Theory on Autism

Hi,

I have a Theory.

For me I believe when we are born the brain runs a programme in each of us that makes us learn to walk, communicate, and socialise etc. What if something we consume blocks that process? Remove what is causing the block too late and the brain has formed too far the wrong way. Remove it early enough and the brain will revert back to the original programme and develop the correct way.

There is no consistent study that shows all autism is caused by something in our DNA.

Parents with no family history of autism have children with autism.

Children with autism often have bad guts. Why is it not more logical that something we consume causes the bad gut and therefore impacts on that programme of development rather than the less logical explanation that something in the brain is causing something to occur in the gut.

Just wanted to introduce the idea and see what people think.

  • community.autism.org.uk/.../62243

    Good Fortune to "NAS36357", and, since the Post is so long, I Post a Link directly to *that Post*, rather than Quote parts of it...!

    I really hate to Post this, since I might gain replies telling me off, or something... yet now, that which you last state has attracted interest from myself also. I have another Thread, which is similar yet quite unrelated... correct me if I am wrong, yet you are discussing, here, one possible "cause", with good evidence to support this...?

    (I Post here, because I think that your argument IS valid. Had you Posted that experience in the first place, this Thread would have taken a very different turn, yet straight to the point?...)

    For my own part, I suggest that what you have found is a sort of "internal anchor" for Autism to develop... that is, here, something in "Milks" which allow Autistic effects to thrive. Your evidence shows this, and it is highly intriguing. My only counter is that, if "Milks" alone caused "Autism", then *everyone* would have it; Thus I say that you are correct, yet it is rather something in the environment (external factors, both old and modern) which continues to cause it... just like any other developments such as short-sightedness, Asthma, or Gluten-Intolerance... it is an individual thing.

    "Milk" (or similar) + ?External Factor? = Autism Increases.

    ...I hope anyone properly understands this Post and, if not, then please do not hate me too much...?

  • While I can agree with Former Memberand @Evan, in that personally I too feel fine nowadays with how I am, I also feel sympathy with those trying to cope with some of the more difficult aspects of lower-spectrum diagnoses. To that end, and as a parent myself, I can understand the want / need that's out there to seek a 'cure' or at least limiting of some of the more severe effects of ASD. Research at the moment does seem to be primarily focused upon coping with or limiting the effects of lower-functioning ASD. 

    As for why I personally am interested in looking into possible causes, it's purely because it's interesting. Why not? I've looked into the effects upon the human body of space travel but I'm not planning on travelling into space at any time! I'm not seeking a 'cure' for being me either.

    It seems there have been some studies done into diet and various other environmental causes of ASD, none conclusive as yet. 

    (2014) -  Impact of Maternal Diet on Human Milk Composition and Neurological Development of Infants - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24500153/ re. fatty acids implicated in infant neurological development (DHA, AA, Linoleic Acid) and the link with the levels of Casein in cows milk as compared to human milk (twice the level in cows milk).

    also https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4882692 re. Glutamine and it's role in providing Ketoglutaric Acid which appears to have a dual role as both a neurotransmitter and is involved in the development of intestinal cells. I thought this was interesting because it shows a dual link to the brain and the gut, from this one amino acid alone (so how many others may be implicated dual-ly like this?), and relates to the link between ASD and gut problems which i've seen mentioned many times around here!

    (2010) -  dryhman.com/blog/2010/12/09/breakthrough-discovery-on-the-causes-of-autism/    which discusses a similar case to that of your son but the child involved was 6-years old at the time of the diet changes and he apparently now shown no signs of ASD.     

  • Yeah, I agree with everything you say Jaxster. Even in my childhood, life was much more structured and simple, but as you said, take it back even further and in many respects, life was set up in favour of the autistic mind. And yes, the world will be a far better place for everyone when we are more autistic friendly. 

  • This does sound interesting, I hadn't seriously considered any causes other than purely genetic because that appears to be where mainstream ASD research is heading. 

    So something (a genetic predisposition or something [generally thought to be high levels of testosterone] the fetus is exposed to) causes ASD but it isn't 'activated' until exposure to, possibly, casein? 

    Before being able to properly discuss this I'd need to do some research of my own to understand exactly what effects / constituents milk has. Have you attempted to present your thoughts about this to someone more qualified in food science / chemistry? 

