Autism and similar disorders affect approximately one in every 150 children in the United States, according to the American Dietetic Association. This condition affects the brain and interferes with the development of children, causing them to exhibit symptoms including limited eye contact, not wanting to be touched, delayed speech, obsessive interests, repetitive behavior and a lack of interest in playing with other children. Some people find dietary changes lessen the symptoms their autistic children exhibit.
Dietary Changes
One of the common diets for autism involves avoiding gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye, and casein, a protein found in milk. Another diet that may help autistic children is the specific carbohydrate diet, which involves avoiding complex carbohydrates, such as those found in grains. Some children may also respond well to diets avoiding foods containing high amounts of added sugar, food dyes and other additives. Vitamin B-6, selenium and zinc supplements may also be beneficial.
Nutritional Adequacy
Parents of children who follow restrictive diets, such as the gluten-free, casein-free diet, should speak with a registered dietitian to develop a diet that will be acceptable to their autistic child but still meet all the nutritional requirements of the child. This diet can be low in certain vitamins and minerals, including calcium, vitamin D, iron and protein.
Effectiveness
Although some parents of autistic children feel these dietary changes help reduce the symptoms their children experience, studies on the effects of a gluten-free, casein-free diet have contradictory results. A study presented to the Allergy Research Foundation in 1999 found beneficial effects from this diet, while another study presented to the International Meeting for Autism Research in 2010 found no beneficial effects from this diet.
Considerations
Children with autism tend to have a number of dietary issues, including only wanting to eat certain foods and not always eating enough food, so it may be difficult to introduce a restrictive diet and get them to follow the diet. These diets are not a cure for autism, only a possible way to decrease some of the symptoms of autism in your child.
References
- "Daily Mail"; Can Diet Really Improve the Symptoms of Autism? Read This Family's Story and Decide; Angela Epstein; March 2009
- ABC News; Can a New Diet Help Autistic Kids?; October 2007
- Science Daily; Popular Autism Diet Does Not Demonstrate Behavioral Improvement; May 2010
- Fox News; Looking Beyond a Gluten-Free Diet; Jennifer Cerbasi; April 2011
- American Dietetic Association: Autism and Diet
- BBC News; Autism Link to Food Intolerance; November 1999
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