Nutritional Interventions: Significance of Diet In Supporting Autism Behavioural Therapy Goals

Characterised by persistent deficits in interaction, social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests, autism can be difficult to deal with, without the right diagnosis and intervention. What is autism? Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a person’s ability to understand the world around him / her and relate to other people. ASD can differ in severity from individual to individual and can manifest in very different symptoms in persons on the similar levels on the spectrum. 

Managing Food Sensitivities for Improved Behaviour

Autism behavioural therapy helps children with autism through targeted treatment of language deficits and behaviour so that they can learn to communicate better, play interactively, and take care of themselves. There are a lot of foods that make a difference in autism behaviour and are recommended for autistic individuals as part of autism behavioural therapy. 

Persons with ASD have been found to have difficulty with balancing blood sugar, challenges due to food allergies, nutritional deficiencies, and not intaking an optimal level of essential fats like Omega-3 fatty acids. There is no specific diet that is prescribed for individuals diagnosed with autism. Depending on their symptoms, a diet is charted by removing certain proteins like gluten or casein, among others, which may be triggering or worsening the GI symptoms. Whenever a particular diet is being followed, it needs to be under proper guidance from a nutritionist, in order to ensure that the diet is balanced and does not cause deficiency of any sort.

Can Dietary Changes Help A Person With ASD?

There are a lot of Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that are prevalent among individuals with autism. The more common symptoms include food regurgitation, chronic diarrhoea, excessive gas, constipation, Crohn’s disease, lactose intolerance, abdominal distention, discomfort and bloating, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), faecal impaction, and a leaky gut syndrome. Children with autism are likely to have deficits in certain nutrients, which could be a result of behavioural challenges, including feeding issues. Implementing dietary changes can go a long way towards making their lives better. 

Essential Nutrients for Autism Support

Probiotics: By improving digestion and addressing discomfort resulting from digestion issues, it may be possible to reduce behavioural symptoms like irritability and decreased ability to concentrate. In order to keep the gut strong, it is important to increase the intake of probiotics like curd and cheese (provided that the person is not lactose intolerant) or certain fermented foods like kimchi, cucumbers pickled in salt and water, Indian foods like dosa and dhokla, and apple cider vinegar. 

Blood Sugar Controlling Foods: Consumption of whole foods like wholegrain, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses, fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and lean meats can help to support blood sugar levels in the body. However, this needs to be done along with a reduction in the consumption of sugary foods and drinks, processed food and caffeine in order for it to show results. 

Omega-3 Fats: Intake of Omega-3 fats have been clinically proven to improve behaviour, mood, imagination, sleep patterns, concentration and spontaneous speech in autistic individuals. They are known to be brain boosters for individuals with autism. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines and seeds such as flaxseeds and chia seeds are rich in Omega-3 fats and can easily be included in a person’s diet.

Vitamins & Minerals: Supplements of vitamins such as Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C, and minerals such as magnesium have been shown to benefit individuals with autism. As part of regular food, dark, leafy green vegetables, chickpeas and salmon are known to be great sources of Vitamin B6 whereas citrus fruits, broccoli, cauliflower and peppers are good providers of Vitamin C. In order to obtain magnesium in your daily diet, it is best to include wholegrains, nuts, seeds, and green vegetables. Vitamin A is another essential vitamin that is important for vision, and vital for building healthy cells in the gut and brain. Inability to perceive three-dimensionality as a result of poor vision often causes autistic individuals to glance sideways instead of looking straight at the person talking to them. While this is perceived as a sign of poor socialisation skills, it is in fact because of their poor black and white vision and inability to see shadows. 

Diet As A Part of BIP At Jewel Autism

As part of autism behavioural therapy at Jewel Autism, a personalized  Behaviour Intervention Plan (BIP) is created, targeting specific challenging behaviours. The main components of the BIP include Functional Assessment, Clear Definition of Target Behaviours, Clear and Measurable Goals, Positive Reinforcement Strategies, Environmental Modifications, Prompting and Fading Strategies, Consistency across Settings, Data Collection and Analysis, Collaboration with Parents and Caregivers. Enabling dietary changes to include essential nutrients for autism support and managing food sensitivities and plays a key part in ensuring success of the autism behavioural therapy.