Gluten Free/Casein Free Diet for Children

I agree with others about not changing his diet until you have him tested for gluten intolerance. My dad has Celiacs and has been gluten free for 14 years. He was tested again this year and it came back negative for a gluten allergy because he had no gluten in his body to react to. Hope that helps.

Another book out there is The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook the ultimate guide to the gluten-free, casein-free diet. By Pamela J Compart MD and Dana Laake

My son is PPD-NOS and I'm going to start doing this. I'm not looking forward to the battle but I'm hoping it will make a change. I have heard mixed things on it.

Good Luck

Hi A.,

My son has benefit from the GF/CF diet.

Sad part of SPD diagnosis that most health insurance will not help pay for it, it is one of those issues.
An OT who specializes with SPD needs to figure out some loop holes. Do wish you well here.
The book mentioned about Out of Sync by Carol Kranowitz is an excellent resource, I have found it out at the Half-Price book store.
Another lending library resource place would be out at the Any Baby Can, you could see if they have any of the Sensory Integration Disorder or SPD resource on hand.
I know your child is not diagnosed with autism or other uniqueness but it is a nice start of resource where most rely on and you will have a good start of professionals who understand and not fall into the hands of some that claim to assist but could do more harm as I have witness.
Some of us who have travel this journey hope something helps you towards the right path of our experiences with the professionals do know what they are doing and understand, are open-minded.

Highly recommend an upcoming meeting with-
Speaker
GF/CF Diet as a Nutritional Intervention
Rita Sturzbecher, owner of The Little Aussie Bakery
will be out at the Any Baby Can on Tuesday, August 19,2008.
Please call ABC at ###-###-#### to reserve your spot for training and for childcare, RSVP by Aug. 15, 2008.
This is Reaching Families Facing Aspergers Support & Education Group but that is alright. If you are question let them know that diagnosis is pending to see if your child benefits from the GF/CF diet and would like to observe.
If any problem let Frances or Hugo know that I recommended this meeting your way. Rita is incredible.
Now, you will run into many families with individuals under the autism spectrum disorder where if you have a chance and network with some of them, they would be more than welcome to share information if they have lucked out with the SPD on how or where they lucked out in this department of the SPD topic.

If you do not attend the meeting and still interested on the GF/CF diet, contact Rita Sturzbecher at The Little Aussie Bakery & Cafe, she would be excellent consulting you in this arena.
http://www.thelittleaussiebakery.com/

You will not find too many medical professionals who are into this arena here in SA. One of my son's doc (hematologist) does run test needed where our health insurance or Medicaid helps pay for it but he is just getting educated more into the food allergies/food sensitivities and will recommend what he has observed among patients who have benefit like from the GF/CF diet.

I am glad you have received one of the feedbacks which of course is out in Austin and this is where I too have had to travel for my son's testing and recommendations within the GF/CF diet and also on how to replenish when removing a food item, replacing it with making sure adding the nutrients needed. Very important to get educated on knowing exactly what you are attacking.
It would be great to contact the person which one of the person had posted.

There are more and it may be aimed towards autism but nice to have references of who specializes in this arena.
Another recommendation will be-
Defeat Autism Now (DAN!)

The DAN! approach Dr. Bailey uses is an application of the principles of functional medicine to treating ASD, with the therapeutic goal of persistent forward progress in recovery.

http://baileyhwc.com/doctor.asp?chiropractor=104L

Do not want to overwhelm too much and hope you could make it out to the ABC meeting on the 19th. Well worth it.

I.

Hi A.-

My son has Asperger's and we have seen improvement in our son's behavior and ability to handle change and stress when he's on the diet. The diet does seem daunting at first, but it is doable. To begin with, try to find just a few options for each meal that your son will eat and stick to those things for a few weeks. If you stick with it, you should see improvement in 2-3 weeks if there's going to be any.

For breakfast my son usually eats frozen waffles (Van's makes glutenfree) or wheat free cereal with rice milk. Lunch and dinner are a little more difficult but there are gluten free pastas available that my son loves.

Also, look at his favorite snacks foods now and determine which ones will be ok on the diet. You might be surprised about how many things he actually can still eat. And of course fruits and vegetables are safe so stock up on those.

For us, the biggest challenge is eating out and doing those special little things like going out for ice cream or getting the kids a cookie at the mall.

Good Luck,
K.

Hi A.,

I have had sucess with the diet with both of my children. Both have different challenges, and have responded (for the better) in different ways. My son has ADHD and our daughter has PDD-NOS (mild autism). Our daughter wasn't really talking much before the diet at six years old. She's eight now, and she'll tell you, "Oh, I don't want to eat that, it makes my brain foggy and steals my words for three days!" Basically the time it takes the casein to leave her body. My son's thought process is much better and less scattered. I could go on, but I'll tell you the next step.

