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

[Guest guest]

-After reading your e-mail, and someone who " WAS " thinking of

putting my child on this diet, I am definatly going to do this as

soon as I can. My son is only 4 and resembles a lot of Pam son's

issues. My son is doing well and his language is coming along, but

his outburst, crying, always in a fog and his days are never, never

the same. He could go a week and do awsome and we think, good

somthing is working, but then a day later he will fall apart. I

just wants to thank you for this story and it has given me the

confidence and " go get " attitude I need to go forward with this!

son/ASD/4years old

In pecanbread , " recoverymaze "

wrote:

>

> 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.

>

====================================================================

> 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

>