Hi Dawn,

I'm happy to hear you are going to try this intervention for your son. It can't hurt, and it just might help!

There is far more research out there on gluten sensitivity and neurological symptoms than there is on casein sensitivity, yet either or both are capable of causing problems. I think your best bet is to remove both.

I would commit to at least a six month trial, but you may see improvements before then. My daughter had some neurological symptoms resulting from gluten sensitivity... and although it tapered slowly, I would say her neurological symptoms had vanished within two months time. She also had digestive issues (some do, some don't) and we saw improvement in those in the first week. It can be variable, and it takes a longer time to clear the gluten out of your system than the casein, so be patient... and be sure you are being 100% complete!

I'm pretty sure that Rice Dream milk has barley in it, making it NOT GF. Check the label. We use Almond Breeze Vanilla and Chocolate, and I think it is better than some of the others we tried initially... but it all takes a little getting used to.

These are certainly all things that may respond to a gf/cf diet. I've heard a few remarkable stories over the past years of children making huge gains in areas of speech, motor, and visual motor skills.

I have another daughter who had seizures, and tics for just a few months (both vocal and motor). It was a confusing time, but her neurologist would never give us a straight answer on whether the tics were 'seizures' or their own thing. In any case, we found out she was deficient in vitamin B6, zinc, and a few other things. Nutritional deficiency is not uncommon in children with neurological problems, so be sure to look into that. If your son isn't on any vitamins, I'd be sure to start him with a multivitamin, and my guess is the book you are reading will give you other recommendations for nutritional supplements.

You can also check The Gluten File for more information about gluten/casein sensitivity. The Favorite Links page has links for gf and gf/cf sites, safe food lists, etc.

Do not be afraid of the diet. It is both very complex and very simple. Very complex because gluten lurks everywhere and you have to be very careful when eating processed foods and eating away from home. It is very simple if you stick primarily to a whole foods diet that includes meat, fruit, vegetables, rice, potatoes, eggs, nuts and berries.

Oats are controversial, although most literature is saying they are ok for most people with gluten sensitivity. Sticking to the McCann's Irish oats is probably wise if you are going to use oatmeal, as the biggest concern is cross contamination in the fields, and this brand is supposed to avoid that.

Don't forget about Cream of Rice, and even poha, which I only learned about a few years ago.. rice flakes that cook up much like oatmeal! There is also Quinoa, and Alti Plano makes a flavored variety... http://www.altiplanogold.com/

The learning curve is huge. However, if you start simple with whole foods, and slowly add back in some of the processed foods... little by little, it makes for a much smoother transition.

Here are some of the safe food lists... but always read labels because ingredients do change.
Celiac.com Safe & Forbidden Food Lists
GF Products- Mainstream- Wheaton Gluten Free Support Group
Delphi Celiac Forum Safe Product List
Delphi Celiac Forum Cross Contamination Checklist
GF/CF DIET


There is a new GF/CF ice cream out called Good Karma, and it is just divine!
http://www.goodkarmafoods.com/

I very much hope that your son will show improvements on the diet. It is definitely worth the effort to see if it might help him, so hang in there if you ever feel it is too difficult. Again, I'd try to commit to a six month trial, but you may very well see some improvements earlier than that. Unfortunately, the learning curve lasts almost six months, but most people who have been doing this for years and years find it very doable, albeit sometimes inconvenient when traveling and trying to eat away from home. We've been 100% gluten free and mostly cow's milk free... for six years now. You just end up with a slightly different (and usually healthier) grocery list!

Cara

P.S. I also agree about seeing a DAN! doctor. None of my children are autistic, but I took my daughter to a DAN! doctor because they understand gluten sensitivity, which my daughters have. They fully understand gluten/casein sensitivity and provide support for a gf/cf diet, they place emphasis on nutrition and healing the gut, and do the testing to determine what supplements may be helpful.