Interesting Article by a friend of mine

[Guest guest]

Knocking on Autism's Door

By Debra Costantino

Debra Costantino, MA, NCC is a life coach specializing in the issues

of families with children with special needs. She is available for

parental coaching and can be reached at The Center for Therapy &

Counseling Services in East Brunswick (732)254-0600 or via email at

dscostantino@....

Last week my daughter looked longingly at the ice cream in the large

glass cases during our trip to the supermarket. She did not say

anything but she didn't have to. I knew she wanted the ice cream and

she knew that she could not have it. My stomach felt a little sick

with regret that it had to be this way. We walked on and I told her

I would make her something delicious at home. She accepted this

promise but I did not feel any better. I took a deep breath and

moved on to the next aisle.

It all began two years ago. At thirty months old, my daughter's

obvious speech delay became glaring. Her strong reactions to sounds

also could not be explained away any longer. My husband and I

started taking her for evaluations. After appointments with a

neurologist, a speech therapist, and a neuropsychologist, our

concerns were confirmed. Our daughter needed help immediately.

Somewhere during that time, I had done some reading about milk

allergies and the effects they could have on children. Only

partially following my mommy gut, I took milk away but continued

giving her other dairy products. I also continued doing the

traditional recommended therapies. Something still resonating within

me, I took my daughter to an allergist. It was both a relief and

disheartening to hear that there was no way she could have a milk

allergy. There were no hives, no eczema, therefore, no allergy

according to this seasoned traditional allergist. He looked like he

felt pity for me that I was reaching this way to explain away my

daughter's developmental delays. I left feeling stupid and

defeated. The next two years have been filled with therapy,

preschool in an integrated classroom, and constant concern for the

wellbeing of our only child.

After the birth of my second daughter in late August of this past

year, I found the courage to look deeper. I found the answer quickly-

diet was the key. I began to read late into the night and every

chance I got. I learned about food intolerance, food sensitivity,

and food allergies. The gluten and casein free diet is not

uncommon. It is used for all sorts of health issues in both children

and adults. Medical literature does not necessarily support it but

thousands of families who have found relief in their children's

symptoms would make a very different argument. Given that the

removal of these things could not do any harm, I decided it was well

worth a try.

In early November I put my daughter on " the diet " as it is often

called. Simultaneously, the pieces fell together as I learned more.

Could it be? Could food intolerance and/or allergies be causing my

daughter's hyperactivity, speech delay, and fine motor delay? While

I was at it, I also removed refined sugar, preservatives, additives,

and food dyes. Through my research I found that these also can cause

behavioral issues in children.

Our food choices were now limited and required that I prepare much of

what she ate from scratch. The learning curve was huge. Some of my

recipes were disasters. Successes also filled my days. Each minute

improvement pushed me along to learn more, try more, and change my

way of thinking and approaching her issues.

Within days I noticed better speech. After a few weeks of careful

observation, I pinpointed corn as the cause of her hyperactivity.

With that additional removal, the hyperactive child disappeared and

my daughter emerged. Over time, her concentration improved. Her

fine motor skills yielded good coloring and some letter writing-

something that I once worried would be almost impossible. In some

ways, I met my beautiful daughter for the first time.

This life change affected every area of my life including my career.

A therapist and life coach, I began a support group for parents of

kids with special needs. I facilitate one-on-one information

sessions on the gluten and casein free diet. I work with parents to

empower them to advocate for the children in the school system. I

also work with parents and the whole family to emotionally cope with

the unique issues that surround their children's needs at home.

Meanwhile, I have found an alternative doctor to help me with the

things I could not accomplish on my own. Ultimately, allergy testing

proved that my daughter did, indeed, have a milk allergy. She is

also allergic to cheese, wheat, oats, peanuts, canola, soy, rice,

yeast, tomatoes, and a host of other things. A week after the

removal of the remaining forbidden foods, the preschool teacher asked

me to come inside to show me my daughter's work. She was coloring in

the lines. She was writing her letters. She was participating in

school more than ever. I cried tears of joy.

