Within one week of eliminating casein and significantly reducing gluten, Allie began to talk and keep words for the first time in her life. She was two years and three months old. We then sought testing that confirmed she had an intolerance to gluten, and immediately eliminated gluten from her diet. The testing was part of a celiac panel. The allergist even suggested that Allie might be celiac sprue, but the only treatment for such a condition is the diet, so that's what we've done.
If you wish to get testing, you can either find a physician with understanding of this issue (a DAN! doctor is best) or you can contact Great Plains Laboratory for a kit that your medical insurance might help you pay. You need to have the child eating the foods in question to get an accurate test result. HOWEVER, if you have eliminated the foods and see a positive result, that is the best indicator. Some children respond well to the diet and will test negative on the blood work.
If you do find your child responds to the diet, it is important that you learn about the risks involved with allowing them off the diet to consume gluten and casein. There have been studies that find returning to these foods could trigger epilepsy and other problems, for which I'm not intelligent enough to explain. However, I have included links to some sites and people you can find most helpful.
I recommend the following books for those interested in learning more about the diet and its benefits.
Unravelling The Mysteries of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, by Karyn Seroussi
Special Diets for Special Kids, by Lisa Lewis
Special Diets for Special Kids Two, by Lisa Lewis
All cookbooks by Bette Hagman (she has celiac sprue, so recipes sometimes need to be altered for dairy ingredients)
One thing I've learned since beginning the diet for Allie. Some foods just really taste bad. And still others are really good, but you don't know which are which. Here is a listing of some really good "replacements" that I have found. The first list represents foods I can find in a regular grocery store. Most I have purchased at the newest Kroger built near my area. They have a significant ethnic foods section and a health food section.
It is VERY important to always check ingredients labelling to ensure the foods are safe. Companies constantly change their formulas, so always be on guard. Another good thing is to contact the company to ensure no cross contamination has occurred. Sometimes a company may process a food on the same lines that gluten-containing foods are processed. Kellogg's Corn Pops are processed on the same equipment that other cereals containing wheat are processed. The factories are supposed to wash down the equipment before the change over, but remnants of gluten could be left behind. This could be enough in some individuals to cause a reaction.
KAME Rice Crunch Crackers, Plain and Sesame flavors
Bean Thread Noodles (Various Brands)
Rice Noodles (Various Brands)
Tofutti Brand "Ice Creams" and "cheeses"
100% Corn meal
Lay's Plain Potato Chips
100% Corn chips
Ener-G Crackers
Ener-G Pretzels
Ener-G Granola Bars
Gluten-Free Pantry Country French Bread Mix
Gluten-Free Pantry Yankee Cornbread, Muffin, Corncake Mix
Orgran Brand Blueberry Fruit Bars (similar to cereal bars), found at glutenfreepantry.com
Dari-Free Milk Substitute, found at vancesfoods.com
I am working on posting some of my favorite recipes. Some are by other people than myself and I am unsure of copyrights. I will list if at all possible where I get my favorite recipes [that I am not comfortable with posting] so that you can get them for yourself.
My Favorite Flour Mix
2 parts sorghum flour
1 part tapioca starch
1 part garbanzo flour