I have a 22 months old daughter diagnosed to have Aspergers

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Well, this is confusing.

How will I know if I should exclude those products? I know Autism can not be cured, but controlled. I've been told that those substances work like a drug on the brain. But if some of you are showing to not have that affect, then it shows that there is such a diversity in autism, and that each person is different. So how can a person really tell if a person has Autism apart from just being anti social and slow in development? How can a person tell if you exclude that from the diet, that things will improve? You hear one thing from one person, and then something else from another.

Is there a particular type of doctor that specializes in Autism? If so, what are they called so I can seek help?

never took any treatment for anything but anyway dont give your kid any meds without knowing what they do really beleve me some results can include bad things and people who are specialised in this sort of things are shrinks ofcourse there specialised in everthing

Autism and related conditions are biological -- just like having red hair or blue eyes. It is genetic. You can't do a blood test for blue eyes.

Meet the parents and relatives of an Aspie and you will generally find some of the traits there. I am a fidgeter and a bit hyperactive. My ex-husband has social anxiety and some other Aspie traits -- both of us are NTs, but combining our DNA produced a (totally wonderful) Aspie son.

There are 'pools' of ASDs in the world, where there seems to be higher concentrations of ASD people. Not surprisingly, these pools are located near universities and high technology centers such as Boston, Research Park, and Silicon Valley in the US. I somewhat jokingly tell people that ASD occurs when smart people breed. Clearly, we are carrying some genetic marker for this condition. It is possible, but highly speculative, that there is an environmental trigger for ASD in addition to the genetic marker.

Further, ASDs have been around for a long, long time. This is nothing new, although it is possible (but not proven) that there is an increase in occurance. I am 49, and had two Aspies in my grade school (undiagnosed of course). I also had kids in my class who were ADHD. We simply did not have the 'words' for these conditions (and sadly, it was assumed that these kids were 'different' by their own choice). We need to be very careful about assuming that this is a 'crisis' or that there is an 'explosion' in this condition.

The simple fact is that we now have better tools (though far from accurate) and better understanding to 'see' ASDs for what they are -- biological differences. What remains to be done is to build better bridges between the NT world and ASDs...

Congratulations--as a mother of an autistic child, you are now one of the most targeted people for scams, fraud, and scare tactics. Don't let the emotional language frighten you; even "autism charities" tend to put it in words that make it seem like your daughter is a living tragedy. I for one am extremely offended by such things, and I imagine you are, too; but you'll see them. Try to keep your temper; you'll need it for dealing with the school system!

"Antisocial and slow in development" is not the criteria for autism; in fact, slow development, if significantly slow, would push your daughter's diagnosis into the PDD-NOS range (a catch-all that means "She's autistic, but she doesn't fit into a clear category", used for very mild or unusual cases of autism). There is not too much difference between AS and high-functioning autism except in the very early years, when speech is either present (AS) or unusual/absent (HFA). If your daughter has Asperger's, these are the traits she has, from the official description used in the United States:

If your daughter has Asperger's, that means she is autistic but has no language delay or delay in "cognitive, adaptive, or self-help" skills. That means normal IQ, normal development other than the specific areas listed above.

AS is my own diagnostic label. I have been both on and off a GF/CF diet, because my mother has celiac disease, and have never noticed any difference. I digest wheat easily. My mother, who does have celiac disease, is much less bothered by her social and sensory sensitivity now that she is on a GF/CF diet. GF/CF can help autistic people with digestive problems because how much your autistic traits hinder you is very closely related to your stress level; and your stress level is affected by your physical health. When I am not physically healthy, I can hardly manage social interaction at all, when usually I can communicate at an acceptable level.

AS is definitely genetic. My mother has Asperger's, though she has never been diagnosed. My father was almost certainly autistic; he didn't speak for a long time as a child and grew up to be an eccentric computer engineer. I'm autistic. My littlest sister is a gifted Aspie. The middle sister is neurotypical with some autistic traits.

Autism spectrum disorders have a heritability of something like 95%. "Heritability" is a measure of how much of each case is due to genetics. Theoretically, if you could take identical twins at conception, implant each egg in a different woman, and raise them apart, 95% of the time if one twin is autistic, the other one will be as well. The 5% factor that isn't heritable could be anything--a bump on the head, an early fever, a seizure, an inefficient placenta. Whatever it is, we know it happens before the age of two or so; in most cases, before birth. (I was autistic at birth, for example.) That 5% could be enough to push a child who has very, very mild Asperger's or autism into the neurotypical range; but in most cases, the genetics wins out and the child is autistic even with a perfect pregnancy and early infancy.

Here's some reading for you. Wikipedia is open to editing, but these articles are well-referenced, and you can check the references out for yourself:

Asperger Syndrome
Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome
Sociological and cultural aspects of autism

Last edited by Callista on 06 Sep 2008, 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

Sorry what was your question?

I has been known for some time that cows milk is not good for babies, it has also been shown that many cot deaths in the past fit the symptoms of a milk allergy.

