Diet & nutrition

Dietitians versus nutritionists

l Dietitians are regulated by law and are the only professionals working in
the area of nutrition that may diagnose and treat deficiencies. The minimum
qualification required is an honours degree in dietetics.
l Nutritionists advise people on healthy eating, but there are a variety of
qualifications available and anyone can give themselves this title.
l Clinical Nutritionists, Nutritional Therapists or Dietary Experts tend to
advise on diet and lifestyle using complementary therapies. Again, anyone
can advertise themselves as such.

work. The charity also provides

information on the latest scientific
research and publishes articles by
professionals working in this field.
We prefer not to use the words
cured or recovered, Porter, who
lives in London, explains. But
there are things you can do which
can improve your childs symptoms.
She came across the charity
when looking for ways to help her
daughter, Lilia, now aged eight,
who has high-functioning autism.
The contact with other parents who
were looking for solutions rather
than passively accepting a diagnosis
was a great support, she says.
Lilia had suffered with eczema,
frequent ear and chest infections
and a sensitive digestive system
since birth. She was also not using
language to communicate, despite
having taught herself to read at the
age of three. She was sensitive to
some frequencies of sound and
had extreme separation anxiety.

Strongest improvements

Eczema, ear and chest infections, poor

digestion, sensitivity to sounds, anxiety
Fiona McNeill talks to parents who report
that all these problems and more have
been successfully addressed through using
dietary measures and other interventions
12 Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 1 2 0 1 6

The idea that autism can be

treated as if it were an illness
remains contentious. Some families
and some adults with autism baulk
at the idea, saying that people with
autism are simply different and
should be accepted as such.
Doctors, on the whole, are
sceptical, stating that autism is a
developmental disorder that can
never be cured.
www.autismeye.com

Image courtesy of irina porter

Heal good factors

Despite this, parents continue to
report that their childrens health
and behaviour have greatly
improved thanks to interventions
that arent usually available on the
National Health Service.
Russian-born Irina Porter is a
member of the charity Treating
Autism UK, an organisation run by
parents for other parents, sharing
information about treatments that
www.autismeye.com

Diet: what
children eat has
a big impact on
their behaviour
as well as their
health, parents
report

Porter and her husband, Richard,

tried a variety of approaches with
her, such as cranial osteopathy,
speech and language therapy and
play therapy. She found, however,
that dietary measures, supplements
and ABA therapy brought about
the strongest improvements.
After following a gluten- and
casein-free diet and taking
supplements, Lilias separation
anxiety disappeared and she
gradually began to talk.
No one has told us she has lost
the diagnosis, Porter says, but I
would say that the quality of Lilias
life is no longer affected by her
autism. She goes to an ordinary
school without special support.
She still has a few social and
communication issues, mum
admits. Her vocabulary is not as
advanced as some of her peers

and she needs some support in

knowing what to say to people.
Grace Diamonds* fifth child,
David*, was a happy baby who
reached all his milestones. After
the MMR jab at 15 months of age,
however, he lost eye contact and
started having convulsions.
Although he had always been
collicky, by the time he was two he
was thrashing around in pain,
smearing faeces and was rapidly

I would say
that the quality
of Lilias life is no
longer affected by
her autism
losing weight. Speech failed to
develop, although at pre-school he
had taught himself to read and had
spelt out fire extinguisher in bricks.
A family friend suggested he
may have autism but Diamond,
who lives in East Kilbride, knew
David wouldnt be able to get a
formal diagnosis until he was of
school age. Instead, she set about
trying to find ways to help him.

Positive: Irina Porter and Lilia, whose

symptoms improved with intervention
Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 1 2 0 1 6 13

Diet & nutrition

for people with ASD, learning difficulties and/or disabilities,
mental health issues and challenging behaviour

The view from dietitians

With over 28 years of expertise working with young people, Ruskin

Mill Trusts Practical Skills Therapeutic Education method allows
young people to develop living and vocational skills through handson, real-life activities and accredited courses to progress onto greater
well-being, independence, further education and employment.
Student with his workbook created in textiles whilst making a
coat at Brantwood Specialist School for 7 - 19 years in Sheffield.

To find out more about our innovative, holistic

and personalised curriculum delivered by
trained and expert staff within our day and
residential provision for 7 - 25 years visit:

Aisling Pigott:
If you want to
put your child
on a gluten- or
casein-free diet,
get support
from a GP or
dietitian

www.rmt.org
My ability to work with others has developed big time

I did two years at medical

school before I had children and
Im also a qualified biochemist,
she explains, so, for me,
everything has to be scientific and
thoroughly researched.
To start with, Diamond added
Epsom salt to the water when she
bathed her son in order to remove
toxins. She also gradually
introduced a gluten- and dairy-free
dietary regime. It was as if the
pain had suddenly been taken
away from him, Diamond says.
He became calmer, more aware
and started putting weight on.
When David was four she took
him to a private clinic, where tests
revealed vitamin deficiencies, the
presence of yeast and low levels of
bacteria in the gut. He was given
supplements to correct these
imbalances, which again improved
his concentration and behaviour.
Eventually he started speaking.
Now aged 13, he attends a
special unit within a mainstream
school, where he is very happy.
He has achieved so much,
Diamond says. I tell other parents
to persevere with different
treatments. If I can do it with six
kids, anyone can.
Amanda Phillips*, from Watford
in Hertfordshire, also has an eightyear-old daughter with autism. As a

while Ive been here, especially in the NVQ

Jonathan, left, in Woodland Management at one of
five Trust specialist FE colleges in England & Wales.

