Parents' perceptions of the gluten-free casein-free diet for their children with autism

This study examined the factors that affected parent's decision for putting their autistic children on a gluten free casein free diet (gfcf diet). Parents completed a fifteen question survey relating to multiple factors affecting their lives while having their children on a gfcf diet. In addition, parents were asked to fill out a three day diet history for their child for a nutrient analysis.; Fifty three surveys (21%) and ten diet histories were returned. The majority of parents first heard of the gfcf diet either on the Internet (28%) or from Parent Magazine (32%). Desperation (25%) was the main reason parents tried the diet. Forty-seven percent of parents reported having their children on the diet for three years for greater. Ninety-two percent of parents reported removing more than just gluten and casein from their children's diets. Thirty-nine percent of parents reported the diet was hard to implement and maintain only at first, with the most difficult part being traveling/eating out (34%). Speech therapy was the number one additional therapy that the children were receiving (21%). Seventy-one percent of parents reported consulting a health care professional with help for implementing the diet. Overall, 57% of parent felt the behavioral changes that they saw in their children were due to the gluten free casein free diet.