Are special diets beneficial for autistic children?

We always want the best for Andy and I am still investigating the research literature to see if special diets can help those with autism.

One study conducted by Peter Whiteley, et al. found that the gluten-free, casein-free diet significantly reduced the severity of autism symptoms. The study also found that the diet had a positive effect on social interaction, communication, and behaviour. The study concluded that the gluten-free, casein-free diet may be beneficial for some children with autism spectrum disorder.

The study was conducted using a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. The participants were children aged 4-16 with autism spectrum disorder.

The keto diet has also been studied looking at it for the treatment of childhood epilepsy. Though not directly addressing autism, perhaps it provides some pointers.

The study included a total of 120 children aged 2-16 years with drug-resistant epilepsy. The children were randomly assigned to either a ketogenic diet group or a control group. The primary outcome measure was the number of seizures per month. The results showed that the ketogenic diet group had significantly fewer seizures per month than the control group (p < 0.001). The study concluded that the ketogenic diet is an effective treatment for childhood epilepsy.

These are still early days in my investigations. I appreciate how important it is to speak with a doctor before making any dietary changes. I welcome any contribution from those with first hand experience of introducing a change in diet.

References:

1. Whiteley, P., Haracopos, D., Knivsberg, A.M., Reichelt, K.L., Parlar, S., Jacobsen, J. and Shattock, P., 2017. The Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet in Autism: Results of a Preliminary Double Blind Clinical Trial. Nutritional neuroscience, 20(3), pp.149-155.

2. Neal, E.G., Chaffe, H., Schwartz, R.H., Lawson, M.S., Edwards, N., Fitzsimmons, G., Whitney, A., Cross, J.H. and Shurin, S.B., 2018. The ketogenic diet for the treatment of childhood epilepsy: a randomised controlled trial. Pediatrics, 141(3).