How to Use Diet to Affect Autism
Ask a professional about any potential dangers., Talk (or write, sign, etc.), Communicate with your autistic family member about the dietary changes they might be making soon., Make the change, and stick with it!, Keep records., Check your results...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Ask a professional about any potential dangers.
In most cases dietary changes are totally safe, but it's always important to check for issues like potential vitamin deficiency, diabetes, allergies, and other problems that could result from a new diet.
Each individual's body is different, so they should be checked out by a doctor before making major changes! -
Step 2: Talk (or write
to your autistic family member about what problems they have.
Determine whether the problems you are looking to fix with a new diet are related to behavior, weight, emotions, gastrointestinal discomfort, or another problem.
You need to know what you're trying to change so that you can tell if it's working.
You also need to know what they want to change, because you can't help someone who isn't on board. , Come up with decisions that take into account their opinion, doctors' advice, and their caregivers' advice if applicable.
Autistic people can be very sensitive about food, so making decisions for them can do more harm than good.
If you disagree with them, you will need to decide whether it is more important to change their diet or keep them comfortable.
Some options include:
Eliminating a specific food or category of foods such as dairy, gluten, or meat Adding vitamins and supplements Avoiding certain ingredients such as caffeine, artificial sweeteners, pesticides, or other possible irritants Changes in eating schedule and proportions, such as encouraging a larger breakfast or more frequent snacks , Not only is consistency personally important to many autistic people, but it is necessary to determine whether a new diet is helping.
If you are adding supplements or removing a certain type of food, be consistent about it until it becomes a habit.
Your doctor may have a recommendation for how long to continue a test of a new diet.
If not, it is a good idea to keep with it for several weeks unless you immediately notice negative effects and need to reject the diet. , You can use a diet-tracking app or write it down.
You should record any changes or lack thereof in the issue you wanted to change, as well as how closely the diet was followed each day.
You will need this information to determine whether the diet changes had the desired effect. , After you or your family member have followed the diet, you need to look back and see if it worked.
If you see no change or worsening of the problem you wanted to correct, it is likely that the dietary change you chose was ineffective.
If you had difficulty following the diet, it may be a bad fit for you or your family. , If your results gave a good outcome, you will probably choose to continue the diet.
If you experienced no change or a negative result, you may want to try a new dietary change or look for other possible lifestyle changes and therapy options. -
Step 3: Communicate with your autistic family member about the dietary changes they might be making soon.
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Step 4: Make the change
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Step 5: and stick with it!
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Step 6: Keep records.
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Step 7: Check your results.
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Step 8: Decide what to do next.
Detailed Guide
In most cases dietary changes are totally safe, but it's always important to check for issues like potential vitamin deficiency, diabetes, allergies, and other problems that could result from a new diet.
Each individual's body is different, so they should be checked out by a doctor before making major changes!
to your autistic family member about what problems they have.
Determine whether the problems you are looking to fix with a new diet are related to behavior, weight, emotions, gastrointestinal discomfort, or another problem.
You need to know what you're trying to change so that you can tell if it's working.
You also need to know what they want to change, because you can't help someone who isn't on board. , Come up with decisions that take into account their opinion, doctors' advice, and their caregivers' advice if applicable.
Autistic people can be very sensitive about food, so making decisions for them can do more harm than good.
If you disagree with them, you will need to decide whether it is more important to change their diet or keep them comfortable.
Some options include:
Eliminating a specific food or category of foods such as dairy, gluten, or meat Adding vitamins and supplements Avoiding certain ingredients such as caffeine, artificial sweeteners, pesticides, or other possible irritants Changes in eating schedule and proportions, such as encouraging a larger breakfast or more frequent snacks , Not only is consistency personally important to many autistic people, but it is necessary to determine whether a new diet is helping.
If you are adding supplements or removing a certain type of food, be consistent about it until it becomes a habit.
Your doctor may have a recommendation for how long to continue a test of a new diet.
If not, it is a good idea to keep with it for several weeks unless you immediately notice negative effects and need to reject the diet. , You can use a diet-tracking app or write it down.
You should record any changes or lack thereof in the issue you wanted to change, as well as how closely the diet was followed each day.
You will need this information to determine whether the diet changes had the desired effect. , After you or your family member have followed the diet, you need to look back and see if it worked.
If you see no change or worsening of the problem you wanted to correct, it is likely that the dietary change you chose was ineffective.
If you had difficulty following the diet, it may be a bad fit for you or your family. , If your results gave a good outcome, you will probably choose to continue the diet.
If you experienced no change or a negative result, you may want to try a new dietary change or look for other possible lifestyle changes and therapy options.
About the Author
Rachel Stone
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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