1. ARI Summary Report of Biomedical Behavioral Effects (pdf)

Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life. Most autistic children are perfectly normal in appearance, but spend their time engaged in puzzling and disturbing behaviors which are markedly different from those of typical children. Less severe cases may be diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or with Asperger's Syndrome (these children typically have normal speech, but they have many "autistic" social and behavioral problems).

It used to be thought that autism is just a fate that you accept.The good news is that there are now a wide variety of treatment options which can be very helpful. Some treatments may lead to great improvement, and others may have little or no effect, but a good starting point would be the Autism Research Institute's parent ratings of biomedical interventions, which presents the responses of over 25,000 parents in showing the effectiveness of various interventions on their own child.

For many years autism was rare - occurring in just five children per 10,000 live births. However, since the early 1990's, the rate of autism has increased exponentially around the world with figures as high as 60 per 10,000. Boys outnumber girls four to one. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism.

Age at intervention has a direct impact on outcome--typically, the earlier a child is treated, the better the prognosis will be. However, many children recover or improve after later interventions, so it is not necessarily over for an older child. In recent years there has been a marked increase in the percentage of children who can attend school in a typical classroom and live semi-independently in community settings. However, the majority of autistic persons remain impaired in their ability to communicate and socialize.

1. Autism Network for Dietary Intervention
2. Gluten Free Meals
3. The Official GFCF Diet Support Group Website
4. Gluten Solutions

The gluten (wheat) free, casein (dairy) free diet is the most popular of the specialized diets, and there is evidence that the diet is often helpful in lessening autistic symptoms such as impulsive behaviors, lack of focus, and even speech problems. But wheat and dairy are a part of almost everything we serve in the United States - and keeping a child away from ice cream, pizza, milk, and most snack foods and cereals is no small task.

Removing gluten and casein from a child's diet is not as simple as saying goodbye to milk and bread. According to Carol Ann Brannon, a nutritionist who specializes in diets for children with autism, gluten is not only ubiquitous, but may also find its way into your child's system through the skin:

"Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, and any derivatives of these grains, including, but not limited to malt grain-starches, malt wash, hydrolyzed vegetable/plant proteins, grain vinegar, soy sauce, and natural flavorings. Casein is found in milk and milk products from mammals....Gluten is in even in Play-Doh, adhesive on stamps and stickers, and many hygiene products. Soy, another common food allergen, is in many foods and hand lotions, make-up, etc."

In general, says Brannon, "Children can eat a wide variety of meat, chicken, eggs, fruits, and vegetables – anything that does not contain wheat gluten or casein. It is generally recommended that organic, whole GFCF foods be consumed whenever possible."

GFCF advocates caution that even a little bit of wheat or dairy could have a big impact on a child with autism. To avoid accidentally eating the wrong foods, it's important to read labels carefully - wheat and dairy are often "hidden" ingredients in packaged products. It's also very important to inform teachers, therapists, and other adults in your child's life that he is now wheat and dairy free.

1. Autism Research Institute
2. Generation Rescue Biomedical
3. Full But Modified Vacccination Schedule

This quote comes directly from the Autism Research Institute (ARI) convention "Consensus Conference on the Detoxification of Autistic Children" in Dallas, Texas, February 9th through 11th, 2001. You can download the full document here.

During the last several years, there has been growing clinical and scientific evidence that most children with autism suffer from mercury/metal toxicity. Furthermore, there have been many reports from physicians and parents that removal of mercury and other toxic metals can be very beneficial to children with autism, sometimes resulting in a major decrease in autistic symptoms. A wide variety of detoxifying agents and protocols have been used, and the purpose of this paper is to discuss the pros and cons of the different treatments available. Overall, our consensus position is that removal of mercury and other toxic metals is one of the most beneficial treatments for autism and related disorders. More research is needed, but effective treatments are available now. Each child is an individual, so this report presents general guidelines rather than specific recommendations.

There is extensive evidence that many children with autism suffer from mercury toxicity. Briefly, the evidence shows that children with autism have low levels of glutathione and cysteine (the pre-cursor to glutathione), which is the major pathway for removal of toxic metals like mercury. The children also often had excessive use of oral antibiotics, which greatly inhibits excretion of mercury. Due to their limited ability to excrete mercury, they have low levels in baby hair (an excretory tissue), high levels in baby teeth, and higher excretion when given DMSA compared to controls. The symptoms of autism are consistent with that of mercury toxicity... Overall, it appears that most children with autism suffer from mercury toxicity, and may potentially benefit from detoxification therapy.