Expert: Celtica - 5/23/2011

Question
Hi,
I recently came across a book on Amazon by Michael Goldberg who is a board certified pediatrician ( I think) on his assessment and treatment of the "autism epidemic"  I think his main point is that autism is a "Neuro Immune Dysfunction Syndrome" (and there's an entire website dedicated to this term (Nids.net) and of course, Dr. Goldberg has his own site on which he talks about his Goldberg method a little.  I would like your opinion on this doctor and his method.  Is it wise to put all our eggs in one basket so to speak with one individual?  I know he advocates a special diet (list of do's and don'ts on his website).  So far my daughter (4, diagnosed autistic) has benefitted from ABA, speech and OT only and we have not tried anything else.  To be honest, regulating her diet does stress me out a little (she loves her cheese!) but if it's worth it (and all the other stuff Goldberg advocates) then of course, I want to explore it.
So I guess my question is a bit two-fold: Dr. Goldberg and what he stands for and practices - is it sound?  Also, is changing our lives by changing my daughter's diet worth it?  
Please let me know if you have any clarifying questions about our situation and thanks so much in advance.
Amena

Answer
Hi,

I think his method sounds ok generally speaking (however I just managed to skim his website). His approach of diet/medication and therapy *does* - to me - sound pretty good, and I've gone this route myself, and do much better now (but, don't get me wrong, I'm not cured, and I don't believe autism *can* be cured if it's really autism in the first place. My brain is still wired differently, and will always be, and no diet can change that. However it can free ressouces you'd not have otherwise.
I don't believe in the autism epidemic - it may be true for some that their symptoms just mimic autism, but a good part of the kids diagnosed with autism may really have it, they just didn't get diagnosed a few years back because the milder forms of autism were not widely known back then which explains the much lower figures). But even those who have autism may be helped through Mr. Goldberg's approach.

However I don't believe it takes expensive lab testing or brain scans to go that route.

First talk to your family doctor and get a basic blood panel done, if you want to (checking your kid's general health is always a good thing), and let him know what you're going to do.
If you want to try a candida cure first, read up to it, and let your doctor know. You really, really need to be on a specific medication (nystatin or similar), otherwise it can be dangerous to do because the "bad" stuff in your colon dying off can be toxic (no, grapefruit seeds and similar is not enough), and then build up the "good" bacteria afterwards though other meds.
It made me feel somewhat better, though not autism wise.

After that, you can start going gf/cf. It's really not as tough as it may seem to you now. Try rice milk or other milk substitutes (NOT soy please, as many people are allergic to soy), and different brands (some are lovely, others are definately not). You'll likely find these milk substitues and an assortment of gluten free breads, cookies and  stuff at your nearest health food store, or even at larger grocery stores (at least, you can find them here in Europe pretty much everywhere). I really don't miss anything. Chips, and chocolate - you can still have them, you'll just need to remember to read the lables before you eat something. It won't be necessary that all of you go gluten free, unless you want to. I live with someone who does eat gluten, and I've never had problems from that. Apparently I can have traces of gluten, but everybody is different here.
Going gluten free/casein free has been really worth it, and it can't do any harm to try it.
I've seen results in just a week, my anxiety levels dropped, and my ability to communicate and to concentrate has improved alot - and my seasonal allergies have almost completely vanished, so yay for gf/cf :-). When I have more difficulties with speaking/communicating than usual the first question I'm asked is usually "what have you eaten ?", honestly (it can happen you get accidentally glutened once in a while)! But, as always, your milage may vary, it's not for everyone.

As for medication, I have had good experiences with that. I'm on a SSRI and on a low dose of risperdal to help me with my OCD/tics/anxiety. But really, as I said before, everybody is different. I'm not prone to side effects, so I've not had negative experiences but your kid may.

Hope this helps, and sorry for bad grammar/spelling, writing is difficult for me right now
C.


Hi there,

just a short note that I will answer your question during the week-end as I'm pretty stressed out right now.

C.