Should you put your child with autism on an autism diet? or not? The autism diet debate is a very real one and it isn’t as obvious as it might seem. There are lots of parents of children on the spectrum touting the benefits and saying how much an autism diet has helped their child and their are lots of parents and others saying it doesn’t matter and the research proves that it’s futile. I personally was on the popular autism diet gluten free and casein free for a few years as a child and I do believe it works. However, in order to really solve the autism diet debate, let’s take a look at a few facts and realities.
1. Every child is different. What works for one child will not work for every child on the spectrum.
2. Children with autism are often picky eaters to one degree or another. Some are worse than others.
3. Putting a child on any kind of autism diet will require a lot of work and effort by the parents and usually some sacrifice by the rest of the family. Not every family is able and willing to do what it takes.
4. For the science/medical community to really prove that one autism diet or another is beneficial for all kids on the spectrum or for even a large number would be difficult if not impossible due to funding, the challenges of working with children with autism and more. That said there are some research studies out there. For example I have a report from 2013 that is over 50 pages long sent to me by a professor in Arizona that lists some of these. If you would like to see it feel free to contact me.
For more studies and research visit, the special diets page of the autism research institute.
5. There are a wide variety of autism diets out there. While the GFCF or gluten free casein free diet is the most popular. There are also others such as the gaps diet, body ecology and feingold just to name a few. It can be difficult to decide which one is best for your child. The only way to really decide is to chose one and give it a try.
In short, the autism diet debate will not go away soon but it’s always worth trying a special diet with your child and I am happy to help. As a health coach that is one of the things I specialize in. I can help you implement an autism diet. Click the button below to schedule a free time to talk with me.
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