Getting the Family on Board

Article At A Glance:
• Oftentimes, extended family can be a barrier to making a complete lifestyle change in terms of nutrition.
• The effectiveness of changing your approach to food and nutrition can be a powerful way to convince others, as they will see the vast improvement in your child's behavior and mannerisms.
• The way that we help shift society's view of autism and help cure more children is by using our own lives as examples.

One of the biggest challenges of a lifestyle shift (in terms of healthy eating) is family. It can be difficult for grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins to understand why you've chosen to adopt a different (even radically different) approach to nutrition and wellness for your child. Well-meaning adults can undermine your child's progress (and also your authority as a parent) by providing foods at family gatherings that don't align with your goals for your son or daughter. Others may think you're being too extreme in your approach. One of the hardest parts about creating these changes will be those who are close to you who don't see the value in what you're doing or don't believe it will work.

Overcoming Resistance With Results

So how do we move past these barriers? How do we convince our family and others close to us that providing supplements and healthy foods free of pesticides and toxins truly can make a difference in the behavior and attitude of a child with autism? The answer is quite simple: let the results show them. Here's what I mean:

In my experience with my son, it certainly took time for my family to really “buy in” and believe in what we were doing. However, once they saw that he could hold conversations, that he could better regulate his own temperament, and that overall we had a much calmer and healthier relationship, they became truly convinced. They began to ask questions about our nutritional habits and even started started asking me for grocery lists and shopping advice. It was amazing!

The Ripple Effect

Friends, this is how it works. This is how we change minds and help heal more children. It is a ripple effect. Don't be discouraged if others think you're crazy for going organic or using supplements in order to help your son or daughter. Stand up for your lifestyle in conversations, but don't feel the need to convince someone immediately through your words; instead, let the results do the talking.

The mainstream medical community has yet to really catch the vision of how improved gut health and wellness are the key to curing our children, so unfortunately we cannot rely on them for help in this area. We hope that in time this information will seep into the general public, but if that's going to happen, it will be through us. If you stick with this lifestyle change, people will notice. Schoolteachers will take note. Neighbors will see the differences. Even other parents waiting in the halls of the therapy office will ask what changed. If you truly commit to changing your family's approach to nutrition (as it relates to your child's autism), we can show the effectiveness of this lifestyle and change our society.

*This website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by a healthcare professional.

References

My Story: How It All Began
What Fruits & Vegetables Should I Buy?
Getting to the Root of Autism
Discover What the Medical Community Is Hiding From You