High levels of Immunoglobulin E in a severe and non verbal autistic child

[amylawgill]

Hi, My 11 year old autistic son who is severe asd has recently been tested for allergies. He does not show any symptoms of allergies but I was curious due to having seen a behavioural change from a GFCF diet. His preliminary results have come back with a high IgE of 1777, when 2 - 170 is normal. Obviously I am awaiting further test results for us to identify and target what the actual allergy/allergies is. But I am curious to know that if his levels are high and he has never shown any signs of anaphylactic shock or negative response to food other than behavioural issues. Surely when we identify the allergens and eliminate them from the diet, the autism may become milder and certainly there will be room for improvement as his body is just reacting to the allergens via his behaviour, quite possibly. Have there been any other accounts of people experiencing this. Targeting the allergies, GF/CF Diet, Nutritional supplements = improvement.
Thank you in advance for reading

[Sally44]

If any child has allergies or food intolerances then removing them from the diet should make them feel better.  If you feel better you are more likely to cope with things that would normally upset you or overwhelm you.  Children with autism tend to communicate their feelings through behaviours rather than language, so it is obvious that their behaviours may improve if they feel better.  There is alot of debate about food intolerances.  
However, autism is not due to allergies or intolerances, although some parents do report some improvements with diet changes.  Many other parents, including myself, don't have improvements.  I do have food intolerances and I do have improvements when I remove those foods.
Autism is neurological.  That means it is part of 'who' they are.  It is how they are wired up.  It is chemical reactions (and we are all made up of chemical reactions).  
Children with autism can sometimes have very restricted diets, so removing something from their diet should really be checked with a nutricianist to make sure their diet is still balanced.
I found more improvement in my son's autistic behaviours by moving him to a school that had experience of teaching children on the autistic spectrum.  Addressing his sensory needs (google sensory integration disorder and also Olga Bogdashina and read an article by her in autism today).  Getting the right support in school by having a private Speech and Language Therapist assess all areas of his speech and social interaction so that school knew exactly what kind of supports would help him.  
There are lots of things that will help your son grow and develop.  And there are also alot of treatments out there that have no validation at all.  
So if you want to try it and see if there is an improvement okay.  Casein leaves the system quicker than glutein.  So it might be easier to remove diary foods first and if there is no noticeable improvement in a couple of months put him back onto diary.  Then a couple of months after that remove glutein.  I think you need much longer to see if glutein is having any affect.
Always make sure you go to reputable/qualified and registered doctors and professionals.

[Rachel Thompson, Ph.D., BCBA]

Although some families report that eliminating allergens results in improvement in the characteristics of autism, data-based research does not support this observation. Certainly, if you son has food allergies, it will be important to address these under the care of qualified medical professionals. But, I also recommend that you focus on educational and behavioral interventions that have documented effectiveness in addressing the characteristics of autism.