerance of, and allergies to certain foods, such as wheat allergies. While not a specific cause of Autism, food intolerances or allergies have been observed to contribute to behavioral issues. Individuals with Autism have trouble digesting proteins such as gluten and casein. Research in the U.S. and England has found significant improvements in Autistic children's behavior when following a gluten free diet
Special Diets for Children with Autism
Doctors rarely recommend special diets for autism, but many parents hear of the success of such diets through websites, books,Hollywood people, friends and conferences. There are plenty of stories of special diets having a profound and positive impact on children with autism.
The gluten (wheat) free, casein (dairy) free diet is the most popular of the specialized diets, and there is evidence that the diet is often helpful in lessening autistic symptoms such as impulsive behaviors, lack of focus, and even speech problems. But wheat and dairy are a part of almost everything we serve in the United States - and keeping a child away from ice cream, pizza, milk, and most snack foods and cereals is no small task.
So, what does it take to start a gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet? :
When gluten or casein is present in your child’s diet and symptoms are not recognized, he or she can feel miserable and display a variety of difficult-to-handle behaviors.
Other behaviors have been found to be related to diet and can include:*
Rigid food choices – eating 10 or fewer foods
Rigid food rules – requires certain routines to eat
Pica (eats non food items)
Pallor, shiners under the eyes
Delayed milestones for language, socialization or motor skills
Difficulty with toilet training
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Cracked, peeling or dotted nails
Difficulty focusing and paying attention
Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, and any derivatives of these grains, including, but not limited to malt grain-starches, malt wash, hydrolyzed vegetable/plant proteins, grain vinegar, soy sauce, and natural flavorings. Casein is found in milk and milk products from mammals....Gluten is in even in Play-Doh, adhesive on stamps and stickers, and many hygiene products. Soy, another common food allergen, is in many foods and hand lotions, make-up, etc.