Recently we have seen a plethora of blogs pop up under the search term “gluten free” claiming that a gluten free diet can help mitigate the symptoms of autism, both low and high functioning, as well as Asperger’s Syndrome.
Now we are the first to recommend a gluten free lifestyle based strictly on the obvious health benefits, but to claim it can have profound neurological changes and an impact on what is widely thought of as a genetic disease deserves a second look.
We have reviewed the forums and read first-hand reports of moms who have tried their kids on this diet. The overall conclusion: It seems to be helping. Now, allow me a full disclaimer: We are not claiming that gluten free diets help with autism, we are simply reporting our findings over the web.
Many parents spend a long time with the doctors of their kids. It can be months before they get an official diagnosis, and even longer to rule out differential diagnoses.
The internet is full of contradictory messages. Sure, there is a lot of information. But how can you tell what is credible and what isn’t? What we paid most attention to were testimonials, and those that included real names and references. And what we found most often were positive results.
Of course it’s not easy losing crackers, cheese, yogurt, cereals, and other snacks from your child’s diet-- But it can improve symptoms.
Some of the testimonials claimed that the gluten free diet allowed their child to loosen an otherwise restricted affect and show empathy towards their parents. Some went as far as to say the diet allowed the child to articulate the causality of the emotion in addition to expressing it.
Though certainly these improvements cannot be expected, it is true that mood swings can decrease, repetitive behaviors improve, and social skills appear.
To be clear, it’s not a cure. But it can help put symptoms into remission. It does not mean that your child will no longer have challenges, but it might help.
Diet is just a part of the bigger picture, but it may help. And it definitely won’t hurt.
