For the parents of autistic children there is a big concern in the food in their child’s diet. It is hard enough for parents to get all the food groups in the Childs’ diet plus vitamins, plus worrying about behavior, and now diet has to be monitored as well. There is now evidence that 50% of children with autism have gastrointestinal problems which include, Crohns Disease or colitis.

To improve a child’s behavior there is now conflicting data in some areas whether certain food groups should be eliminated.    Some conflicting data asks, was the good behavior brought on by improved toilet habits or from the elimination of gluten in their diet.

There does seem to be a case for removing gluten from the diet.  Gluten which is found in wheat, barley and rye and casein which is found in dairy products, when eliminated from the Childs diet leads to remarkable improvement in their autistic children.   As the body cannot digest these glutens properly it leaves undigested and poisonous proteins leaching into the circulatory system.  This in turn tends to aggravate or irritate autism symptoms.

Some of the improvement noted is better eye contact, longer attention spans with a less aggressive behavior.  There are some doctors and many in the community that do see results and many changes in the autistic child.  But then again there are those in the medical family that are skeptical among the popular diet among many autistic children called GFCF or Gluten-Free Casein-Free diet.

So many autistic children are finicky eaters already so it is not always easy to find a nutritious substitute for ice cream, or peanut better and jam.  Find a safe food or favorite drink to replace the gluten free food, but it is suggested to eliminate them slowly.  Some of the gluten foods may be the child’s favorite and they may have a craving for them so it may be difficult to wean the child.  It is always advisable to visit your pediatrician for the utmost safety and well being of your child.