Special Diet | Autism PDD

Hi everyone, I'm new to this board, I've lurked a few times, but it's my first post .

I want to start my son ,6, who has a pdd-nos/adhd dx, on a special diet to see if foods will help lessen some of his behaviors. He is controlling, fidgety, has problems focusing, etc. etc. etc. He has been on adderall, tenex and risperdal in the past (all at different times), and I didn't notice a change. He is now med free and would like him to stay that way, as long as he keeps doing well in school. He is very high functioning and I'm noticing as he's getting older and with me using different behavior mods that certain areas are getting better. Needless to say there are still many things I need to work on. I've brought up to our ped. about the effect some foods could have and he sent us for a blood test for my son which tested for food allergies (eggs, wheat, dairy, etc). The test came back fine no allergies.

is having food allergies the same as having behaviors related to different foods?

Where to I start with a special diet? It seems there are so many books. I've looked a bit into Feingold and SCD.

I would love to hear about the different diets that people have used with their children and if it was successful.

Thank you

Both of my children are on the gluten-free/ casien-free (gfcf) diet and we have seen a lot of benefits from it. From the disappearance of some of their behavioral and sensory issues to better stools. Since you are looking into SCD, you may want to research a bit about yeast overgrowth for this is a common problem for many kids that I know who have gastrointestinal issues. I have provided some links to different sites about different info. I included Digestive enzymes because they play a very big role in the gut.

Yeast overgrowth – leaky gut (also see SCD below)

http://www.autism.org/candida.html

http://www.stillpointhealth.com/Page.html

http://www.stillpointhealth.com/AntifungalParadeTreatment.ht ml

http://www.healing-arts.org/children/antifungal.htm

http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/newsletter/candida.htm

http://www.autismndi.com/gut.htm

http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/yeast.html (you can also order testing here)

http://www.expertwaterproofing.com/html/autism.html

http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionbacteria.htm

http://www.yeastconnection.com/

Gluten-free/ Casien-free diet (GFCF) – leaky gut

http://members.aol.com/lisas156/gfpak.htm

http://www.tacanow.com/dietinfo.htm

http://www.autismndi.com/

http://www.gfcfdiet.com/

http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/book/bk8sect1.html

GF/CF Books:

Unraveling the Mysteries of Autism and PDD by Karen Seroussi

Special Diets for Special Kids I & II by Lisa Lewis (also a recipe book)

GF/CF Yahoo Group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFKids/?yguid=1365527 97

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFrecipes/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ANDI-ADI/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FOODALLERGYKITCHEN/?yguid=1365 52797

Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) – controlling yeast:

http://www.pecanbread.com/

http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/

http://www.scdrecipe.com/

http://www.scdiet.com/

http://scdiet.org/

Low Oxalate Diet (info about oxalates):

http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/oxalates/oxal-test.pdf

http://www.drneubrander.com/Files/BioChat%2020051004%20-%20S usan%20Owens.doc

http://www.vulvarpainfoundation.org/index.html

http://www.stillpointhealth.com/LowOxalateDiet-HelpandSugges tion.html

http://www.branwen.com/rowan/oxalate.htm

http://www.kroger.com/hn/Diet/Low_Oxalate_Diet.htm

http://patienteducation.upmc.com/Pdf/LowOxalateDiet.pdf

Oxalate Diet Message Board/ Groups:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Trying_Low_Oxalates/

Digestive Enzymes:

http://www.enzymestuff.com/basicswhichenzyme.htm

http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionbacteria.htm (yeast/ bacteria in gut)

http://www.enzymedica.com/newsletter_download.php?id=5

http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/book/bk8sect1.html

http://www.enzymeuniversity.com/artman/publish/article_116.s html

Books (digestive enzymes):

Enzymes for Autism and other Neurological Conditions: A Practical Guide by Karen L DeFelice.

Message Board (digestive enzymes): http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/EnzymesandAutism/?yguid =136552797

Purchasing Digestive Enzymes online:

http://www.houstonni.com/ (AFP Peptizyde, No-Phenol, Zyme Prime)

http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/

http://www.asdmarket.com/

Phenols (Salisylate):

http://www.enzymestuff.com/nofenolfile.htm

http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionsensitivities.htm#10

http://www.angelfire.com/on/FEATNews/phenols.html

http://www.geocities.com/scd_post/faq2.html

http://www.enzymestuff.com/discussiondairy.htm#2

http://www.danasview.net/phenol.htm

No.. Ryan had the blood allergy test just two weeks ago and it came back normal. Our Dr. said there is another test(not sure what it is called) that can check for behaviors related to food. I haven't done the test, ins. doesn't pay for it and it would almost be 0

Two tests are referred to in an article by Stephen Edelson on www.autism.org, to determine whether a child might benefit from the special diet (not everyone thinks that testing is necessary):

- "The intestinal permeability test is one way to determine whether a child has a ‘leaky gut.’ This test involves drinking a sweet-tasting solution and then collecting urine samples afterwards. Most physicians can administer this test."

