It’s Autism Awareness Month and I thought it would be helpful to share some of my journey and what I’ve learned along the way. My sweet boy, my youngest child, Harper, could not digest food. I noticed at a very early early age his distended belly, undigested whole food with stinky bowel movements, and dark circles under his piercing blue eyes. Being doubly diagnosed with Autism and an extremely rare genetic disorder, Kleefstra Syndrome, there was already a lot going against us. As a holistic nutritionist, I knew this was all tied together and we had to find a solution to help sweet Harper. 

I think many mothers of special needs children can beat themselves up on possibly causing some of their child’s issues. I know I did! Could I have prepared better pre-pregnancy or while pregnant? Did I not detoxify enough before conception? Did my splurge on chocolate bars for two weeks cause problems? Did I stress too much with my husband’s deployments? Did I not eat properly? Did my high fever during second trimester cause Harper’s troubles? All these questions ran over and over in my head.

I breast-fed exclusively until Harper was almost a year supplementing with only organic whole foods like avocado, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach. He got only the best and nothing passed his lips unless it was local and organic. We went to every Western and Eastern doctor, chiropractor, acupuncturist, energy healer, massage therapist, gut specialist — you name it. I knew the reason he was not well was his gut had not healed fully and was not absorbing all the nutrients from the food he was eating.

All these things helped somewhat, but nothing truly “healed” him. We needed a miracle. I am still on the path to finding Harper with the strongest digestion, assimilation, and balanced bowel movements but I have made progress in finding what helps him. As a very determined mother, I am striving for total and complete health where he can live to his fullest potential. If you find yourself in the same boat, I wanted to share some dietary tips that have helped Harper with his health.

Tips: 

• Start their day with 8-10 ounces of lemon water to aid in detoxification. Many children on the spectrum have toxic livers from MTHFR gene mutations. 

• Remove possible food intolerances like dairy, wheat, corn, soy, and peanuts. Many are addicted to dairy and wheat. They create opiates in the body and removing them creates big behaviors because it’s like a drug addict who has had their drugs taken away. Remove one food at a time, not all at once. Baby steps add up!

• Eliminate all MSG (check all food labels as it can be hidden), food colorings, and preservatives. 

• Increase digestion, HCI, and assimilation with Digestive Enzymes. My favorite brand is Digest Gold. 

• Organic Super Greens are in a powder form and can be a good way to get additional greens (a vitamin and mineral food source) into your child, and they help alkalize their body. Kids love Organifi Supergreens because they taste so good! I mix 1 T of the super greens in coconut water with 1-2 drops of Young Living Thieves oil for Harper.

• Binders are crucial to assist with detoxification. My favorite is activated charcoal! Adding a teaspoon to smoothies is an easy way to incorporate it into their diet.

Harper LOVES his morning pancakes! I’ve created a recipe that includes some of the best foods for him while still tasting yummy.

Harper’s Gluten-Free Pancake recipe

Ingredients:

• 1½ Cups Organic Almond Flour

• 3 Organic Eggs

• 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk 

• 2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds (soak in coconut milk overnight or 20 minutes prior)

• 1 Tbsp. Hemp Seeds

• 1 Mashed Overripe Banana

• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

• Dash of Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients until your desired consistency. Love using my hand blender for this! 

2. Cook pancakes on preheated, lightly greased pan (use coconut oil or ghee) until you see bubbles.

3. Flip and cook until both sides are golden brown. 

4. Top off with 1 tsp. ghee & drizzle with organic local honey as syrup. 

5. Enjoy! 

If you’re a mama of an autistic child, you’re not alone! Baby steps add up and remember to be kind to yourself in this journey.

Stay tuned for more my next blog post on sleeping tips for children with autism!