Children with autism struggle to communicate and socialize with others. A scientifically determined cause of the disorder has not been determined. There is also no known cure for autism, which is considered a physical condition. However, many parents of autistic children have discovered improvements in their child's behavior after implementing a gluten-free and casein-free diet, or GFCF diet for short. The diet eliminates all sources of gluten and casein.
What Are Gluten and Casein
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and grains including rye, oats, barley, spelt, and bulgar. Any food that includes those grains falls in the gluten food category. Glutens can also be found in starches, malt, artificial colors, and flavorings. Gluten gives foods soft, chewy characteristics. Gluten also helps food rise when baked and helps food stay fresh longer.
The protein, casein, is most commonly found in milk and milk products such as ice cream, cheese, yogurt and butter. Some hot dogs and soy cheese contain casein. Food labels sometimes refer to casein as caseinate. Casein is used as a binding agent in foods.
GFCF Diet
The GFCF diet includes the elimination of gluten and casein and all forms of it from the diet of your autistic child. Read the food labels of all of the products you buy. Look for gluten or casein on the food labels, but also look for ingredients such as curds, lactose, caseinate and bran. Many food manufacturers have started offering gluten-free and casein-free products. Many of these can be found in traditional grocery stores. However, health food stores typically have the widest varieties of gluten-free and casein-free foods.
If you or your child are on the GFCF diet, you can still enjoy a wide variety of foods such as rice, corn, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, poultry and eggs.
Getting Started
You may be concerned that your child will not receive important nutrients from the GFCF diet. Address your concerns with your child's physician before getting started. It is also wise to work with a nutritionist who can help you meet your child's specific nutritional needs.
Some children who have an aversion to gluten and casein experience withdrawal when these proteins are removed from their diets. So, in some cases, it is best to ease into the plan. Try removing one food from your child's diet every few days. Find a suitable substitute for the food. The website Autism Web suggests removing milk from the diet first. The body clears itself of casein more quickly than gluten, so you may see positive results more quickly by doing this. Gluten-free and casein-free rice, almond and potato milk are available.
Additional Tips
Talk to your child's physician about suitable nutritional supplements. Some children on the diet benefit from enzyme supplements and vitamins, such as methyl B-12 and B-6. It is also important to give your child an extra dose of vitamin D, calcium and magnesium to help replace nutrients that would otherwise be gained from drinking cow's milk.
If you don't achieve the results you are seeking, you may also want to remove soy or corn from your child's diet.
