Looking for guidance!
My daughter is almost 7 yrs, has many characteristics of Asperger’s,and has been having more behavioral problems lately. It has promptedme to consider the diet thing, which I really shied away from in thepast. Things weren’t bad enough to take what I consider drasticmeasures. Now I’m thinking I need to nip this behavior thing, andmaybe the diet thing is the ticket.
I am looking for someone who can help me get started - I wascontemplating switching my whole family over to be fair to my daughter - I don’t know! Does anyone have any suggestions for us? I’m all earsto any suggestions.
This post tagged as: asperger
Jimmie Mcdiarmid said,
Wrote on November 18, 2006 @ 1:38 pm
I know how you feel…I felt the same when I first considered the diet. Ithought it would be really hard on me and on my son. I wondered what I would doif he didn’t like any of the foods available and where I was going to find foodsthat were similar to the ones he liked.
I’m not sure where you are located but I know that in my local grocery storesthere are several different brands that carry GFCF products. You might findthem in the organic foods section. If your store does not have this sectionthen check in each section for foods from company’s such as “Nature’s Path”(themake great cold cereals, snack bars, animal crackers), “Kinnikinnick”(make greatbread flour mixes, cinnamon rolls, cake doughnuts, muffin mixes, as well asprovide gfcf baking powder, icing sugar, etc.), “El Peto”(makes a really greatpancake mix, pies, pie dough, cookies as well as many other products),”Tinkyada”(makes great rice pasta), “Mrs Leeper’s”(makes great corn pasta),”Tayo”(has a great soy milk…my son loves the chocolate one(it’s completelydairy free)), there is also a good milk called “Almond Breeze” that has a greattaste and is a big favorite with my son for his morning cereal. One thing Ifound helpful was the list of “no-no” foods on gfcf diet website(www.gfcfdiet.com)… always check the ingredients and if you’re stillnot sure just e-mail the company. I e-mailed “Mott’s” and they let me know thatthe majority of their products with the exception of the Clamato juice is gfcf. For things like ice cream…look for all-fruit sorbet(I found a strawberry onethat my son loves that is only made with organic strawberries, purified water,organic evaporated cane juice, xantham gum, and guar gum). That way yourdaughter can still enjoy ice cream. Also, as far as cheese…go to either ofthese sites: http://www.imearthkind.com or http://www.followyourheart.com , they carry areally good melting GFCF cheese (the only one I know of). That way she can alsoenjoy pizza, grilled cheese, etc.
As for whether your whole family should change to the diet…let them samplesome of the foods…they might find they like some of the GFCF foods just asmuch as regular and your daughter may then not feel so left out. It seems likea big thing at first…but once you get started and find the foods that yourdaughter likes, it will get easier. It is worth it, my son was diagnosed withatypical autism and is non-verbal but he said his first word last week, isdigesting his food better, and has calmed considerably(no flailing and lessmeltdowns) after only a month and a half on the diet.
Florentino Birchler said,
Wrote on November 20, 2006 @ 11:17 am
HI, also, along with the diet…checking out thehttp://www.generationrescue.org site would interest you and help youtoo. My son’s allergies stim from leaky gut syndrome. I believe thatmany of the kiddos with Spectrum disorders have these problems.
Wesley Marske said,
Wrote on November 21, 2006 @ 2:59 pm
You have come to the right place, everyone hear is very helpful. There is a site that a lot of people are using to get started, I believe it isTacanow? Someone else will probably post the actual site address. Dana has awonderful site with lots of information and links, http://www.danasview.net . As faras the whole family doing the diet, when we started we did not eat any banditems (unless we were away from the house and Connor) for about the first coupleof months. As he became adjusted to the diet, he knows now that he has specialbread and milk and cereal. We do not flaunt unallowed treats of course but wedo have some items that are both. ei… regular bread and pasta and cereal forthe rest of the family, prepared carefully to avoid cross contamination. GoodLuck it’s worth the adjustments!!!
Winfred Berno said,
Wrote on November 23, 2006 @ 8:32 am
Understand that the SYMPTOMS of autism are multifactorial. However,no matter WHAT they are, the VERY FIRST STEP IN HEALING IS DIETARYINTERVENTION. NOT the second, third or fifth as so MANY parents arelead to believe. I’m an edcational consultant and my field ofexperitise is environmental causes. You have to work from the insideout. All the therapy and social skills classes in the world will besher folly until you address your child’s neurological health. YOUCAN DO THINGS TO IMPROVE IT, bu tyou have to follow a procedure andNUTRITIONAL COUNSELING IS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP. But you cannot evenstart it until you have to get a complete blood allergen panel. Pricktests are pointless and too shallow. The field of allergists andtraditional medicine is not educated enough to accomodate. YOu need aspecialist, a doctor who treats autism, period. If your child har aheart condition would you go to a pediatrician? No, because they areonly equiped to handle certain things. Allergists for the most parthave not gotten up to speed on the idea of brain allergies and foorintolerances. Find a doc who understands your child’s issues,otherwise you are getting misguided and spinning your wheels.www.pathwaysmed.com has an excellent Education system I highlyrecommend you read. It helped me SO much when I had first hadquestions. You also may need to test for heavy metals (we ALL haveheavy metals, not just these kids, so don’t freak out) and assessother factors that these kids face. They all have a compromisedimmune systems, they just don’t always show it right away. Time andagain I have seen it. They are vulnerable from the day they are bornbecause of the immune health of the mother, environment, allergies,and the list goes on…
And because gut problems are so prevasive, due to enzymaticabnormaliteis, they are malnourished, and their brains are starvingfor proper nutrition which is difficult when intestinal absorptionisn’t properly functioning.
So you see, ther is SO much more you can do, but try to find thedoctor who can help. Your daughter’s needs go beyond traditioalmedicine.