Untitled Document

Dramatic Breakthrough For 21 Year Old Autistic Man

A Story of Triumph Using Special Foods and the Special Foods Diet

November 3, 1998

I am the mother of a twenty-one year old autistic son who is also physically disabled (his physical disability was apparently brought on by the delay of a much needed blood transfusion when he was born). I'm not sure if you'll remember speaking with me about two weeks ago or not, but our conversation will remain with me for a long time to come.

My son David's experiences with Special Foods began shortly after blood test results revealed (in February of this year) he had a very long list of foods that he was allergic to. What an unpleasant surprise it was to learn that nearly every food he consumed was triggering his immune system to be in this tremendous state of chronic alarm! After all, I was a mother who knew the importance a diet can have. I kept abreast of every piece of nutritional information that I could get – and I used that information. White sugar, white flour, white sugar never touched his lips. And when I found out about the information on the gluten-free casein-free diet in July of 1997 - gluten and casein foods were eliminated too. Now I discover that the rice I had replaced the gluten containing grains - he is allergic to! What a disappointment - as well as a RELIEF this news was to me. Disappointment because all my best efforts not only did not benefit him - but harmed him - and - RELIEF because it gave an explanation that could be now easily seen for his many rage episodes he had after he drank the homemade rice milk (which was only cooked organically grown brown rice and water) I gave him.

Admittedly I did not first embrace these test results as being true, so I gave my son only rice for one day - it resulted in a seemingly non-stop intense rage episode that lasted for three and a half days not to mention the sleepless nights he had and the whole he punched in the wall! Still, not being certain of the accuracy of the blood test – the next week I loaded his diet with fresh pineapple for one day (no rice was given on this day nor the five days that followed) - it resulted in extreme hyperactivity and rage episodes for the next two days!! Needless to say, he did not get any rice or pineapple after these adventures.

I went no further with my experimentation to test whether or not he would suffer negative affects from the other foods that had been listed as allergens. Instead, I decided that whether I liked it or not – I better just avoid all the foods that the blood test revealed he was allergic to.

Once again and in a very desperate state, I began looking for alternative foods. This was one of the biggest challenges I have ever had. My son was allergic to so many foods it seemed I couldn't even imagine what foods he could have without triggering some of his most disturbing intense autistic behaviors that made life very difficult for him as well as everyone around him.

I mentioned my plight in an email to a friend of mine not long after my search began and she responded with a suggestion to go to the Special Foods web page and check it out.

Karen, the information you have there for parents of autistic children is absolutely WONDERFUL!!! It made more sense to me than anything I have ever read before on the relationship of diet and autism. After reading all the information you presented, I placed my first order. To my amazement - I was fortunate enough to talk with you. You were VERY ENLIGHTENING in our conversation then - you made some helpful suggestions on how to begin, what to expect along the way, and where I could find more information on food families. You were amazingly complete in the information you gave me and so the adventure began. It took a few months of trial and error on the rotation diet you suggested - but- by May - "The Holy Grail - was found! David - for the first time in his life was finally getting foods that must have had his immune system shouting for joy with the rest it was apparently now getting.

Since that time till now - this twenty-one YEAR old - who had nearly every single severe negative autistic symptom there is has the worst of them GONE!!! They are not diminished - they are GONE! His crying for no seen reason episodes - gone! His many, many, restless and/or completely sleepless nights - gone! His nearly constant state of being stressed or anxious - gone! His hyperactivity - gone! His inflamed large rash on his hip - gone!

In its place David is experiencing sleeping soundly - ALL NIGHT LONG for the first time in his life regularly! The red large inflamed blotch on his left hip - gone! He wakes up with a true smile on his face every day! He is so calm all the time and has not experienced having a rage episode since May! He is obviously one happy guy now!

I should mention that I thought your suggestion to stop all nutritional supplements made so much sense to me that they were completely discontinued. To tell you the truth though - I was the most ill-at-ease with that suggestion because I really have a strong belief that they really should be given to him (still do) - but - I did nonetheless stop ALL supplements because it does seem to me to be indisputable that you should really KNOW just what the foods are doing with a certainty first - and then cautiously, perhaps, pursue the nutritional supplements (one at a time, of course).

It is indeed so very, very sad that my son suffered so greatly needlessly all those years - but thank God and you Karen – those sufferings of the worse kind have seemingly come to an end!

David still does have some autistic behaviors, like not looking at you (although he does now look at you sometimes when you talk to him), shaking his head from side to side as if gesturing to say "no" and some other repetitive behaviors, BUT all the suffering behaviors of the very worse kind have truly seemed to be ELIMINATED!

Of course, I am going to continue with his 5 day rotation diet (that is all the foods I could find that he would not react negatively to) – and it does seem likely to me that even more reasons to celebrate will occur.

If this can happen for a very complex autistic twenty-one year old - I can't help but wonder what are the true possibilities for the much younger autistic individuals - and who is to say that even more of a decrease in autistic behaviors won't be realized for my David in the days to come?!

You, of course, have my blessings to do with this miraculous story about my son David as you wish. Somehow I believe you will get it out there in all the right places, so other parents of autistic children can be encouraged to as you once said to me "go for it.

Karen, please keep doing what you are doing - you are literally saving lives!!!!!!!!

Sincerest gratitude,
Genevieve Bogusky
email address: hidolly@early.com