Can special diets help kids with autism? Yes and for reasons you don’t have to argue with your doctor about …
I come across the question all the time of “can special diets can help kids with autism spectrum disorder?” The medical establishment jumps on the chance to say NO without question. It’s usually, this or that study is flawed, etc.
We have done most of these diets and to be honest, I have my doubts about some of the science behind some of the diets. Urinary peptides and gut healing aside, a healthy diet can for sure have an impact on your child’s behavior in a very positive way.
This post is not about the scientific validity of this or that diet, but about common sense. We started doing the GFCF (Gluten Free/Caesin Free Diet) with our daughter and have since started the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet). The end result is that now we do the following in addition to the stuff related to the SCD, which I would recommend everyone try for autism or just for all around health.
- Cook from scratch. Our autism super mommy is Betty Crocker Jr. and cooks from scratch.
- Avoid all dyes and artificial colors.
- Avoid all sugar
Some other food sensitivities have come up via various tests which pointed to some other foods that we avoid. Eggs and Lobster were the two main ones. That’s good to know. No more Lobster, Caroline!
These things do appear to help with behavior, but they no doubt 100% help with the consistency of poops. Loose or runny poops are a common thing with kids who have ASD. Again, scientific bickering aside, a healthy diet and avoiding certain foods can help in this department.
We’ve also noticed that our daughter eats like a machine now days (has gained weight for the first time in forever) and eats anything we put in front of her. I would have bet everything we owned that this would not be the case if you had asked me about this a couple of years ago. Snacking on carrots … get out of town! I would never have believed it. If you have a picky eater, there is hope. The key is getting the whole family on board and not having any illegal items in the house. (Daddy does sneak off for a double quarter pounder on occassion).
Filed under: Biomedical Intervention, Children with Starving Brains, Diet, GFCF Diet, SCD Diet
I think you are absolutely right about common sense and special diets. Autism is brain dysfunction, - whether that dysfunction arises from genetic origins or from brain injury. A healthy brain requires the optimum internal physiological environment in which to operate at it’s optimum level. This means an environment high in oxygen and the correct balance of nutrients. How much more does a dysfuntional brain need this same environment? Pure common sense isn’t it?