Does Casein Free and Gluten Free diet really help kids with autism?

Question

My son is 4 years old and have mild autism spectrum disorder. He do have eye contact and talk to people. But his speech is not at par with kids his age,. He is also insensitive to pain, have no sense of danger and obsessed with things that rotates like fan and wheels. In class he only concentrated on things he is interested in. Things he dont like he just ignore and walk out of the class.

Answer 1

Hi

Apparently studies have shown that certain foods can affect the neurological process in the brain. And children with autism have problems with breaking down the protiens found in gluten and casein.

The top link below goes in to it in more depth.

Good luck with your son.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a healthy & happy new year.

Answer 2

My 2yo son had some of the things that you're talking about. I put him gluten free back in August. He had a big change in his personality. Even the teachers at the drop-in daycare I take him to said that he was like a different kid. He would usually just go look at the books, but after a few weeks gluten-free he was coming and joining in the games. Over the last few months he's been improving even more. He's still not talking a lot, but will come and seek you out to play with, which isn't at all like how he was. He's also gone from being very serious to being goofy and silly. It's really amazing.

Not all autism is related to casein or gluten, but the psychological/neurological symptoms of celiac do sometimes mimick autism. Even at 35 years old myself, I found that I was more outgoing and social after going gluten-free.

I'm of the opinion that it's ALWAYS worth a try. Eating gluten and/or casein - free is actually a really healthy way to eat.

You may also want to consider having him tested for celiac disease.

Here's a webpage by the National Institutes of Health on celiac -
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/

And another from the Mayo Clinic -

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319

If that starts sounding familiar here are a couple of message boards for people with celiac and other gluten intolerances.

http://www.glutenfreeforum.com
http://www.celiacforums.com

Nancy

Answer 3

I believe that there is currently some research being done about this, but I don't think that we know for sure if it is helpful right now. You may talk to your doctor, and if your son is allergic or sensitive to these foods, then naturally removing them will be helpful.

A balanced and healthy diet is important and helpful for all kids, so I would recommend, unless your doctor says otherwise, to just make sure that your family is eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.

Here are some other resources that I hope will be helpful. Best of luck and Happy Holidays!

Websites:

"Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" by Ellen Notbohm - http://www.southflorida.com/sfparenting/sfe-sfp-autism,0,6196233.story

Website of Paula Kluth, Ph.D. - http://www.paulakluth.com/autism.html

Positively Autism (free online magazine, includes free lessons/activities) - http://www.positivelyautism.com

Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism by Temple Grandin, Ph.D. - http://www.autism.org/temple/tips.html


Books:

"Your Life is Not a Label: A Guide to Living Fully with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome" by Jerry Newport

"You're Going to Love This Kid!: Teaching Students With Autism in the Inclusive Classroom" By Paula Kluth

"Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism" By Paul Collins

Any book by Temple Grandin

Answer 4

My daughter is now 14 and is considered to have high-functioning autism. She attends school, is capable of self-care, can read, write, etc., but she continues to struggle with language and social skills. We tried many things in our search for potential cures or assistance for her, including special diets and special vitamins, and found that nothing helped as much as did a combination of pharmaceuticals (primarily mood stabilizers) and psychotherapy. We have two other children who LOVE cold cereal with milk and the casein- and gluten-free diet was very hard for us to manage as a family. I have heard others say the diet is wonderful; it just didn't do much for us and certainly not for the strain it put on us as far as having to turn our life upside down to accommodate it.

Answer 5

It helped my friend's son when they put him on the casein/gluten free diet...but autism is a case by case basis try it for a few weeks and if you see no improvment maybe it's not for your child