Special Diet Doesn't Help Autistic Children in Small Study
By: Rita Rubin

This article was presented in the newspaper called USA Today. It discusses how the diet of dairy and wheat products in autism has shown no significant improvements in the symptoms of autism. Susan Hyman, a pediatrician, who led a study of diet and autism states, “subsequent studies have not confirmed this to be true”(Rubin 1). Even though there are still many parents are teacher who are convinced that there has been improvements in autistic children when they stop eating these foods, it has not been declared. Hyman believes that “behavioral therapy, not their diets, deserve credit” (Rubin 1).

The study that was examined in this article was done over an eighteen-month period and consisted of fourteen children, ages 2 ½ to 5 ½. The family members of these children stuck to a strict diet that was free of gluten and diary products. Once the children had been on the diet for four weeks, they were “challenged” once a week with a snack that contains wheat-flour or non-fat dried milk. Professional dietitians created a snack that looked and tasted the same whether or not they had gluten and casein in it. Parents and teachers observed the children’s behavior and completed a survey regarding the their behavior. This survey was completed before the snack and afterwards. The findings showed that there were no negative changes in the children’s behavior after they ate the snacks that contained gluten and casein.

After our class discussion on Monday about the terms hierarchy and dialogic, I now understand what the two concepts mean and how it relates to our collaborative research project. Hierarchy basically means that when a group is working together on a project, each person in the group writes their own part and the members of the group bring their work together at the end of their project. Dialogic is the complete opposite of hierarchy. The individuals in the group work together on the entire assignment and help each other with the writing process as well. I believe that Lindsey and I fall In between hierarchy and dialogic. We are working a lot together on the collaborative research assignment. We call each other if we have any problems and we also get together before or after class to work on our project. However, we both do our own writing and own blog posts. We feel that by doing our own blog posts it will give us more knowledge on our research topic. 

Today, I will be interviewing a nurse who has a RN/BSN/CSN. She is also a spokesperson for weight watchers, exercise instructor, and a health teacher. 

1. What are a child’s most important nutritional needs?

2. How will you know if a child with autism will respond to the gluten and casein free diet?

3. When a child first starts this diet, is it better to remove gluten and casein and the same time or one at a time?

4. Do older children or adults respond to this diet?

5. Does a GFCF diet require special foods or are there a lot of regular foods available that do not contain gluten and casein?

6. Would it be expensive to maintain a gluten and casein free diet?

7. Can gluten and casein be harmful to people or just the ones who cannot digest it properly?

8. Do you eat many products that contain gluten and casein in it?

9. Do you believe that there are significant changes in a child’s behavior as a result of being on the GFCF diet?

10. Can eating out be difficult for someone if they are trying to maintain a gluten and casein free diet?

11. How long does it take for dairy peptides to leave the body?

12. How long does it take for gluten to leave the body? Is it true that it takes longer than casein?

13. Is it possible that an autistic child does not respond to this diet?

14. Is milk a necessary component of a child’s health?

15. Is too much milk considered harmful to a child?

16. What is celiac disease?

17. If a child is on this diet, is it ok to allow occasional infractions?

18. What type of lunches could a child who is following the GFCF diet have at school?

19. Is it true that a taking away a hot dog and french fries does not mean anything?

20. What are some foods that children with autism spectrum should not have?

21. What types of food are considered healthy for children and young adults?

Autism: Child Gets Better When Dairy, Gluten and Heavy Metals are removed.


A YouTube video that I found deals with a parent whose child was diagnosed with autism at fifteen months old.  I wanted to find a parent who used a gluten and casein free diet on their child and found changes in their behavior and moods. The mother discusses her eight-year-old child’s symptoms from when he was little.  At birth he had physical symptoms of vomiting and constipation. When he was formally diagnosed with this disorder, the mother went to several pediatricians to find some answers as to why he was always sick and had mood fluctuations. The mother stated that one of the doctors said, “he has autism, he is supposed to throw up.” When I heard that comment, I was very curious as to why the mother made such a remark. Was one of the symptoms to autism spectrum vomiting?  I am very interested to know if there is a link between vomiting and autism. The comment that this mother made has sparked my attention. Since I watched this video, I have added this to my list of questions for the interviewers. During this week, I am going to interview the pharmacist again and ask him this question as well. In the YouTube video, the mother explains how the child reacts when dairy and gluten is removed from his diet. The child’s behavioral therapist discusses how the child’s moods improved with the diet change. The video is very interesting, especially hearing it from the mother perspective. 

My first interview that I will be conducting tomorrow (April 5th) will be with a licensed pharmacist.  I will be asking him a series of questions that mostly relate to various supplements that affect the GFCF diet.

20 questions
1.Do you believe that a gluten and casein free diet shows a difference in an autistic child?

2. What are some the beneficial symptoms of this diet?

3. Can this diet be appropriate for other children with disabilities, such as aspergers, Down syndrome, and mental retardation?

