| For those conducting autism research and for the | | | | There has also been a lot of autism research done to |
| families of children with autism, an autistic disorder is a | | | | attempt to find out how foods affect an autistic child. It |
| real concern. Those affected with autism normally | | | | is now believed that gluten, which is a protein found in |
| show signs of this disorder within the first three years | | | | wheat, barley, rye and some oat products, has a dire |
| of their lives. | | | | influence on the brain, the bowels and the immune |
| During this time, problems with communication will be | | | | system of an afflicted child. |
| noticed, as well as the inability to form relationships with | | | | It is believed that autistic children are actually being |
| family members and peers. There have always been | | | | poisoned by the existence of gluten in their diets. Many |
| theories about autism and why it happens, as well as | | | | physicians are now putting their autistic patients on a |
| lengthy studies done by autism experts to try and | | | | gluten free diet to rid their bodies of this substance. It is |
| unravel this disorder. | | | | now believed that great improvements, such as |
| Studies on autism have been done to try and prove if | | | | increased language skills, will be seen in the child if |
| there is a genetic link to an autistic disorder. Within | | | | gluten products are removed from their diet for at |
| these studies, the genes that are related to speech | | | | least 3 months. |
| and speech development were scrutinized to find out | | | | As time passes, autism research will hopefully give us |
| if the delays that autistic children exhibit could be | | | | more results on what can help children with an autistic |
| genetic. | | | | disorder and allow them to become more active in |
| One such study showed that rare genetic | | | | society, as well as how to deal with everyday issues. |
| abnormalities existed with a certain chromosome and | | | | The research has already given us solid information |
| were one hundred times more prevalent in autistic | | | | about how autistic children can be affected by things |
| people. It was therefore concluded that this itself could | | | | such as the foods they eat, which has enabled many |
| be one of the many causes of autism. It was also | | | | children to have better lives just by removing those |
| found that most people with autism did not have the | | | | foods from their diets. The more we can understand |
| mutation, meaning that other genes also must be | | | | about this disorder, the more we will be able to help |
| involved in the process. | | | | the children who suffer. |