<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

>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.

"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.

Many people with autistic children (or adults who suddenly discover
they are autistic in middle age) try out the gluten free diet to see
if it "helps."

I was extremely ill with the effects of untreated celiac disease when
I tried going gluten free six years ago.  It literally saved my life.
It also gave me back control of my consciousness.  I had been losing
myself in mental fog for a long time.

Checking links at the major autism organization web sites may provide
some clues, and there are many links at:  http://www.gflinks.com/

Autism sites you might find on the search engine http://www.google.com
are Autism Society of America and Defeat Autism Now.  The latter has a
loosely-knit group of practitioners who often screen for metabolic
disorders in autistic children referred to them.

Patty
Adult Autistic
webmaster Autism Society of America - Greater Georgia Chapter