more help re my son possible diagnosis

Pop_Up_Pirate

Lots of research now points to diet as a cause for Autistic Spectrum disorders, ADHD, personality disorders, depression etc.
Far too many papers to link but search for Ketogenic Diet and Autism, or Low Carb and you will find a ton of research on the subject.

Many kids with AS Disorders are deficient in many key nutrients such as omega 3 and Vitamin D which are both vitally important to brain health.
Also, magnesium.

They have also shown that gluten affects Autism.
Cutting out refined carbs and sugars is also a must.

The diet is harder work than a 'normal' diet but the benefits are astounding. 3 month minimum needed to get the body back into shape.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Pop_Up_Pirate wrote: »

They have also shown that gluten affects Autism.
Cutting out refined carbs and sugars is also a must.

Do you have any links to reputable peer reviewed evidence for this? I can only find quack sites when searching for "gluten affects autism", or articles saying this is anecdotal and not supported by statistically significant data.

Pop_Up_Pirate

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

Do you have any links to reputable peer reviewed evidence for this? I can only find quack sites when searching for "gluten affects autism", or articles saying this is anecdotal and not supported by statistically significant data.

This is a link to autism.com and what they say about the rise of autistic disorders over the last 40 or so years and the direct link to diet. They include some links for further reading too.
https://www.autism.com/treating_diets

But, there are 100s of research papers done on AS disorders and diets...much more empirical evidence than I can link in.
Yes, avoid the blogs or so called health sites. But also a lot of so called medical sites don't have all their information together when it comes to the diet and its affect on us all.

Gluten, sugar, dairy and processed foods are the big ones along with others. Avoid all soy. And then you need to add in a ton of what is missing. Some supplements are not so good so again, plenty of research. Omega 3s for example should be in the triglyceride form and they are more expensive. Alternatively, more salmon

http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/gfcf-diet-basics/

AylesburyDuck

Are you on Facebook iammumtoone?
As with a couple of others on here i agree it sounds like ASD, (Aspergers being included in there too).
There is a fantastic closed group for UK parents on there if you are interested in me messaging you the link, one of the admins contacts you to ask about your situation, and confirm you are suited to the group, and there are members on there with undiagnosed children and the help you can get from other parents that have gone through it and can help with advice is just fantastic.
Even if it just a shoulder you know there are parents there who understand and have worn the t shirt.
Just drop me a PM if you want it.

iammumtoone

Pop_Up_Pirate wrote: »

Lots of research now points to diet as a cause for Autistic Spectrum disorders, ADHD, personality disorders, depression etc.
Far too many papers to link but search for Ketogenic Diet and Autism, or Low Carb and you will find a ton of research on the subject.

Many kids with AS Disorders are deficient in many key nutrients such as omega 3 and Vitamin D which are both vitally important to brain health.
Also, magnesium.

They have also shown that gluten affects Autism.
Cutting out refined carbs and sugars is also a must.

The diet is harder work than a 'normal' diet but the benefits are astounding. 3 month minimum needed to get the body back into shape.

Yes I agree that is certainly one thing that has to change for my son. I have been waiting for help with this, that and sleep are the the things I will be asking for help with.

He has an extremely limited bland diet, he will not eat much, the slightest change in anything he detects. He will not eat anything slightly burnt even on the foods he likes. He will only have one type of most foods, notices if I change the brand without telling him etc. I believe it is a sensory issue he is the same with clothes, takes them off as soon as he gets in the house. Tells me it hurts when I cut his nails (just his nails - he can actually feel it! always been like it I used to think when he was younger and would scream he was just being awkward/difficult it wasn't until he was old enough to explain I understood why he was like that).

I have tried if you leave a child long enough they won't starve and left it all day, thats as much as I can manage as of course the lack of food then makes him more irritable and prone to tantrums. He gags when he does try new things.

I do know that his food issue can be worked on and will be able to get better but I need help with it.

iammumtoone

AylesburyDuck wrote: »

Are you on Facebook iammumtoone?

Thank you but I don't do Facebook.

When you say closed group does that meant than none of my other friends on Facebook would know about the group (including that I joined) and wouldn't be able to see my posts?

I do have an old account that might be worth digging up to join.

iammumtoone

On another note why are those who are helpful to us in these situation being PPR'd

Person-one was great in that they told me to the point tactfully and without judgement, sometimes people need to hear what they don't want to and as long as posters aren't nasty with it, this forum needs those that so that.

Suki was another one who gave some great advice on my other thread but has also now gone.

AylesburyDuck

iammumtoone wrote: »

Thank you but I don't do Facebook.

When you say closed group does that meant than none of my other friends on Facebook would know about the group (including that I joined) and wouldn't be able to see my posts?

I do have an old account that might be worth digging up to join.

Correct,
Closed group means totally private.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Pop_Up_Pirate wrote: »

This is a link to autism.com and what they say about the rise of autistic disorders over the last 40 or so years and the direct link to diet. They include some links for further reading too.
https://www.autism.com/treating_diets

/

Following your link to "the science behind the GF Brochure", this document lists some studies, but none more recent than 2005.

Has there been any follow-up to this 2014 meta-analysis, which described evidence on this topic as "limited and weak"?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24789114

I am labouring the point as I don't think it's helpful for the OP to have to start worrying about enforcing fad diets on top of everything else.

OP: what does your son enjoy/what is he good at? Do you base hobbies and social encounters around this? Could you harness this as an approach to learning? Also, now is the time to start investigating what SEN provisions there are at his prospective secondary school.

[Deleted User]

Reading your posts is like extracting most of my children's life at school. My older son (now 20) was diagnosed with aspergers and dyspraxia at 11 and 8 years). I knew there was more to it.. but even CAHMs denied it. Now he's 20, he's been assessed by the Royal Maudsley (top knotch MH unit) as having ADHD and anxiety as well.

But even with the diagnosis, his primary school SENCO's kept saying he showed no abnormailities in school, even though he too kept running out of school, would be extremely resistant to going to school and still can't write manually (at 20).

My younger son is now 10. Same thing again, primary school refused to see his inability to write, called him naughty rather than having a diagnosable challenge. He was diagnosed with ASD. Can't get him diagnosed with dyspraxia in spite of showing writing problems of an unusual nature because my local HA will only assess once he's done 50 hours of BEAM and 6 weeks of Happy Fingers.., which neither of the school he's attended do.

BUT having said that, I had him for five years in the first school, finally gave up after they pushed it too far (put him in a class with a 'shouty' unapproachable teacher, school refusal became a real problem). He's now in another school, much happier and actually has a lot of different friends for the first time in his life. He's even started telling the teacher when he's stressed (first step to developing coping strategies).

But even now, I suspect he will need reassessing later on.

Its a long journey I'm afraid.

I don't have a problem with diagnosis.., your son may show some symptoms on the ASD SPECTRUM.., which may include aspects of ADHD (which is on the spectrum). It may be he has more aspects of ASD. But you may have to push to get this looked at.

I viewed diagnosis as a step towards knowing how to help my sons develop ways of overcoming their challenges. But even with diagnosis, they still have to be in a school that will deal with these challenges.

Both of my sons are also highly intelligent.

I hope this helps.

If you see a thread I started today, older son has just been accepted at Roehampton University. Its taken endless hours of stress, research, and lots of home schooling to add to what official school does.., but challenges can be overcome.