At the age of 5, my autistic child, Zoe, had not yet slept through the night. For years, we tried recommendations provided by our doctors, such as restricting what she ate in the evening, stripping her room of anything engaging, and dosing her with melatonin. None of that worked. What did work was making a change to her diet.
Many kids on the autism spectrum have comorbid conditions (that is, more than one medical condition). One of the biggest challenges our kids struggle with is allergies and/or food sensitivities. Food has a huge impact on our kids’ gut and their behaviors, leading many parents to wonder if they should get allergy testing.
Photo credit: Alex Green at Pexels
According to Dr. Kenneth Bock, author of Healing the New Childhood Epidemics (and one of the first books I read on this topic), immune dysregulation plays a major role in autism. That simply means that your immune system is not functioning properly. For Zoe, this meant that she reached age 5 having only one illness (the croup). Because her immune response did not function properly, her body did not get sick when it should have.
The Difference Between Allergies and Sensitivities
Allergies are an immune response, but not all immune responses are allergies. Some are sensitivities or intolerances. Here is a more detailed way to understand the difference:
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Allergies involve an immune system response, often known as IgE. They can be life-threatening, like when a person with a peanut allergy is exposed to this food and suffers anaphylaxis shock. A tool like an Epi Pen may help in these situations. Not all allergies are deadly. For example, my daughter Amelia is allergic to dairy, which immediately causes inflammation that reddens her cheeks and impacts her sinuses.
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Sensitivities, which are called IgG-based, trigger delayed reactions. These can include behavior changes, rashes, or tummy troubles. They are not considered allergies. For example, a child with a dairy sensitivity may experience eczema a few days after eating cow milk products.
Can Testing Help?
There’s several types of testing options, including:
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IgE tests and skin prick tests diagnose food and other allergies, such as dust mites. We did the skin prick test on my older daughter, and it was absolute torture (Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.)
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IgG food panels measure food sensitivities and are commonly used in functional medicine. Blood is drawn, and IgG exposure is measured. Many people believe these tests are inaccurate b
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At-home tests, such as hair tests, can produce inaccurate results.
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Example: A mom spends $400 on a panel that says her autistic son reacts to 20 foods, but removing them leaves him nutrient-depleted and doesn’t help his behavior.
Some people have gotten help with testing, but more often than not, I hear people having problems. That’s because not all tests are reliable or interpreted correctly. Many result in false positives or false negatives. This is true of many food allergy or sensitivity tests, especially IgG panels, which may show exposure rather than intolerance or reaction.
What can you do?
First, start tracking your child’s food and see how it impacts behaviors. Get started by using a food and behavior tracker. Start simple, by tracking only 3 days, and start small. Remove only 1 typical trigger item at a time, like milk/milk products, or corn. You can also join a food elimination support group or work with a practitioner who understands the impact of food on behaviors in autistic children.
Need more support? Join my private Facebook group, Tips to Help Your Autistic Child, and contact me to get a copy of my 3-Day Meal Behavior Tracker.
