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AUTISMINFO.COM©
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Important
Web Links:
Autism
Network
Resources for Physicians
Autism-Resources (John Wobus' Site)
Autism Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV)
Autism Network for Dietary Intervention (ANDI)
Center for the Study of Autism
Database of Successful Treatments Being Used by Parents
Developmental Delay Resources (DDR)
Etiology of Autism, Marie Bristol-Power, Ph.D., NIH
GFCF Diet Parent Support System
Holiday Letter for Friends and Family
IDEA 97 (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997)
Leichtman, Lawrence G., M.D., Ph.D. (Secretin Summary)
Reed Martin, J.D. Special Education Law
"Imagine you were in a foreign, noisy and crowded city at night, not understanding the language spoken, recognizing a few words but not really comprehending situations taking place around you, wanting to express a need for help but not being able. This experience may begin to help you relate to what a child with autism feels on an ordinary day."
Gihan Ramadan, Arab News
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Nutritional intervention through vitamin and mineral supplementation is a major part of autism therapy and treatment. Many of the approaches will positively affect behavior. A basic premise is that if kids are feeling better, they will learn better. Vitamin / mineral supplementation will lay a foundation for improved health which will enhance most types of behavioral/speech/occupational therapies. Please see the Diet right, which has information on gluten and casein free diets. General
Nutrition Nutritional Summaries: Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements: The DAN! Protocol - A Good Roadmap Retailers: Following are Nutrition-Related Books: Prescription
for Nutritional Healing, James F Balch, M.D., Phyllis A.
Balch, C.N.C. Here are some great dietary links:
Here are some diet related books: Special
Diets for Special Kids, Lisa Lewis
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Dietary Restriction - Gluten (wheat, rye, oat and barley) and Casein (dairy) Free The purpose of this summary is to give parents valid reasons to consider trying the Gluten / Casein Free Diet. It is, indeed, daunting. But, frankly from my perspective, the part of a parent is easy compared to the difficulties a child must endure and battle with. We know because we live this diet. The Gluten / Casein Free Diet is an extremely important part of treating Autism. While the answers for implementing the diet are varied and complex, the single most important reason to do it...... is that it may help your child! Essentially, casein and gluten are very similar proteins. The way the body processes these, and even other similar proteins, may affect a person adversely. There are several theories and truths that abound regarding the ingestion of these proteins. Casein is a protein found in dairy. Gluten is a similar protein found primarily in wheat, rye, oat, barley, spelt, kamut, triticale, and semolina. Anything made from these items is suspect, however, wheat is used most often in other ingredients. For example, modified food starch, bouillon, caramel color, are some, but not all, of the ingredients that contain gluten. In order to ensure that the products being eaten are indeed free of these substances, it is best to know the content of even your ingredients. There are a number of ways to go about this. Check the internet, join an egroup that shares information on the GFCF diet, buy books (shown on the booklist), or subscribe to publications like the ANDI newletter. The theories/facts: 1. Gluten and casein can act like opiates in the body, known and casomorphin and gludiamorphin/glutomorphin. This is surmised to occur in people who have profound bowel and yeast issues. The thought is that, as yeast grows uncontrolled in the intestine, it adheres to the intestinal wall making it permeable. Substances that are not fully digested can then get into the blood stream and wreak havoc in the brain. This theory is very controversial, however, the proof, for many, is in the pudding. 2. Casein and gluten can induce an antibody response, like in Celiac disease. Although, celiacs have varied symptoms, it is thought that many kids with autism may be experiencing similar symptoms. These may include nausea, gas, distention, diarrhea, fevers etc. 3. Some kids are simply allergic to either or both of these substances. In this case, the only treatment is to remove the allergens, work on desensitizing the patient with an immunologist/allergist, or take medication. Testing is a potentially helpful medium to determine your course of action. However, the best test is the diet. The following is a little scenario of what occurred when one family tried to test for casomorphin and gludiamorphin (the opiates). One lab that tested a child and found no signs of casomorphin and glutomorphin peptides in the urine. Skeptical, the parents tested the child’s urine again with another lab. The second lab found astronomically high levels of casomorphin and a noticeable amount of glutomorphin. Trying the diet IS the best test for efficacy. Since the child fit the profile of one who will benefit most from this diet, the parents opted to give it a serious try. The parameters of the profile include, but are not limited to, chronic diarrhea, dark circles under eyes, red ring around anus, eczema on scalp or elsewhere, fevers, rashes, and self limitation to a large number of foods containing casein and gluten. Note: However that the profile was misinterpreted by the parents. They were thinking opiates, but symptoms were more closely related to celiac sprue & allergies. Elimination of casien is easiest and was attempted first. Within a few days of removing dairy, the parents noted the obvious disappearance of a chronic runny nose and cough. Within a few weeks the child’s eye contact and ability to stay on task improved. It was quite remarkable! Needless to say, by now the parents realized that the first lab urinalysis was incorrect. Next came the procurement of a book entitled, “Special Diets for Special Kids” by Lisa Lewis, PhD. This book may be purchased on-line, via the link for Autism Network for Dietary Intervention (ANDI). It is an excellent source of information and mail order companies that specialize in the foods and beverages needed to implement this kind of diet. It is an excellent how to book. The best source of “why to” may be also be purchased on this website. It has just been released and is entitled, “Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and PDD” by Karyn Seroussi. With resources in hand this family was able, over time and through trial and error, to make the transition to a completely Gluten Free / Casein Free diet. At one time, they wondered, as many do, is the gluten free portion of the diet contributing anything. The results from removing this element from the diet were not as noticeable as with the removal of casein. They experimented by allowing plain oat Cheerios back into the diet. Within a few days, the child’s behavior became a little more irritable, however, the most notable symptoms was the return of very dark circles under the eyes and a red ring around the anus. The Cheerios were quickly removed from the diet. Although the circles still appear under the child’s eyes from time to time, they are not as pronounced and are fading very slowly. Dramatic changes bring us incredible joy, however, even more critical is to note that subtle changes are just as important and worthwhile of our efforts. BEST OF LUCK!
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Sign
Our Guestbook Searchable Databases: Combined Health Information Database (CHID) Online Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP)
Crash Course in Autism; Holiday Letter about the challenges autistic individuals face during the holidays. New eLearning course; What is Autism? From The Autism Society of America. Significant statement on the incidence of autism in the sixth edition of Child Neurology-2000, Menkes & Sarnat. We Cured Our Son's Autism by Karyn Seroussi Helpful Hints for Persons with Autism (This can be posted in a school or other public place) Tips for Dealing with Doctors and Labs Tips for Families with a newly Diagnosed Child Dr.
Jeff Bradstreet's Excellent 74 Page Biomedical Summary (PDF
format, may take a minute to load!) Autism
Recovery Network's excellent Resource
Guide. A great start for families of newly diagnosed kids.
(PDF
format, may take a minute to load!)
Click
here to get Adobe Reader. New! California Special Education Statewide Enrollment by Disability Category 1985-1999; (illustrating a dramatic rise in the rates of autism.) New! Autism Card That may be Displayed in a Public Place. The Autism Society of America's position on the relationship between vaccinations and autism. (PDF document)
Houston Nutraceuticals Digestive Enzymes
Misfortune sometimes a blessing in disguise. Star NFL Quarterbacks and their special-needs kids. Article: Autistic student, parents realize a dream. "It's
not easy living with these kids(with autism), and anything that
makes their lives better makes the family's life better," Living
as an Autistic (a 1st-person account) Site
Awards: Autism Society of Florida Member's Choice for helpful websites Featured on Newstalk 920 am Melbourne, Florida |
