Why GFCF?
The Gluten and Casein Free Diet is a popular intervention for children with autism. Thousands of parents throughout the world have placed their children on this restricted diet and have observed dramatic improvements.
What is Gluten and Casein?
Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and other grains such as spelt and kamut.
Casein is the protein found in dairy.
At the present time, we do not know why the gluten/casein-free diet helps many autistic individuals.
However, as more research is being done it is becoming apparent that when gluten and casein are broken down into peptides, they may pass through imperfections in the intestinal tract. This is commonly referred to as “leaky gut”.
These peptides act like morphine in the body. They can also pass through the blood-brain barrier and have a negative impact on brain development.
The most helpful treatment for this problem is to place your child on a Gluten and Casein Free Diet.
Positive Results for ASD Kids
Parents have reported the following improvements in their child after following the Gluten and Casein Free Diet.
- improved mood
- improved emotional stability
- less emotional meltdowns
- improved speech
- improved use of language
- improved ability to focus
- improved cognitive functioning
- less stereotypical behaviours
- improved social skills
- improved motor skills
Resources: www.autism.org
Help for Other Childhood Behavioural Disorders
The GFCF Diet is also proving to be beneficial for children with other diagnoses. Parents are finding the same positive results for children with:
- Apraxia/Dyspraxia
- Aspergers
- ADD/ADHD
- Sensory Integration Disorder
- Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder