It's been a long time since I've been here - probably about a year. Yesterday I saw a post come up during an online search and it prompted me to come visit.
My difficult child had shown signs of being more challenging and struggling more than other kids from infancy. She had tantrums that were more intense than most and they later turned into rages. She got an sensory processing disorder (SPD) diagnosis at 3 and a an ADHD and intermittent explosive disorder diagnosis at 7. By the time she turned 8 she was having rages at least 4 or 5 days a week and they were very destructive. Her intent was to be hurtful and destroy things. It was scary.
We had had a lot of luck reducing her sensory processing disorder (SPD) symptoms by following a gluten-free, casein-free diet, so I was interested in looking into how food affects behavior. In June 2013 we started the Feingold diet. It eliminates food dyes,
preservatives and foods that are high in salicylates. Later, high sal food is tested back in to see if it's problematic or not. Within 2 months all our rages were gone, and my daughter was happy and easy. Easy! She had never, even as an infant, been easy.
We have now eaten this way for a year and a half and the only time she has rages is when we have tested in a new food to which she is sensitive. When she eats a good she's sensitive to, it's terrible. Her eyes change, and she becomes destructive. We've made some headway in helping her know that she's reacting, but it's hard, in the moment, for her to understand. What she does understand is that she hates feeling that way, so she's very compliant with food.
I think starting this with a child older than elementary would be hard because it becomes impossible to control what they eat outside of the house. I know some people that have done it, though.
I know it isn't be the answer for everyone, but on the Facebook group I'm on for Feingold, I've seen it work over and over. It's been a miracle for us, and it's why I hadn't been here for over a year, and I wanted to share in case it might help even one family.
My difficult child had shown signs of being more challenging and struggling more than other kids from infancy. She had tantrums that were more intense than most and they later turned into rages. She got an sensory processing disorder (SPD) diagnosis at 3 and a an ADHD and intermittent explosive disorder diagnosis at 7. By the time she turned 8 she was having rages at least 4 or 5 days a week and they were very destructive. Her intent was to be hurtful and destroy things. It was scary.
We had had a lot of luck reducing her sensory processing disorder (SPD) symptoms by following a gluten-free, casein-free diet, so I was interested in looking into how food affects behavior. In June 2013 we started the Feingold diet. It eliminates food dyes,
preservatives and foods that are high in salicylates. Later, high sal food is tested back in to see if it's problematic or not. Within 2 months all our rages were gone, and my daughter was happy and easy. Easy! She had never, even as an infant, been easy.
We have now eaten this way for a year and a half and the only time she has rages is when we have tested in a new food to which she is sensitive. When she eats a good she's sensitive to, it's terrible. Her eyes change, and she becomes destructive. We've made some headway in helping her know that she's reacting, but it's hard, in the moment, for her to understand. What she does understand is that she hates feeling that way, so she's very compliant with food.
I think starting this with a child older than elementary would be hard because it becomes impossible to control what they eat outside of the house. I know some people that have done it, though.
I know it isn't be the answer for everyone, but on the Facebook group I'm on for Feingold, I've seen it work over and over. It's been a miracle for us, and it's why I hadn't been here for over a year, and I wanted to share in case it might help even one family.