Suspected ASD toddler - can changing diet help?

[klayton]

Hi. My son is almost 3 and is showing so many traits of having ASD (non-verbal, does not respond to name, does not interact with other children, spins around in circles...) I fear the diagnosis will be a foregone conclusion (he's not due an assessment for months yet).
I've read that cutting out dairy and gluten can help some children with ASD and was thinking of giving this a try. Has anybody tried changing their child's diet and noticed a positive improvement? Thanks.

[Mummy0ftwo12]

Have you looked into other things? ABA/PRT/Intensive Interaction.

you might find this website interesting, its a blog by a father in Cambridge www.cambridgeautism.com/Diet.html

[LightTripper]

If you look up Agony Autie's video "What is Autism" she briefly touches on diet and I think hers is close to the conventional view: i.e. that dietary changes can help because if people have an intolerance then it can make them more comfortable, less anxious - and therefore help them engage with the world. Does your son have any signs that his digestive system isn't working well? Our daughter can struggle with interoception (i.e. reading the signals her body is sending her about what it needs) which has caused some problems, so we focus on getting lots of fibre into her (wholemeal bread and pasta, veggies) which has definitely helped.

If your son loves to spin it's worth seeking out other activities that can scratch that sensory itch (it's a type of "sensory seeking" behaviour). Particularly if there are things you can help with, so you can experience them together, that can help to build connections (e.g. if you can find a swing that gives him a similar sensation that you can swing for him, or you can go in together). If you look up "sensory issues" or "Sensory needs" and autism you should find some good resources. Or if you Google Purple Ella, she has a good video on the "Sensory Aid Kit" that her family uses. The Agony Autie video above is also a really good introduction to sensory needs.

I would be very wary of anything suggesting that there is a "cure" based on diet.