    I'd also need to know more about studies taking account of environmental factors, as I'm sure there must be some, and which specific aspects of diet have previously been considered as contributing to ASD - if indeed any have. Have you accessed any such studies?

    How long did you stick to the diet you listed for your son? Did it consist of anything else? What age is he now and does he now consume milk and / or dairy products? Am I correct in assuming that he now shows no signs of ASD whatsoever?

    Sorry if these questions are too personal, you do not have to answer them of course but it would be of use in assessing the effectiveness of such a diet change if I knew the answers. Of course, I am neither a food scientist nor a chemist but I am interested and would like to look into this in more depth. (It would of course be more useful to you if you were able to contact a professional but it's an interesting theory and one I'd like to find out more about.)    

     

  • Ok. In a nutshell my son appeared normal in that he exhbited no symptoms apart from gut issues. He then developed but very slowly and then appeared to regress. We saw specialists, he had a hearing test to check his hearing and he had speech therapy but things were getting worse not better and this made no sense. We were losing him. He would ignore us and walk past us like we did not exist. He also exhibited the traditional autistic behaviours like tip toeing, flapping and anger tantrums. My wife was very upset and I felt helpless. I researched and decided to change his diet at the age of 14 months not expecting much to happen and he transformed. The changes were observed by the speech therapists and are documented. We are talking about dramatic changes. He began to make sounds. He began to look at people instead of looking at objects. Instead of sitting alone he began to sit with people. He looked at people instead of through them. He responded to his name. It was like he awoke from a coma. That is how dramatic the changes were. The flapping went, tip toeing etc. People do not believe the level of transformation that took place. It was impossible. This happened over a period of just 5 weeks.

    1. All foods containing Gluten and Dairy were removed. As a subistitue we used organic coconut milk for night feeds.

    2. We gave him a multi vitamin for children and fish oils at breakfast time.

    3. No pre prepared foods.

    Diet as follows

    Organic Oats with Coconut milk at breakfast

    Blueberries, Banana 

    Fish, Potatoes, Quinoa, Chicken at meal times 

    Total of 4 meals plus cocount milk for night feeds.

    You see I believe that it is something that is present in both the milk of the mother and dairy that causes the blocking of the brain development. Looking at the make up of both if I had to point the finger at something I would say Casein but I cannot say for certain but I believe it is milk based on my experience. I do not think it is anything to do with Gluten because in my opinion the symptoms of Autism can be seen in very young babies when only milk is present in the diet. I do not think it is vaccinaiton based for the same reason.

    You see the reason there is no patterns in the research being conducted is because researchers are lost. They are looking in the wrong places because their defintion of autism is wrong. Autism is a disturbed delveopmental programme caused directly by something we consume but that does not effect all people becuase of genetics. It is not genetics that makes you Autistic.

    You see I believe you could have an allergy to Milk but you will not be Autistic. 

    It is only Autistic people that react specifically to Milk in this way. It interferes with that crucial development of the brain early on.

    Now it is important to understand that changing the diet after this critcal age once the brain is formed will not have the reversal effect. You have to do it early on but the child must have a balanced diet to compensate for the lack of nutrients they will not get from Milk. 

  • What evidence do you have that leads you to the conclusion that dietary changes would have the effect you describe? 

    What is it about children's diets, what foods and what is it the foods contain, that you see as causing the child to remain (or develop further down the path?) of autism?

    If I've understood the above correctly, what was it that made the child START down the path of autism? Was that, the starting point, a predisposition to Autism (as in a genetic or gestational cause)? 

    Finally, what is the alternative diet that you are proposing? 

    P.S. I do not know what you mean by *** and Dairy Milk. Please explain.   

  • Please. This is not about whether Autistic people are good or bad or right or wrong. I need help because I believe that I understand what is going on so let me begin to explain.

    The brain runs an automatic programme that shapes the phyiscial wiring of the brain. This happens in all babies.

    The problem is that in Autistic Children actually their programme is interrupted by both *** and Dairy Milk. 

    The reason that the results of diet change are inconclusive is becuase of timing. The key here is, that it is not changing the diet that will fix things but rather when you change the diet. It is all about timing.

    So if you change the diet after the brain is physcially wired for example in a 4 year old then it will not make a difference in the outcome apart from the symptoms associated with the gut will be corrected i.e wind, constipation etc.