Milk consumption in children and adults, isn't particularly healthy, but not much different from anything with animal fat content either. In a way part of the problem that humans are having with digestion is a result of lifestyle, which is very different from when we were cavemen or indeed when agriculture started.

Last edited by 0_equals_true on 06 Sep 2008, 11:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

It's hard to know what's going to be best for the child if the child can't communicate it back to you. You're really going to have to develop methods of communication with your child and figure out what is best for them. A lot of people (including those in this thread) like to say things that start with "All autistics ..." or "All aspies...". The simple fact is that not all autistics have the same symptoms and that the same treatments do not work on all. It's not too suprising since science has yet to find a single cause (or single combination of causes) for all ASD.

I found my digestive system doesn't work as well with processed foods. I switched off cow's milk in my 20s and reduced my intake of cereals and other processed carbohydrates. I eat a lot of red meat but always purchase the leanest cuts. I notice the difference the most when I'm out exercising - I no longer have an upset system that gets worse with activity. I don't believe that it has changed my "Aspieness". My behavior has changed in that I'm more likely to exercise, but I'd rather do my same old routine alone or without human interaction.

I'm sure you're trying to do what's best for your child. Whatever you do, please make sure that your child is receiving a nutritionally complete diet. Check with a licensed professional if you are unable to read the child-development/nutrition manuals yourself.

You can fiddle around with her diet as much as you want - and chant over her while the moon is full - just make sure she receives the necessary nutrients. It doesn't really matter the form that they're in when they go in her mouth, just that she gets enough of what she has to have to feed her brain. At this age, she is incredibly susceptible to suffering life-long consequences from nutritional insufficiency. Her brain is developing (NT or Aspie, is irrelevant) and if you deprive it of the nutrients it MUST have, she will suffer.

There are some people on the spectrum who do have problems with their digestive tracts. I'm unaware of any reputable, replicated research that shows a direct cause-and-effect relationship between either AS and digestive problems or digestive issues impacting AS as far as intellectual functioning. I have relatives who have celiac disease (problems with the protein in wheat) who are NOT on the spectrum, and some on the spectrum who have had genetic issues (Hirschprungs, etc.) with their digestive tract. I also have had relatives who are AS/Autie and others who are not who have no problems whatsoever with diets relative to their intellectual functioning.

If it makes you feel better to give the kid soy milk, and your doctor tells you it's ok (kids can be allergic to soy), give her soy milk. But make sure she's also getting all the other proteins and trace elements she needs (ideally from mother's milk, but cow's milk is a reliable substitute). Please remember that an infant of this age is NOT an adult and should not be given a diet that would serve an adult. They have nutritionally different needs.

Good luck.

My daughter is lactose intolerant. That was clear when the first time I gave her formula she had blisters on her bottom. It was bad. Even a little bit of animal milk caused a reaction. My son is also lactose intolerant. He won't touch milk ever. He can't even stand the smell. In Kayli's case, if she drinks milk at school there is a noticeable difference in her behavior even if she doesn't get sick. Many of us do have sensitivities to various foods, etc, so it is worthwhile to pay attention to foods that may cause her pain which will reflect in her behavior. This isn't a cure, however.

Thanks for the help, I will make a plan to talk to my pediatrician, right after I've had the second opinion. with regards to a proper diet plan.

Hi there,

You can find out if you're allergic for gluten or caseïn by a quite simple test conduced by your/a doctor.

It is to be said that many autists (all over the continuüm) have some sort of allergy. Autism surely isn't a gut-thing, of course but the gut-thing is often seen with autism.

When I eat something with 'lots of gluten' in it I feel awful, go white in the face and feverish for some hours afterwards.

Best of luck to you all,
C.

Maize bread? Do you mean corn bread? I'd just try googling recipes online. There are probably a million.

I second what other people on here have said. I doubt that changing diet is going to improve someone's autism, but if they have food sensitivities, they may feel better physically so that their behavior improves and they are better able to concentrate. Put her on a GFCF diet if you want (some people do report improvement), but definitely consult a doctor/nutritionist and make sure she is well-nourished.

Food allergies/sensitivities do seem more common in kids with atypical neurologies (autism, ADHD, giftedness, etc.).

Last edited by LostInSpace on 06 Sep 2008, 3:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

maize=corn

I know, but it seems such a weird thing to call it, unless you are Native American. That's why I wanted to clarify whether it is corn bread or something else (like another type of bread which uses corn but is not corn bread). If she is having trouble finding recipes, she may want to search for "corn bread" instead of "maize bread," as I doubt that is a common term (at least I've never heard it before).

how come so many olympian's have said they eat cereal for breakfast (with cow milk) and there in the best shape out of all the people in the world?

I think the gluten diet is bull@!#!

Olympian's drink milk, and eat cereal with milk it in an there in better shape then 99.9% of the world especially most of these idiotic parents claiming milk is bad or gluten is bad EXPLAIN how they are olympians while drinking milk then?

how could someone who can do something better then everyone else be on a poor diet?

I think the idea is that kids with autism don't process gluten or casein well. Presumably the athletes who thrive on cow's milk don't have this problem.

The age factor topic

I hope the OP changes the word "year" to "month".