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My daughter is 17 months and recently diagnosed with Autism. For the first few months everything was bout getting a diagnosis so that we could begin therapy asa

by hoopism 12y ago

My daughter is 17 months and recently diagnosed with Autism. For the first few months everything was bout getting a diagnosis so that we could begin therapy asap. Since then I have spent more time trying to see what some of the research suggests in terms of biological and genetics causes. There's a huge community out there experimenting with their children's diets and exposing them to a number of vitamin and drug therapies. I haven't been sufficiently convinced that the risks of many of these therapies outweigh the reward. We did start her on a gluten-free diet (she has digestion issues and gluten intolerance runs in my family) but only because it wasn't risky to try. I don't really KNOW anymore than I did before my daughter's diagnosis... but the lack of substantial research in some of these areas is concerning as a parent. I can understand why a parents may seek to implement some of these drastic changes to help their kids... but I fear that we know so little that it may cause more damage.

djokkataja 12y ago
Have any doctors been recommending these kinds of dietary changes to you?
- hoopism 12y ago
  No. Our pediatrician is not a developmental specialist but is of a similar mindset that there is just not enough evidence to support a lot of the mind/gut theories. Same goes for the metal toxicity and vaccination links. She's not dismissive of diet having a link, but does not feel the risk in the more extreme cases is worth it. She also mentioned that many families experience a great deal of stress as a result. Autistic kids can be difficult when it comes to feeding (textures and sensations can be an issue)... so introducing more restrictions causes the family to have to spend more time on diet and potentially more effort in getting their child to eat... Everyone gets more stressed. That would all be worth it... if it was clear it was effective. Unfortunately often times it turns a difficult situation into a more stressful environment. We deal with many other specialists but they are mostly physical and speech specialists... they are by no means trained in dietary issues. I find a lot of the information out there overwhelming. There's no shortage of claims (both from doctors and parents). It's tempting to latch on to cutting edge studies... but sadly very few have very comprehensive studies.
timmytokyo 12y ago
I've read that there's a significantly higher risk of autism associated with advanced age of the parents, particularly the mother. http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/04/23/risk-of-child-autism-goes-up-with-older-parents-especially-mothers/68866.html http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/04/23/risk-of-child-autism... This might partly explain why autism is increasingly prevalent in wealthier societies where families are more likely to delay childbirth.

by hoopism 12y ago

djokkataja 12y ago

Have any doctors been recommending these kinds of dietary changes to you?

hoopism 12y ago
No. Our pediatrician is not a developmental specialist but is of a similar mindset that there is just not enough evidence to support a lot of the mind/gut theories. Same goes for the metal toxicity and vaccination links. She's not dismissive of diet having a link, but does not feel the risk in the more extreme cases is worth it. She also mentioned that many families experience a great deal of stress as a result. Autistic kids can be difficult when it comes to feeding (textures and sensations can be an issue)... so introducing more restrictions causes the family to have to spend more time on diet and potentially more effort in getting their child to eat... Everyone gets more stressed. That would all be worth it... if it was clear it was effective. Unfortunately often times it turns a difficult situation into a more stressful environment. We deal with many other specialists but they are mostly physical and speech specialists... they are by no means trained in dietary issues. I find a lot of the information out there overwhelming. There's no shortage of claims (both from doctors and parents). It's tempting to latch on to cutting edge studies... but sadly very few have very comprehensive studies.

timmytokyo 12y ago

I've read that there's a significantly higher risk of autism associated with advanced age of the parents, particularly the mother. http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/04/23/risk-of-child-autism-goes-up-with-older-parents-especially-mothers/68866.html http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/04/23/risk-of-child-autism... This might partly explain why autism is increasingly prevalent in wealthier societies where families are more likely to delay childbirth.