Your Child's Autism: How to Solve a Piece of the Puzzle

(ARA) - Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is on the rise, now affecting approximately 1 in 150 children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The brain development disorder is mysterious in many ways, with cause, diagnosis and treatment all hotly debated by health care professionals, parents of children with autism and the general public.

But what makes it even more mysterious is when the challenges of autism collide with other health issues, like gastrointestinal conditions. Research shows that up to 86 percent of children with autism may suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) issues.

Recognizing if a child is part of this 86 percent can be difficult. Each child suffers from a different combination of symptoms. Sometimes there are obvious signs like diarrhea and vomiting. But some symptoms -- like heartburn, abdominal pain, and irritability -- are difficult to identify in children with autism who typically have trouble communicating when they don't feel well.

According to Judy Converse, MPH, RD, LD, "Sometimes behaviors that might be dismissed as 'autism behaviors' -- like rocking back and forth while holding the abdomen or leaning over the arm of a chair -- are actually attempts to relieve the pain of GI issues."

GI issues may be the result of an immature or problematic digestive system that is unable to break down complex protein chains like those in dairy and wheat. Families have found that following a gluten-free, casein free (GFCF) diet or another type of restricted diet resolves these symptoms and improves the child's overall well-being.

Unfortunately, removing gluten, which is found in wheat, and casein, a protein in dairy products, can make it difficult for children with autism to get adequate nutrition. Augmenting the child's diet with nutritionally complete, gluten-free, casein-free medical foods like EO28 Splash and Neocate Junior ensure that children on a GFCF or other restricted diet get the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.

"Just like any autism therapy, the GFCF or other restricted diets do not work for every child," says Dr. Steven Yannicelli, director of science and education for Nutricia North America. "But many families have seen significant improvement in their children with autism after making these dietary changes."

"My son went from throwing up eight to 10 times a day and needing respiratory medications three times a day to rarely throwing up in a month and not needing any respiratory medication at all," says Amy Dawson, mother of Mac, a three-year-old with both autism and GI issues. "And you can really tell he's happier because he's not in pain anymore."

For more information about the nutritional management of autism and a free diet guide, parents can visit www.nutritionandautism.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content