FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK FACTSHEET
Autism, Asperger Syndrome and Failsafe
Does the failsafe diet work for children
with autism?
There are many diets - such
as the GFCF - offered for autistic children, but parents often tell us report
that failsafe is the most effective diet they have found. Autistic children can
improve right out of the autistic category. We find that children with autism
have the same risk profile as any other children with behaviour problems:
salicylates, preservatives, amines, MSG and colours are the main problems, in
that order, as well as dairy foods, wheat, gluten and environmental chemicals
if symptoms are severe. What this means in practice is that some autistic children
will need to be gluten free and dairy free but some will not; most will react
to salicylates, but some won't. You need to find which food chemicals provoke
your child's problems, through systematic elimination and challenge.
Research: autism, diet and 'clean room'
A study of nearly 50
autistic children found that the children's symptoms appeared to be 'fully
reversible' with a combination of diet and avoidance of volatile organic
compounds. 'The children in the program (universal diet and clean room) returned
to normal', said Dr Slimak. She commented that a broad spectrum of severe and
chronic autistic symptoms appear to be caused by chronic exposure to volatile
organic compounds. See full abstract below. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
are organic chemicals, meaning they consist mostly of carbon and hydrogen,
which can turn into gases at room temperature, move around by diffusion, and
may settle out again at lower temperatures. Pesticides, perfumes and solvents
are all VOCs. For more details, see the Factsheet Fumes & Perfumes.
"Clean Room" is a specific term for a room that is free of all
organic chemicals.
Food-induced autism
Our failsafe contact in
Two mother's stories about Asperger
Syndrome.
[271] Sound sensitivity
improves on diet (June 2003)
We discovered failsafe over
a year ago when my son Liam was four. Ironically, because of the failsafe
internet support group he was diagnosed with Asperger's a while later.
He used to hate loud sounds
and either shut down, cringing in a corner with his hands over his ears, or
more often, he rose above it with the most aggressive behaviour and loudest
noise he could muster. One time I had the blender on for one minute and he
screamed and threw a chair across the room, quietening down as soon as I turned
it off. This has dramatically reduced now. It was not instantaneous with the
introduction of diet but somewhere in the course of last year it improved. I have
found that this is the improvement which most intrigues other parents of
autistic kids. Liam still doesn't like loud noises such as fire alarms but he
is content to hold his hands over his ears.
For Liam, the diet has been
like unfogging his brain and allowing him to catch up where he is delayed,
mainly socially and in his emotions. But the most interesting thing was
watching his drawing develop. When he first started kindy, he drew like a two
year old, all scribbles. After he started the diet, his drawing just took off
and in a matter of months we watched him improve to above his age level.
Literally every week there were new dimensions. It was so exciting and a very
visible reminder of how the diet now allowed him to develop.
Liam is gluten, dairy and egg
free as well as failsafe and he has soy only once every four days. I could not
say he is perfect, but he is light years ahead of where we were. - Caroline
(finb and Failsafe discussion groups)
[441] Tim's world (shadowings of Asperger's) (August 2006)
When we had our son Tim
assessed for Asperger's, we found that his way of viewing the world was
different from ours. The tests highlighted his strengths such as maths, eg he
scored 17 out of a possible 19 for this area, comprehension and reading skills.
They also highlighted his weaknesses in motor coordination and his differing
ability in various social situations.
Tim's world can be black
and white. He doesn't cope well to change and is like a sponge soaking up
written information. He was described as a little adult trapped inside a
child's body. This can vary from day to day, depending whether Tim is in what I
call 'child mode', happy to play with trucks and toys and his brother, or
'adult mode', needs specific jobs to do, be busy, needs to know and plan ahead.
Tim's overall score fell
just a few points short of the criteria for diagnosis. When this happens, the
person is described as having shadowings or ghostings of Asperger's, that is,
enough of the traits to be a huge concern. This has helped us to find ideas and
strategies to cope with his condition.
