Helping My Mother Cope With Autism: Gluten Free

As the mother of a son recently diagnosed with Autism, it has been put upon me to find a way to help him (as well as the rest of our family) to cope with some of his symptoms.

There is no cure for Autism, but you can break down the disorder by all the parts which make up your own child's collective issues, and try to treat them one by one. My son requires additional help with his speech, therefore he sees a speech therapist. He needs help with his motor skills, so he also works with an occupational therapist. Having Autism, he lacks many social skills- so this is an area he needs to work on as well. He also suffers from eczema, from occasional digestive problems, and there are behavioral issues which create additional problems. So for all of those things, we have chosen to seek out help by trying the (possible) effectiveness of the Gluten Free diet.

Quickly, the Gluten Free diet is a diet which is completely free of foods made from, or containing, wheat, rye, barley and commonly, oats. Gluten is a serious problem for people who suffer from Celiac Disease, which is an autoimmune disorder of the small bowel. A life-long diet free from gluten products is the only effective way to treat this disease.

Many parents of children on the Autism Spectrum have put their kids through a barrage of medical testing, to see if their Autism-related symptoms are being caused by other health problems. During these tests, some parents learn that their children are in fact sufferers of Celiac Disease. If not CD specifically, they perhaps have other issues, which have led to skin problems, like eczema, which can be a sign of a food allergy. In my son's case, there is not yet any known food allergy, and my son is not known to have Celiac Disease. However, there are parents who swear by the fact the Gluten Free diet has lessened disruptive behaviors, has increased speech, has eliminated bowel problems, and so on. So my husband and I figured it couldn't hurt to try it.