How Long Until I Would See Some Results?

[loveday]

As I stated in a previous post (the "Am I allowed to swear" one), we're trying the gluten-free diet to see if it helps with ds's delays. He's barely two, has gross and fine motor skill and speech delays. I've glanced through other posts here and see that there are other moms who have dealt with delays.

My question is, when would I see results if indeed gluten is the issue? A month? Two months? Six months? And at what point if I see no significant results do I decide the diet isn't worth it anymore and that this experiment has failed?

For those who have seen results, how significant were they? Is it like one week they're not talking and a couple weeks later they have 20 new words? Or is it slower than that? And how can you tell for sure it's a gluten thing instead of normal development (or as normal as it can be with a kid with delays)?

Thanks!

Meg

mom to Ethan

[Rachel--24]

I will leave this question for the "Mom's"...since I have no experience there. I think however that you *know* your son better than anyone does and if the changes were due to his new diet...I think you will just know...it should be obvious.

[Jnkmnky]

My son was two months past turning three. He had baby babble going on..at best. He spoke in his first complete sentence 4 days after going gluten free. He was a different child. I didn't know about peptides back then or that kids with autism can benefit from a gluten and casein free diet for the same reasons. *leaky gut, peptides, opiate-like drugged effect*. Clearly, my child was "doped" for the first three years of life. He woke-up after only four days gluten free. He also had fine motor and gross motor delays. He's still in speech therapy at age 7. Last year he was evaluated for memory problems... was decided he fell into the low end of normal, so the teacher was advised to work with him as it IS a minor problem. His gait is still that of a child a year younger than his age of 7. I've held him back one year, and he's exactly where he needs to be. He lost a year to gluten poisoning.

[Guest nini]

my daughter was delayed with walking and other gross motor skills, she also had major behavioral issues.

Her digestive symptoms disappeared within 3 to 4 days and within the next 6 months she was catching up with all of her developmental skills. Now at 5 you can not tell she was ever sick or delayed in any way.

[e&j0304]

My daughter is also suffering from some gross motor delays in development and is clumsy and uncoordinated. I just recently found out that this could be related to her gluten intolerance. (She had other symptoms that I felt were more severe and that's what led me to believe she had a gluten problem).

We have noticed some improvements in her gross motor skills and coordination, but it has been a much slower improvement than we saw in other areas (appetite, distended tummy, hair loss, etc.)

At first I thought she was just getting more coordinated because I stuck her in a tumbling class, but now that I know a little about gluten ataxia, I feel that she may have had a mild case.

I think that everyone is different, however and I don't know how long you could expect the diet to take to work. I know that I was going to give it 2 months for Ella to see improvemen and I didn't have to wait that long.

Good luck to you!

[taweavmo3]

Just wanted to add one more thing to my novel of a post under your first thread! I was told so many times that my daughter would catch up...I got so tired of hearing that, I felt like screaming. Then I heard "well, she's a second child, her brother probably talks for her". Then I heard that we probably aren't talking to her enough...or that we aren't working with her enough, etc. Blah, blah, blah.

It may just be normal development like you said, but it may not. I think it's great that you are being proactive, and are willing to try this diet for your child. It may not work, but if it does help...how awesome would that be??!! And, don't ever stop searching for answers....you are your child's best advocate! Okay, that's really it, I'm off my soapbox now. Take care, and keep us posted.