According to Dr William Shaw, the director of The Great Plains Laboratory in the US and a board member of the National Academy for Child Development, ‘Diet plays a very important part in treating autism,’ noting that over 90% of children with autism suffer milk and wheat allergy. He said that if this is not diagnosed, the overall wellbeing of autistic children could be affected as it will hamper their treatment plan and stunt their growth and development.
This is why Dr Shaw has given workshops to parents during the Autism Around the World conference, as he believes that cutting out problem foods can help in key areas such as speech and self-harming tendencies. ‘Parents who have made these dietary changes have seen those autism-related issues reduce considerably,’ he said. However, is the case as black and white as Dr Shaw thinks?
In 2010, a small, intensive study in the US found no wellness improvement in removing wheat and dairy from an autistic child’s diet. According to lead researcher, Dr Susan Hyman of the University of Rochester, adjusting autistic children’s diet ‘did not demonstrate a change in sleep habits, bowel habits, activity or core symptoms of autism.’ However, as this study was small, the reliability of the results could be in question.
Dr Melissa Olive, a specialist in early childhood special education and a behavioural consultant says that a food intolerance, such as gluten (found in wheat products) and casein (found in milk products), ‘should be found and stopped immediately. If this is ignored then it could cause cancer in the long term, inflammation that prevents them from absorbing nutrients and undernourishment leading to a failure to thrive.’ She added that a reinforcement method could be used. ‘So the child can be told that if they eat a certain food then they will be given what they like, for example, being allowed to play on the iPad. Over time they learn that food is not scary and it is tasty,’ she said.