Autism question...

Tea-and-Cake_3

We have recently discovered that my dd has aspergers although I had always suspected it. A family member is driving me to distraction wanting us to start implementing a "cure" by means of a special diet (gaps or gluten and casein free). I am at the stage of trying to accept my daughters condition and find out what support is available to our dd and ourselves to help but I don't believe this is curable? Correct me if I am wrong. It is adding an awful lot of pressure and unecessary stress at an already overwhelming time. This family member is convinced, having read a few books, that this condition is the result of an unhealthy gut and therefore can be healed by healing the gut! I need to hear from other parents what if anything you tried, did it work, did it not etc My feeling is that the best thing to do is accept my dd's condition and try to keep her calm and happy and healthy and so on rather that frantically turning our lives upside down trying to change her... we love her for who she is but is it wrong not to try dietary changes etc?

What are your experiences please?

kloana

Tea-and-Cake wrote: »

this condition is the result of an unhealthy gut and therefore can be healed by healing the gut!

There's a bit of evidence to suggest that ASD individuals are more likely to suffer from various 'gut' ailments - but as a possible effect, not a cause.

As far as I'm aware, ASD cannot be 'cured' by diet alone (or by anything, actually). Have you spoken to your GP about this side of things? More to the point, does your DD actually have any gastrointestinal issues that would warrant treatment (autism aside)?

Mojisola

Tea-and-Cake wrote: »

My feeling is that the best thing to do is accept my dd's condition and try to keep her calm and happy and healthy and so on rather that frantically turning our lives upside down trying to change her... we love her for who she is but is it wrong not to try dietary changes etc?

If a family member had diabetes, wouldn't you try to improve their health by making dietary changes?

There is some research going on into the benefits of dietary changes and supplements. I would read up on the research myself first and introduce gradual changes if it sounds as if they would help. Why wouldn't you?

Be prepared for other people to suggest miracle cures. I've got ME and have had no end of people telling me that they've read an article or book and someone's ME was cured within days because they did x, y or z.

Own_My_Own

My ds has aspergers and eats nearly nothing, so diet has nothing to do with it. (In my opinion)
When he was diagnosed at 16 everyone had an opinion and it drove me mad, you have my full sympathy. Just nod, smile and ignore. (Most of them)

Ds is now nearly 20 and things are a lot better. He is not embarrassed to say he doesn't understand something, and we have learnt to speak to him in clear sentences.(But not slowly, as he thinks people that do that think he is dim). We just don't use sayings.

HTH OMO

lallysmum

My son is autistic, he's 6 - possibly more to the aspergers side of the spectrum. I use social stories, visual timetables, visual aids, books and massive amounts of talking about stuff to make him "better."

I'd tell the family member to !!!!!! off personally.

(That was b**g*r off.. not the F word!)

Funky_Bold_Ribena

Own_My_Own wrote: »

My ds has aspergers and eats nearly nothing, so diet has nothing to do with it. (In my opinion)
When he was diagnosed at 16 everyone had an opinion and it drove me mad, you have my full sympathy. Just nod, smile and ignore. (Most of them)

Ds is now nearly 20 and things are a lot better. He is not embarrassed to say he doesn't understand something, and we have learnt to speak to him in clear sentences.(But not slowly, as he thinks people that do that think he is dim). We just don't use sayings.

HTH OMO

Taught him, surely? Not learnt him.

lallysmum

Funky_Bold_Ribena wrote: »

Taught him, surely? Not learnt him.

Taught to speak to him... or learnt to speak to him..

I love it when people try to be clever and fail abysmally! lol

Annisele

Funky_Bold_Ribena wrote: »

Taught him, surely? Not learnt him.

In this case I think OwnMyOwn has things the right way round. Sometimes it's the neuro-typical family members who need to learn new behaviours, not the person with autism.

aliasojo

Funky_Bold_Ribena wrote: »

Taught him, surely? Not learnt him.

I think you may have read that wrongly?

Own_My_Own

Own_My_Own wrote: »

My ds has aspergers and eats nearly nothing, so diet has nothing to do with it. (In my opinion)
When he was diagnosed at 16 everyone had an opinion and it drove me mad, you have my full sympathy. Just nod, smile and ignore. (Most of them)

Ds is now nearly 20 and things are a lot better. He is not embarrassed to say he doesn't understand something, and we have learnt to speak to him in clear sentences.(But not slowly, as he thinks people that do that think he is dim). We just don't use sayings.

HTH OMO

Funky_Bold_Ribena wrote: »

Taught him, surely? Not learnt him.

No, we definitely learnt how to speak to him differently. We didn't teach him anything.

ETA missed the last 3 posts.

RAS

Funky_Bold_Ribena wrote: »

Taught him, surely? Not learnt him.

Hoist by your own petard