In So Many Words

Special Diets for Special Kids
Volumes 1 and 2 Combined

by Lisa Lewis, Ph.D.
Future Horizons, 2011
375 pages

About the Book

Praised as a modern-day classic by celebrities and readers all over the world, the first edition of Special Diets for Special Kids has been helping children and adults with autism, ADHD, celiac disease, and other disorders since 1998. Special Diets for Special Kids Two followed up in 2001 by providing more recipes and updated research.

Now, this revised and expanded edition offers both books in one, complete with the latest research, revised recipes, and color photos throughout!

The first part of the book describes dietary intervention in detail, from both a scientific and a personal approach (the author’s son has autism and has been on a GFCF diet for many years). In a nutshell, certain enzymes are required to break down gluten and casein. If those enzymes don’t function well, or are not present at sufficient levels, serious neurological problems can result. Studies have shown that children with autism have a marked deficiency of these enzymes, which may explain why GFCF diets have yielded positive results for many children.

Among many other helpful topics, Dr. Lewis explains:

• The Biology behind Dietary Interventions
• “Leaky Gut”
• Allergies, Sensitivities, and Intolerances
• Antibiotics and Probiotics
• Vitamins and Minerals
• Testing and Nutritional Support
• Other Diets and Interventions
• How to Go GFCF

The second part of the book is an easy-to-follow cookbook. This section contains nearly 200 recipes, including many you would have never thought possible on a GFCF diet, such as:

• Banana-Nut Pancakes
• Blueberry Muffins
• Tortillas/Wraps
• Chicken Nuggets
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Mock Mac and Cheese
• Chili
• Turkey Dressing
• Cakes and Cookies
• And many, many more!

Best of all, this book comes with a FREE CD of printable recipes, so you can easily print out recipes as you use them and keep the book away from counter spills and drips!

My Thoughts

As anyone who has been involved with the GFCF diet knows, there is often much more involved than just eliminating gluten and casein. Other food sensitivities and digestive issues often exist and require specific types of adjustments with diet and supplements to see improvement in a child’s health. In the first fifty-plus pages of this book, Lewis gives an overview of many of the related issues and provides a solid foundation for both the why and how of a special diet.

The rest of the book is a colorful explosion of recipes, ranging from the three main meals a day to holiday treats and desserts with lots of other stuff in between. Everyone should find something to tempt their child’s taste buds and/or texture requirements!

Discount Opportunity: If you order Special Diets for Special Kids directly from Future Horizons, you can use the code INTERRUPTED to receive 15% off and free shipping in the continental US.

Note: I received a review copy of this book for free, but all opinions are my own. I am an affiliate of Future Horizons and receive a small amount of compensation for any sales made using the promotional code provided. You can use the code INTERRUPTED when ordering books or other materials – or even conference registrations – to receive 15% off plus free shipping in the continental US.

I first became aware of Liquid Zeolite in the fall of 2009 through a retired local pediatrician who had used it with several people and seen a good response in regards to health problems related to toxicity. He suggested that it may be helpful for some of the behavioral symptoms of children with autism who had higher toxic levels of substances such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic, and several local families, including us, agreed to give it a try.

I was never really sure whether it made a big difference for Michael, although I can say that it was the easiest supplement we have ever used. It is a tasteless, odorless, clear liquid, and the dosage is only a few drops which can be placed directly on the tongue.

At the time, I did note improvements in a few areas (less spinning and perseveration and better attention and focus) over the first few weeks but cannot say whether these would be accounted for by other factors. However, with the exception of his dramatic positive response to the removal of dairy from his diet and the near-miraculous effect melatonin has had on our entire household, Michael has had milder gains from most of the other nutritional treatments we have done with him, so this is not unusual for him.

Over the last couple of years, I have found that my own health problems have worsened. What was thought to be reflux esophagitis (although it didn’t really fit the standard profile for it) was found last spring to be eosinophilic esophagitis. This resulted in the additional diagnosis of several confirmed food allergies, along with milder reactions to a few other foods and some seasonal allergic symptoms. I also have issues with my weight and with depression and anxiety, so there are a number of factors working together here.

