Hey, Have You Tried … Diet For Autism?

I know a lot of families with autism have been put through the ringer during COVID; and I know how easy it can be to lose hope. I wanted this month’s series to inspire ideas to try to help our kiddos. Maybe you need a new idea, or a reminder of something you’ve previously tried and meant to revisit or had on your “possible” list. I want to stick to things that are fairly simple, non-invasive, and don’t cost a fortune. For example, HBOT works great for lots of families but 5k+ is a lot for a “maybe.” So, this list will mostly be “Why not? Couldn’t hurt” ideas. Just a reminder – I’m not a doctor, and nothing here should be taken as medical advice. Please see my full disclaimer here, and consult with a medical professional before starting any treatment. And, PLEASE share in the comments any personal wins you’ve had to help inspire others!

I wasn’t sure I wanted to write about diet because it seems so basic and obvious. Parents consistently report implementing dietary changes, most commonly eliminating gluten and casein, to be one of their most effective autism interventions. And medical research shows that dietary interventions are beneficial for children with autism and can have significantly improve core symptoms, GI discomfort, and social behaviors. But that’s also why I HAD TO start this series with diet. Dietary changes are safe and relatively inexpensive, so that deserves a fair shot if it’s something you haven’t tried.

Our “Diet For Autism” Story

If the gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet didn’t work for you, I want to share our story. Because I initially tried the GFCF diet well over a decade ago and (other than my son’s red cheeks and ears going away) I didn’t see much of a difference. We did not see a change in learning or behaviors, or the “fog lifting” like some parents reported. What we did see was him limiting his foods to gluten-free carbs like rice cakes and potato chips. So, I was worried about nutrition on top of it.

Before my daughter was born, I decided to give diet another go. I didn’t feel like I could handle having 3 kids along with constantly juicing and disguising food for one very picky eater. I dove in and decided to focus on healing his gut. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride’s Gut and Psychology Syndrome became my bible. And when I felt ready enough to implement the GAPS diet, I enrolled my son in a local feeding clinic (A note on that – I picked one that had lots of good parent feedback. There is another one at a local hospital that pretty much put all the kids on feeding tubes. We did NOT want that). This ended up being a great decision not only because it totally worked and he was eating lots of new foods (he ate liver pate!), but also because it gave me and my husband really good strategies so we felt confident that we knew what to do on our own. He responded SO WELL to a healthy diet, and this is still hands down one of my top 5 interventions. You can read more about our nutrition story and some of the things we eat here.

Difficult, But Worth It

I tell this story because I know that diet can feel like something really difficult that everyone tells you is easy. It was not easy for me. At the time, I didn’t really know how to cook at all. I was working full time, I had 2 toddlers, and I was overwhelmed by all the others autism things in my life. While implementing nutritional changes can be hard, it is possible and for so many autism families it is so, so worth it.

And while I’m looking at “Hey, have you tried..?” ideas this month, I’m thinking that maybe I myself need to revisit diet for my son. We started off with the GAPS diet, and then moved to a more (dairy-free) Paleo diet. But it might be time for us to go back and looking at healing the gut again to address changes during puberty and other issues.

If you are still on the fence about trying a diet for autism, here are some great reasons to give the GFCF diet a go. 

Where To Start

Or, if you are like me and your kid might need a more intensive dietary intervention, it might be a good idea to find a nutritionist in your area who works with children on the autism spectrum. There are LOTS of special diets out there (TACA provides a nice comprehensive list here, but this is not all-encompassing). A nutritionist can help you figure out what would be the best diet to start with for your child.

Another great resource is The Elimination Diet. This book is really helpful in understanding how diet plays a role in our health. It explains how healing the gut by eliminating your personal intolerances can help with all sorts of autoimmune issues (not just autism). So, maybe try out a special diet for yourself as well 😉