AUTISM AND DIET: EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION — BUT WHO IS LOOKING AT THE CHILD?
AUTISM AND DIET: EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION — BUT WHO IS LOOKING AT THE CHILD? Dr. Kondekar’s perspective on the diet obsession, constipation and the “diet for the ears” There is a curious phenomenon that almost every parent of an autistic child encounters. The moment the diagnosis is made, everyone seems to have a diet to suggest. Stop milk. Stop gluten. Stop sugar. Stop maida. Stop cheese. Give probiotics. Give supplements. Try a ketogenic diet. Try a gluten-free, casein-free diet. Remove preservatives. Remove packaged foods. Try this powder. Try that probiotic. The grandmother has a diet. The neighbour has a diet. Another parent has a diet. The therapist has a diet. Social media has a diet. Soon, parents who came to the doctor with a neurodevelopmental concern are spending their days worrying about food. The question that needs to be asked is simple: When did autism become primarily a dietary problem? It did not. That does not mean diet is unimportant. Nutrition matters enormously. Con...