| Not too long ago, there was a great deal of | | | | properly diagnosed. So, my real underlying message is |
| attention on how a gluten free diet might positively | | | | to encourage people to think beyond symptoms and |
| impact and treat person's diagnosed with autism. | | | | diagnosis. |
| When I wrote about gluten-free diets, and it's | | | | There is a strong tradition in both the medical and |
| potential impact on ADHD, I was not suggesting that | | | | mental health fields to identify issues as problems, |
| a gluten-free diet could positively make a difference. | | | | and to treat them accordingly. Unfortunately, not all |
| Rather, I was more interested in the one mother's | | | | issues or behaviors that seem to be problematic are |
| search for knowledge, information, answers, and | | | | in fact problems to begin with. |
| possible alternatives. | | | | I want people to ask themselves: |
| As a coach, former therapist, and parent myself, I | | | | What else might it be? |
| admired the extra lengths that this mother went to | | | | What else might be contributing to the behaviors of |
| in order to find any different outlook for her son's | | | | whomever is suspected of having ADHD? |
| condition. | | | | In fact, there is no consensus among the |
| Gluten free diets: | | | | communities who treat and conduct research on |
| Based on information I have found, the immediate | | | | ADHD about whether or not it is real. Some medical |
| answer to the question is "no." Experts say that | | | | professionals will say it is a true medical diagnosis, |
| [true] ADHD involves an entirely different and | | | | while others will argue it is fabricated to allow |
| somewhat unrelated system of the body and brain | | | | pharmaceutical companies to make billions of dollars |
| than what would be impacted by the benefits or | | | | off of kids who behave differently than others who |
| differences in following a gluten-free diet. | | | | fit a certain profile. |
| However, what I try to share with people is that | | | | Do I believe that? |
| ADHD is a diagnosis that is far too frequently used | | | | I don't have a particular say. Instead, I encourage |
| and thrown around today. In my experience, I have | | | | people to identify the root cause of the behaviors |
| found that there are very few true cases of ADHD | | | | and see what changes might be possible to affect |
| that are truly just the disorder or that are in fact | | | | the behavior and overall presentation. |