Article At a Glance:
•Nicole is a member of the All-Star Nutrition community who shares with us her experience advocating for her son with autism.
I have written and spoken about my experience with my son, but today I'm excited to share with you more about another member in our community. Nicole is a single mom in Florida who has been on this journey with her son for 10 years. Here is her story:
When Nicole's son was only 3, she knew that he had some special needs. His temper tantrums were beyond what was developmentally normal, and although she didn't quite know what was wrong, she was willing to try to make some changes to help him.
Nicole's son used to eat things like frosted mini wheats, cheese, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When she switched him to a gluten-free, casein-free diet, she saw results within a few weeks: he became more engaged with other children at school, and his temper tantrums became less frequent and more manageable.
Nicole recounts that her biggest challenge lies in all the planning and preparation that it takes to help her son eat foods that fuel him (and not cause inflammation). It was difficult to make the lifestyle shift because everything revolves around food: whether he was going to church, to a friend's house, or to school, she always had to be mindful of food issues. Thankfully, friends, family, and teachers have all been supportive of this journey and have worked to help meet her son's food accommodations.
Nicole's advice for any other parent struggling with a child who exhibits signs of autism is to clean up the diet. She has tried a lot of different treatments and therapies for her son and expresses that by far, removing foods that cause issues with the gut and replacing them with organic, more clean foods has been the biggest factor in helping him. Now 13, Nicole's son even regulates his food intake and has learned to advocate for his own healing.
*This website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by a healthcare professional.
References:
Remove These 4 Foods (2R Protocol: Part 1)
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