I have thought about trying the supplement for myself but hadn’t followed through on the idea until recently when I spoke with the folks at True Zeolite. They shared with me about the health benefits of zeolite:

Waiora liquid zeolite has a lot of benefits because of its ability to bind and remove heavy metals and toxins. Some of the zeolite benefits include balancing your PH level, helping with diabetes, acid reflex and digestion, headaches, allergies, preventing viruses, and supporting a healthy immune system. Waiora liquid zeolite is also 100% safe to use and natural for long-term use.

So, I am going to be giving this a trial run on myself to see if it helps in any way. I will be keeping track of my progress and will let you know how it goes and what results I see from it. And, if the last several years are any indication, you don’t have to worry about my making any other lifestyle changes in the next month to skew the results!

In the meantime, you can find a lot more information about what Liquid Zeolite is and how it works on the True Zeolite website.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a one-month supply of Liquid Zeolite at the suggested detox dosage. True Zeolite has also purchased a quarterly ad space on this blog.

We got our results from the visit to the DAN! doc who we started seeing through Pfeiffer Treatment Center (I wrote about our first visit earlier). They were very interesting and supported the fact that there are a couple of areas out of balance.

THE RESULTS
First of all, his kryptopyrroles were quite high and his zinc levels were below the normal range, indicating the presence of pyroluria as suspected. His zinc/copper ratio and the amount of unbound copper were both somewhat high, and the amount of copper-binding protein was lower than normal.

A couple of things I wasn’t expecting to hear were that his vitamin D level is deficient and that his histamine level is elevated. He also had low ferritin, indicating that his iron stores are low, which isn’t so surprising given his diet.

The organic acids test showed insignificant amounts of yeast and normal bacteria, although he did have a somewhat high arabinose level. And finally, the X-ray showed mild to moderate fecal retention.

THE PLAN
So, we have started the compounded supplements along with a variety of other items that were recommended by the doctor. We haven’t gotten to the full plan yet, but most everything has been started. Here’s a breakdown of what we are giving:

With breakfast

• Compounded supplement including Vitamin C, B6, P5P, Biotin, Niacinamide, Chromium Polynicotinate, Magnesium Glycinate, Zinc Citrate and Vitamn D
• Inositol and Taurine (for calming and aggression)
• Zeolite (which we have been using for several months for detox)
• L-Carnitine (for motility)
• Probiotics

With supper

• Compounded supplement including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Biotin, Niacinamide, Chromium Polynicotinate, Magnesium Glycinate, Zinc Picolinate, Iron Gluconate and Vitamn D
• Inositol and Taurine
• Zeolite
• L-Carnitine
• Probiotics

At bedtime:

• Melatonin

We were using GABA for calming but the nurse had us discontinue it since we were seeing any changes. That is when we introduced the inositol and taurine. I can’t say that I have seen a difference, but they are both safe and helpful in other ways, so I’m going to give them some more time.

STILL TO BE ADDED
We still need to add cod liver oil to the regimen. My husband has actually been taking the CLO that I had. When I ordered more, I tried a different brand and he remarked on how much better it tasted. When I looked at the bottle, I realized that it was just fish oil with the essential fatty acids and no vitamin A or D, so that’s probably why it tastes so good! I need to order the regular CLO and then start giving that to Michael.

I also have a calcium/magnesium liquid that he is supposed to take, along with a third dose of L-carnitine, at bedtime, but he hates it due to the creamy texture. We are also supposed to do a bowel massage each night to help with motility.

The other thing that I did faithfully at the beginning and have slacked off on is applying Evening Primrose Oil to his skin at bedtime. This is an omega 6 which has been shown to be helpful in treating pyroluria, along with the high doses of B6 and zinc.

