Do you know something about autism?

My nephew is 4 years old and showing what I believe to be signs of autism. His behavior is very different than other kids. However I am not an expert and would really like some insight on what else I should be looking for. Please if anyone has any information they can give me it would be greatly appreciated.

Go to http://www.pecanbread.com. It tells of a special diet for kids on the spectrum, and lots of others. There are more than 4000 parents implementing the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for their children -- and it does work!

I work as a Behavioral Therapist with children who have Autism. What kind of behaviors are you seeing? I would try to get the parents to take him to an Autism specialist to see what is happening. The GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free) diet has been good for SOME children with Autism but certainly not all of them and needs to be done with a doctor's care because children will need some supplements. Some of the children I work with needed B12 shots to supplement their diet. Also, the diet can be very stressful on families who have limited incomes (as GFCF foods can be expensive) or do not have complete control over what their children eat (going to relatives, friends or at school).
Heather

Heather,

GFCF is better than nothing -- but GFCF foods are full of starch. Starch feeds the bacteria in the gut and continues to damage the gut. Please check out the Specific Carbohydrate Diet at http://www.pecanbread.com.

For heaven's sake! If you think ANYthing is wrong with the child and he hasn't been seen by a doctor, do not just change his diet (though it may need doing in future) or anything else, just get him to an MD! Have you discussed it with his parents? Are they in denial? Do you realize how many other things could be going on with him that are not autism? He needs to be evaluated by pros, not used like a lab rat for anyone's ego boost in terms of diagnosis.

I have a cousin that is autistic and my brothers two sons are as well.

The thing about autism is that its a full spectrum disorder. Its not a clear yes or no in some cases. Some people have severe autism, and some have very mild symptoms. The more mild cases are only going to be able to be diagnosed by someone that has a lot of experience with the disorder.

Please tell us why you suspect the child may have autism? What behaviors have you observed and how are they different from what you expect a child their age to behave?

Sorry I didn't see this message sooner. I have two daughters with autism. They are very different from each other. One has always been high-functioning. The other was severe in the beginning but has developed into a more high-functioning level. They are now 20 and 11 in age.

Check out http://www.autismspeaks.org/ They have a box on the right side that says: "Learn the signs" Make sure you check out the video glossary. They compare neuro-typical children against autistic counterparts so you can see the difference. If after checking that you still believe autism is the culprit make sure you direct the parents there. Depending on where you're located they need to find the professionals that diagnose. Pediatricians are only recently being guided on how to deal with suspicions of autism. When our girls were dx'd the ped wasn't even involved in the loop until after the dx was made. In CA there are Regional Centers. If that's where the child is that's who you call for dx.

As far as diets, etc. the dx needs to be addressed first. GFCF or the carbohydrate specific diets are extremely difficult. You don't want to go through it willy-nilly. There are also many different dr's out there working on bio-medical treatments for autism. These methods are considered "experimental" by the main stream. But I can tell you through experience that they are worth researching. Our dd improved drastically with a modified GFCF diet and bio-medical treatment.

But the primary therapies are tried and true. ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapy is the gold-standard and should be tried with all autistic children functioning below a certain level, IMO.

Maybe you could tell me some of the behaviors you're concerned about?

I teach elementary special ed (after teaching at the high school level for 12 years). I have two autistic kids in my classroom.

First there should be someone that help with finding the right specialist to help you diagnose the condition. Call your local school and ask to speak to the special ed director. Even if the child is not school age yet, they are required to do a "child find" in their district and to provide services even if the child is not yet in school. In Missouri we have what is called a First Steps program. It is a program designed to help parents that feel that their child may have special needs. Doctors can make referrals as well. At least in our area (we are rural) we have a very good program set up, at no cost to the parents, to help identify and treat all types of disorders including, but not limited to, autism, mental retardation, speech and language, physical handicaps with OT and PT provided, early childhood education programs, behaviors, etc. Your state should have a similar program. In our area we have what is called the Thompson Center that deals with the full spectrum of autism. It is located in Columbia, Missouri and I have heard nothing but praise for this group. The give pretty accurate diagnosis and follow up care, including home and school.

by sleepycarol on Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:38 pm

I teach elementary special ed (after teaching at the high school level for 12 years).

Yayyyyy for special ed teachers!!!!!!!!

I have worked with a few autistic students.

He needs to be seen by a doctor- however, it can sometimes take months for an evaluation- at least where I live. So be prepared for that.

If he ends up being autistic, several of my students have been on gluten free diets and the difference is night and day. So I believe that it can work. Good luck.

Again, I reiterate that not all children with Autism respond to a GFCF diet or other diets, sometimes they do. One of the children I work with is on the diet and it reduced some behaviors but he still has Autism. Other children respond very very favorably to the diets. It just depends on the child. I am suspicious of anything that says that it will work for all children. I hope you find the help you need.
Heather

Go to your states' elementary and secondary education website. Find the special education compliance section. It will outline the procedures and processes for your state.

ALL states are guided by federal guidelines surrounding IDEA and Section 504. Written procedures are required for all states stating timelines regarding the length of time between referral, evaluation, and if qualifying plan implementation. Typically a district has 30 days to approve or refuse conducting an evaluation, this is done with a Notice of Action and if an evaluation is warranted then written permission is required prior to the district conducting testing/evaluations. The district typically has then 60 days to complete the evaluation and make a determination if a disability exist. If it is determined a disability is present then another 30 days to implement services. In our district, we seldom take the full alotted time to make a determination and start services.

Your local school district special education department can provide guidance to this process.

I know a guy with Asperger's syndrome, aka high functioning autism, and have read a couple of books on how Aspies cope with the world.

As was mentioned, there is a spectrum of levels and types of autism. If he has high functioning autism, Aspies can live relatively normal and productive lives. Aspies have difficulty interacting with other people because they can't read emotions and do not know how to show emotion. Many Aspies have taught themselves how to read other peoples emotions, how to react to those emotions, and how to express emotions -- they are acting when they appear to show emotion. Aspies can excel in certain professions, and some number of "geeks" are Aspies.

My best friend has an autistic son, and has recently put him on a GFCF diet. BUT, they did it only after consultation with a doc. I think there may even be some tests (other than the diet itself) that helped determine the likely efficacy.

The GFCF thing is indeed quite a burden on them, especially because it nearly puts the whole family under the same limitation day-to-day, and even then the kid occasionally gets a "fix" of gluten.

Oh, and amen to the "Hooray for special ed teachers" post!

I am raising my 5, soon to be 6, year old grandson who is diagnosed moderate to severe classic autism. We started with our family doctor who referred us to our elementary school for testing. The teachers determined him developmental disabilities and suggested we return to our doctor, who then referred us to a pediatric neurologist. He was put through numerous tests to rule out other possibilities such as "Fragile X Syndrome", gluten and casein allergies, etc. We put him in preschool/Head Start at the age of 4 and the teachers were remarkable. He had Head Start, special ed, and speech teachers along with an occupational therapist. In the two years he was in Head Start, those teachers took a nonverbal, nonsocial little boy and completely turned him around. He is now quite verbal, his social has improved, but still needs work, as do his motor skills, and he has been integrated into regular kindergarten. He is very bright. The teachers and kids love him. His doctor is now extremely optimistic that he will be a "high functioning aspie". I am a true believer that early intervention and education is the key. I do not begrudge anyone who believes that diet helps, but in our case, he was tested for the gluten and casein allergies and they were ruled out. I would strongly recommend you go the route with the school and the doctors and let them make the recommendations.