ASD Nutrition and Supplementation Blog

[motherandother]

Hello there

I am not sure whether this will interest anyone but....

we have just started a biomedical approach (to work alongside other therapies) with our son who has an ASD diagnosis. He is 3 and a half and rather, oh ok, very gorgeous...

I am keeping a blog of our progress - literally we have just been to see a nutritionist and are planning to start asap. I just thought that perhaps if anyone had been thinking of or had started a supplementation programme then you might be interested in our progress. I wanted to use the blog so my family and friends could keep up to date and we could monitor any changes, progress etc. he makes. But also thought it may be of interest to other parents in a similar position.

Am not sure what awaits us. We currently do GF/CF diet which has definitely had a positive impact so fingers crossed.

The address is motherandother.blogspot.com

(originally started a general musings on motherhood and has changed somewhat!)

Thanks - will definitely follow this with interest. DS2 is 7 and we've been taking a biomedical approach for the last three years. I don't keep nearly enough notes - such a good idea to do a blog.

Hello sphil

Thanks! I hope you find it interesting even my rambling on!

Do you think the biomedical approach has helped your DS? Our DS has the most horrendous tantrums at the moment and am hoping these will lessen when he feels better.
We are trying the ignoring policy at the moment which today involved letting him lie on the ground in front of about twenty people sitting at picnic tables while he screamed more loudly than even I thought possible! Am perfecting the innocently glazed, looking in the opposite direction to avoid having to stare out all the onlookers!

It has definitely helped his bowels - he used to be constantly loose and now has 'normal poos' most of the time, though any dietary infringements have immediate effects! His eczema and asthma have also improved markedly (esp the first) though I guess he might have grown out of those naturally.

Behaviourwise it's hard to say. He has always been very calm and quite passive with very little tendency to tantrum, though recently he has become much more feisty! He became much less hyper at night when we took him off gluten and now sleeps through 99% of the time, though he takes a long time to settle. He has made progress with social skills in particular - is much more engaged with people. Language progress is slow, but coming. How much of this is down to biomed and how much down to other things we've done (ABA and Floortime) I really don't know!

One exciting thing that just happened is that we increased his Vit A for a short time on the advice of our nutritionist (he'd had ABs for an infection) and he has suddenly become able to match colours and words. Don't think that can be a coincidence. We've reduced it again because obviously too much Vit A isn't a good thing, but we're going to see if his visual perception suffers after a month of the normal dose and go from there.

Really interesting about the Vit A. and great to hear that the supplementation etc have helped your DS bowels. Am really looking forward to my DS having normal poos most of the time.

I try to do some Floortime with DS and recently bought a book in the US called 'Overcoming Autism' which has some really interesting and positive strategies which we are trying to use at the moment. I have to stop myself trying everything all at once though is very tempting (and impossible!)

friends son has started bio med (gfcf and various nutition supplments incudig stuff for adrenals) and after about 6 weeks are seeing benefits. happier, joining in more, more part of things etc.

nb hade already done work on retained reflexes and a 'therapeutic listening' programme which were also very useful.

Hi improving slowly

Great to hear it is working for your friend and have to say GF/CF has made a big difference to my DS.

I have a heard a little about therapeutic listening but would love any more information if you have any...

(not an expert but...) after they had made good progress with exercises for retained reflexes the OT started them on 'therapeutic listening' - listening to CDs of odd soounding noises twice a day for about 20 mins. He was happy to listen to the CDs although in the beginning nothing seemed to change.

However asthey continued we saw good changes - more tuned into conversations, more likely to join in conversation, much more part of things - was really worth doing.

I think the listening programme and johansen sound therapy are similar, but no direct experience of them.

Thanks very much.

We do not get any OT at the moment which is something I am working on!

I did some matching games with DS2 today (photos of family) and really noticed a difference in the way he looks at things. He was studying the photos before putting them on the piles rather than taking a quick sideways look or seeming not to look at all. I'm delighted - he finds photos very hard to recognise as a rule.

On the negative side he's had more sugar in the last few days because of Easter- gf/cf choc, a few fruit pastilles - and he is soooo excitable at night. Lots of giggling during the day as well - just the right side of manic, but only just. Loose bowels too.

we found sensory trained OT privately.

Sphil - I know how you feel re the sugar. We are teetering on the manic line too at the moment! Great about the photos, you must be so pleased.

Improving Slowly - good to know re private OT. Is going on the list of people I will contact asap!

Sphil
Can I just ask about the Vitamin A. Do you buy supplements as I would like to try this.

I buy all Ds2's supplements from Nutri-Link, which is the company run by the nutritionist we use. The Vitamin A is in a form called Bio-Ae- Mulsion by Biotics Research Corporation. I think it needs to be monitored by an expert, as it says on the bottle that it's for adult use only and warns about excessive consumption of Vit A causing serious health problems.

We dont have a nutritionist but have it on my list to check out. thanks for your info

Sorry - that sounded a bit poncey saying we have a nutritionist.

nah, not poncey at all!!!

Hi - I would really like to get some advice from a private nutritionist and OT - do you have anyone you would recommend ? I am based in London with a 2.5 DS with probable ASD (currently on GF / CF diet) - in need of guidance !!! Thanks

if you look on the treating autism website, there is a list of practicioners. (Friends son went to jonathan tommey at the autism clnic and found him very good. they have been on gfcf and various biomed supplements for about 2 months and have really seen a difference.

www.treatingautism.co.uk/

Thanks ! Will check him out - anyone else used anyone they would recommend ? OT or nuttritionist or Salt ????

Mike Ash at Nutri-link is excellent and does telephone consultations - he's not as 'heavy-duty' as some of the DAN practitioners though. The last I heard he wasn't accepting any new cases, but that was a while ago - the situation may have changed now.