An occupational therapist
with a special interest in sensory/tactile areas explained such things as why
Tim likes to wear specific clothes, bounces up and down, spins (though this
only happens every now and then) and why his hearing and sense of smell are so
acute. These actions and sometime making noise help Tim balance himself. We
were advised not to stop these actions, but find ways of directing them into a
more socially acceptable form eg bouncing on a trampoline.
Overall, if we can improve
his motor skills, his social skills and behaviour will improve.
Tim struggled socially at
school last year, but this year things seem much better. We have had friends
around to play, though I'm always on hand to help direct the play and social
skills needed for a happy afternoon, and I can honestly say Tim is not the
lonely little boy he was eight months ago.
My advice to other parents
who feel there is something different about their beautiful child, but no one
will seem to listen: don't give up. We were patted on the head by doctors for
three and a half years ('he's just highly strung, he will grow into himself ' -
what a great help that was!) and it was my own sister who suggested Asperger's
due to an article she had read.
Having put a name to and
found a reason for Tim's behaviour has empowered us to help our beautiful,
bright and unique child to be happy. Tim seems sensitive to any artificial
products, either additives or smells. We have seen him react to smells such as
air fresheners and roadwork smells such as tar. We were also told to watch if
his ears go red as this can often be a warning that something is not agreeing
with him chemically and we have found this to be true. He can eat salicylates
but is limited on amines. - Elaine (pekeely@cybanet.net.au)
Ethan’s diet
Before
Darani from
A
nutritional analysis of his diet showed that Ethan's daily intakes of calcium,
iron, A, B and C vitamins and other nutrients were all above the recommended
intake, especially folate which was more than four times the recommended level.
See below for Ethan's menu. In particular, the hearty chicken noodle soup/stew
(recipe in the Failsafe booklet) which was a mainstay of his diet - he ate a serve nearly every day - was found
to be highly nutritious.
Breakfast:
Soy smoothie with soymilk, carob powder, pear and egg or gf toasted bread or
rice flake porridge with pear puree and soymilk
Lunch
at school: 4 rice cakes, home-made hummus or chickpeas and cashew with carob or
gluten free sandwich with rissoles
Morning
/afternoon tea: soy yoghurt or pear muffin (Margie's lunchbox muffins) or baked
muesli slice or pureed pear icypole or packet plain crisps (only on treat days)
Dinner:
hearty chicken noodle soup (see recipe below) or spaghetti with failsafe
topping or baked dinner or rice crumbed chicken nuggets and chips or mince and
potato casserole with hidden green vegies
Darani's
hearty chicken noodle soup/stew
This
highly nutritious meal was 3 year old Ethan's favourite during his elimination
diet and he ate it nearly every day.
1 whole free-range chicken
1 leek (halved lengthways)
1 tsp salt
1 cup red lentils
12 brussel sprouts or approx 1/2
cabbage
1 swede
4-6 sticks celery
4-6 shallots
1 cup frozen green beans
375g pkt Orgran rice and corn (5%)
spaghetti noodles or Fantastic rice noodles
Place
chicken in pot with leek and enough water to cover, add salt, bring to the boil
and simmer until cooked through, about 45 minutes. Remove chicken and allow to
cool a little. Strain stock, return to pot and add red lentils, then washed and
finely chopped vegetables. Gently simmer until well cooked, about one hour.
Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from chicken, finely chop or process and
return to pot with vegetables. Add noodles and cook for a further 10-15
minutes. This usually makes enough to fill about 8 rectangular Chinese
take-away containers (2 serves in each for my son) which I then freeze and use
as needed. Soup is very thick, more like stew really, and can be watered down a
little if preferred.- Darani
Note
that you can blend this soup (without the noodles) for extra fussy eaters.
FOR MORE DETAILS:
You can see Darani and Ethan in
the interviews on our DVD
Ask Darani for a booklet of
Ethan's recipes, email: darani@xceltek.net.au
See more recipes in the Failsafe
Booklet under FAILSAFE EATING on www.fedup.com.au.
Teaching Tips for Children and Adults
with Autism
Dr Temple Grandin is
probably the most famous autistic person in the world. Now assistant professor
at
Good teachers helped me to
achieve success. I was able to overcome autism because I had good teachers. At
age 2 1/2 I was placed in a structured nursery school with experienced
teachers. From an early age I was taught to have good manners and to behave at
the dinner table. Children with autism need to have a structured day, and
teachers who know how to be firm but gentle.
