on the edge

I have read that organic Flax oil is a one of the finest sources of essential fatty acids.

Yes, I missed this too! Thanks Call me Jaded and Frangipangi - is very interesting

My son does not have epilepsy but got very hyper with evening primrose which is not an unknown reaction with autism apparently- the eskimo oil does not contain and neither does the nodric naturals chewable soft gels

Did you try removing soya too. My sons was just as intolerant to soya as milk when I had him tested, and apparently it is quite common. I have found that I had to take loads of stuff out of my sons diet before I saw a really big difference, as often other things become more apparent when you clear some of the major things out...is like opening a can of worms

Have you tried eskimo oils - they taste like bubblegum..and dinochews multivits, they are shaped like dinosaurs that they can be eaten like a sweet. I put my sons eskimo oil into a little bowl of jam and say it is jelly - and I use a multivit that I break into his juice (he cant have the flavourings in the dinochew mutivit)

Hi Karen, It can take a really long time to get it all out of their systems. I think it is supposed to be over 3 months at least for gluten. My sons main aggressiveness and anger seemed to last for a week - but that was the extreme end (he nearly bit my nose off on day three!!) and then I would say it was about 8 weeks for him to even out a bit. They are lots of other things that rear their ugly heads when you start the diet - like the msg, and phenols and salicylates etc, so you may find he is still in detox on and off when he gets these some days and not the next unbeknownst to you !! Also there are the hidden glutens and caseins that he may be getting now and again too....But dont be disheartened - it gets easier to judge and as you have found out with the sausages - you begin to find out as you go along. Good luck

That would upset me too!!. She clearly has no understanding of your sons needs and probably even thought that she would pull him up short with her comments. I would try to rise above it if I were you, but if it helps you could prepare yourself for a quick retort next time something like as " I am exremely proud of my son, even on difficult days. He has to work twice as hard as everyone else just to concentrate remember". But we do not owe anyone an explanation, but sometimes it is nice to feel as if at least you said something.

I am mum to an autistic boy who is 3 and 3/4s...and at the risk of sounding like a weirdo (my husband says I am weird )-I often am moved to tears (and I mean proper crying) by things such as music and views etc. Sometimes when I am really happy and laughing I end up sobbing....I have always put this down to my emotions being so closely linked, and perhaps getting mixed up. I can sit and look at a beautiful view and feel overwhemled with sadness by its beauty. The only time this has gone away was when after a very close friends traumatic death I was prescribed prozac for a few months....but I decided I wanted to feel the way I was supposed to and came off itI am not autistic (I think!!??) I just thought giving you my perspective on this may help!

We are currently doing an aba program with our son - we have been told to ignore this sort of behaviour completely. You have to give no eye contact and no response at all when he does it.- but you have to be consistant. In my sons case he likes the reaction he gets when hitting etc. Of course your situation may be different to ours - but if you think it is a way of attention in anyway the extinction method could work for you. If he hits you very hard on the head perhaps a hard hat may needed to carry this out though!!!!!!!!! Goodluck!!

No - cant say I have!! But my sons nutrionalist said that bananas are full of a something very similar to caffeine - and with the high natural sugar and carb content can be extremely bad for some kids before bed !!

This website is very informative. If you look under the factsheets you will find heaps of info- including hidden msgs, how labelling can be deceptive - such as Hydrolysed vegetable protein http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/ Good luck!

This is a great site for enzyme info. I have heard loads of great things about them and am trying them now. http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionpdd.htm Good luck

Hi, My sons speech therapist reckons he has semantic pragmatic speech disorder. He associates word sounds together such as he says Christmas for Crisps, and Thomas for tops. He has an aunty called Hayley- and he calls his toy helicopter an Aunty-Hayley-Copter, apparently that is classic semantic pragmatic. She is an excellent therapist and is coming tomorrow so I will ask her if what your describing would come under difficulties with phonology if you like???

My son started off pointing, waving, clapping and dancing ok then lost it at about 2 1/2. With waving for example, he used to seem to try when asked ("Wave goodbye to Grandma" etc,) but actually not be able to do it which was very odd. For some reason he has started to re-learn these things and I have actually seen him practising them on his own in the mirror (He is 3 1/2 now). and now he waves at everyone and says goodbye and hello. He points at things too, but he sometimes says point when he does it...so maybe this is because I have drummed it into him!! we have done a lot of hand over hand pointing and stuff with him. His is clapping again now too but it is different - less spontaneous and more concentration involved. Not sure if it these things comes naturally to him now though or if he has decided it is expected of him.

Good luck!!!!!!! I am sure you will see some good results! It is sooooo daunting at first, but you will soon have yourself a big old list of things that your child likes and that are easy and quick to make/or get hold of. The Doves flour is great - and the fairy cakes recipe on the packet are quite delicious! I also used the autism medical website, and read both AiA books as well as using the ANDI website. Dont forget to look out for the hidden MSG because this makes a big difference too I think. My son improved loads, but even more when we realised he was reacting to soya too (which has since been confirmed via allergy testing), and that is in loads of GFCF shop bought products. All the best xxx

A-ha - I understand why everyone is offended now. I honestly do not see it as a judgement on our parenting skills. I feel more that is an evolutionary fault of mankind in that we are getting more removed from our natural state regarding food and natural development. Besides, how could we know that these things could affect our children so badly, as they do not affect the majority of kids in the same way. As a parent with a child on a strict diet it is almost impossible to find good clean wholesome food, and that is no fault of mine. Call me an optimist, but I find it encouraging when people talk of some children being cured and like to look into all possible interventions. They used to think the earth was flat (and that you couldn't cure autism?? you never know) xxxx

I agree. It does not offend me at all. In a lot of cases with some children (including non autistic and non adhd children) it is blindingly obvious that a change in diet could help calm a hyperactive temperament. My autistic son is on a strict diet but the slightest over indulgance of sugars or any other infringement changes his mood massively and affects his concentraction and eye contact. Do other people not find this with their children???? I see it in my friends children all the time. A lot of us are aware of these things all ready, but if this article makes any one re-think thier childs diet and elimate some of the cr*p going into them and look at ways of improving concentration with brian stimulating exercises (a perfectly logical theory)is not such a bad thing. It may not cure everything but it could help.

