We started Zed on the gluten-free casein-free diet about six weeks ago although, truthfully, the first week or so shouldn't count because that time was spent deprogramming Zoey (the girl had a bad habit about leaving her food in his reach). I was skeptical of the diet, but since it wasn't something that would harm him, I agreed to give it a shot.
But now? I'm a believer.
His complexion has cleared up considerably since starting the diet. Zed has always had problems with eczema on his face (in the winter months, his cheeks look almost like he's been scalded). But since starting the diet, he has had only one or two breakouts and both of those have been relatively minor.
His concentration has improved considerably since starting the diet (even his teachers have commented on his improved concentration over the past weeks). Of course, it might be that he's getting used to the school and their requirements. During this timeframe, he's also been placed with new speech and education therapists. So while it's hard to pinpoint the exact cause of his improved concentration (when you throw everything at the wall at once, it's hard to tell what is helping and what is not), I feel the diet has played a big role.
He has actually started eating more foods and larger portions since starting the diet. Even though Zoey, Ella, and I think most of the gf/cf food tastes like crap, he really enjoys it. He even loves his little fake grilled cheese sandwiches with the fake bread and fake cheese that doesn't melt worth a damn. If anyone has any recipes, online places to order food, etc., please drop me a line. Especially cheap and reliable online stores. If you can keep me from setting foot in another Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, I'll be your best friend for life.
There are a ton of therapies, products, and services available that claim to "treat" or "heal" or "cure" autism. Some are legit while others are snake oil salesmen trying to cash in on hope. While nothing has been proven to consistently work (if something truly cured autism, you would be handed the magic elixir when you received the diagnosis), there are people who believe strongly in each product/method. But what works for some might not work for you. You can quickly go insane and broke trying everything out there.
Update: I'm a moron. For some reason (probably because I was watching the Yankees lose to the Sox for the second day in a row), I wrote recipes above. What I'm really looking for is prepackaged foods-- snacks, frozen stuff, etc. We've found chicken nuggets that he loves, some cookies, and some other things, but we're always on the lookout for more. If you have any products you recommend (but no crackers or chips; he's never liked either), please leave a comment or send me an email. Thanks!
Song of the day: Sausalito Summernight by Diesel
The Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Taste-Free Diet