- "Parents have also sent their child’s urine samples to laboratories to test for the presence of abnormal peptides associated with gluten and casein in the urine."

My son had the latter test as a part of the diagnostic process, with normal results.

We were lucky enough to get our son in a GFCF diet study at our local university. It is a nation wide study so you could see if your local university has openings. It involved a lot of pre evaluations, a gradual elimination of Gluten, more evals, a gradual elimination of cassein and more evals. After he was on the diet for a month or so they started double blind challenges where the would eval him the day before and the day after (only the chef knew if the challenge food had gluten, cassein or neither in it). Our son showed no response to the diet or any of the challenges. An alternative route is to just go GFCF for a week and see what happens (a week is short enough that you can survive it even if you are not eating enough to sustain). The long test was very closely watched by a nutritionists. Everything he ate was logged so they could ensure he was getting the nutrition he needed. They were ready with supplements, however he did not need them, he eats a lot of food that is GFCF. BM's were scored for 6 months

IMO studies like this are a great way to approach the diet, it gives you a scientific test to base your decision on.

Thank you for all the great and useful information, I see I have a lot of researching to do first!!Hi all,

I too am new to this forum. My son was dx with ASD last May. We've been
seeing an IBI therapist regularly and and OT regularly too. He's really
come a long way since last year. What has really improved lately is his
concentration, focus, ability to learn thanks to a gluten free and casein
free diet that we've had him on for about two months now. I started
slowly by taking a few things out and adding their gf and cf counterparts.
Now he is completely on the diet. It was a lot of trial and error in food
choices. There is a lot of terrible tasting gluten free foods out there but
just keep looking.

I always said that he was the pickiest eater on Earth. He would only eat
rotini, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken fingers, pizza, fruit,yogurt and
cheese. That was his diet pre gfcf diet. Now he still has a relatively limited
amount of choices but it's working. He doesn't like the gf chicken fingers
that we've found but eats grilled cheese sandwiches on gf bread with gf
and cf cheese. Toffuti makes a good processed cheese slice if you're
looking. We lucked out by finding a bakery in our city that is completely
gf, dairy free, nut free etc. The bread is decent- like an egg bread. He
eats rotini but in the form of rice pasta with gf sauce. We make
homemade pizzas now and there is a large variety of snack treats that are
out there like crackers, breadsticks, pretzels chocolate bars and cookies
that taste good too.

It takes time and resources to help you along. A knowledgable Heath
Food store employee who has two sons with ASD helps me out with ideas
and suggestions for foods to try and vitamins and minerals to add to his
diet. It's worth a shot to try. Unfortunately it takes 9 months to get gluten
out of your system and it takes only three days to get casein out of you
system. Sometimes I give in and let him have a little piece of real cheese
if I'm eating it but try not too. I really want this to work.

Good luck to those of you who are interested in starting it.

I have been doing research on GF/CF diets, and the studies I've seen sometimes report behavioral improvements, (though sometimes they do not), but most can make no association between the reduction of abnormal physiological findings in the blood and urine of autistic children and diet.

This concerns me, because it leaves open 3 possibilities. One, the diet is not working, and the effects are placebo. Two, the diet is helping by improving the general overall health of the child through excellent nutrition, but is not directly impacting autism, or three, the diet is actually improving physiological abnormalities directly related to autism but we do not yet have tests that can detect the improvements clinically.

This is very disturbing to me. Is there anyone who can point me to good, recent research that supports the diets, or dramatic improvements in children that had to be the result of the diet?

What significance do the epsom salts in the bath have?

We've been doing the gfcf diet for two months and our 3.5 year old son with
ASD has made huge progress with focus. He sits at circle time better than
the typically developing kids. He is trying to speak now and has learned all
of his colours and numbers to twenty. It's worth a shot. I don't know about
the Feingold diet. I'll have to look that up. I did the diet for Sarah for one year..noticed more awareness with her and eye contact but we also did ABA and speech started at same time so not sure if diet did this. She had gut issues like constipation but the only thing she ate was chips, fries and milk at the same

We are now on Stage 2 and I will continue to follow the diet. We did have a lapse this past Thurs., he came home banging into things, making little eye contact, etc. On a hunch I asked him if it was anyone's b-day that day, he told me yes, it was K***a's b-day and she brought in cupcakes with lots of rainbow sprinkles. Even though I had sent it Feingold acceptable snacks for special occasions, he ate a cupcake, so I'm now convinced the diet works for us.

