A 2008 Natural Awakenings Article by Renée
“Success with Dietary Intervention for Asperger Syndrome” By Renee Osterhouse
Oddly enough when we discovered that our oldest daughter had Asperger Syndrome, it was a good thing: We were determined to help her and the discovery answered many of the questions we had regarding our child’s behavior. Asperger Syndrome is an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Instinct told us something in her personal environment was causing, or at least aggravating, her symptoms. She had fleeting moments of unexplained clarity. When she was seven, we removed most dairy from her diet, which seemed to help temporarily. However, her symptoms soon returned, although not as severe.
In our attempts to determine what was causing our daughter’s symptoms, we removed all preservatives and hydrogenated oils. We replaced all ducts in our air-conditioning, threw out all of our non-stick cookware and placed an air purifier in her bedroom. We started drinking quality water, free of fluoride and chlorine, and we avoided refined sugars and artificial coloring as well.
When I started researching Asperger Syndrome, it didn’t take long before I learned of gluten and casein and their connection to autism. I found the book Feast Without Yeast: 4 Stages to Better Health at our local health food store and learned more about yeast/ Candida overpopulation. Eventually, through Bruce Fife’s book, Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut, I learned about the healing benefits of coconut oil, as well as the ability to restore balance in the gut by controlling Candida.
In April 2007, armed with this new information, we put our daughter on an even more restricted diet: gluten-, casein- and yeast-free with avoiding or limiting any foods that may contain high levels of aspergillus. Within a few days we started to notice a difference. Within a few weeks it was incredible. Now, the difference is profound. And I am pleased to say our little author has written a fifteen chapter book. For the first time in her life, she was able to complete homework on her own and was an honor student throughout the school year. list.
Before the dietary intervention, she couldn’t read two pages without extreme effort. Now she will read for hours if we let her. Her list of symptoms went on forever: brain fog, lethargy, sinusitis, headaches, stomach aches, repetitive speech patterns. eyes darting, occasional unresponsiveness, and hearing difficulties- this is the short list. She also had some gross and fine motor skill difficulties. The worst were the ground-shaking meltdowns that lasted until she would fall asleep. They were not temper tantrums; they were more like emotional breakdowns that she clearly couldn’t control, which would occur at least every other day.
Before the dietary adjustments, she had improved little in her three years of speech therapy. However, at present her speech is improving rapidly, her vocabulary has quadrupled and all physically painful symptoms are gone. Her hearing is normal. People are able to engage her in conversations and she will initiate conversation as well. Her speech therapist believes one more year of speech therapy will be sufficient.
To help with her motor function she will receive some minor physical therapy. We also have started a children’s yoga program that we believe will be beneficial. Out of support for our daughter’s diet, the whole family has participated, and as a result, feels better. Our youngest daughters asthma symptoms have minimized and my own frequent headaches have disappeared.
I can say with confidence that our daughter is recovering. She is now a bright, happy and focused child. Interesting enough, when tested for allergies to dairy, wheat, and yeast, the results were negative I feel compelled to point this out as I believe she has sensitivities to these things and it is not defined as a typical allergy. I understand that not everyone will get these results, but I have to believe that if a drowning person is thrown a life preserver, they will take it.
