Our journey began in 2012 when our son started a 2-year nursery programme for toddlers, allowing them to attend nursery school for two and a half hours daily.
Before this, I sensed something was amiss but couldn’t pinpoint it. He was extremely active, and outings with him from the age of two were challenging, often resulting in meltdowns and crying.
The two-year-old program’s introduction was a blessing, providing me with two hours daily to accomplish tasks. He began in September, but teachers noted his lack of attentiveness and participation by November. Upon recommendation, we conducted hearing, eye, and speech tests. The former two were perfect, but the latter revealed delayed speech.
He was referred to the hospital for additional tests, which took over a year. Finally, in 2014, he was diagnosed with autism. We received no advice on what to do next. In silence, we walked to the car and prayed, thanking God for everything.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison
On the way home, a thought kept recurring: “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” Could his condition be linked to his diet? When we got home, I shared my idea with my husband. We decided to try an elimination process, cutting out junk foods and ultra-processed foods and introducing more vegetables. He likes broccoli the most.
His mood and behaviour improved significantly within a few weeks of these dietary changes. His teachers noticed the difference too and asked about the sudden change. I credited the grace of God and mentioned that we had switched him to a Montessori approach.
He finished nursery with excellent grades and an outstanding report. While I was relieved and happy, I couldn’t confidently attribute the improvement solely to dietary changes. He continued to do well in reception.
In Year 1, however, his performance declined, and his teacher complained that he didn’t seem to understand the lessons. He was assigned a SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) teacher for extra support. Watching his grades plummet and his health decline broke my heart. We frequently visited the GP, but no solution emerged.
This pattern continued until 2017 when he was seven and began developing ringworms. No medication helped, and the infection spread from his forehead into his hair, causing hair loss. One day, it struck me—could this be related to his diet? I started keeping a food journal of what he ate at school. The answer became clear: pork and chocolate were the culprits.
I started keeping a food journal
I informed the school that my son was allergic to pork and chocolate and requested they no longer serve him these foods. They asked for a GP’s letter to formalize the request. However, our GP refused, stating that food had “nothing to do with it.”
Undeterred, I began packing his lunches, eliminating school dinners. Soon after, the ringworms disappeared, and his grades improved. This was my “Eureka” moment. From Year 4 onwards, I continued to pack his lunches, and he no longer needed SENCO support.
In 2020, he was discharged from both SENCO and the hospital with no autism symptoms. I can only attribute this to the grace of God. It has been quite a journey and a profound eye-opener. “Food has a direct correlation with behaviour, mood, IQ, health, and much more.”