School of Education

Are you working or living with children or adults with autism?

Would you like to gain a recognised qualification in autism
theory and practice?
The University of Birmingham is the leading provider of degree-level
education in autism in the UK. The Autism Spectrum (Web Autism)
distance learning programme is a web-based part-time, distance
learning programme completed over a year of study, earning 60 credits
at Level C (equivalent to the first six months of an undergraduate
degree). It is ideal for those working with children and adults on the
autism spectrum. Learning support assistants, support staff and
parents will find the programme particularly helpful.
For further information please visit
www.birmingham.ac.uk/webautism
or contact Andrea Macleod at
a.g.macleod.bham.ac.uk or on
0121 415 8442.

Autism advert 127 x 181.indd 1

Dietitian Aisling Pigott, who lives in Cardiff, has worked

with children with autism and ADHD.
She thinks that the medical profession is generally
too quick to dismiss parents findings; however, she
warns that often there isnt enough scientific evidence to
support some treatments.
If, for example, you want to put your child on a
gluten- or casein-free diet, do it by all means, but get
support from a GP or dietitian, she advises. You need
to make sure theyre getting the right micronutrients and
enough calories and theres a risk of osteoporosis or
rickets if you cut out dairy produce.
It is very easy, she admits, for children on the autism
spectrum to become deficient in certain vitamins and
minerals if they are fussy eaters.
Often, she has observed, the fact that the parents are
addressing the childs diet, cutting out some things and

CONTACTS
l Treating Autism: www.treatingautism.org.uk
l Association of UK Dietitians: www.bda.uk.com
l Find nutritional therapists at: www.bant.org.uk
l Emma Mills: www.brainandbody.co.uk

@UoBAutism
16/10/2015 11:37:02

www.autismeye.com

including others, provides the structure that ASD kids

often need in order to feel calmer.
Nottinghamshire-based dietitian Emma Mills
specialises in treating autistic children and runs a virtual
clinic, advising families all over the country.
Digestive problems such as indigestion, bloating and
constipation are particularly common in children on the
spectrum, she says. When these issues are cleared up,
some parents report remarkable improvements in
behaviour. Theres some evidence, she says, although
some professionals dispute it, that gluten and casein
can cause leaky gut, which allows toxins into the body.
Theres also some evidence that nutrients are not
handled the same way in autistic children, she adds.
They may need more omega 3, iron or zinc, for example.
But everyone is different, so its best to have a tailored
approach with the support of a health professional.

young child, Yolanda* was nonverbal, made no eye contact and

screamed day and night. Following
a vaccination at the age of one,
she also started having seizures
that doctors couldnt explain.
When Yolanda was diagnosed
with autism at the age of three,
Phillips had already been online,
researching how diet might
improve her daughters health.
When I put her on a gluten-free
diet, her seizures stopped after six
months, she explains. When she

to reduce abdominal bloating and

stayed on the gluten- and dairyfree diet.
Two years on, Phillips says her
daughter is a completely different
person, attending a mainstream
school and performing above
average academically. In April
2015 we took her for an SRS2 test,
which shows where someone is on
the autistic spectrum, she
continues. Shes not even on the
spectrum any more.

It was as if the
pain had
suddenly been taken
away from him. He
became calmer, more
aware and started
putting weight on

Even so, Yolanda finds it difficult to

join in at school playtimes and is
prone to mid-morning meltdowns
when shes hungry. Shes
completely verbal now, but when
shes excited about something she
clenches her fists. Rather than
telling you why shes excited, she
beats about the bush. But these
are minor quirks, mum explains.
Every parent should be aware
that treatment is possible, Phillips
says. But you have to go for it
100 per cent. If youre going to
put the child on a gluten-free
diet, for example, you have to do
it completely.
And not every treatment works
for every child, she cautions. For
example, we read that fish oil can
be very helpful, but my daughters
behaviour actually got worse when
she was taking it. Its also
important to trust your instincts and
find a practitioner who cares and
isnt just in it for the money.

was two, I switched her from

formula to cows milk and the
screaming got so bad that we
couldnt leave the house. So I took
her off dairy and soy products and
things got a bit better.
Desperate for further
improvements, the family saved up
and took Yolanda to a private clinic
(which charged 180 per hour),
where blood and hair tests
revealed a lack of vitamin D and
high levels of heavy metals in the
body. She was prescribed vitamin
and mineral supplements, biocytin

Treatment is possible

* Names have been changed

Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 1 2 0 1 6 15