    If you change the diet early then you allow the programme of brain development to resume and then you can limit the affects of autistic behaviours because the brain will begin to develop normally.

    People think early intervention i.e speech therapy and aba is at play but often people make dietary changes too ie they provide gluten and dairy free diets to their young ones.

    Studies are inconclusive because people are making diet changes at different ages and often too late. The studies focus on observing a diet change in autistic chidren of different ages.

    To prove my theory you have to make the changes to the diet of toddlers exhibiting symptoms no later than 15 months of age. Then you will see marked improvements in their joint attention skills, eye contact and general engagement. You will see a transition of interest away from objects to people.

    I can prove my theroy if toddlers present typcial red flags i.e lack of eye contact, flapping and parents are willing to make the diet change no later than 15 months. I believe in this case that all children will improve and not remain on the autistic spectrum at all.

    The toddlers would all have to be given the same diet and all at the same age. As the toddlers will no longer be having milk they would need to be provided with a balanced diet and vitamins. 

  • Please. This is not about whether Autistic people are good or bad or right or wrong. I need help because I believe that I understand what is going on so let me begin to explain.

    The brain runs an automatic programme that shapes the phyiscial wiring of the brain. This happens in all babies.

    The problem is that in Autistic Children actually their programme is interrupted by both *** and Dairy Milk. 

    The reason that the results of diet change are inconclusive is becuase of timing. The key here is,that it is not changing the diet that will fix things but rather when you change the diet. It is all about timing.

    So if you change the diet after the brain is physcially wired for example in a 4 year old then it will not make a difference in the outcome apart from the symptoms associated with the digestive disorder will be corrected i.e wind, constipation etc.

    If you change the diet early then you allow the programme to resume and then you can limit the affects of autistic behaviours because the brain will begin to develop normally.

    People think early intervention i.e speech therapy and aba is at play but often people make dietary changes too ie they provide gluten and dairy free diets to their young ones.

    Studies are inconclusive because people are making diet changes at different ages and often too late. The studies focus on observing a diet change in autistic chidren of different ages.

    To prove my theory you have to make the changes to the diet of toddlers exhibiting symptoms no later than 15 months of age. Then you will see marked improvements in their joint attention skills, eye contact and general engagement. You will see a transition of interest away from objects to people.

    I can prove my theroy if toddlers present typcial red flags i.e lack of eye contact, flapping and parents are willing to make the diet change no later than 15 months. I believe in this case that all children will improve and not remain on the autistic spectrum at all.

  • So stop comparing yourself to nt’s. It’s like a rabbit comparing itself to a lion, it will always feel inferior if it does that. You’re not lacking in anything, who wants to fit into the crazy nt lifestyle anyway. Not me. Embrace yourself. 

  • Hehe, yes, I like that too :) Not sure I can much identify with it though, somehow I feel a bit like a robot compared to people, I'm slightly lacking the things that so far only people can do...

  • I'm with you BlueRay and agree with everything you have written in this thread.  I am a diagnosed ASD Mum to two young ASD children...one boy, one girl - my own Mum and my brother, although undiagnosed are clearly ASD well....  The world has moved on and is now so fast paced and stressful that autistic people of any generation are now finding it harder and harder to force themselves to fit into this crazy neuro-typical world......but right now we have to.  It's just that in this 'new world' neuro-diversity is being highlighted - these people have always been there though - it's just that their world was easier to live in years ago so they've stayed under the radar so to speak.  My hope is that at some point in the future the neuro-diverse will start changing the world so that it works more in our favour - we are strong, brave and resilient because we have to be to get by, we're much nicer people for it and I have no doubt that if neuro-typicals were in the minority, that the world would be a far better place for everyone to live.    

  • Theories are good only for theorists. You cannot come to a conclusion without all relevant data, which only theorists have access to. So unless you want to be a theorist, then it is not worth any effort considering the theory. It’s wasted energy. Energy that could be used, for example, to enjoy whatever is in front of us. Whatever we’re doing now. Life is constantly evolving. Enjoy it. It will never be the same again. It never is. Every new moment is a new moment in time. You can never step in the same river twice. Everything happens now. There is no one day, no future, no past. Only now. We each have the capacity to rule our world, now. It’s only a choice. 

