Dietary interventions are based on the idea that 1) food
allergies cause symptoms of autism, and 2) an insufficiency of a
specific vitamin or mineral may cause some autistic symptoms. If
parents decide to try for a given period of time a special diet,
they should be sure that the child's nutritional status is
measured carefully. A diet that some parents have found was
helpful to their autistic child is a gluten-free, casein-free
diet. Gluten is a casein-like substance that is found in the
seeds of various cereal plants - wheat, oat, rye, and barley.
Casein is the principal protein in milk. Since gluten and milk
are found in many of the foods we eat, following a gluten-free,
casein-free diet is difficult. A supplement that some parents
feel is beneficial for an autistic child is Vitamin B6, taken
with magnesium (which makes the vitamin effective). The result
of research studies is mixed; some children respond positively,
some negatively, some not at all or very little. In the search
for treatment for autism, t