Autism
Eat Plenty Of
- Foods that make up a balance diet, including fruit, vegetables, poultry, fish, beans, pulse and nuts
This fairly common - but not always recognized - development disorder affect up to 1 in 2500 people. It should become apparent in the first three years of life. Autism is a perplexing, life-long mental disability that is believed to be caused by brain damage rather than by emotional trauma. The condition impairs a child’s natural instinct to communicate and form relationships, and the child usually withdraws into an isolated world of hos or her own. There is either a lack of language development , or a loss of speech skills that have already developed.
There is no definite proof that diet plays a role in causing autism, or that any diet can cure it. Some autistic children and adults have abnormal diets because of faddy eating patterns, but survey show that autistic people are not usually undernourished.
Although it has been found that most children with behavior problems are not particularly affected by diets, some parents may notice that a particular food or drinks does make their child’s behavior worse. A normal diet contains several things that can affect brain chemistry. Caffeine, for example, found in tea, coffee and certain soft drinks, has an effect upon the behavior of many children, and tends to worsen irritability and restlessness.
If you suspect that a particular food upsets your child (according to the National Autistic Society, apples, oranges and tomatoes are frequently cited by parents as causing marked behavior problems), keep a diary of your child’s diet. Make a note of whether he or she has had any of the suspect food, then remove it from the diet, checking ingredient lists to see whether it is included in any processed foods. If after a month the diet had no effect, the food can be given again. Be aware, however, that restricting the intake of certain foods can also exacerbate the condition.
The most important dietary consideration for children with autism is that they should have a balance intake of different kids of food.
Dietary Experiments
Recent experiments with vitamin herapy ahve shown tha high doses of certain vitamins - particularly vitaminn B6 - can have a helpful effect on behavior. However, vitamin therapy should never be undertaken without medical supervision, and it cannot be fully recommended until there have been controlled clinical trial.

















