Autism question...

aliasojo

Own_My_Own wrote: »

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

ETA missed the last 4 posts.

Couldn't you just have done it nicely? :D

meritaten

I wouldn't say there is a 'cure' for Aspergers. It isn't an illness its a condition you are born with. Sure, life can be improved, but whether that is by diet hasn't been well researched as yet. There is nothing wrong with making sure that he eats healthily, but a good balanced diet. Don't cut out items unless you are sure that he is allergic or intolerant to them.

by the way FBR, the poster has it correct 'They have learned to......'!

Dogger69

Own_My_Own wrote: »

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

ETA missed the last 3 posts.

* Definitely

OP, who made the diagnosis, and what support are they offering?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Tea-and-Cake wrote: »

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?

Any medical condition or difference carries a bandwagon of quacks and snake oil sellers. And their ardent fans.


How you react to them is entirely your decision; a simple 'thank you' is enough for most - and then ignore them.

Save the slightly more colourful responses for those who don't know when to shut up. For those, block their number or refuse to speak to them about it. For a start, it's not your diagnosis, it's DD's. Perhaps she wouldn't like her information shared and being the subject of conversation with distant relatives, now or in the future?


[I am NOT having a go at you - but it being rude/a breach of DD's privacy to discuss it might be a way of shutting down the onslaught of unqualified medical advice?

Tigsteroonie

AFAIK autism cannot be cured, but some studies have show that certain alternative therapies can improve behaviour. Whether you want to read and trust those studies and try some of the therapies, that is up to you.

My father has strong views about the benefits of some therapies (he's really keen on O2 therapy) but does not impose those views on us with regards to our son; occasionally he will send me links to websites but just for me to read and think about.

I'm actually thinking about trying the GFCF diet with our son as he seems particularly 'hyper' after eating yoghurt. I'm waiting until half-term so that he's not at nursery (where they rely on yoghurt as one of the few things he'll eat); and if his behaviour shows consistent improvement then I'll look into goats milk or soya based yoghurt instead.

Mojisola

Own_My_Own wrote: »

My ds has aspergers and eats nearly nothing, so diet has nothing to do with it. (In my opinion)

The links that are being made isn't with the food you eat as in allergies but the bacteria living in the gut. You can make changes to your gut flora by changing what you eat or you can take supplements. If something so simple can be shown to make someone's life easier, it's hard to see why you wouldn't try it.

With someone new to an illness or condition, I would recommend taking plenty of time to learn about the subject, make contact with other families and benefit from their experience and read up on current research before making any major changes.

Don't let well-meaning friends or relatives pressurise you into doing things you're not comfortable with.

Own_My_Own

Dogger69 wrote: »

* Definitely

OP, who made the diagnosis, and what support are they offering?

That's the last time I ask dd if the spell check on this laptop is correct. And she is expected to get an A in English Language this year.:rotfl:

Will go back and try again.

fluffnutter

By all means, have an overhaul of your daughter's diet (and whilst you're at it , the whole family's). It's good to eat well - the benefits are far-reaching. But it's not a cure for autism. But you know that already.

I think the real issue is your coming to terms with the diagnosis and making sure you're doing everything you can to support your daughter and how to 'arm' yourself about opinions and advice that other family members might have. I think the diet thing is a bit of an irrelevancy - this family member might just as easily be suggesting you try some new type of therapy or drug or whatever - the issue is that they're not allowing you to deal with things in your own way.

You don't mention what relation this family member is to you. If it's someone close, like a parent, then you're going to need to manage their expectations gently. They're probably shocked and upset by the diagnosis and are trying to come to terms with it in their own way. People love to think that cures exist and will pursue the most bizarre ideas out of hope and desperation. Be kind to them, include them in talks about your daughter and how you're going to manage things as a family. If it's not someone close, then ignore them.

Good luck. You sound a lovely, caring parent and I bet your daughter will be just fine.

Funky_Bold_Ribena

Own_My_Own wrote: »

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

ETA missed the last 3 posts.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I've put my glasses on now!

Where's the Doh! smilie :doh:

meritaten

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

AFAIK autism cannot be cured, but some studies have show that certain alternative therapies can improve behaviour. Whether you want to read and trust those studies and try some of the therapies, that is up to you.

My father has strong views about the benefits of some therapies (he's really keen on O2 therapy) but does not impose those views on us with regards to our son; occasionally he will send me links to websites but just for me to read and think about.

I'm actually thinking about trying the GFCF diet with our son as he seems particularly 'hyper' after eating yoghurt. I'm waiting until half-term so that he's not at nursery (where they rely on yoghurt as one of the few things he'll eat); and if his behaviour shows consistent improvement then I'll look into goats milk or soya based yoghurt instead.

My youngest was dairy intolerant which was a factor in his hyperactivity - but it did develop into a real allergy to dairy. you can ask for testing under the nhs if you keep a food diary for a month or so and can show differences in his behaviour/health both with or without yoghurt.
btw - you can purchase ewes milk yoghurt which even dairy allergic people can tolerate! its nice too!!!!!!