Dietary Management of Autism
Gluten & Casein Free: Dietary Intervention for Autism & Asperger’s
The process of removing gluten and casein from a child's diet is a greater challenge than most expect. It involves a new level of education about our food production industry, as well as, an endless imagination to re-invent foods that prevent our children from feeling left out. Without the proper tools, the combination of radical dietary modifications and the challenges of a special needs challenge can add stress to even the most stable family unit.
Label Reading
Reading labels will add a significant amount of time to your daily schedule. Learning to decipher the maze of terms and ingredients used to identify the foods to eliminate will require education and time. Maintaining a list of ingredients to avoid and keeping it with you while shopping will be also be essential when starting a GFCF diet.
The presence of wheat or dairy products is required by law under the “Food Allergen Labeling Act of 2004”. Gluten, to date, is not enforced as a listed ingredient. Barley, rye, spelt and kamut are examples of grains that contain gluten but not regulated as ingredients to be identified as “allergens”. These items can be tricky to identify and should not be overlooked when selecting appropriate foods.
Introducing GFCF Foods
It is common for children to initially reject many of the special dietary foods. A great majority of the foods will taste, look or have a different texture the foods your child has grown accustom. Change, especially those involving foods, can result in an upheaval in a child’s behavior. Autistic children can become very upset by changes in routine, schedule and variations in the foods that they eat.
Ease the transition into the new diet by using your child’s taste as the guide. If your child has a favorite fruit or vegetable, consider adding to their menu on a more frequent basis until they become willing to accept the new fare.
Gluten free bread is difficult to conceal as “real bread”. Thus, it is often helpful to postpone introducing this for a few weeks. Instead of bread offer meals that do not require this item. Pancakes, muffins and cakes will be less noticeably different. Pasta, at least many brands, can so closely mimic the wheat counterpart that it can be served without most kids even recognizing a difference.
Dairy products are present in many common foods. Many of the foods that contain dairy are also kid favorites. Cooking from scratch can make it easy to remove a great majority of the dairy from your child’s diet without the taste or texture suffering. However, convincing your child to drink the dairy alternatives may prove to be a bigger challenge. Consider adding a flavored syrup, preferably dye free, as dyes can also trigger adverse behavioral reactions in some children. The chocolate or other flavors can help to mask the new flavor.
GFCF Meal Appeal
Allow your child to help guide you in selecting foods that they enjoy. If your child is non-verbal providing them with pictures of food items can be a great communication tool in choosing meals that they are excited to eat. Ask your child to either verbally tell you or point to the items that want to eat. Use their selections and integrate them into a healthy meal plan. The market for gluten free and dairy free foods continues to grow at an astounding rate. This has resulted in GFCF foods to replace nearly every kid favorite food. Involving your child in the preparation can also encourage them to consume more of the food.
If your child is limiting nutritional food groups from their diet as a result of their new diet, consult your child’s pediatrician about appropriate nutritional supplements. Medications, including vitamins, may contain either gluten or casein. Use the same protocol for these items as you would with the food items.
Label Reading
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