I know it's a late Friday post, and most people don't read weekend (I count Friday night as part of the weekend) posts, but this is one of those documenting type things.
Brad and I have spent the last couple of days researching the heck out of autism, treatments (aside from therapy he already gets), and success stories.
After talking it over, and talking to friends that this has worked for, we've decided to jump on the gluten-free/dairy-free bandwagon.
I admit, I've been skeptical in the past. It just seemed like way too much work. I mean, the boy practically lives on wheat and dairy (hmm...). I didn't want my baby to starve!
But like I've said a million times before, kids won't starve themselves. They will eventually eat what is offered and usually like it. Obviously, I'm not a total meanie. If I know for certain that my kid detests peaches, I'm not going to force it down his throat. But if he refuses to eat any and everything, then well, tough luck kid.
You know what, though? I think those hippies are on to something! ;)
We kept hearing success story after success story. Stories where kids were completely nonverbal, had major sensory issues, and virtually no eye contact. After altering their diet, these parents reported amazing results. One of my friends whose son is autistic said she started seeing changes within 48 hours. Over a short amount of time, he went from being totally nonverbal to babbling again (he babbled as an infant, but stopped after turning 1). His stimming decreased, and he slept better at night with fewer nightmares. I've seen this little guy in action a few times. He's now almost 4 and speaks wonderfully. There were several families whose children were considered "recovered", attended regular classes at school, socialized well, and excelled in academics.
Add to this that some of my favorite SLP buds support my trying it? Total motivation.
Obviously, I know this isn't a "cure". There is no cure at this point for autism. But if simply altering his diet a little will help him make some progress? Well, it's certainly worth a shot. And if it doesn't work? Oh well. No harm done.
2 comments:
TOTALLY worth a shot. I went dairy-free for a while with Gabriel, and it wasn't bad. There were a few nights when all I could think about was a block of Tillamook cheddar, but all in all, doable and worth it. I tried it to see if Gabriel's skin problems would clear up, and I noticed a difference within a day or two. Another residual effect was that he spit up a LOT less. (And I think it played a part in me losing some more weight, though I think stress was the main reason for that.) So even though the issues we're addressing are different, I wanted to encourage you! And if you decide to make it a whole family effort, you're always ok to cheat, which will make your life (or at least your cravings) go away. There are rice- and coconut-based ice creams that I happen to think are pretty good, and I've been able to get them a lot of regular grocery stores. And dairy-free chocolate is also REALLY GOOD.
Please keep us posted. I've thought about trying it with Henry but Rich is not convinced and I'm not doing it by myself. Henry has a very limited diet. I know he won't "starve" if we tried it but honestly I'm still a skeptic. Can you forward me some of these success stories? Maybe if I show them to Rich too we will be convinced to try it. :-)
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