Can allergies be affecting our children's development? There is talk

of the 4 A's: ADHD, allergies, autism, and asthma. So many children

are being diagnosed with these health problems. There is an

overwhelming number of parents who have found that diet helps or

alleviates symptoms of these issues. Often like me, they implement

other biomedical interventions along with the diet. The results are

amazing.

I am not a doctor but I am a concerned parent. I have learned that

looking at a problem with an open mind helps find other solutions.

Thinking about the allergist we visited two years ago who assured me

there was no milk allergy, I am reminded that if I took his word as

absolute law, my daughter would not be doing as well as she is now.

Doris Rapp, the author of " Is This Your Child " is a doctor. Every

word she wrote in that important science-based book underscores what

I have found not through science, but through pure love for my

daughter.

Sometimes what is right for our children is not what we are told by

the traditional doctors. They have a place and do wonderful,

miraculous things. The trick is to find the right doctor, get the

right tests, and take a leap of faith in the name of a child's

future. What is the worst that can happen? No harm can be done

through changing diet if done properly and with supervision of a

qualified nutrition-oriented doctor. A change in diet may not

change anything. On the other hand, it could change everything as it

did in our case.

As I walked on to the next aisle in the supermarket that day, I

looked at my daughter and told her that I love her. She

said, " Mommy, I love you too " . That is all the proof I need.

Debra Costantino, MA, NCC is the mother of two young daughters and

co-owner of The Center for Therapy and Counseling Services in East

Brunswick.

[Guest guest]

Mat I share this with another group? I am just finding out about all of my son's

allergies after years of trying to " convince " doctor's that he does have them we

now have confirmed allergies to corn,egg, wheat, milk, casein, whey, soy,tree

nuts, and turkey

Thanks Gracie

[ ] Interesting Article by a friend of mine

Knocking on Autism's Door

By Debra Costantino

Debra Costantino, MA, NCC is a life coach specializing in the issues

of families with children with special needs. She is available for

parental coaching and can be reached at The Center for Therapy &

Counseling Services in East Brunswick (732)254-0600 or via email at

dscostantino@....

Last week my daughter looked longingly at the ice cream in the large

glass cases during our trip to the supermarket. She did not say

anything but she didn't have to. I knew she wanted the ice cream and

she knew that she could not have it. My stomach felt a little sick

with regret that it had to be this way. We walked on and I told her

I would make her something delicious at home. She accepted this

promise but I did not feel any better. I took a deep breath and

moved on to the next aisle.

It all began two years ago. At thirty months old, my daughter's

obvious speech delay became glaring. Her strong reactions to sounds

also could not be explained away any longer. My husband and I

started taking her for evaluations. After appointments with a

neurologist, a speech therapist, and a neuropsychologist, our

concerns were confirmed. Our daughter needed help immediately.

Somewhere during that time, I had done some reading about milk

allergies and the effects they could have on children. Only

partially following my mommy gut, I took milk away but continued

giving her other dairy products. I also continued doing the

traditional recommended therapies. Something still resonating within

me, I took my daughter to an allergist. It was both a relief and

disheartening to hear that there was no way she could have a milk

allergy. There were no hives, no eczema, therefore, no allergy

according to this seasoned traditional allergist. He looked like he

felt pity for me that I was reaching this way to explain away my

daughter's developmental delays. I left feeling stupid and

defeated. The next two years have been filled with therapy,

preschool in an integrated classroom, and constant concern for the

wellbeing of our only child.

After the birth of my second daughter in late August of this past

year, I found the courage to look deeper. I found the answer quickly-

diet was the key. I began to read late into the night and every

chance I got. I learned about food intolerance, food sensitivity,

and food allergies. The gluten and casein free diet is not

uncommon. It is used for all sorts of health issues in both children

and adults. Medical literature does not necessarily support it but

thousands of families who have found relief in their children's

symptoms would make a very different argument. Given that the

removal of these things could not do any harm, I decided it was well

worth a try.