I would like to make it clear that this diet in no way cured my son, but it did help with his behaviors slightly. At this point I will take anything I can get to make my life a little less stressful!

I would also like to add, that since starting the diet, my one year old son has not had one asthma episode and all of his eczema has disappeared and my 3 year daughter's eczema is 75% gone.

My next step is to try the gfcf diet, but first I would like to do the testing thru The Great Plains Lab., has anyone ever paid to have this testing done? I will also try the Epsom salts in the bath, if I can get my son to take a bath, he is more of a shower person, so that might be an obstacle.

Again, I think diets are as individual as the child they are treating. I have friends who swear by a certain diet and I don't doubt that they are correct. However, I think it can be scary too, especially if you have a child that has food issues anyway. I personally hate to limit my boys from eating anything that they are willing to...but that is my opinion. However, I did hear something about a study in England from a friend though that seemed harmless enough, so I tried it, and it really does seem to help my two guys. It also does support the theories behind the Feingold diet, which my friend swears by, and makes that option a bit more tempting, but I digress. Anyway, the idea is that many autistic people have a deficiency or inability to convert enzymes to sulfate, which is a detoxifying agent, as well as (supposedly) increasing one's ability to cope with irritants (sensory or otherwise). The recommendation was adding Epsom Salts to the bath because it is absorbed through the skin and is already sulfate, so it does not need to be converted by the body. All I know is I now buy it in bulk at the agricultural store and I wouldn't go a day without it - it is a cummulative effect, so the effects may not be immediately noticeable or may wear off more quickly in the beginning, but in my house, it was an instant success. Just another idea to toss out there. Good luck with whatever you decide.

hi 2boys,

we did the Great Plain Lab peptide test (see link below for
explanation).
http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/gluten-casein.html

It costs . My son's casomorphin level came back WAY HIGH,
and we are in the process of eliminating dairy. His gluten peptides
are normal, so we will not do the GF diet yet.

I was in the camp of not doing any special diet unless it is shown
to be necessary. Our holistic ped told us that in her experience,
the kids who test "normal" in this test don't benefit that great from
the diet, so she leaves it up to the parent to do the diet, but if it tests
abnormal, she will recommend the diet. So we did the peptide test
and for my son the glutein was normal but the casein was WAY
high! We are in the process of weaning him off dairy completely.
Yet to see any results.

Food allergies can effcet behavior in Daniel's case. He had the old type allergie test done at a allergist office. I was told the blood ones are not always right. Enzymes aid in digestion. Probiotics help heal the cut. I want to look at whole body cleanses for him/ his mom both. I hear removes toxins stored in the colon.

We tried the glutin free diet for close to a month in 2005. My daughter was miserable the entire time. She said the food was fake, because it tasted different. I know some people who hav success with a dairy free diet. I know others that have cut out red and yellow dyes and their kids aggressive behaviors lessened.

We gave my daughter fish oil for a year. After about 3 weeks, her teachers called home to tell us her eye contact and her initating their attention was really improving. I like to think it was the oil, why all of a sudden a change in her abilities? Every kid is so different, you just never know.

We are on the GFCF diet and have been on it for almost 1.5 yrs . It was hard
at first but now it is a no brainer. We do ABA, GFCF diet as well as Biomeds.
To be honest, I really did not notice much of a difference in him when I
started the diet. It is a protocol that our doctor recommends. I know it does
not hurt him and it is fairly easy for me to do. We have a lot stores here that
carry GFCF foods.I have had Johnny (6 years old with HFA, Sensory Issues & Hyperactive) on the Feingold diet for the past 2 years. http://www.feingold.org/ It eliminates artificial ingredients and chemicals from our food. It's basically just eating real food made from scratch and reading labels on purchased food. We saw results in about 8 days. He actually sat and colored a whole page within the lines and used more than one color! Everyone that knew him could tell he calmer and would ask what brought about the change in him, some even suggusted that we broke down and decided to drug him after all. Johnny is alergic to peanuts and egg whites, his doctor ran other alergy test on him including wheat, other grains, and dairy but those results were negative so we haven't tried the GFCF diets. Feingold works for us and for him and we are eating healthier!
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