| Answer: | Yes, without a doubt. But it takes a lot of work to identify all the contributing factors and then make the necessary changes. Most autistic children have food sensitivities, especially to gluten grains and to dairy produce. They often have gut infections and need more vitamins, minerals and essential fats.
One four-year-old diagnosed with autism was a case in point. He had serious speech and language problems, was severely behind in social and emotional development and attended special education classes for children with developmental delay. He had shown some improvement with the use of special multivita mins, minerals and DMG (dimethyl glycine) prior to visiting the clinic. He was then given comprehensive biochemical testing for deficiencies and imbalances, and was found to have low levels of five vitamins (A, beta-carotene, B3, B5 and biotin) and three minerals (magnesium, zine and selenium). He also had low levels of omega-3 fats and GLA, an omega-6 fat, and the amino acids taurine and carnitine. His digestion was poor, he had abnormal gut flora and indications of a yeast infection. Food allergy testing showed clear sensitivity to milk products and some other foods.
He was given a special diet free from milk and casein, apersonalised supplement programme, and later some nystatin, which is an anti-fungal drug. He also started a programme of applied behaviour analysis, working with a therapist. He improved steadily and was able to attend his local primary school from the age of six. According to the Autism Research Institute' s evaluation list, his improvements were: speech/language from 36 to 89 per cent; sociability from 13 to 68 per cent; sensory/cognitive awareness from 22 to 97 per cent; health physical behaviour from 64 to 96 per cent, where 100 per cent means non-autistic behaviour.
When he was five, this child had had absolutely no interest in presents or visitors. One year after the evaluation, just before his eighth birthday, he made a list of eight presents he would like to have, including a computer. His parents told him the evening before to wake them at 7.30 a.m. on his birthday, and that' s exactly what he did. During the day he couldn' t wait for his friends to arrive and celebrate the special day.
I hear of many similar stories about children diagnosed with autism making incredible recoveries. But it isn' t easy. It takes a lot of perseverance and good detective work to reverse this condition. A child psychologist can advise on applied behaviour analysis. |
