Gluten Free Diet

Based upon the results of his allergy testing and information learned in the book by Karen Seroussi titled "Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and PDD", we removed wheat products from his diet.

It is more work on the parent, but a nutritious diet can still be achieved without wheat. Matthew can still eat corn and rice, so we substitute Rice bread for his bread needs. You can also buy other products made from corn or rice which are traditionally made from wheat like pasta noodles, crackers and brownies etc. Below is a list of good resources for Gluten-Free cooking and eating and Celiac's Disease.

The Gluten Free Pantry	The Gluten Free Mall
Autism Network for Dietary Intervention	Autism-Diet.Com
Celiac Disease Info	Celiac Links
GFCFKids	GFCFrecipes

Gluten intolerance is an accepted and recognized medical condition in people with Celiac's disease. This is a disease where a person cannot break down and process Gluten, a protein used in bread.

It is not suggested that children with Autism have Celiac's disease; but that, like people with Celiac's disease, they share an inability to break down the Gluten. However, the supposition that Autistic symptoms are linked in some way to an inability to break down the Gluten is still controversial.

There is clinical evidence though for the idea that conditions once thought of as entirely psychological are in fact organically based deficiencies in the chemistry in the brain. There are reports of certain forms of schizophrenia that are linked to diet and the ingestion of certain foods. So this idea that improperly digested wheat proteins could influence the brains (behavior) of children with Autism is certainly plausible and even immediately observable in some children.

With Matthew, removing Gluten from his diet did not produce a miracle cure or overnight fix. We did, however, see enough improvement in his language skills subsequently after removing Gluten such that we felt it was worth it to continue him on a Gluten Free diet.

The information shared here is designed as an instructional tool for your research purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your Physician before implementing any changes or treatments for yourself or your child.