Autism treatment: Can special diets help?

Can special diets help children with autism? A friend told us that his nephew's autism improved when gluten and casein were restricted from his diet.

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Answer

There's no evidence that special diets, such as restricting certain foods, are an effective treatment for autism.

Autism is a complex brain disorder that has no known cure. For this reason, many frustrated parents turn to unproven alternative treatments in an attempt to help their children. The most popular of these alternative treatments are diets that eliminate gluten or casein, or both.

Proponents of restrictive diets believe that casein, a protein found in dairy products, and gluten, a protein found in many grains, affect brain development and behavior, causing autism in some children. However, there's no scientific evidence that this is true or that restricting these foods improves autism. Furthermore, restrictive diets can result in nutritional deficiencies in growing children.

Parents should talk to their child's doctor before starting any alternative autism treatment. Although no cure for autism exists, early behavioral and educational interventions can help children with autism improve their communication and social skills.

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