As you're also dealing with sensory issues (us too), get the book the Out of Sync Child. I forget the author at this moment, but Amazon will have that. Special diets for Speical kids is by Dr. Lisa Lewis. Check the library for that, or if you're in Pearland, I'll loan it to you for a week.

I'll check back with you, I've got to get my kids up and started for the day!

S.

You may be surprised at the change in your son's tendency toward 'acting out' when the gluten is removed. But the experts remind that it's an all-or-nothing deal--it won't help to merely move "toward" gluten-free. These children react to even the tiniest amounts, so you must make sure they are not getting ANY for the effects to be seen. You can do it--there's lots of assistance for your transition. Good luck. You'll be glad you did.

Hello A.,
My son, Aaron, is 11 and has been on the GFCF diet since he was 4. It has made a HUGE difference in his behavior. He is on the autism spectrum (PDDNOS). Before the diet,he was non-verbal, not potty-trained, could not focus and interact with children his own age. He now is very social, very communicative and of course potty-trained! He can sit in a classroom and focus on the lesson and even ask and answer questions! He has come a very long way! The diet is very restrictive, but once you know what he can and can't have, it becomes easier. I am in a support group of moms that have their kids on this diet and share recipes and tips. If you would like to meet for lunch or call me, I'd be happy to help. I have a friend that wrote a book about her son on the diet if you'd like a copy, I can give you her information.
Hope this helps and I'd love to "talk" to you about it.

This diet can be very daunting, but gets easier over time. Don't give up!
C.

Hi A.,,,
I dont know anything about the diet But you said you'd Love to scrap book .Well this seems like the perfect time to start the before and the up to date progress and your son and family are making the good the bad the awful ,,,,,but in years to come you will have something to look back on
good luck L.

A.,
I can't help much but I am in the exact same place as you! My 3 yr old son has been in OT and ST for a little while. I just look at him and he looks disconnected. I have been surfing the internet and found some cookbooks and information but nothing solid yet.

I also heard from People's Pharmacy that Soy Milk is also allergenic? Not sure if that matters in this diet. Anyway if you want a buddy to share information with and learn feel free to email me at ____@____.com

It sounds hard and intimidating and I have been putting off the leap for a while but feeling as though we need to do it.

Good Luck.
J.

www.enterolab.com has a stool test to determine if your child is sensitive to gluten. Since the change will be hard, I recommend getting the stoll test done to make sure it will do any good.

We recently had to switch to a GF CF diet. The switch went better than I thought. I replaced his favorite things with GF versions and that seemed to help.

Good luck.

A., I have gone through a similar case with my son and I feel I have alot of good information for you. You can contact me if you'd like, it's just way too involved for an e-mail. ____@____.com

HI A.,
You might want to look up our program on foods. Go to www.idealprotein.com as we offer gluten free foods. Good luck with the insurance stuff, they can make you crazy!
Let me know if you have any questions.
K. Turner
The Clear Choice Weight Solution
###-###-####

Definitely try the diet. We did it with our 5 yr old when he was almost 4, and he actually became more verbal, potty trained (on his own) and became way less "spacey" after just a few weeks on the diet. We did casein first, then after a few months did gluten. I know it seems very overwhelming but it really does get easier. There are so many good products out there. I would recommend joining the yahoo message board at ____@____.com, they are an incredible source of information. Also, a great cookbook which also contains a lot of "how to do it" information is "The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook- The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-free, Casein-free Diet" by Pamela J. Compart and Dana Laake. Hope this helps! A.

Hi
I hope this information will be helpful to you. My daughters have all had issues with diet. When they left home, one by one they each cleaned up their own food choices. Daughter number two, had blood work done with a nutritionist in Austin, named Deirdre Earls ###-###-#### ____@____.com ). She actually takes you on a tour of Whole Foods and makes recommendations. Doing the blood work before you start experimenting with your diet is essential to getting a good diagnosis. If you start changing and eliminating the glutens before the blood work is done you will alter the results.
Also, if anyone is interested in gluten free non dairy/no sugar ice cream, then Nada Moo (http://nadamoo.com )is your frozen “Ice Cream” choice. Only the Mint Chocolate Chip has a small amount of gluten in the chips. Nada Moo is made by a local Austin based company and is available at Whole Foods. It comes in several delicious kid pleasing flavors. My husband is a diabetic and it is the only ice cream he eats.
Good luck, L.

Hi A. -

I have to eat like this and there are all kinds of products out now. Whole Foods is awesome and they are so helpful with ideas on how to cook and what is good and what is not so good - this is the day and age when this type of diet is a breeze so don't fear it - have fun with it. The more education you get, you will be amazed at what excellent, great-tasting foods you can put into your son's diet gluten free and keep his glucose levels regulated. Good luck!
a.
p.s. - there are many studies out showing that kids naturally like natural foods - the tastes, etc... have fun with this!

I sent your post to my best friend...

