Autistic 3 Yr. Old Grandson

[Lorrie]

Our Grandson was just diagnosed with autism along with all kinds of food allergies. He has not been diagnosed with celiac but cannot have any gluten or dairy according to the blood tests. We don't understand about the cassien and if all dairy has it? Does anyone know of a cheese that he could eat that would taste good. Before his parents found out about his allergies he ate cheese all the time and know misses it so much. The poor kid hardly eats anything and tomorrow he is going to a special school for autism and goes all day. Any suggestions about what his Mom could pack for all day? Thanks

[gf4life]

My nephew has autism and he lives on the things his body shouldn't have, pizza, buttered toast, mac n' cheese, etc... His parents are not receptive to the Gluten-free Casein-free diet since it would be very hard to implement and they just try to keep him happy, but they aren't helping him by giving him gluten and dairy.

It can be very hard to find a suitable substitute for cheese. ALL dairy has casein. Even some non-dairy products add casein into it. I highly suggest that you visit the following website:

Open Original Shared Link

It includes a link to purchase a shopping guide to assist parents and caregivers on what foods the autistic child can eat. It also includes an entire packet on how to handle starting and sticking to the diet. I highly recommend it. It costs about $25.

I have also found that the best Gluten-free Casein-free breads available (that taste most like normal bread) are made by Kinnikinnick in Canada. They ship to the US overnight delivery and shipping is a flat $10, so I usually make a large order to save $ on shipping costs. They have their foods that are Gluten-free Casein-free labels with the ALTA label, so you know they are gluten and dairy free. You can find more at their website Open Original Shared Link

The only truely dairy free cheese that I have found is Soymage VEGAN and it does not taste like cheese. It doesn't behave like cheese either, so it doesn't help for making mac n' cheese or cheese sandwiches. I have tried Chreese also (some of their cheese substitutes are Gluten-free Casein-free), and it doesn't taste bad, but it is not like regular cheese either. It is made from garbanzo beans (I think).

I know this doesn't really help for tomorrow, but you might have your grandson's parents talk to the teachers or administrator at the school. They might have other children on the diet and be able to help him at school.

God bless,

Mariann

[jsib]

First I have to say you are an AWSOME and WONDERFUL Grandma for showing such interest in your Grandsons diet/health. I don't know much about autism but I read that your Grandson is protected by a disabilities act (Kids With Celiac Disease by Danna Korn (page 104). WWW.clanthompson.com has a great list of foods/medicine that are gluten free. WWW.enjoylifefoods.com has a good list of foods that are gluten-free,soy-free,dairy and nut free. (cookies are very yummy)can't help with the cheese. My son brings his lunch to school even though his school was willing to make it. Leroux Apple sauce (cinnimon) is gluten-free and is really good with nothing extra. Applegate farms has a excellent line of foods (hotdogs,coldcuts) I usually give my son a big breakfast before school and pack a fruit based 2nd one for school. Also ask the school for a menu ahead of time so your daughter can make a similar meal. Rice pasta comes in lots of fun shapes...colors

[FreyaUSA]

Another site to visit is: Open Original Shared Link This site is geered mostly toward parents of autistic children. They have great ideas for lunches, snacks, etc.

You are wonderful to be helping in this manner!

[kings-kid]

I am an autistic Celiac. If those foods are a problem, it is most likely your grandson has AIA, Allergy induced Autism. For me I am pretty much like everyone else, except when I eat the foods I am not supposed to have, then I go into the autistic side. Open Original Shared Link This is a website about AIA. It has the foods that autistic kids should and shouldn't have.

[Guest BellyTimber]

I can endorse that and also add a detail or two.

A book about this that is very America-oriented is "Special Diets for Special Kids" by Lisa Lewis, pubd. in 1998 by Future Horizons, Inc., 721 W.Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76013.

From the practical and personal point of view I cannot highly enough recommend any books by Luke Jackson and his mother Jacqui Jackson. They are from Jessica Kingsley Publishers who have a branch in 325 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Jacqui realised when Luke's little brother was turning out more autistic than he was, that she must put them on a gluten-free and CF diet. Luke wrote a book about his experiences of the diet and his observation of its effects on his little brothers, which was published when he was 12, it is very vivid, balanced and commonsensical I think and has some recipes from Jacqui at the back. Also Marilyn Le Breton has published two titles with the same publishers on this subject, which are probably more UK-oriented than Lisa Lewis's. The web site of this publishing firm is www.jkp.com.

One sometimes reads 'gluten-free/CF' in one phrase as if they necessarily go together. That will vary from one individual to the next of course.

My GP does say I am more relaxed and solution-oriented (rather than giving the impression of being bogged down in problems) since I've been going gluten-free, though funnily enough I don't feel that way!

[ianm]

Last week I met a woman who has a 7 year old son with autism. His autism was really bad. He would pound his head on the wall, cut, scratch himself bloody, etc. and was completely unable to communicate. She put him on a gluten, dairy and fructose free diet and within two days the violent behavior stopped. He is now able to function and communicate at about the level of a four year old. He still has autism and always will but with the proper diet he will be able to do many things for himself. His doctors at first didn't believe that much of his problems were food related but he has made so much progress that they are starting to come around. A restricted diet won't cure autism but it really seems to help some people.

[lotusgem]

I just wanted to be a voice of encouragement as far as going gluten-free and casein-free. It is a very doable diet, and is what I must use, not because of autism, but because of Celiac and casein allergy. There are so many good foods to eat, and we are fortunate enough to have access to them, unlike multitudes who go hungry in the rest of the world. I've never understood the reluctance of parents to make a dietary change if there's a chance, or even proven data that demonstrates that it will provide needed health benefits for their kids. We had neighbors once, who had a son with severe asthma. I had read an article about how removing dairy products could have a very positive effect on kids suffering from asthma, which I mentioned to the boy's mother. She just didn't want to hear it, no changes were made, the boy continued to endure life-threatening attacks, and she would periodically bemoan their fate. Does our attachment to certain foods go beyond our love for our children? Seeing your children grow up healthy and happy is far more fulfilling than a cheese pizza, don't you think?

Paula

[cdford]

AMEN, Paula. I sure wish I could convince the grandparents around here to be as loving and concerned as the one who started this post. Even not sabbataging our daughter's diet would be appreciated. We have one that takes her for waffles when she visits!