Currently, many more children with autism are being diagnosed than in the past. For example, in Atlanta alone, there are 289,456 children with autism between the ages of 3 and 10.

Autism is characterized by social isolation, varying degrees of communication difficulty, repetitive behaviors, and in some cases marked language delay. Current rates are much higher than those in the 1980s and early 1990s. At that time, the studies revealed only 4 children with autism per 10,000, whereas in 1998 they counted 40 per 10,000, and the figures could even rise to 67 per 10,000 if all the types of disorders close to the autistic syndrome were taken into account. Some researchers believe that increased public awareness of this type of disorder and its symptoms is contributing to the increase in these numbers.

Another group of researchers is convinced that environmental, immunological, genetic and other factors are responsible for the increasing number of children with autism. Currently, as with many other health disorders or "civilization" diseases, some people even go so far as to evoke the term autism epidemic in the United States.

As with childhood hyperactivity syndrome, some medical experts say these are misdiagnoses
or overly alarmist, again made just to sell more neuroleptic-type drugs, or to keep
some institutions specializing in this type of behavior alive.

Fortunately, there are other effective ways to help these children. For example, just by excluding from the diet all cereals as well as refined sugars and other sweets or confectionery containing additives and colorings, one can obtain very clear behavioral improvements and even improvements in the brain damage that sometimes accompanies this disease.

Many parents say that a gluten-free and casein-free diet is also very beneficial. If the improvement is not sufficient thanks to these dietary measures, it is then necessary to go as far as eliminating cereals or tubers containing starch such as potatoes, rice and corn. If the child follows this regimen to the letter, there are often dramatic and profound improvements in the disease. Other dietary modifications such as the inclusion of fish oil containing omega-3, vitamin D and vitamin A, will provide very important benefits to the autistic child.

These measures will be even more beneficial if they start before the age of 3. In fact, it has been observed that after the age of 3 years, the evolutionary and recovery abilities of the brain seem to progressively decrease. And even if beyond this age, nutritional measures lead to less significant improvements for the person affected and for those around him/her, they should not be neglected.

It is obvious that the improvements brought about by these dietary changes will be all the more spectacular if they are accompanied by other natural and alternative therapies that are also very useful. Many behavioral approaches can work in synergy with this nutritional optimization program.