I have a 3-year-old with vaccine-triggered autism and we started the GF/CF diet last October, six months after he was diagnosed. Before the diet he ate only goldfish, crackers, chicken nuggets, pizza, pastas, and many other items that were all wheat and dairy. We stopped both cold turkey and his withdrawal was awful, but well worth it. The first 10 days are the hardest, but after that it does get better. Casein can be removed from the system much faster than gluten that is why I decided to go ahead and pull both at the same time. I eventually pulled Soy in March and wish I would have done that sooner as well. It is closely related to casein - the proteins - and we saw another layer of "fog" lift within weeks of removal of soy. I believe it was the best thing we have done for our son, and recommend it to moms everyday. Feel free to email me if you want/need additional information.
Best of luck to you and your son!
Erica
____@____.com

You can also use digestive enzymes. My son has mild autism as well and this seem to help clear out the cobwebds for him. I use Houston Nutraceuticals and AFP Peptizyde formula. You can go to enzymestuff.com and get lots of information and the book recommended their is an awesome resource.

My daughter and I both have celiac, so we have a strict gluten free diet. It is difficult at first, I will admit, but it becomes second nature after a few months. She is a new kid on this diet. She is happy and energetic, no tantrums or painful belly. She is great! Me too! My daughter was very upset about not being able to eat certain things, but she understands what it does to her. And as far as something like pizza goes, there are great GF recipes out there.

The doctors had been telling us that she was allergic to milk before the CD. So I tried a Casein free diet and that was very difficult. However she was only reacting to those products BECAUSE of the CD. She is free to eat as much milk stuff as she wants (okay, within reason).

Good luck with everything. It's hard work, but it is WELL worth it. Life is good here since our kid is happy and healthy.

B

I have had my son (diagnosed PDD) on a GF/CF egg-free diet for the past 5 years. It has made a world of difference for him. Upon starting the diet he was completely non-verbal even after 6 months of speech therapy. Once we started, he actually began mimicking sounds within 8 days and it's been a gradual progression since then. We started this when it wasn't too popular or convenient and basically went cold turkey. He probably cried for about a week, wanting the things that he was used to but eventually he forgot about those things and we moved on. At the beginning, you will be congratulating yourself for each day that you are successful and just praising God that you made it through the day. It definitely gets easier. You just have to be solid and stand your ground. This means no breaking the rules EVER! Your child will remember the one time you caved in and then you will have to spend some time fixing the damage that was done internally and many times you will see the behaviors return. I read that it takes as long as 9 months to completely remove all gluten from the body and 3 months for the casein. Do your research on kid-friendly foods and make their lives as normal as possible. I always made sure I knew what his class would be eating or what would be served at parties, and I always brought him something similar so that he wouldn't feel left out. Thankfully now my son is his own food police so I'm not worried about him cheating anymore. I have no idea how my son would have turned out without the diet and frankly I'm scared to know.

Personally, I started this diet without the recommendation of any doctors, simply because I had seen proof positive results in other research. Many people will try to convince you that it's a little extreme but honestly, no one needs gluten or casein to live. Infact, I think almost everyone would be better by eliminating a lot of gluten out of their diets. Your child should definitely take vitamins and eat healthy calcium rich food. If you bring this issue up with most physicians they will think you're bananas anyways. Go with your gut.

Good luck with everything!

Well, there is a lot of great advice here... I have celiac disease (and have to stick to a GF diet) and would like to give you some quick food advice that you can use now while you are researching the details of the GF/CF diet and the other info given below by the other ladies.

I don't use a lot of "GF Products" that you can buy at specialty stores. I eat a lot of meat and vegetables and a lot of rice, potatoes and corn products. There are a million different ways you can make rice and potatoes (different seasonings/baked, mashed, fried, etc...) (I've also recently discovered that I really LOVE jasmine rice!) I love corn bread and corn tortillas - which you can use for sandwhiches as well as mexican food. And, if you need to thicken soup or make gravy or whatever, use cornstarch instead of flour. I am kind of picky when it comes to the GF products made to be substitutes for the real thing, but the Gluten Free Gourmet has the best boxed cake mix for angel food cake!!! I actually like it much better than the traditional recipe! It isn't as fluffy but it is hands down the best tasting! You can find it at most health food stores but I've also seen it at Randall's and HEB.

Just a little side note, I agree with one of the moms that suggested waiting until after testing is done before changing your child's diet. I am not sure about the casein allergies/sensitivities, but if there is a gluten intolerance, it is often detected if there are certain antibodies built up in the blood which is found after gluten has been consumed.

I hope you are able to find the information and support you both need! Good luck and God bless!

Best of luck with the insuance and all.

Just FYI...Homemade Gourmet has a list of our mixes that are Gluten Free. They are easy to make and very yummy!

Blessings,
M.
http://www.homemadegourmet.com/marylou