Between the ages of 2 1/4
and 5 my day was structured, and I was not allowed to tune out. I had 45
minutes of one-to-one speech therapy five days a week, and my mother hired a
nanny who spent three to four hours a day playing games with me and my sister.
She taught 'turn taking' during play activities. When we made a snowman, she
had me roll the bottom ball; and then my sister had to make the next part. At
mealtimes, every-body ate together; and I was not allowed to do any
"stims." The only time I was allowed to revert back to autistic
behaviour was during a one-hour rest period after lunch. The combination of the
nursery school, speech therapy, play activities, and "miss manners"
meals added up to 40 hours a week, where my brain was kept connected to the
world.
1.) Many people with autism
are visual thinkers. I think in pictures. I do not think in language. All my
thoughts are like videotapes running in my imagination. Pictures are my first
language, and words are my second language. Nouns were the easiest words to
learn because I could make a picture in my mind of the word. To learn words
like "up" or "down," the teacher should demonstrate them to
the child. For example, take a toy airplane and say "up" as you make
the airplane takeoff from a desk. Some children will learn better if cards with
the words "up" and "down" are attached to the toy airplane.
The "up" card is attached when the plane takes off. The
"down" card is attached when it lands.
2.) Avoid long strings of
verbal instructions. People with autism have problems with remembering the
sequence. If the child can read, write the instructions down on a piece of
paper. I am unable to remember sequences. If I ask for directions at a gas
station, I can only remember three steps. Directions with more than three steps
have to be written down. I also have difficulty remembering phone numbers
because I cannot make a picture in my mind.
3.) Many children with
autism are good at drawing, art and computer programming. These talent areas
should be encouraged. I think there needs to be much more emphasis on developing
the child's talents. Talents can be turned into skills that can be used for
future employment.
4.) Many autistic children
get fixated on one subject such as trains or maps. The best way to deal with
fixations is to use them to motivate school work. If the child likes trains,
then use trains to teach reading and math. Read a book about a train and do
math problems with trains. For example, calculate how long it takes for a train
to go between
5.) Use concrete visual
methods to teach number concepts. My parents gave me a math toy which helped me
to learn numbers. It consisted of a set of blocks which had a different length
and a different color for the numbers one through ten. With this I learned how
to add and subtract. To learn fractions my teacher had a wooden apple that was
cut up into four pieces and a wooden pear that was cut in half. From this I
learned the concept of quarters and halves.
6.) I had the worst
handwriting in my class. Many autistic children have problems with motor
control in their hands. Neat handwriting is sometimes very hard. This can
totally frustrate the child. To reduce frustration and help the child to enjoy
writing, let him type on the computer. Typing is often much easier.
7.) Some autistic children will
learn reading more easily with phonics, and others will learn best by
memorizing whole words. I learned with phonics. My mother taught me the phonics
rules and then had me sound out my words. Children with lots of echolalia will
often learn best if flash cards and picture books are used so that the whole
words are associated with pictures. It is important to have the picture and the
printed word on the same side of the card. When teaching nouns the child must
hear you speak the word and view the picture and printed word simultaneously.
An example of teaching a verb would be to hold a card that says
"jump," and you would jump up and down while saying "jump."
8.) When I was a child,
loud sounds like the school bell hurt my ears like a dentist drill hitting a
nerve. Children with autism need to be protected from sounds that hurt their
ears. The sounds that will cause the most problems are school bells, PA
systems, buzzers on the score board in the gym, and the sound of chairs
scraping on the floor. In many cases the child will be able to tolerate the
bell or buzzer if it is muffled slightly by stuffing it with tissues or duct
tape. Scraping chairs can be silenced by placing slit tennis balls on the ends
of the legs or installing carpet. A child may fear a certain room because he is
afraid he may be suddenly subjected to squealing microphone feedback from the
PA system. The fear of a dreaded sound can cause bad behaviour. If a child
covers his ears, it is an indicator that a certain sound hurts his ears. Sometimes
sound sensitivity to a particular sound, such as the fire alarm, can be
desensitized by recording the sound on a tape recorder. This will allow the
child to initiate the sound and gradually increase its volume. The child must
have control of playback of the sound.