In early November I put my daughter on " the diet " as it is often

called. Simultaneously, the pieces fell together as I learned more.

Could it be? Could food intolerance and/or allergies be causing my

daughter's hyperactivity, speech delay, and fine motor delay? While

I was at it, I also removed refined sugar, preservatives, additives,

and food dyes. Through my research I found that these also can cause

behavioral issues in children.

Our food choices were now limited and required that I prepare much of

what she ate from scratch. The learning curve was huge. Some of my

recipes were disasters. Successes also filled my days. Each minute

improvement pushed me along to learn more, try more, and change my

way of thinking and approaching her issues.

Within days I noticed better speech. After a few weeks of careful

observation, I pinpointed corn as the cause of her hyperactivity.

With that additional removal, the hyperactive child disappeared and

my daughter emerged. Over time, her concentration improved. Her

fine motor skills yielded good coloring and some letter writing-

something that I once worried would be almost impossible. In some

ways, I met my beautiful daughter for the first time.

This life change affected every area of my life including my career.

A therapist and life coach, I began a support group for parents of

kids with special needs. I facilitate one-on-one information

sessions on the gluten and casein free diet. I work with parents to

empower them to advocate for the children in the school system. I

also work with parents and the whole family to emotionally cope with

the unique issues that surround their children's needs at home.

Meanwhile, I have found an alternative doctor to help me with the

things I could not accomplish on my own. Ultimately, allergy testing

proved that my daughter did, indeed, have a milk allergy. She is

also allergic to cheese, wheat, oats, peanuts, canola, soy, rice,

yeast, tomatoes, and a host of other things. A week after the

removal of the remaining forbidden foods, the preschool teacher asked

me to come inside to show me my daughter's work. She was coloring in

the lines. She was writing her letters. She was participating in

school more than ever. I cried tears of joy.

Can allergies be affecting our children's development? There is talk

of the 4 A's: ADHD, allergies, autism, and asthma. So many children

are being diagnosed with these health problems. There is an

overwhelming number of parents who have found that diet helps or

alleviates symptoms of these issues. Often like me, they implement

other biomedical interventions along with the diet. The results are

amazing.

I am not a doctor but I am a concerned parent. I have learned that

looking at a problem with an open mind helps find other solutions.

Thinking about the allergist we visited two years ago who assured me

there was no milk allergy, I am reminded that if I took his word as

absolute law, my daughter would not be doing as well as she is now.

Doris Rapp, the author of " Is This Your Child " is a doctor. Every

word she wrote in that important science-based book underscores what

I have found not through science, but through pure love for my

daughter.

Sometimes what is right for our children is not what we are told by

the traditional doctors. They have a place and do wonderful,

miraculous things. The trick is to find the right doctor, get the

right tests, and take a leap of faith in the name of a child's

future. What is the worst that can happen? No harm can be done

through changing diet if done properly and with supervision of a

qualified nutrition-oriented doctor. A change in diet may not

change anything. On the other hand, it could change everything as it

did in our case.

As I walked on to the next aisle in the supermarket that day, I

looked at my daughter and told her that I love her. She

said, " Mommy, I love you too " . That is all the proof I need.

Debra Costantino, MA, NCC is the mother of two young daughters and

co-owner of The Center for Therapy and Counseling Services in East

Brunswick.

[Guest guest]

Absolutely. I often use other peoples writings to share thoughts I

have that they organize better than I can.

>

> Mat I share this with another group? I am just finding out about

all of my son's allergies after years of trying to " convince "

doctor's that he does have them we now have confirmed allergies to

corn,egg, wheat, milk, casein, whey, soy,tree nuts, and turkey

>

> Thanks Gracie