The Gut And Psychology Syndrome diet (GAPS) and the Specific Carbohyrate Diet (SCD) are often recommended for individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  The Autistic Research Institute (ARI) report that 71% of autistic children on the SCD diet improve.They diets are very similar, the GAP diet from the UK and ithe SCD from the USA.  I would argue that much of the information is inter-exchangable.  Although they are often labeled as low carbohyrate diets, both diets exclude particular types of  carbohyrates, proteins, and fats, as well as all processed foods.

Both diets are based on healing the gut.  When the surface of the gut wall, the endothelium, is damaged then secondary digestion of sugars (carbohyrates) is limited and malabsorption prevails.  When malabsorption occurs, gut bacteria and yeast can flourish in an unbalanced way – resulting in inflamation and further damage to the gut wall – a viscous cycle!.

On the GAPS and SCD diet simple carbohyrates from vegetables, fruit, honey (glucose and fructose) and soured milk produce(galactose), are allowed as they are easily digested (do not require secondary digestion) and can be readily absorbed.  However table sugar(sucrose), milk sugar(lactose), starches and grains (complex carbohydrates) require secondary digestion and are not as easily digested or absorbed.  These malabsorbed foods often nourish gut bacteria and yeast, thereby contributing to disturbed gutflora (dysbiois).

The GAPS and SCD diets avoid all forms of non-simple sugars, that is they avoid all table sugar and sugar containing foods, milk(cows, sheep, goat), grains (wheat, rye,, rice, oats, corn, sorghum, barley, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, spelt, triticale, bulgar, tapioca and cous-cous), starchy root vegetables (potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, jeruselem artichokes, casava, parsnip, swede turnip, taro and arrowroot), and starchy beans and peas (soy, mung,garbanzo and faba beans, bean sprotus and chick peas).  In order to implement these diet you need to be able to make large changes to a typical ‘Western diet’.

The GAPS and SCD diets allow proteins, however, the damaged gut wall may not be producing peptidase enzymes needed for their digestion.  While all fresh or frozen protein from meats, fish, chicken, turkey, eggs are allowed, the way that we cook and prepare the protein is important.  Proteins that are boiled, stewed or poached are preferable to those that are fried, roasted or grilled, as the latter are harder to digest.  In the early stages of the diet the more acidic proteins such as those found in beef and lamb are often limited, depending on the severity of gut symptoms.

The GAPS and SCD diets allow healthy dietary fats although some may not be well tolerated initially.  Dietary fats are not digested by digestive enzymes at the gut wall, however fat malabsorption can resu lt in fatty stools, contribute toflatulence and diarrhea, and result in essential fatty acids (omegas 3, 6 and 9) and vitamins A, D,E and K deficiencies.   Virgin cold pressed olive, flax, avocado and evening primrose oils are used as salad dressing, and ghee (clarified butter) coconut oil and animal fats are recommended for cooking (although in moderate amounts).

The two main books that deal with these diets in detail are:

Gut and Pyschology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell McBride

Breaking the Viscous Cycle by Elaine Gottshall

If you are considering either diet don’t hesitate to contact me.

Helping you help them.

Noreen

 I often get telephone calls from parents, and their questions remind me that when people are seeking to treat autism, they are usually looking to recover or cure autism.

 The slogan ‘Autism is Treatable’ can be interpreted in many ways.  I interpret it to mean that there are things that we can do to provide relief from the symptoms that we ‘see’ as autism.  The bowel issues are treatable, the weakened immune system is treatable, the sleeplessness is treatable, the anxiety is treatable….

I firmly believe that many of the symptoms that we associate with autism are caused by underlying conditions that we can ‘treat’, and that by treating the causes many of the symptoms diminish.

 For example, a child with autism may have difficulty staying still or paying attention,  because he has a severe pain in his tummy or his head – so if we treat the tummy ache or the headache, then it is much more likely that we can teach him to stay still or pay attention when needed …. This is a very simple example but it highlights the message – treating autism can help the child to function better and benefit from all of his experiences, inputs and therapies everyday.

 Autism is a complex series of overlapping disorders, so treating any component part must be beneficial to overall behaviour and health.  The changes that we see may be hugely significant and lead to recovery or cure, but they may also lead to alternate improvements, like a change from severely autistic to moderately autistic, from a child who never sleeps to a reliable consistent sleeper, from a child who has constant discomfort or pain to a contented secure child, from non-verbal to speaker, from isolated to sociable.

To me, although we may set out to ‘recover’ every child, any or all of these changes are hugely beneficial and worthwhile.  I think that you will agree.

 Noreen.

Hi. Its Noreen.

One of the idea's that I want to include in our new project is a news letter - so as a start I have prepared one about medium pressure Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy or mHBOT.  Classical hyperbaric oxygen therapy that has been around for years as a method of treating decompression illness in deep sea divers.  It involves relaxing in a pressurised chamber with an enriched supply of oxygen.  This form of the therapy has been used in recent times to treat Multiple Sclerosis and is a standard therapy for MS under the NHS in the UK.  Back in 2005 a landmark study published by Vargas showed how up to 75% of autistic children have a lot of inflammation in their brains.  A few researchers then began evaluating what therapies could be used to help treat this.  By 2007 medium pressure HBOT was being evalauted in medical studies.  These studies involved carrying out SPECT brain scans which identified poor blood flow in the brain, due to inflammation.  The patient then participated in 40 one hour session of hyperbaric oxygen therapy at 1.3 A pressure using 24% oxygen.  After the 40 sessions the SPECT brain scans were repeated.  Significant improvements in blood fow in the brains was recorded, and improvements in behaviours were also reported.  The most significant improvements were noted in area's of socialisation and spontaneous speech.

By 2009 I was convinced that this therapy has something very positive to offer, and we decided to take the plung and buy a unit.  I contacted the researchers involved and spoke to Dr Rossingnol- the lead research to learn more about the equipment and the set-up involved, so that we could copy what was done in the studies. We bough a Vitaerus 320 chamber from Oxyheath and by May 2009 we were up and running.  Our son Sean now uses the chamber every day for 1 hour, with periodic breaks of 1-2 weeks every 3-4 months.  The unit is like an inflated capsule, that he goes into with his laptop computer or DVD player or ipod - depending on his 'flavour if the month'.  He enjoys the experience and we have found that he has made continuous progress, particularly in area's of socialising with his brothers and spontaneous speech.  He is definately more 'out there', is constantly tuned in and more conversational now.  

I decided to write the first newletter - a 2 page document about mHBOT, as it is something that we as a family participate in every day at the moment, and given the rewards we anticipate continuing for the foreseeable future. I am going to load the newsletter on the website to try it out.  

I would be delighted to hear what you think....

Noreen