Autism Where to Start
Step one is to take charge of your child’s diet as food can be helpful or harmful, nourishing or inflammatory depending on the ‘state’ of the gut. A damaged gut allows for altered digestive and immune function which expresses as some of the symptoms of autism.
There are lots of different diets out there and for every one of them you will hear stories about how they “cured” someone’s child. But every child is different and no diet suits everyone. So what is to be done?
As with any challenge, start with the basics and the basics in this case include the removal of gluten, dairy, corn, soy and all colours, flavours and preservatives from the diet. There is no avoiding this first step as you won’t really know what you are dealing with until you get these ‘drivers of dis-ease’ out of their system.
Attention to these factors will help to balance biochemistry, assist healing and provide relief of autism symptoms – this is why we go to so much trouble!
A damaged gut and poor digestion can originate from environmental factors, a genetic susceptibility, lack of beneficial bacteria, inflammation, and immune system response to certain foods. Studies have shown children with autism to have leaky gut, low levels of beneficial flora, inflammation, and immune responses to food (these parameters we are able to test for at the clinic). Of particular note, gluten and casein can create an opiate or inflammatory reaction that negatively impacts brain function.
Understanding that the gut and brain are connected helps explain WHY autism and overall health are improved through a diet that supports good digestive function and gut health.
For more articles click here.