Therapeutic Diets for Autism

by Kurt N. Woeller, DO, FMAPS

Getting kids to eat properly is tough–but it’s a critical element in recovering your child from Autism. A new study by Julie Matthews, MS and Jim Adams, PhD from Nourishing Hope and Arizona State University, respectively looks at various diets often beneficial in Autism. This research evaluated common diets and which ones were most highly ranked with regards to core behavioral issues such as anxiety, aggression, self-injury, and self-stimulation. For example, the Feingold Diet (elimination of food coloring and flavorings and other high phenol ingredients) was highly ranked with regards to self-stimulatory behavior and aggression. There is some overlap in how various elimination diets work so for a particular individual it may involve combining aspects of certain diets to achieve better results. A good example of this is the incorporation of a specific carbohydrate diet (often known to help with digestive problems and associated self-injury behavior) and a Feingold Diet.

Julie Matthews and Jim Adams recently did an informative short webinar on their research which I highly recommend watching. You can access the full study paper online here as well.