Talk to me about diet and behavior

[ktmelody]

Originally Posted by mommabritt I would appreciate that. First hand experience is great. Will pm you. So you don't think that absorption of some foods play a role in brain function or make it difficult to concentrate or maintain emotions? Do you feel medications help these issues and are necessary or not? I will look into these suggestions. I have a consult next week with DS doctor.

No, I dont.

Sometimes medication is warranted, yes. That is up to the parent and doctor to decide. We medicated my oldest through her roughest time, and may medicate my 3 year old at some point if she needs it and it would help her.

But if it works for you then that is great and you should try it and stick to it.

[mommabritt]

Originally Posted by ktmelody No, I dont. Sometimes medication is warranted, yes. That is up to the parent and doctor to decide. We medicated my oldest through her roughest time, and may medicate my 3 year old at some point if she needs it and it would help her. But if it works for you then that is great and you should try it and stick to it.

I feel like I can't do this much longer without intervention. His behaviors have become so severe and disruptive. I always said I would never medicate and maybe that's why in gasping at straws but somewhere in my heart I feel like it might help him. And that makes me sad.

[greencrunchymama]

Originally Posted by songbird516 I would look into the GAPS diet. There are lots of online accounts of parents having great success with it. It's not an easy diet, but it's also not meant to be permanent. I definitely think that diet can have a positive or negative effect on a child's behavior and emotions. I don't have a special needs child, but even she acts differently when she eats food that is really not nutritious and way too processed.

I was going to suggest looking at the GAPS diet as well. If nothing else, you can learn about the gut-brain connection, which is really interesting!

mama.

[mommabritt]

Originally Posted by greencrunchymama I was going to suggest looking at the GAPS diet as well. If nothing else, you can learn about the gut-brain connection, which is really interesting! mama.

An issue with doing this would be that he eats nearly no meat, no beans, and as for veggies- raw carrots with dip, corn ON the cob, and peas only when cooked in rice. That's it. He can't live on fruit.

[chillimom]

If he has underlying food sensitivities/intolerances, they may be contributing to behaviour for the simple reason that he doesn't feel great. And a healthy diet is good for everyone

My DS, who is autistic (and the whole alphabet too!) had a SUPER restrictive diet when he joined our family at 6 1/2 years old. We gradually introduced new foods using an ABA-style program. He is still incredibly picky, but eats very well for a kid with autism. Also, his crap diet meant his gut wasn't very healthy (in terms of flora/fauna), so we spent some time addressing that. Probiotics, grapefruit seed extract (to kill off the ickies), digestive enzymes. A good multi-vitamin. Getting him healthy made a huge difference to his behaviour and functioning.

But...not enough to be med free in our case. My DS (now almost 16) cannot function without medication, period. That was really hard for me to accept for a long time. He's not as quick to respond when on meds, and experiences "cognitive dulling". His meds somewhat impede his learning. However, being totally isolated by his behaviours, self-injurious, and aggressive also impede learning. I've come to realize, in our case, a happier but less bright boy is the best alternative. Which is my long way of saying that sometimes meds are needed, and they aren't always a bad thing. Sure it would be great if our kids never needed them, but sometimes they just do.

Oh, and I second what other mamas have said about fish oil. It's good for everyone, but especially for people with neurological issues. DS takes a high dose daily, and if he misses it, it's just as obvious as if he'd missed one of his "real" medications.

[songbird516]

Originally Posted by mommabritt An issue with doing this would be that he eats nearly no meat, no beans, and as for veggies- raw carrots with dip, corn ON the cob, and peas only when cooked in rice. That's it. He can't live on fruit.

can you make broth and would he drink it? That is a good start and it's chock full of nutrients that are relatively easily absorbed.

[mommabritt]

Originally Posted by songbird516 can you make broth and would he drink it? That is a good start and it's chock full of nutrients that are relatively easily absorbed.

I make chicken soup relatively frequently right now and he has to be served only the noodles, in a little broth, which he doesn't drink. He eats the noodles and is done. He would flip if a carrot or celery or heaven forbid a 'green thing!!' made its way into his bowl.

[mommabritt]

Originally Posted by chillimom If he has underlying food sensitivities/intolerances, they may be contributing to behaviour for the simple reason that he doesn't feel great. And a healthy diet is good for everyone My DS, who is autistic (and the whole alphabet too!) had a SUPER restrictive diet when he joined our family at 6 1/2 years old. We gradually introduced new foods using an ABA-style program. He is still incredibly picky, but eats very well for a kid with autism. Also, his crap diet meant his gut wasn't very healthy (in terms of flora/fauna), so we spent some time addressing that. Probiotics, grapefruit seed extract (to kill off the ickies), digestive enzymes. A good multi-vitamin. Getting him healthy made a huge difference to his behaviour and functioning. But...not enough to be med free in our case. My DS (now almost 16) cannot function without medication, period. That was really hard for me to accept for a long time. He's not as quick to respond when on meds, and experiences "cognitive dulling". His meds somewhat impede his learning. However, being totally isolated by his behaviours, self-injurious, and aggressive also impede learning. I've come to realize, in our case, a happier but less bright boy is the best alternative. Which is my long way of saying that sometimes meds are needed, and they aren't always a bad thing. Sure it would be great if our kids never needed them, but sometimes they just do. Oh, and I second what other mamas have said about fish oil. It's good for everyone, but especially for people with neurological issues. DS takes a high dose daily, and if he misses it, it's just as obvious as if he'd missed one of his "real" medications.

I will give this some thought. How did you go about making a plan for these changes and supplements? Do you see a professional for guidance or read and come up with your own plan?