<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Thanks so much to all who responded! Sorry it took so long to get this summary started.
Here is my original question:
I am new to the list, so please forgive and gently advise if I violete any rules *nervous smile*.
I have several questions I need to ask folks, and thought it might be best to send them
individually. Is this okay?
The first concerns how to spread awareness of possible links between autism and celiac (or just
the GF, DF diets). I have celiac, but my brother refuses to get tested (because he fears the Navy
might discharge him from service). Recently, my brother's son, a 5.5 yr-old, was diagnosed as
having mild autism. I am trying to gather evidence to give my brother about possible links
between autism and the GF diet. There is so much to read through, however, and much of it is in
technical language. Can anyone suggest credible articles/websites/resources for the layperson who
is not informed about celiac? I want to find a few things to show my brother when he is in an
approachable mood.
Thanks so much in advance! I will summarize responses!
-Maggs
I received so many good websites and other resources for celiac and autism that I have plenty of
reading to do for some time to come! I will be writing a three-part summary: the first part will
address advice and comments I received over the topic. In Part II of this summary, I will list
all the website URLs I received; and in Part III, I will list other resource information.
----------------
"Mild autism?" hahahahahaha There is no specific link between autism and celiac disease. However,
there is a tendency for autism, celiac disease, and type II diabetes to appear in the same
population. Knowing this will probably help you gather information on the internet.
Go to the maelstrom log files…may need to review the information sent to new members of the
listserv to get a listing of files, and to see how to request a copy.
Doctors at Primary Children's Hosp. and the Univ. of Utah are doing research in this area. There
is a large percentage of children/adults with autism that have celiac. Autism has been connected
to other disorders such as ADHD/ADD, Bi-polar disorders and seizure disorders.
I am an officer in the Air Force, diagnosed with Celiac almost five years ago, and the Air Force
could care less! …They can't medically discharge you for having celiac…just tell them it's an
allergy…not 100% accurate, but that's a word everyone understands.
My own story might help as well, though I'm not autistic; I have seizures. The first tie between
gluten and idiopathic childhood seizures was first published in the Lancet in *1956*. ..I was
diagnosed with celiac sprue…I went gluten-free ... I never thought about seizures...decided to do
a challenge -- eat nothing but wheat for a week…everything returned with full force…I eat gluten,
I seize. I don't eat it, I don't seize.
Take some time to review a recent posting on this Celiac list server -- there are five summaries
to a question posed as "why do people not want to know about, get tested for or try the GF
diet"...Very insightful. It's called "why not? parts 1 through 5"
Good luck. You might tell you brother this is a genetic disease and runs in families.
I received just a load of wonderful resource material from Barbara Hicks, some of which included:
Go to Kirkman Labs at http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/index.htm and click on Product Index, and go to
the bottom of the list to see Casein and Gluten Free Foods….order premixed packages of things
like cookies, donuts, pancakes, brownies…They also have probiotics for autistic children that are
supposed to be very good.
Here is what Kirkman Labs does: We are the only manufacturing company completely devoted to
developing therapeutic dietary supplements for the autistic. Unique to Kirkman has been the
development of HypoAllergenic forms of the supplements, important because research indicates that
the autistic may be more prone to allergic reactions than the average person. Since most of the
victims of autism are children we pay close attention to developing products in sizes and tastes
that can be easily administered to children.
I also received an entire chapter about “Behavior and gluten: Blame it on the bagel, ” in which
Schizophrenia, Autism, ADD/ADHD, and Celiac are discussed. I wasn’t sure if this was something
the sender had written, or anything about the author information.
Autism Spectrum Disorders include all the above, not just autism…my experience is that these
children become significantly better when put on the gluten AND casein (all dairy) diet. For more
about the gfcf diet, go to www.gfcfdiet.com.
Look for Part II of the summary tomorrow, (hopefully!) and if you would like me to forward
information I have received in its entirety, I would be glad to do so.
Thanks again, all of you lovely people, for your time and caring!
Smiles,
Maggs
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