An overview

As we have begun to discuss in Module 1, children with autism often have an atypical diet. Some symptoms or difficulties that children with autism may experience include an extremely rigid or limited diet, chronic diarrhea or constipation, headaches, stomachaches, poor sleep patterns, poor behavior (tantrums, depression, low energy) and/or changes in respiration. It is noted in multiple studies and theories of the "why" (Jyonouchi 2005, Miller-Kuhaneck 2004, Tirney 2006). In beginning to review the literature, there appear several schools of thought, that being a food allergy (an immunological response), intolerance (maldigestion/permeability issues), and an opioid theory (certain foods becoming partially digested, got into the bloodstream and bind to opiate receptors in the body/brain). In this blog I will be discussing the overall feeding issues in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the implications of these problems on overall function in daily life, and the research that may help sort out contributing factors for the multitude of gastrointestinal issues these children may have.