The Vitamin Channel

Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”), How to Spot the Warning Signs

ASD is classified as a childhood developmental disability, that is likely due to genetic and environmental factors. It is known as the fastest growing Neuro-developmental disorder globally.

ASD can affect both genders, although girls are typically less often diagnosed, in comparison to boys of the same age.

How to Spot the Warning Signs

There are a multitude of signs and symptoms associated with ASD. In fact, so many, that correct diagnosis can sometimes be tricky. What’s consistent about ASD is that signs and symptoms can slowly become more apparent to caretakers as toddlers fail to reach common age-related milestones. In such cases, pediatricians will look for how a child interacts with others, be they known or unknown to the child. Speech is also key.

Observation of how a child uses or fails to use speech can be very helpful in diagnosis. Other red flags may include various subtle and overt unusual behavioral patterns that tend to be reproducible in nature. Also, children with ASD often differ from other children of the same age group with respect to how they perceive their environment. For example, they may show extreme sensitivity to sounds, while reacting in a blunted manor toward other sensory stimuli. Yet another difference in ASD children may be their difficulty with coordination or with the ability to manage their fine motor skills.

Timeline

Usually children with ASD will show signs as early as 1 year of age. However, the average age of diagnosis is about 3 years of age. Signs and symptoms will include multiple areas of a child’s development and may include, but are not limited to, behavioral, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.

Challenges with Nutrition

Let’s start with an important point to keep in mind as you read this blog post: the information presented here should not take the place of your child’s treatment team.

Yet another crucial take away is what you avoid feeding your child can at times be just as important as what you choose to feed him/her.

Cow’s Milk Is Not for You or Your Child

It is well established that Casein, a protein found in dairy, can cause varying degrees of behavioral and bowel function difficulties.

An important step to take is to figure out how to ensure your child gets enough calcium and Vitamin D without the harmful effects of dairy.

Here are 10 alternative food choices worth considering: Soy milk, pumpkin, tofu, tomatos, soybeans, carrots, chickpeas, quinoa, almonds, and sweet potato. These are all clean, plant-based sources of calcium.

To fortify his or her diet with Vitamin D, add: Fortified soy milk, almond milk, mushrooms, tofu, and edamame, to name a few, and also 20 minutes of sunshine 3 times a week, or alternatively, 30 minutes twice a week.

Constipation

As you may have noted, my list of foods are nutrient dense, supplying in many cases enough fiber. Still, constipation is quite a common battle among autistic children. When an autistic child suffers from constipation, it can add an extra layer of difficulty in the child’s mood, sleep, and behavior.

As previously mentioned, what you don’t feed your child can be very beneficial. Avoiding dairy and cheese can be very helpful in avoiding constipation. Another diet restriction to consider (after clearing it with your child’s pediatrician) is gluten. A strict gluten free diet, however, can be very restrictive for your child and end up not adding to your child’s overall sense of wellbeing.

Vitamins and Minerals Shown To Be Helpful!!

Due to eating habits and side effects of medications, many autistic children can become iron deficient.

Therefore, iron rich foods play an important role in your child’s diet. Some helpful foods include tofu, raisins, green leafy vegetables, molasses, and beans.

According to studies by Dr. Bernard Rimland of the Institute for child behavior research, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and essential fatty acids play an essential role for brain function and can be tremendously helpful in the autistic child’s ability to improve verbal expression.

Children with ASD tend to be deficient in essential fatty acids due to various deficiencies in the enzymatic pathways responsible for proper absorption, assimilation, and metabolism of these crucial fatty acids. Therefore, omega-3 essential fatty acids need to be part of their regular diet.

Supplementation through the correct food choices have a positive impact on behavior, mood, focus, and even sleep.

A short list of high yield foods is listed below for your consideration:

Vitamin C: Guava, black currant, kiwi, orange, strawberry, and broccoli, among others.

Foods rich in Vitamin B6, Magnesium and essential fatty acids include: Chickpeas, potatoes, avocados, whole grains, fruits not including citrus, beans, oats, spinach, coconut, almonds and nuts in general.

It’s crucial that when considering these foods, you consult your doctor or dietitian, as many children may have developmental and mechanical feeding problems that might inhibit their ability to tolerate some of the above foods. Also, keep in mind possible food allergies.

Too Much of a Good Thing, Isn’t!!

When supplementing, be aware of the potential of over supplementation of fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamins A, E, and D. Also, try and keep track of the amount of sodium and processed sugar your child consumes.

In the end, each child may respond slightly differently to nutrition therapy. While we can refer to studies, we must keep the individual child in mind and be aware of the limitations studies can have, due to sample size, comparison group makeup, and other factors that may skew results.

It is paramount that we continue to learn about ways we can improve how children with ASD live their everyday lives.

The learning continues…

Thanks for spending your time with me.

XOXO,

Dr. Ela