If you are a parent of a child with autism, you may have a lot of questions about what you can do to help your child. The behavioral patterns present in children with autism disorders may be helped by dietary changes. The most researched diet used for children with autism is a gluten- and casein-free diet, which removes the wheat protein and the milk protein from the diet. It can be overwhelming to remove these foods at first, but there are now many labeled products available on the market that can make shopping easier.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
The disorders that fall on the autism spectrum include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), autistic disorder and Asperger syndrome. Symptoms of autism include verbal and nonverbal communication problems, difficulty with social interactions and repetitive behaviors. Along with various types of therapies, behavioral patterns in children with autism may be improved by a gluten- and casein-free diet.
Gluten- & Casein-Free Case Study
A case study investigating a gluten- and casein-free diet conducted in Taiwan was published in the August 2009 issue of the "Chang Gung Medical Journal". A boy with autism was treated with a gluten- and casein-free diet successfully for 11 months. After only 2.5 months, researchers noted interpersonal improvements, specifically eye-to-eye contact and verbal communication. At 5.5 months the boy acted almost as if he were unaffected, sharing toys with other children and playing with his siblings.
Research
While more research is needed, studies are showing changes in the diet effecting the behavioral patterns in children with autism. The December 2009 issue of the "Annals of Clinical Psychiatry" published research that demonstrated a probable connection between the gut and the brain for children with autism. This gut-to-brain connection may explain what researchers discovered in a randomized, controlled, single-blind study published in the April 2010 issue of "Nutritional Neuroscience." After 12 months of a gluten- and casein-free diet, children showed improvements behaviorally and socially although improvements reached a plateau at the two-year mark.
Gluten & Casein Free Foods
If you are interested in adopting a gluten- and casein-free diet, you will need to avoid many foods. Any grain or flour containing wheat like spelt, couscous, matzo, bulgur, barley, durum, graham, semolina and triticale contain gluten. Other sources of gluten include rye and possibly oats, which unless labeled gluten-free may be contaminated with wheat. Packaged products need to be labeled gluten-free, as does beer, marinades, dressings and sauces. Casein is a protein in milk and is found in all dairy products like butter, ice cream, yogurt and cheese, even those labeled lactose-free. Unfortunately, casein is found in unexpected places too, like hydrolyzed protein, McDonald's french fries, wine that is clarified in casein, whole chicken injected with lactose for freshness and chocolate, which may be cross-contaminated. Products labeled as "vegan" cannot contain animal products, including dairy, so they are safe options. In any situation that you are unsure of the ingredients or potential cross-contamination of a product with gluten or casein, call the manufacturer.
References
- "Nutritional Neuroscience"; The ScanBrit Randomised, Controlled, Single-blind Study of a Gluten- and Casein-free Dietary Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders; P. Whitely, et al.; April 2010
- "Chang Gung Medical Journal"; The Effects of a Gluten and Casein-free Diet in Children with Autism: A Case Report; CL Hsu, et al.; August 2009
- "Annals of Clinical Psychiatry"; The Possibility and Probability of a Gut-to-brain Connection in Autism; KL Reichelt, et al.; December 2009
- Celiac Sprue Association: Grains and Flours Glossary
- MIT: Eating Without Casein
- NIH: National Institute of Child Health & Human Development: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)
