Expert: James Michael Roan - 11/10/2008

Question
My 4-year-old son appears to have some form of Aspergers, and our family is getting regular guidance from a behavioral psychologist. I also suspect that an older son and perhaps my husband have similar but less severe traits. Because so much of autism treatment is controversial, I am naturally skeptical of dietary treatments. But at this point, I'm keeping an open mind because I want to do all I can for my family. My younger son is very smart and outgoing, but fixates on cars and lacks social skills in preschool. Do you recommend a dietary approach? If so, is there a resource that I can read?

Answer
Hi Michelle;

This is not a strong area of mine, however, I'll share with you my experiences. Fish oils help a great deal with behavior and sleep. Some folks on the spectrum have a dietary intolerance to gluten (wheat) and Casein (dairy). I'm sorry I cannot recommend any books. Parents who go down the gluten and casein diet route say how difficult it is, but when it works it is definitely worth the effort. Again, if a child is intolerant to gluten and casein, then a diet free of those substances reduces problematic behaviors dramatically.

Kind regards,
Jim