For parents with children who have autism, there are many considerations that it can be important to take while navigating their upbringing. For example, many parents of children with autism might seek therapy such as Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, or ABA Therapy, in order to help increase helpful rather than unhelpful behaviors.
One such important consideration is that of nutrition in children with autism. Children with autism can have a complex relationship with nutrition. While it’s always important for children to eat a healthy diet, autism can present a number of challenges in ensuring that children with this disorder are able to consistently meet all their dietary requirements. There are a number of reasons for this, and many nutritional challenges for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have been observed. If you have a child with special needs, you may be concerned with challenges such as these.
To make matters more complex, some have suggested that certain dietary changes could have an impact on the symptoms of ASD. Some of these proposed diets include gluten-free and casein-free diets. Proponents of certain diets may believe that they can help reduce or alleviate symptoms typically associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. Is there any truth to these claims? If so, what types of foods might be helpful to children with ASD? We’ll dive in and explore.
The Importance of Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is important for anyone, and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are certainly no exception. A healthy diet is essential for children to develop properly and be healthy in everyday life. Nutrition can be especially important to cognition, playing a significant role in development. As such, parents and guardians of children with ASD are tasked with ensuring that the children are meeting their dietary needs.
This can be complicated by behavioral challenges, and children with ASD may be averse to certain foods, which can make the matter all the more challenging. Parents and guardians may need to focus significant effort into making a collaborative effort to find ways to ensure that their child is meeting their dietary requirements. Food aversions can be a formidable barrier to nutrition.
In any case, nutrition is important for all growing children. Whether or not children have ASD, it’s important that they receive adequate nutrition in order for them to properly develop as they grow older. Unfortunately, children with ASD can experience food aversions and behavioral challenges that can make it particularly difficult to ensure that they’re adequately nourished. As the intake of adequate nutrition can be particularly important to cognitive development, guardians of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder may find that diet is a particularly important consideration.
For some behavioral challenges, parents may find that some therapies may be helpful, such as ABA therapy, which may help encourage helpful behaviors.
Have Foods Been Shown to Improve ASD Symptoms?
There are claims that have been made that certain diets can even alleviate the symptoms of ASD—but are these true? If so, what claims have been made, and what does science day? We’ll look at some of the most prominent claims and see what science says about them.
Gluten-Free and Casein-Free Diets
One prominent claim that you may be familiar with is that which asserts that by introducing a restrictive gluten-free and casein-free diet, children with ASD may see improved symptoms typically associated with ASD.
So, what does science say? The truth is, this issue is complicated. There’s no absolute proof that a gluten-free casein-free diet is guaranteed to improve symptoms of ASD. Recent reviews of literature have found studies to be, for the most part, insufficient to solidly establish this link.
What’s more, as this is a diet that necessitates restriction of foods, it can be important to first consult with a nutritionist and doctor before trying it out. Still, this represents a potentially very promising avenue of research. Future studies may conclusively demonstrate a compelling connection between the intakes of certain food and symptoms associated with ASD. What’s more, future studies could help us better understand a larger connection between the gut and the brain. While especially applicable to children with ASD, this could be useful knowledge in a broader context as well.
Probiotics
Another promising avenue of research is that which explores the link between the ingestion of probiotics and the severity of ASD symptoms. Some have suggested that this is an area worth researching. While nobody, as far as we know, is yet to have proven a link between the intake of certain probiotics and the symptoms of ASD, future studies could further expand our understanding of the potential connection between the gut and the brain and how food may have an impact on behavior in children with ASD.
Other Dietary Interventions
There may also be additional dietary interventions that in the future, studies show to demonstrate a clear efficacy in reducing or mitigating symptoms of ASD. Many experts, in the meantime, have called for further study into the relationship between diet and behavior among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The Bottom Line
While scientists have yet to definitely establish a diet that’s guaranteed to improve or alleviate symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children, there is lots of exciting research being carried out and considered for further exploration in the future. There are already a few diets that have garnered some interest, such as gluten-free and casein-free diets, but so far, there may not be enough evidence to support the idea that these diets will always work, or that they’ll work for everyone.
Still, if you’re interested in trying out different diets, you can always have a discussion with your doctor or nutritionist about trying one out for yourself. Importantly, you’ll want to ensure that you’re meeting the necessary dietary guidelines and creating a diet that includes necessary nutrients.
Don’t forget! To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, be sure to check out the rest of our blog, where we cover all kinds of relevant topics, and if you’re interested in ABA, or Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy, and want to learn more about enrolling, be sure to reach out today for a free consultation.