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KID-APPROVED AUTISM DIETS
STRATEGIES TO OPTIMIZE
NUTRITION AND ACCEPTANCE by Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD
A 20
utism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by challenges with social interaction and communication. For parents of children with autism, learning to manage this condition requires a multidimensional approach, including
consideration of food and nutrition. A personalized, nutritious diet can help manage behavioral problems, health risks and quality of life for kids with autism. Beth Lambert, executive director of Epidemic Answers, says, “Once you come to
understand autism as a whole-body condition, rather than just a brain-based or genetic condition, you start to understand the importance of nutrition in treatment and symptom management.” Not only does a nutritious diet help maintain brain balance, it also helps address many of the nutrition-related concerns that children with autism face, such as food sensitivities and allergies, digestive disruptions, sensory issues with textures and nutrient deficiencies. Each of these issues can impact a child’s behavior. An essential piece of the autism and diet connection is gut health. Gaby McPherson, MS, RDN, LDN, at Fruitful Nutrition says, “Because a child’s gut health is linked to their brain health, it’s crucial to boost their gut function to reduce these symptoms that
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can impact their behaviors. Who wants to go around with a tummy ache and constipation every day?” Yaffi Lvova, RDN, author of Beyond
a Bite: Playful Sensory Food Exploration for ASD and Neurodivergent Kids, advises that individual abilities also should be considered when developing a nutrition plan. “Autistic children often have sensory sensitivities that make it difficult to eat certain (sometimes many) foods,” she says.
Terapeutic Diets Many therapeutic diets have been evaluated for children with autism. Most involve the elimination of one or more foods, which can be challenging for a child that already has difficulty getting a wide variety of nutrients. A popular option is the gluten- and
casein-free diet. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Casein is a protein found in milk and other dairy products. While some children
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