SCD RECOVERIES ON A FANATICAL LIST/Re: OT Advice for a family of beginners

[Guest guest]

Tomorrow night,I will send links to a recovery story from the mother

of a child who did SCD only.

Why we don't get more recovery stories?

1)Most parents start out with GFCF and give it a few years try. When

they finally realize that they have to move to SCD the child is over

6 years old. Those children cannot be recovered in a few months like

the younger ones. After about 3 months,the parents leave the list

because there are too many posts and we never hear from them again.

However,I do want to share with you the story of Pam Ferro's son who

was older when he started SCD. There are some parents on this list

who go to Pam Ferro's clinic for their children.

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Isaiah is a 12 year old boy with regressive Autism, having been born

perfectly normal, and actually progressed ahead of schedule until a

series of ear infections, oral antibiotics, immunizations, and an

exposure to the wild virus strain of chicken pox caused Isaiah to

suffer a loss of language, eye contact, joint attention, behavioral

self-modulation, and a general ability to verbally communicate his

needs, problems, and pain. He developed a severe and persistent

gastrointestinal overgrowth of yeast, alternating constipation and

diarrhea, food allergies, seasonal allergies, Autistic

Enterocolitis, and lymphoid hyperplasia, that can be so painfully

debilitating that it causes him to cry and scream, try to find

physically comfortable positions, and miss many days of school.

Isaiah has been maintained on a strict casein and gluten free diet

for the past 6 years, with variable and minor improvement. He

continued to battle chronic yeast overgrowth, clostridia, and

alternating diarrhea and constipation, abdominal pain, gas,

bloating, and failed to progress in terms of acquisition of social

and language skills, to the degree it seemed he should. His

tantruming, mood changes, and behavioral outbursts, in retrospect,

were essentially all related to his state of bowel function and

discomfort.

In a practice of treating well over 100 children with diagnoses of

Autism Spectrum Disorders, I must say that despite rigorous

implementation of the casein free and gluten free diet (or free from

any identified IgG allergens), as well as informed supplementation,

I have not seen children improve to the extent and in the fashion in

which one would anticipate. These children cannot implant normal

flora, eradicate clostridia or yeast. We see continuing deficiencies

in nutrients, fatty acids, and amino acids, as well as on-going

bowel problems, again, despite nearly heroic interventions to

correct these problems, and heal the gut.

Since starting the Specific Carbohydrate Diet three months ago,

Isaiah has demonstrated impressive progress. He has had a normal

stool every day since 3 days on the diet. On the one occasion that

he was exposed to birthday cake and ice cream, he developed diarrhea

for two days, and cried for the entire time. When he resumed the

SCD, the diarrhea and crying stopped, and have not returned.

Not only does Isaiah have a normal, formed stool each day, he has

made significant rapid progress in developing considerably more

language, and utilizing much more complex sentence structure,

appropriate pronouns, and spontaneous conversation.

He has developed an interest in football, forsaking more juvenile

interests, such as the Tank Engine.

He is now included for the full day in a fifth grade classroom, with

supports, and in fact, he has become a champion speller. Last year,

he spent 50% of his school time , alone with an individual teacher,

because he could not stay in the classroom without crying,

performing almost constant obsessive-compulsive routines and

rituals, and being totally distracted. He missed over 60 days of

school last year due to severe abdominal pain, crying, pacing, and

screaming. Learning is difficult, at best, under those

circumstances.

Other treatments have been helpful, such as oral immunoglobulin, B12

injections, complex supplementation, and social and educational

supports, but nothing has brought my child so far, so fast as the

SCD.

He wakes up happy each day, ready to go to school, and his mood

remains stable throughout the day. As I mentioned, he is able to

participate in classroom activities daily, and even though the

school year has just begun, all indications are that this will be a

much smoother and productive. Also of note is the fact that his

sense of humor has blossomed; something that apparently is also

difficult when one is in pain and struggling with gas, bloating, and

knife-like stabbing sensations.

Adding dairy

When Isaiah was exposed to one teaspoon of homemade goat's milk

yogurt, he reacted in a very negative fashion. He cried for a day

and a half and was totally miserable, and had loose bowels for two

days. This may have been because he was not following the SCD long

enough for GI healing to have taken place. The other possibility is

that when Isaiah was exposed to the cake and ice cream, we should

have started from square one. The lesson in this experience however,

probably is that children with ASD should take their time and not

start the casein exposure prematurely, or parents may come to the

erroneous conclusion that the " diet does not work. " If the gut is

not adequately healed, children on the Autism spectrum may have

problems adding in the yogurt.

Elaine Gottschall continues to make major contributions to the

health and well-being of people; this time by introducing the SCD to

the ASD community. This may well be the missing link for the many

children, and perhaps adults, who have not adequately responded to

the casein free and gluten free diet, and vigorous and informed

supplementation. It seems to be having a very beneficial effect on

Isaiah, and hopefully, will have the same effect of healing the gut,

relieving the pain, and maximizing the developmental potential of

children with ASD.

Much love and appreciation to Jaquelyn, Elaine, Mimi, and you for

all of your dedication. My boy is full of life, joking, laughing,

learning, and having conversation.

xoxoPam

[Guest guest]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THESE! These are some of the testimonies that

attracted us to SCD! The ones that after Carol " SCD policed " us (lol!) and

thankfully showed me that I needed to put my own attitude aside and stop and

listen to the BTVC book! I was told to reread it, and that I did! lol! Thanks

you all for keeping us on track all of you who helped us! This is wonderful

for the newbies to read. HUGS Antoinette