What a week! I received my son’s IEP on Tuesday (we met the previous Thursday) and unfortunately there are still some outstanding questions, at least on my end, that need to be resolved. So I had to send back the NOREP (written notice form) requesting another meeting.

Here are a few of the notable posts I found this week:

Decision Points at TherExtras – a fascinating and thought-provoking play by play of a therapy session from the therapist’s point of view

It’s Summer Camp Time Again…HELP! at Spirit of Autism – I can’t find a permalink to the post, but, if you scroll down, it is from April 17th and has a great list of questions to ask when evaluating a summer camp for your child with special needs

Turns out Autism IS associated with GI disorders at Adventures in Autism – results from an Autism Treatment Network study that were recently published

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you special moms out there!

I’ve been too busy with a psychiatric evaluation and an annual IEP meeting to keep up with email, let alone blog, but there have still been a number of great articles that caught my eye this week.

My Crystal Ball and My Checkmark Chart at Welcome to Normal – My last token economy system for home had kind of fallen by the wayside with the recent difficulties in school, especially since I wasn’t letting him play the Wii or computer if he was aggressive that day. It kind of makes it hard to earn privileges at home when you aren’t allowed to redeem them.

But after reading this and seeing how Caitlin is converting the checkmarks to money, I thought that might work for Michael at this point in time. I am making them equal to a dime, which is the same amount he gets at school (although theirs go towards school dollars and not real ones, of course!). Michael has been highly motivated by it for the last few days, so hopefully that will continue.

Interview With Taylor Morris — An Exceptional Teenage Girl with Aspergers at Hartley’s Life with 3 Boys – A fascinating interview with a young lady who shares about her experiences with sensory processing disorder and Aspergers.

In Honor of Dr. Stanley Greenspan at 5 Minutes for Special Needs – Dr. Greenspan, who among many other things started the D.I.R./Floortime therapy, died on April 27th following a stroke. He will be greatly missed.

Eating for Autism at autism community – This is a review of a book by Elizabeth Strickland regarding the GFCF Diet and having a healthier diet overall. I’m wondering if any of you have read or used this book at all and whether you like it. One of the things I need to focus on with Michael is improving the quality of his diet, which has been difficult due to his sensory issues and the number of different foods and textures that he avoids.

Well, that’s is for this week. I’m clearing out the GReader and starting fresh in the morning!

I have been reading so many great posts by bloggers lately, and whenever I see something that really speaks to me in some way, I feel an urge to share it. Rather than flood Twitter or Facebook with links that may or may not be seen by anyone, I decided to list a few of them here.

So here are some things that caught my eye in the past week:

On Advocacy – a subject that is near and dear to my heart:
What Is Advocacy? An Inside Scoop From Pathfinders For Autism from The Gift: A Blog for Caregivers of Sensational Children

An Amazing Moment When a Kid is Just a Kid
The Power of You and I from Welcome to Normal, Population 0

Insights Regarding the Division Between Biomed Moms and Neurodiversity
Desperate, huh? and Bridging the Gulf from Life as the mother of 4

Practical Tips
Simple Accommodations to Help Your Autistic Employee Excel from Spectrum Siblings

Autism Treatment – How to Use Supplements to Treat Autism, Part 1 and Part 2 from Dr. Kurt Woeller’s Autism Recovery Treatment Blog

And on a separate, somewhat superficial note, did you know that you can now put a Facebook “Like” button on your web site? It allows you to see how your Facebook friends are interacting with sites around the web. I put one on Another Piece of the Puzzle just for kicks, so feel free to pop over and “like” me (and let me know if you add one to your site)!

I last posted about my son’s biomedical treatment last October, when I was fed up with the DAN! doctor we were trying to see and decided to cancel our follow-up appointment (that had been rescheduled more than once due to testing delays).

Well, since then, we were able to go to the outreach clinic held by Pfeiffer Treatment Center, which is a non-profit center specializing in treating biochemical imbalances. They are located in Warrenville, IL, but hold an outreach clinic twice a year in Annapolis, MD.

