http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0529autism.html
Dealing with autism ills via diet
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Julie Deardorff
Chicago Tribune
May. 29, 2004 12:00 AM
CHICAGO - Madalyn Berner of Wheaton, Ill., once routinely described her son
Richie as "hyper, impulsive and distracted." By age 6, he had developed a tic
and had begun hitting himself, screaming at high pitches and compulsively
washing his hands.
Doctors diagnosed the boy with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder,
and prescribed medication. When Richie began to hear voices, Berner abruptly
changed course.
Instead of switching drugs, Berner dropped them altogether and revamped her
son's diet, eliminating wheat and dairy products. Without wheat, his
hyperactivity vanished, she said. Without dairy, he could suddenly read. His
rashes and constipation also disappeared.
Nutritional interventions offer threads of hope for some parents with children
battling neurological development disorders such as autism, Asperger's syndrome
and related problems - called autism spectrum disorders, which some physicians
now say can include ADHD.
There is no known cause for these behaviors, which are often characterized by
abnormal language, ritualistic or compulsive actions and an inability to
develop normal social relationships. There is no cure. Autism rates, meanwhile,
appear to be skyrocketing, though current U.S. statistics aren't available from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the mid-1980s, two studies
found one to three children per 10,000 had autism. Studies abroad suggest the
rate is one per 1,000 kids or higher.
Dietary changes are far from a cure and eyed skeptically by the mainstream
medical community because the scientific evidence is still shaky. Removing
certain foods often has no effect on children.
But if there's any chance it can make a difference, there's no harm in trying.
Meanwhile, parents who have witnessed changes in their children tell powerful
success stories.
"You won't see it espoused in main pediatric journals," said Dr. Sandy Newmark,
director of the Pediatric Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, which
specializes in ADHD and autism. "But there is a whole community out there
looking at diet."
That underground community assembled this week in Chicago for the Autism One
Conference, which wraps up Sunday. The conference (www.autismone.org) offers
one-stop shopping for parents and professionals in search of medical, legal and
alternative information on autism spectrum disorders. Presentations at the
gathering focused on diet sensitivities and environmental factors such as
chemicals and metals in a child's system.
Laura Cellini of Springfield, Ill., talked about what helped her 5-year-old
son, Jonathan, who developed normally his first year but lost his language
skills and became severely autistic. When wheat, dairy, soy, corn, caffeine and
foods with artificial colors were eliminated, Jonathan's symptoms improved.
Whenever he does eat a forbidden food, he regresses almost immediately, Cellini
said.
"I won't deny it's difficult and expensive," said Cellini, part of a diet
sensitivity panel led by Dr. Alan Bain, director of the Center for Integrative
Health Care in Chicago and Deerfield. "But we wouldn't be doing this if it
didn't work. Of all the things we've done, (dietary changes) have been the most
beneficial."
Conventional medicine considers autism a neuro-developmental disease. Treatment
methods include speech, physical and occupational therapy, and anti-psychotic
drugs.
The alternative viewpoint also believes autism might have a genetic
predisposition but also can be triggered by environmental influences, including
toxins, infectious agents and immunizations. The symptoms are a result of
metabolic imbalances, gastrointestinal abnormalities, autoimmune and allergic
problems as well as nutritional deficiencies.
Cleaning up the gut and removing allergens are key alternative treatment
methods. Doctors might also use heavy doses of vitamin supplementation,
probiotics to balance the internal flora and omega-3 fatty acids.