alternative therapies for autism

I came across the Chicago Tribune's series on autism. There are three articles:

Risky alternative therapies have little basis in science

Success stories more persuasive to some than hard data

Questionable treatments for children with autism

I have not read all of the articles in their entirety. However, the information presented on faulty testing that fools parents into thinking their children require chelation is enough to give anyone pause.

I also think that, for many disorders of the mind and body, very little attention has been paid to the food people eat. How many of you out there have colitis or Crohn's, and have had your doctor tell you that the food you eat had nothing to do with your condition? How many autistic kids out there have digestive problems, and have had their doctors shrug and say that food has nothing to do with it?

It kind of flies in the face of common sense, don't you think?

I've posted before about gluten free, casein free diets, and why they're often not enough to resolve the issues of autistic kids. Give it a look if you missed it the first time around.

But the good thing is that dietary interventions like the Specific Carbohydrate Diet are very unlikely to be harmful to anyone. Cutting processed and refined carbohydrates is a good way to improve pretty much anyone's diet -- and state of mind to boot.