Fifteen peer reviewed articles addressing the clinical research questions were evaluated. Within the 15 citations, a focus was placed on the implementation of a gluten- and casein-free diet (GFCFD) and the behavioral changes (if any) in children with ASD. Table 1 summarizes the (a) participants, (b) interventions (c) comparison (d), and (e) outcome for each of the 15 included studies. Studies are grouped within the table according to their certainty of evidence classifications. Some of the studies’ primary outcomes had little evidence pertaining to with gluten and casein effects on a child’s behavior. However, some of the studies had a primary outcome had a direct correlation with gluten- and casein-free diets and behaviors in children …show more content…
The children were provided meals and snacks from the General Clinical Research Center for a 12-week gluten- and casein-free diet. Each diet was made specifically for the child based on their food preferences. The results of this clinical trial showed no significant difference with Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Ecological Communication Orientation (ECO), and behavioral frequencies. There were also no significant differences in grouped data for urinary peptide levels of gluten and casein and observed parent …show more content…
(2014) performed a nutritional intervention of gluten- and milk protein-free diets, dietary pre- and probiotic supplementation, and vitamin supplementation. This intervention was implemented on children diagnosed with autism between the ages of six and seventeen. The result of this study was that there is substantial evidence that the GI tract and the gut-brain axis have a central role in autism.
In a study conducted by Winburn et al. (2014), the implementation of a GFCFD was assessed. Four hundred and ninety two parents of ASD children and professionals with experience with ASD individuals were surveyed. Some form of dietary manipulation implemented in ASD children was reported. Looking specifically at a GFCFD, some professionals reported very low percentages of their ASD cases actually using a GFCFD, some as low as 10-20%.
In an evidenced-based research synthesis by Zhang et al. (2013), there was no significant evidence for the efficacy of gluten-free and casein-free diets in individuals with ASD. The review examined 23 individual studies involving 462 individuals with ASD that had implemented a GFCFD. The GFCFD was mainly implemented in order to assess and hopefully improve behavior and increase communication skills. According to the studies, half of the reviewed not only implemented a GFCFD, but also included other interventions, leaving the evidence for effectiveness of a GFCFD to be