The nutrionalist suggested changing over to new potatoes for the very same reason. I had not heard that before. Today I have discovered a ready made "crushed sunflower and pumpkin seed mix' at the supermarket which can be sprinkled over loads of things like salads, cereals, yoghurts, soups etc and is pretty invisible and just adds a slight nutty flavour which is pretty delish. Could be used on buttered (or gfcf marg-ed) new potatoes I guess. xx

May not be relevant but my son used to eat huge quantitys of food until I changed his diet. It was always bread/biscuits and sugary foods that he craved. He would eat off the floor and off other peoples plates- he never seemed full (he was still only little (3.0 yrs) when I took out gluten and casein so could not ask him how he felt) But he would freak out if his chosen food was not available as soon as he wanted it. I have since discovered that he was 'addicted' to this type of food, and was getting the fix he needed from it too feel good. He still eats good size portions but is not the same in anyway as he was before. He has never thrown up through this eating though, so may not be the same type of binging, but it was very disconcerting to see him eat so much!!! Does your son binge and throw up on certain foods only? I would recommend a specialist dietician and allergy, deficiency testing etc, if you have no joy from your GP. They can deal with mental as well as physical health problems. Best of luck Peace and lovexxxxx

There are a few recipes ion the AiA book that use chickpeas. At the moment I use the chickpea flour instead of gf flour mix with buckwheat for the pancakes I give him for breakfast, but I am gonna have a go at a few other recipes when I get the chance. (will look into onion bhajis coz I love them and I have a feeling my son will too, thanks zemanski!) Sometimes I give him the pancakes spead with houmous with chopped bacon or ham inside. Some other suggestions to increase protien and cut back carbs and sugar is to add some peanut butter as a topping to GFCF bread or pancakes, use pulses more, add or give seeds and nuts as toppings or snacks (my son is too young for some nuts as snacks I give him sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and you can buy GFCF rice cakes topped with seasame seeds which he likes). I was not told to avoid potatoes completely but to cut back and add equal quantities of protein - (helps balance the blood sugar) such as fish, meat, lentils/pulses etc. Apparently the safest low mercury oily fish is mackeral and sardines..I dont know what to do with the sardines yet as I have still eliminated tomatoes. But I made a rice kedgeree thingy with some smoked mackerel the other day which we all enjoyed. I give my son apples and pears and he had some strawberries today for the second time since starting the GFCF diet (I was strict to begin with) but am aiming to intriduce some more. I still give my son plain kettle chips but I give him houmous and veg crudities (cucumber and carrot normally) with them to dip them in which luckily for me he loves. Hope that helps a bit! OTE xx

I get my sons pear juice from the baby section. It is Heinz and is a 750 ml plastic bottle. You can get organic from some health food shops and on-line dietary shops

I can see why you have been comitted!!! It is wise to stay off that ol' holy spirit!!! Just kiddin'..lol I have the 'broken spirit' living inside me and I have a relationship with my husband which enables me to live a life that is pleasing to him...I do all the housework...he doesn't Live and let live I say- ' just I have not been blessed with the capacity to believe in anything. Love peace and respect to all and their relegious beliefs xxxx

Have been to a mental health specific biomedical centre with my AS, GFCF son and had a consultation with one of the nutrional therapists. She said the diet we give him was good but too much sugar!!! Thought his diet was pretty good, but we had a feeling we have been over compensating for his lack of "non gfcf food" with sweet gfcf biscuits and gfcf breakfast cereals etc and lots of salted crisps. I have been told to eliminate sugar, cut out crisps and re-think potato based meals (such as jacket potatoes) as potatoes are a big carbohydrate source (another type of sugar) especially when processed or cooked for a long time. Breakfast should contain a good source of protein such as nuts and seeds, nut butter, meat etc, and I have been told to use a chickpea flour for baking as this is a good protein source . I have been told to balance all carbohydrate meals with protein - 1/2 and 1/2 to help keep the blood sugar level balanced. Apparently AS kids can react badly from sugar (more than non AS children) and can be a factor in the hyperactivity, bad sleep and poor concentration etc. My son suffers from all of these inconsistantly and at varying levels and and I have often thought it was related to what he was eating - even on his AiA diet!!! Just thought I would share this with you in case it is of any interest to anyone in a similar position. PS..no bananas or dried fruit !! PPS.. raisons =1.5 tspns of sugar!!!!!!!! Which is an adults normal blood sugar level I was told

Is probably the chlorinated holy water, or the churches lead roof. Or perhaps is the gluten content of the bread and the salycitate levels in the red wine!!!!!! lol xxx

I use a immune and digestive support for my son (3yrs 4mnths) called Bio Kult. This was recommended by the homeopath who has given me the MMR treatment I mentioned before to you on another thread. He has (so far) managed to escape this dreaded sick bug that has been going around his nursery for over a month..He normally suffered terribly from any stomach bugs - they would hang on and on. So, so far it seems to be helping. I also give him a child formulated vitamin supplement which is supposed to be good for children with food intolerances and things like adhd.