9.) Some autistic people
are bothered by visual distractions and fluorescent lights. They can see the
flicker of the 60-cycle electricity. To avoid this problem, place the child's
desk near the window or try to avoid using fluorescent lights. If the lights
cannot be avoided, use the newest bulbs you can get. New bulbs flicker less.
The flickering of fluorescent lights can also be reduced by putting a lamp with
an old-fashioned incandescent light bulb next to the child's desk.
10.) Some hyperactive
autistic children who fidget all the time will often be calmer if they are
given a padded weighted vest to wear. Pressure from the garment helps to calm
the nervous system. I was greatly calmed by pressure. For best results, the
vest should be worn for twenty minutes and then taken off for a few minutes.
This prevents the nervous system from adapting to it.
11.) Some individuals with
autism will respond better and have improved eye contact and speech if the teacher
interacts with them while they are swinging on a swing or rolled up in a mat.
Sensory input from swinging or pressure from the mat sometimes helps to improve
speech. Swinging should always be done as a fun game. It must NEVER be forced.
12.) Some children and
adults can sing better than they can speak. They may respond better if words
and sentences are sung to them. Some children with extreme sound sensitivity
will respond better if the teacher talks to them in a low whisper.
13.) Some nonverbal children
and adults cannot process visual and auditory input at the same time. They are
mono-channel. They cannot see and hear at the same time. They should not be
asked to look and listen at the same time. They should be given either a visual
task or an auditory task. Their immature nervous system is not able to process
simultaneous visual and auditory input.
14.) In older nonverbal
children and adults touch is often their most reliable sense. It is often
easier for them to feel. Letters can be taught by letting them feel plastic
letters. They can learn their daily schedule by feeling objects a few minutes
before a scheduled activity. For example, fifteen minutes before lunch give the
person a spoon to hold. Let them hold a toy car a few minutes before going in
the car.
15.) Some children and
adults with autism will learn more easily if the computer keyboard is placed
close to the screen. This enables the individual to simultaneously see the
keyboard and screen. Some individuals have difficulty remembering if they have
to look up after they have hit a key on the keyboard.
16.) Nonverbal children and
adults will find it easier to associate words with pictures if they see the
printed word and a picture on a flashcard. Some individuals do not understand
line drawings, so it is recommended to work with real objects and photos first.
The picture and the word must be on the same side of the card.
17.) Some autistic
individuals do not know that speech is used for communication. Language
learning can be facilitated if language exercises promote communication. If the
child asks for a cup, then give him a cup. If the child asks for a plate, when
he wants a cup, give him a plate. The individual needs to learn that when he
says words, concrete things happen. It is easier for an individual with autism
to learn that their words are wrong if the incorrect word resulted in the
incorrect object.
18.) Many individuals with
autism have difficulty using a computer mouse. Try a roller ball (or tracking
ball) pointing device that has a separate button for clicking. Autistics with
motor control problems in their hands find it very difficult to hold the mouse
still during clicking.
19.) Children who have
difficulty understanding speech have a hard time differentiating between hard consonant
sounds such as 'D' in dog and 'L' in log. My speech teacher helped me to learn
to hear these sounds by stretching out and enunciating hard consonant sounds.
Even though the child may have passed a pure tone hearing test he may still
have difficulty hearing hard consonants. Children who talk in vowel sounds are
not hearing consonants.
20.) Several parents have
informed me that using the closed captions on the television helped their child
to learn to read. The child was able to read the captions and match the printed
works with spoken speech. Recording a favorite program with captions on a tape
would be helpful because the tape can be played over and over again and
stopped.
21.) Some autistic
individuals do not understand that a computer mouse moves the arrow on the
screen. They may learn more easily if a paper arrow that looks EXACTLY like the
arrow on the screen is taped to the mouse.