4. Are there any negative effects of not having gluten and casein in a diet?

5. What is this diet shown to do? Control the child’s disorder or behavior?

6. Can you give any examples of a food that contains gluten in it?

7. Can you give any examples of a food that contain casein in it?

8. Do you think it is important for children to eat organic foods as well?

9. Do you think the foods we eat have anything to do with the reason for so many of today’s children being born with autism spectrum disorders?

10. Is gluten and casein often hidden in foods? Do food products put it on the food label?

11. For anyone, can gluten and casein be harmful if it is eaten in large quantities?

12. Is there any type of medication (over the counter or prescribed) that is shown to benefit children with autism?

13. Are there any pharmaceutical drugs that are gluten free and casein free?

14. Do children lack any vitamins or supplements by not having gluten and casein in their diet?

15. What type of vitamin supplements should every child have?

16. What is casomorphin?

17. Do older children or adults respond to this diet?

18. Is this type of diet costly?

19. Should parents be concerned about the calcium deficiency if they remove dairy products?

20. Are there any types of GFCF supplements that children with autism can take? If so, what are the names of the supplements?

Stay tuned for the results of the interview...

In order for me to get an overall idea of our research topic and question, I decided to find an article that provides general information regarding autism and diet. 

Autism and Diet- What are the Effects?
By: Rachel Evans
http://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/blog/2006/06/28/autism-and-diet-what-are-the-effects/
(If you would like to see the article, click on the link above)

This article is geared towards parents who have autistic children. It explains how one of the least known ways to manage autism is through a specialized diet. Evans points out “there is so much ongoing research into autism from the scientific and behavioral standpoint that dietary factors are sometimes overlooked or just ignored” (1). Conversely, parents of autistic children have observed a strong connection with both diet and autism.

Researchers discovered that certain autistic individuals might have trouble processing gluten and casein. Wheat, barely, and oak is where gluten is found. Casein is found in dairy products and is a type of milk protein. What I found very interesting in this article is that it explains why these food components could be a potential problem. “The breakdown of these foods in the body causes opiates to be produced, so in essence, children with autism can become addicted to these foods containing these proteins”(1). As a result, just like an allergy of a particular food, the behavior can be affected as well.  Before reading this article, I was unsure about the reason why gluten and casein were so dangerous. Now I understand that it is due to opiates being produced in the body, which leads to an addiction of the food.


The author, Rachel Evans, really stresses to parents that it is important to take note of what their child eats. If children are eating dairy and wheat products on a daily basis it could be a sign that their body is having a difficult time processing the food, which could lead to the child craving more of these foods. Several reports have been found about autistic children have making dramatic improvements after eliminating gluten and casein out of their diet. Evan points out that it is better to eliminate one source of food at a time so the child does not notice such a big change. Parents also need to make sure they read every label on foods because there could be gluten and casein in a food product that is not noticeable. Trying a gluten and casein free diet is not an easy task for both the parents and the child. However, children will learn that their new diet is not so bad and will eventually accept the change. After reading this article, I have realized that this diet is not an easy process, but it seems like could be very beneficial in the long run for the child with autism.

Fast Food Nation- Eric Schlosser

Schlosser wrote this piece mainly on “fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made”(3). The fast food restaurant that that Schlosser focuses on is the McDonalds. Basically, I could sum up the article by saying that fast food pretty much dominates our world. He shows us various statistics of how fast food has rapidly increased over the past several years. One line in particular that stuck out to me was. “Americans now spend more money on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars”(2). Fast food restaurants have become the place where customers spend most their money and employees get very low wages. Also, much of the fast food has been completely reformulated in order to taste good. Overall, this article talks about the negatives of eating fast food and allowed people to be more aware of what they are eating. From this article I was able to develop a completely different meaning for McDonalds as well as understanding the dangers that come with the risk of eating the food. At the end of the article, the author states, “You are what you eat” (8), which means that the majority of America would be either a Hamburger or Friend fry. 

Good, Clean, Fair: The Rhetoric of the Slow Food Movement

Schneider mainly focused on Carlo Petrini, who was one of the founders of the Slow Foods (their mission is to create a lasting change in the food system). In the article, it was obvious to see that Peterini and his co-founders appreciated their country’s regional cooking. Petrini founded this international movement in the Langhe region of Italy. In previous decades, the movement’s main concern was the enjoyment of “good, clean, and fair” foods and local quality wines. However, years later they have switched to a broader matter of food education, which is the protection of traditional local foods. This article also discusses how Slow Food attempts to redefine food and fight the possible harmful effects of globalization. Petrini tries to reconstruct the food of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. He argues, “Food is far more than a simple product to be consumed: it is happiness, identity, culture, pleasure, conviviality, nutrition, local economy, survival” (388). Petrini and Schneiders goal is to educate the society about where their food is coming from and to make sure everyone is aware of what they are eating. I believe that more individuals today are following the Slow Food Movement.