Gluten Free Casein Free: Can it make a difference?

I had become quite the Google Pro. I had researched Autism, PDD and the whole umbrella until my head hurt as much as my soul did from the reality of his diagnosis. One thing I kept coming across in my research was this resonance of parents saying that "gluten" was a major factor in contributing to our children's Autism. Specifically, saying that gluten and dairy were becoming an opiate to our children and keeping them "locked in." Could this be my window to pull Jacob out of, I wondered with hope

A few days later or case supervisor from CARES was again in our home. She took detailed notes during Jacob's therapy and then met with me after to review the progress. She told me that she wanted to introduce PECS or the Picture Exchange Communication System. I had been familiar with this technique when I was in college at Biola University I printed and laminated PECS for a few little girls from their home computer twice a week to help out their busy mother. I saw how it worked and in a way I was disappointed that this was being suggested because to me it was accepting defeat, that my little Jacob would never speak. This was a difficult day for me.

Before the supervisor left that sunny San Diego day I stopped her at the front door and asked her, "I've been reading a lot about this GFCF diet and it really making a HUGE difference in kids lives, what do you think?" Her response was like a punch in the stomach that I wasn't sure I could recover from.

She said, "Shauna, I've seen parents spend hundreds and thousands of dollars as they grasped at straws to "heal" their child. I've never seen the diet help, it's very expensive and there is just not a cure."

Oh my eyes must have revealed my heart because she said, "I'm sorry Shauna, but Early Intervention has shown progress time and time again." The door closed and my hopes shattered .