gf foods for autistic children

Melissa - posted on 04/24/2010

If your child is living on white grains and cheese, it only follows that he will be constipated. I have seen the GFCF/ Limited sugar diet proposed for a different reason. This particular doctor felt that people with autism tend to have difficulty regulating their blood sugar levels, so when they eat refined sugars and grains, they have sugar spikes and crashes, followed by craings for more of the same foods.



If your son has gastrointestinal problems or a desire to live on milk & wheat products (cookes, breads, mac & cheese, cereal w/ milk), try switching out those foods with alternate ones. We switched out milk products with soy and wheat products with corn, rice, potato, and quinoa.



We have seen some improvement, but I think for some kids it might also be that if their comfort foods are taken away and they have no choice but to eat other foods, their diets naturally expand to include healthier foods. If you're going from chicken nuggets and fries to baked chicken and vegetables, of course you'll feel better. Just my opinion though!

Elizabeth - posted on 04/24/2010

My son tested negative for allergies too, but he does test positive for a dairy (Casein) intolerance. We have been using the GF/CF diet for many years, and it was incredibly helpful. You do have to be very strict with it (a little bit WILL hurt), and most people need a trial of about 3-6 months to see if it makes a difference. We were fortunate in that we noticed an improvement within 4-6 weeks, but some kids take longer. For us, the diet changes brought him back into our world (as opposed to before when he just didn't connect) and helped him want to play with other kids etc. If you do want to start, www.gfcfdiet.com is another good resource for what it is, and why it may help.

Michelle - posted on 04/23/2010

We've only tried CF so far, not GF yet. To prevent withdrawals, we've been informed by our DAN doctor to eliminate it one at a time. We've notice that his Bowel Movements are more regular and he's not constipated all the time (like before). He used to wake up in the middle of the night due to constipation or stomach irritations. We're seeing our DAN doctor again this coming Friday to get started on the GF portion of the diet & will keep you posted. BTW- Our son (3 yr old ASD) is non-verbal, but has recently started to say "daddy," "all done", "uncle", & "bye bye" with intent!

Kerry - posted on 04/23/2010

my son has been on gf diet.and it didnt make a difference sorry...kerry

Beverly - posted on 04/23/2010

I've heard great success stories just like Joanna's where the diet really worked. One lady I was in an autism training class with did the gluten/casein free diet on her 4 year old and he started hugging and talking more just after a few months of being on the diet. The ingredients in some of those foods were making blocks in his development. She was a very excited mom. It's expensive though and takes a lot of work on your part. I'm sure it's great and works for some, and other's are skeptical and not as fortunate. Good luck if you try it!

Tanya - posted on 04/22/2010

Hi ! I have 2 Aspie/Tourrettes and 1 PDD> 5 children total. I do go GF , but not because of allergies, or that it "transforms them into non aspies. I simply use the GF diet, because ASD kids tens to have intestional issues (digesting, constipation) . The GF diet helps alot with digestion issues. I also do not use refined sugar. I use splenda or sugar free. Simply because its healthier and we have enough meltdowns without sugar crashes ! So if you use a GF diet, use it for those reasons, not hoping for a cure for ASD as we have all read in magazines and on TV. hope this helps !

Joanna - posted on 04/22/2010

I haven't had my son tested yet but have read a lot about it. It's not that the kids are actually allergic to gluten or casein but rather that they have intestinal issues that makes the processing of foods with these ingredients difficult and thus can interfer with their development or modify their temperment.



The only way to really find out if it will help your child is to do it. I used to notice that my son had terrible tantrums when I was feeding him mini-bagels everyday. I stopped those and he got better. Then I took away casein in January (milk/dairy products) and didn't notice too much except when I found a bread that didn't have milk in it. Again, I noticed that he had more tantrums/meltdowns shortly thereafter. So after a couple of months of minimal gluten-allowed and while I tested various products and recipes that are GF/CF, I recently removed all GF as well. And yes, we have noticed a definite difference in just 2 weeks. He seems to be processing information better, is coming up with new sounds and articulation and has less tantrums (although he still has at least 1/day but he's 3 so....). I'm convinced that he will continue to make progress if I keep this up which once you start getting into it, it's really not that difficult.



Some suggestions for GF sites that I've found really helpful are www.kinninick.com for all kinds of bread products, mixes and even pizza crusts! I make batches of muffins with their mixes with fruits and vegetables mixed in to get the nutrition in. Same with pancakes or waffles, they have great mixes, really tasty- we all eat them they are that good. And the site www.gfcfmeals.com has a starter kit that you can buy for about $80 that might be a good way to try it out without a lot of work on your part. The chocolate zuchinni muffins are out of this world good, I use them as a reward or as a substitute for desserts at family/friends parties where normal desserts are served.



Highly recommend trying it. Can't hurt. Can start slow but once you're ready to go for it, they must not have any GF/CF at all to really know if it's working. Any little contamination can set them back for weeks.



Good luck!