Curing Autism with the GFCF Diet

There has been much debate over the effectiveness of the Gluten-free, Casein-free diet and it's effects on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Many claim that it has helped bring their Autistic child a new sense of awareness, while others have claimed it's been a miracle cure. In the case of IAN (Interactive Autism Network) a poll was done to determine the effects of the GFCF Diet and parents responded with a 27% high success rate, though conversely, 7% were forced to leave jobs in order to accommodate the diet. But, there are still others who claim the diet does nothing at all but deprive these children of needed, healthy nutrients. My personal experience with the diet was short lived as my 5 year old Moderately Autistic daughter flat out refused to eat the food. But, during our brief, one month experience on the diet, I saw no changes in my daughter's behavior at all. And, when I looked through discussions on message boards for parents of Autistic children, the support of the diet was strong, though only a small handful claimed to see any change in their child to make this enormous transition worthwhile.

Now, depending on where you look or who you speak to, the GFCF Diet can be a Godsend or something that causes animosity among other family members. The claim is that most children on the Autism Spectrum have a Dairy allergy as well as a Gluten allergy. So, with this thinking, the removal of these products from the child's diet will alleviate or even cure the disorder. Of course, there's a lot more to simply buying Rice Bread or Non-Dairy milk. As I researched the diet, I found that a surprising lot of pre-made food include Casein or Gluten. And, as you look into this yourself, I'm sure you will be as shocked as I was to discover that "wheat" isn't the only enemy; it's pretty much all grains that make up Gluten. We're talking about wheat, barely, oats (say goodbye to oatmeal) and rye. Soy sauce & Teriyaki sauce, for instance, cannot be consumed due to the inclusion of Gluten. Wheat flour is so prevalent in most sauces and noodles, that along with the formerly mentioned, this would exclude ordering out pretty much all Chinese Food. And, if you were to look at the back label on a Hamburger Helper box you'd find both Dairy and Wheat in the ingredients. Another thing to keep in mind is that Casein is a protein found in all Dairy products. So, Lactose Free milk is not Casein Free. In a nutshell, you need to become a master label reader and be prepared to cook most of your meals from scratch. If you are a wiz in the kitchen the GFCF diet may pose only a minor challenge. But, for someone like me whose cooking skills are weak, it can be a very overwhelming change.

Thankfully, there are more and more GFCF products being introduced to the mainstream market and the variety of milk substitutes are growing by the day. Through trial and error I've discovered that my Autistic daughter isn't crazy about Soy milk or Almond milk, but loves all variety of Rice milk. And, if you find that the pint sized Rice bread offered through your local market isn't your style, there are also numerous recipes popping up all over the internet, free or otherwise. But, regardless of your level of submersion into the GFCF Diet, you'll quickly discover what a huge transition it really is and must decide if it is a commitment you can truly make.

Talkaboutcuringautism.org lists a few good options. For instance, yourdinnersecret.com and allergygrocer.com as two resources for pre-made meals. These options are very costly, but if you can spare the money they would be a great option. Especially if you have the money and don't have the time to cook! But, for everyone else, they are a good resource for meal planning and shopping that allows flexibility with budget and time.

It is very important to discuss this with your child's doctor before beginning this or any new diet and you will find that even the most prominent of doctors may disagree on the use of the GFCF Diet to treat or cure Autism Spectrum Disorders. My daughter's doctor approved her to start the diet, but had little faith that it would help her condition at all. Though doctors with DAN (Defeat Autism Now) believe that following a strict, regimented GFCF Diet along with a full biomedical approach is the way to go. And, in the middle are organizations offering everything from Autism cures in a bottle to applied behavior analysis therapy to acupuncture. How you choose to help your Autistic child should be discussed with your pediatrician and family to decide what is best for your little one. After all, each of these special children are different and their needs will be unique to their situations and place on the spectrum.