Research summaries for autism therapy: diet

definition of diet: Diet is the use of food and drink to nourish and heal the body. Nutrients that are only obtained from the diet are called, essential nutrients.
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Altered Amino Acid Excretion in Children with Autism, Summarized Jul 15, 2008

Special diets may be able to help some children with autism.

Many children with autism have problems with their gut. Some people think that children with autism are not able to do a good job digesting some proteins and therefore they have little pieces of proteins that act on their brains (opioid peptides). This study looked at urine of children with autism to see how they break down and use protein and sugar. The study had 63 children with autism (aged 5-15 years) and used their 29 siblings as a control. The authors found that children with autism seem to break down protein and sugar differently than other children. Read more...

Symptomatic Nutritional Rickets in a Teenager with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Summarized Jul 4, 2008

A healthy diet is important for children with autism.

This article is a case study of a 15-year-old boy with autism and rickets. Doctors found autistic symptoms at age 4, but he was not diagnosed with autism until age 12. At age 15, he complained of being tired, weak, and having leg pain. The authors suggest that children with autism spectrum disorder, especially those who are picky eaters, be followed to see if they have a good diet. Parents can then be given diet advice and vitamin and mineral supplements if needed. Read more...

Sensational Stars with Autism, Summarized Jun 19, 2008

Sensory integration therapy may help some children with autism.

This article describes sensory processing disorder and the sensory integration therapy and occupational therapy that can be used to treat it. Sensory processing happens when the brain takes in messages and converts them into something with meaning that allows for a response. Children who have trouble with sensory processing often also have trouble communicating. Families can be an important part of sensory integration therapy by giving the child the many sensory experiences that create a rich sensory diet. Sensory activities can happen during mealtime, bath time, and bed time. Read more...

Gluten- and Casein-Free Diets for Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Summarized Jun 18, 2008

While many parents use gluten-free and casein-free diets for their children with autism, there is only one small controlled study that shows the diets to be helpful.

This review article looked to see if gluten-free and casein-free diets have been shown to help people with autism. There are only two controlled studies on the effect of gluten-free diet and casein-free diets on people with autism. While both studies were small, one showed that a gluten-free casein-free diet improved the symptoms of autism. The authors conclude that there needs to be more studies to see if these diets can help children with autism. The authors also point out that a gluten-free casein-free diet can be hard on parents and may cost extra money. Read more...

Showing 29-32 of 68 results

Synonyms for diet include: autism diet, autistic diet, diet therapy, diets, essential nutrients, nutrients
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