Hart and Rushmoor Branch of the National Autistic Society

Diet
The gluten and casein free diet is frequently recommended for ASD children
and the effects can be extremely noticable, but it is hard work in the
beginning trying to wean your child off the things they are addicted to.
Most supermarkets now produce their own range that are gf/cf diet friendly;
Sainsbury's, Tesco's, Waitrose and Ocado all stock a Free From range, but
most don't produce a list of the available products as it is changing so
frequently - they advise that you check online for availability at your local
store. There are also other online shops which provide a huge amount of gf/cf
foods; DietaryNeedsDirect.co.uk and GoodnessDirect.co.uk are just a couple!

Allergy Induced Autism - UK-based charity dedicated to identifying the
underlying causes and biochemical effects of autistic spectrum disorders;
includes a user forum on dietary information.

The Autism Research Unit - Based at the University of Sunderland, the unit
carries out research into the possible causes of autism, and one of their areas
of interest is diet.

Sleep and medications
If sleep, or the lack of it, is an issue for your child then try reading the NAS
page which gives lots of ideas on the cause of the sleep issues and different
things to try and improve the situation. Failing those there are a few
medicines available to try to help (although be warned, some can have the
opposite effect on children with an ASD!) Most need to be prescribed by a
paediatrician rather than your GP and these tend to be kept for extreme
circumstances.

Melatonin
Some ASD children benefit from melatonin supplements, which are available on
prescription from your paediatrician - if they think it might help!

Vallergan/ Vallergan-Forte syrup
Vallergan is an antihistamine, but it's side effect is drowsiness and this can
help enduce a good nights sleep for your child and you!

Chloral Hydrate/Chloral paediatric elixir
Chloral Hydrate is used to treat insomnia. It works by slowing down activity in
the brain and inducing sleep. Unfortunately, if it does work the effects can
last into the next day.

Sensory issues
Many children with an ASD are hyper- or hypo-sensitive in any of the senses;
touch, taste, hearing, vision, smell. This can lead to all sorts of problems in
day-to-day life, from disliking being tickled or hugged to head banging walls
and not feeling anything! Each child is different and you only workout what
they can or cannot tolerate as they experience it; then you can learn ways to
avoid the triggers and meltdowns!
The Out of Sync Child is a good place to start reading, as well as Too Loud,
Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight.
A health based Occupational Therapist can assess your child's sensory needs
and may be able to provide suggestions or even products to help ease your
child's discomfort.

Behaviour
Our children's behaviour can prove to be seriously challenging sometimes, but
there are several ways to try and improve things.

Reward charts; to motivate and encourage the positive behaviour.
Exercise; punchbags and trampolines are great ways to get your child to use
up some of their energy!
Social Stories; to help your child visualise situations and ways of dealing
with the stress involved.
Visual timetables; help keep your child on track and understand what's
happening next and might avoid some meltdowns!