22.) Children and adults
with visual processing problems can see flicker on TV type computer monitors.
They can sometimes see better on laptops and flat panel displays which have
less flicker.
23.) Children and adults
who fear escalators often have visual processing problems. They fear the
escalator because they cannot determine when to get on or off. These individuals
may also not be able to tolerate fluorescent lights. The Irlen colored glasses
may be helpful for them.
24.) Individuals with
visual processing problems often find it easier to read if black print is
printed on colored paper to reduce contrast. Try light tan, light blue, gray,
or light green paper. Experiment with different colors. Avoid bright yellow--it
may hurt the individual's eyes. Irlen colored glasses may also make reading
easier. (see the Irlen Institute's web site.)
25.) Teaching generalization
is often a problem for children with autism. To teach a child to generalize the
principle of not running across the street, it must be taught in many different
locations. If he is taught in only one location, the child will think that the
rule only applies to one specific place.
26.) A common problem is
that a child may be able to use the toilet correctly at home but refuses to use
it at school. This may be due to a failure to recognize the toilet. Hilde de
Clereq from
27.) Sequencing is very
difficult for individuals with severe autism. Sometimes they do not understand
when a task is presented as a series of steps. An occupational therapist
successfully taught a nonverbal autistic child to use a playground slide by
walking his body through climbing the ladder and going down the slide. It must
be taught by touch and motor rather than showing him visually. Putting on shoes
can be taught in a similar manner. The teacher should put her hands on top of
the child’s hands and move the child’s hands over his foot so he feels and
understands the shape of his foot. The next step is feeling the inside and the
outside of a slip-on shoe. To put the shoe on, the teacher guides the child’s
hands to the shoe and, using the hand-over-hand method, slides the shoe onto
the child’s foot. This enables the child to feel the entire task of putting on
his shoe.
28.) Fussy eating is a
common problem. In some cases the child may be fixated on a detail that
identifies a certain food. Hilde de Clerq found that one child only ate
Chiquita bananas because he fixated on the labels. Other fruit such as apples
and oranges were readily accepted when Chiquita labels were put on them. Try
putting different but similar foods in the cereal box or another package of a
favorite food. Another mother had success by putting a homemade hamburger with
a wheat free bun in a McDonald’s package.
Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523,
Research
Reduction of autistic traits following dietary intervention
and elimination of exposure to environmental substances
Abstract: Effects of
environmental exposure were isolated and studied in 49 autistic children.
Elimination of food-related reactions entirely allowed effects of environmental
chemicals to be thoroughly studied indefinitely in the absence of food-related
symptoms. Initially unaffected by social contexts, the autistic subjects acted
out the ways they were affected by their environment without the altering
effects of societal influences; and severity of the adverse effects made
observation and study easier. There was a strong correlation between
environmental exposure levels and autistic symptoms and behaviors. There
appeared to be nothing inherently wrong with autistic children studied. The
children in the program (universal diet and clean room) returned to normal
physically, in temperament, in awareness of surroundings and others, in
emotions and empathy, and in ability to learn. Based on the results of the
present study, a broad spectrum of severe and chronic autistic symptoms appear
to be environmentally based, apparently caused by chronic exposure to volatile
organic compounds, and appear to be fully reversible in the proper environment.
Full text at http://www.immuneweb.org/articles/slimak.html
Further reading: Slimak, K. 2003. Reduction of
autistic traits following dietary intervention and elimination of exposure to
environmental substances. In Proceedings of 2003 International Symposium on
Indoor Air Quality and Health Hazards, National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences, USA, and Architectural Institute of Japan, Jan 8-11, 2003,
Tokyo, Japan, vol 2, pp 206-216; www.specialfoods.com
Further reading
Hitchhiking through Asperger
Syndrome, by Lise Pyles, Jessica Kingsley Publishers,
Aspergers Syndrome: a guide
for parents and professionals by Tony Attwood.
Symptom discussion paper: Pervasive Development Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified
(PDD-NOS)
The information given is
not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying
illness. Before beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an
interest in food intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian through the
Dietitians Association of
© Sue Dengate update August 2006