  • There was a research paper published recently (read about it in the New Scientist, can't remember how long ago) which suggested that Autism could be an evolutionary development, that in an ever-more-over-crowded world certain aspects of high empathy quotient may in fact be a disadvantage. 

    I don't know if I can buy into it on the basis of one paper, but I like the idea of NT's simply being tomorrow's Neanderthals :) and that one day we will rule the world. 

  • To be fair, I honestly wonder what’s going on with nt’s. They seem so disconnected from their environment, I think they are the ones who have reacted to something, if that’s the case. I see no logic in their understanding of their world, yet I am open and willing to listen and learn, yet they don’t listen to me. That doesn’t make me wrong. Or mean that I have a disorder. It just means there’s a lack of communication or an unwillingness to communicate, without prejudice, on one or both sides. I see my world the way I see it and that’s as valid as anybody’s perspective. My world view doesn’t fit the nt world view and until they can convince me or until I’m convinced, that their world view is in any way superior to mine, then I don’t consider myself to have a disorder, but when compared to the nt world, I am indeed disabled. So I do need support, but not to help me ‘fit in’, but to help me find ‘my’ way in life, not just so I can try and follow somebody else’s view of what is normal and what is not normal. When I’m around other autistic people I feel completely normal. I wonder how normal an nt would feel surrounded by only autistic people. 

  • For me, this is a non starter. I have no desire to know what caused me to be who I am. And I think that if research continues down this avenue, it is only fair to put the same amount of time, money and effort, into finding out why nt’s are born the way they are. I’m autistic yet my son isn’t. Why aren’t we testing him? 

    I would rather they put their time, money and effort into finding ways we can include our children, our nd ones, into this life. My undiagnosed autistic 4 year old grandson is not coping with school. But nobody sees that. He is the most loving, funny, kind and generous little boy I know. He greets everyone with a hug and tells them how nice it is to see them. When he wants to, that is. But all that goes barely noticed. When compared to he’s spoilt, he’s naughty, he’s a baby. His best friend, who is getting assessed for autism, isn’t coping with the school day either. I would rather they put their time and effort into working out what would help these kids. 

    I would go so far as to suggest that we really ought to be finding out why nt’s are the way they are. I’m not saying they’re wrong or bad or anything, but if the world was more nd friendly, it would be a nicer place to be, for many people. And those that want a fast flashy life can go and have one. We’ll make little islands for them. 

    I may not fit the nt mould but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me, until I see myself compared to nt life. 

    Oh, and I do have bad guts, if I don’t eat the right food for me. Trying to get me to eat meat as a kid was enough alone to give me bad guts and put me off food. But I don’t have to eat it now and when I don’t, I’m good to go. When I listen to my body and give it what it needs, it works perfectly. 

  • I believe that environment, injections and types of food can trigger the pre existing condition. I remember when I mentioned to the psychiatrist that diagnosed me with asperges about injections he nearly threw me out of the room! They are so insistant on it just being something you are born with but there has to be other factors that have contributed. 

  • The scientists want to find a way to prove their theory so they explain the lack of history by telling us we did not simply realize people in our family had it. There is no doubt there is an explanaiton for Down Syndrome through genetics but not autism. My belief is there is something in Autism that makes babies react to something we consume that blocks the delveopment of the brain and causes symptoms in the gut. The problem is that the brain follows a course of development that is already there so once it is blocked and goes past a certain point it can no longer recover. Also my belief is that only some children react to what we consume and not others explaining why some children are autistic and others not. This is what I believe genetics could explain. It's when certain parent's DNA comes together that causes the reaction to this thing we consume not autism. Autism is a disturbed delveopmental programme caused directly by something we consume but that does not effect all people becuase of genetics. This is my explanation of Autism.

  • Aren't the "Parents with no family history of autism have(ing) children with autism." more likely to be due to the fact that the diagnostic criteria omitted many on the spectrum until at least the 1990's? How would they know they had no family history? 

    I'm not dismissing your theory entirely (I'm not a scientist.) but there is more and more research appearing that shows a genetic component even if not a directly heritable one. After all, most parents of children with (for instance) Down's Syndrome don't themselves have Down's Syndrome nor are they necessarily 'carriers' of it, but we know that there's genetic evidence for Down's Syndrome in that an extra chromosome is responsible.