How to eat for autsim

Autism is defined as "a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others", according to the Autism Society of America. Dietary intervention is one of the treatment options for children diagnosed with autism. Specifically, it has been observed that adopting a gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet may lead to improvements in gastrointestinal discomfort and behavioral issues among autistic children. Both gluten and casein are proteins. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and oats whereas casein is found in milk and dairy products.

Things You'll Need

• Food Labels

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Instructions

• 1

  Fruits and vegetables are gluten-free, casein-free foods

  Introduce gluten-free and casein-free foods into the autistic child's diet. This serves as a backup strategy when you actually begin implementing the GFCF diet. Foods that are naturally gluten and casein free include fruits, vegetables, rice, and potatoes. Offer those foods alongside your child's favorites in order to encourage acceptance of the GFCF foods.

• 2

  Casein is found in milk and dairy products

  Eliminate milk and dairy products from the autistic child's diet. This must be done gradually. For example, begin by offering your child casein-free dinners for one week. Depending on his/her progress and reaction, proceed with serving casein-free breakfasts for the next week and so on until you completely eliminate casein-containing foods from the diet.

• 3

  Gluten is found in oats, wheat, barley, and rye.

  Eliminate gluten containing foods from the diet. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains such as rye, barley, and oats. Again, this should be done gradually as indicate in step 2.

• 4

  Always read food labels carefully before offering food items to your child. Check the ingredient list for hidden sources of gluten and casein such as luncheon meats, sausages, lactic acid, and artificial ingredients. By law, manufacturers are required to indicate if their products contain sources of wheat or gluten so check meticulously for those warnings.

• 5

  Use a separate set of utensils, pots, and pans when handling and preparing GFCF foods in order to minimize the risk of cross contamination. Also, contact food product manufacturers if you are concerned about certain ingredients or cross contamination.