I took Michael down there on March 9th, the day after his first chair-throwing incident and the day before his 8th birthday, and I was very impressed with the whole operation. They basically take over a floor of a hotel and you see the nurse and the doctor, who is a DAN! doctor by the way, and also give a urine sample there. The blood draw was done at a LabCorp literally two blocks away.

The doctor told us that he suspected pyroluria based on Michael’s symptoms, but that we would know more once the testing was done. He gave me a starter supplement and a short list of other supplements to use until we heard back from them. He also had us do an OAT (organic acid test) to check for yeast or bacteria and get a X-ray to check for fecal retention.

Here are the supplements we started/continued after the first visit:

• Pfeiffer starter supplement (includes Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B6, Magnesium and Zinc)
• Evening Primrose Oil (we did transdermal, this oil is an Omega 6 and recommended with pyroluria)
• GABA for calming (we didn’t really see any effect from this one)
• Continue the Zeolite
• Continue probiotics once the OAT sample collected
• Continue melatonin for going to sleep
• We added L-Carnitine after the Xray showed mild to moderate fecal retention as it is supposed to help with motility

I started very slowly with the supplements, just juice at first and then mixing in a little bit at a time until I got to the dosage. He has been surprisingly compliant, for which I am very thankful. Hopefully that will continue as we start his customized plan. I’ll post more about his results later.

Well, I didn’t get much checked off my list this last week – too many other things kept popping up that needed to be done. After going round and round with the DAN! doctor’s office, I have decided to get copies of all the test results we haven’t met to review yet and then cancel the follow-up appointment. It is just not worth the hassles I am dealing with every single time I need insurance paperwork done properly or even to talk to someone at the office. The office manager has been very helpful, but even she can’t make up for the other frustrations I have experienced.

Now I am trying to figure out what route we are going to go. I do have Michael taking a small amount of Essential Fatty Acids as well as Melatonin at bedtime and Liquid Zeolite, which we are trying out with a few other local parents. We are going to be tracking the zeolite on a weekly basis, so I can’t add the other supplements I was holding until the organic acid test was sent in (which is now on hold anyway!).

We have a behavior plan meeting Thursday morning with the school – very excited about that – and our wraparound agency is working on getting a new TSS b/c the current one is just not up to par with what we need.

With everything going on, I think reorganizing my to do list into more of a schedule would make sense and help me to feel less like I am trying to do too many things at once. Hopefully, this will move me closer to a routine like the one that was working so well last summer.

This is where the To-Do List normally goes, but I just still haven’t really figured out how to organize my schedule. So I guess this is really just a Biomed Update!

The behavior plan meeting went well. I’ll post more about that soon. Right now, we’re super excited about going to see They Might Be Giants on Saturday for a kids’ show – although it is supposed to be yucky and rainy. My sister-in-law and her family are planning to come. Two of their girls haven’t been feeling well, so we are hoping they will be better by the weekend.

For more To-Do Tuesday, visit Crazy Adventures in Parenting.

We’re in the mainstream now, baby! I just saw this clip on Age of Autism and felt like I was in the twilight zone (in a good way).

Listen to this short clip where Dr. Oz discusses inflammation of the brain as contributing to autism and how simple dietary changes can help.

Here’s a link to the Dr. Oz on Autism video if you can’t see it here.

For more information on treating children with autism through dietary changes and other biomedical interventions, visit www.autism.com.

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the copy of Nourishing Hope for Autism. Skipping over the one commentor who did not want to be entered in the drawing, there were 10 entries, and here is the result from Random.org:

So, the winner is Janet, who left the following comment:

Janet September 29, 2009 at 9:57 am

Wow — this sounds like a great read.

Don’t ASD and crinkley pages go hand-in-hand? After all, don’t all cats have asperger’s?!

I’ve sent you an email, Janet, and I’ll send out the book as soon as I have your address.