Article by David Kirby “Government Concedes Vaccine-Autism Case in Federal Court – Now What?”

Unfortunately, it seems federal law has virtually eliminated the right of children injured by vaccines to have their cases heard by a jury of their peers.  Instead, vaccine injury cases are heard before a federal Special Masters court, commonly referred to as “Vaccine Court.”  Recently, in one vaccine-autism case, the government conceded a causal link between a vaccine and autism.  David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm – Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic, A Medical Controversy (St. Martins Press 2005) gives a thought-provoking account of this concession in the following article which is posted here, by permission, in its entirety:     

Government Concedes Vaccine-Autism Case in Federal Court – Now What?

Posted February 25, 2008 | 12:42 PM (EST)

By David Kirby The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/government-concedes-vacci_b_88323.html

After years of insisting there is no evidence to link vaccines with the onset of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the US government has quietly conceded a vaccine-autism case in the Court of Federal Claims.

The unprecedented concession was filed on November 9, and sealed to protect the plaintiff’s identify. It was obtained through individuals unrelated to the case.

The claim, one of 4,900 autism cases currently pending in Federal “Vaccine Court,” was conceded by US Assistant Attorney General Peter Keisler and other Justice Department officials, on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, the “defendant” in all Vaccine Court cases.

The child’s claim against the government — that mercury-containing vaccines were the cause of her autism — was supposed to be one of three “test cases” for the thimerosal-autism theory currently under consideration by a three-member panel of Special Masters, the presiding justices in Federal Claims Court.

Keisler wrote that medical personnel at the HHS Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation (DVIC) had reviewed the case and “concluded that compensation is appropriate.”

The doctors conceded that the child was healthy and developing normally until her 18-month well-baby visit, when she received vaccinations against nine different diseases all at once (two contained thimerosal).

Days later, the girl began spiraling downward into a cascade of illnesses and setbacks that, within months, presented as symptoms of autism, including: No response to verbal direction; loss of language skills; no eye contact; loss of “relatedness;” insomnia; incessant screaming; arching; and “watching the florescent lights repeatedly during examination.”

Seven months after vaccination, the patient was diagnosed by Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, a leading neurologist at the Kennedy Krieger Children’s Hospital Neurology Clinic, with “regressive encephalopathy (brain disease) with features consistent with autistic spectrum disorder, following normal development.” The girl also met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) official criteria for autism.

In its written concession, the government said the child had a pre-existing mitochondrial disorder that was “aggravated” by her shots, and which ultimately resulted in an ASD diagnosis.

“The vaccinations received on July 19, 2000, significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder,” the concession says, “which predisposed her to deficits in cellular energy metabolism, and manifested as a regressive encephalopathy with features of ASD.”

This statement is good news for the girl and her family, who will now be compensated for the lifetime of care she will require. But its implications for the larger vaccine-autism debate, and for public health policy in general, are not as certain.

In fact, the government’s concession seems to raise more questions than it answers.

1) Is there a connection between vaccines, mitochondrial disorders and a diagnosis of autism, at least in some cases?

Mitochondria, you may recall from biology class, are the little powerhouses within cells that convert food into electrical energy, partly through a complex process called “oxidative phosphorylation.” If this process is impaired, mitochondrial disorder will ensue.

The child in this case had several markers for Mt disease, which was confirmed by muscle biopsy. Mt disease is often marked by lethargy, poor muscle tone, poor food digestion and bowel problems, something found in many children diagnosed with autism.

But mitochondrial disorders are rare in the general population, affecting some 2-per-10,000 people (or just 0.2%). So with 4,900 cases filed in Vaccine Court, this case should be the one and only, extremely rare instance of Mt disease in all the autism proceedings.

But it is not.

Mitochondrial disorders are now thought to be the most common disease associated with ASD. Some journal articles and other analyses have estimated that 10% to 20% of all autism cases may involve mitochondrial disorders, which would make them one thousand times more common among people with ASD than the general population.

Another article, published in the Journal of Child Neurology and co-authored by Dr. Zimmerman, showed that 38% of Kennedy Krieger Institute autism patients studied had one marker for impaired oxidative phosphorylation, and 47% had a second marker.

The authors — who reported on a case-study of the same autism claim conceded in Vaccine Court — noted that “children who have (mitochondrial-related) dysfunctional cellular energy metabolism might be more prone to undergo autistic regression between 18 and 30 months of age if they also have infections or immunizations at the same time.”

An interesting aspect of Mt disease in autism is that, with ASD, the mitochondrial disease seems to be milder than in “classic” cases of Mt disorder. In fact, classic Mt disease is almost always inherited, either passed down by the mother through mitochondrial DNA, or by both parents through nuclear DNA.

In autism-related Mt disease, however, the disorder is not typically found in other family members, and instead appears to be largely of the sporadic variety, which may now account for 75% of all mitochondrial disorders.

Meanwhile, an informal survey of seven families of children with cases currently pending in Vaccine Court revealed that all seven showed markers for mitochondrial dysfunction, dating back to their earliest medical tests. The facts in all seven claims mirror the case just conceded by the government: Normal development followed by vaccination, immediate illness, and rapid decline culminating in an autism diagnosis.

2) With 4,900 cases pending, and more coming, will the government concede those with underlying Mt disease — and if it not, will the Court award compensation?

The Court will soon begin processing the 4900 cases pending before it. What if 10% to 20% of them can demonstrate the same Mt disease and same set of facts as those in the conceded case? Would the government be obliged to concede 500, or even 1,000 cases? What impact would that have on public opinion? And is there enough money currently in the vaccine injury fund to cover so many settlements?

When asked for a comment last week about the court settlement, a spokesman for HHS furnished the following written statement:

“DVIC has reviewed the scientific information concerning the allegation that vaccines cause autism and has found no credible evidence to support the claim. Accordingly, in every case under the Vaccine Act, DVIC has maintained the position that vaccines do not cause autism, and has never concluded in any case that autism was caused by vaccination.”

3) If the government is claiming that vaccines did not “cause” autism, but instead aggravated a condition to “manifest” as autism, isn’t that a very fine distinction?

For most affected families, such linguistic gymnastics is not so important. And even if a vaccine injury “manifested” as autism in only one case, isn’t that still a significant development worthy of informing the public?

On the other hand, perhaps what the government is claiming is that vaccination resulted in the symptoms of autism, but not in an actual, factually correct diagnosis of autism itself.

4) If the government is claiming that this child does NOT have autism, then how many other children might also have something else that merely “mimics” autism?

Is it possible that 10%-20% of the cases that we now label as “autism,” are not autism at all, but rather some previously undefined “look-alike” syndrome that merely presents as “features” of autism?

This question gets to the heart of what autism actually is. The disorder is defined solely as a collection of features, nothing more. If you have the features (and the diagnosis), you have the disorder. The underlying biology is the great unknown.

But let’s say the government does determine that these kids don’t have actual “autism” (something I speculated on HuffPost a year ago). Then shouldn’t the Feds go back and test all people with ASD for impaired oxidative phosphorylation, perhaps reclassifying many of them?

If so, will we then see “autism” cases drop by tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people? Will there be a corresponding ascension of a newly described disorder, perhaps something like “Vaccine Aggravated Mitochondrial Disease with Features of ASD?”

And if this child was technically “misdiagnosed” with DSM-IV autism by Dr Zimmerman, how does he feel about HHS doctors issuing a second opinion re-diagnosis of his patient, whom they presumably had neither met nor examined? (Zimmerman declined an interview).

And along those lines, aren’t Bush administration officials somewhat wary of making long-distance, retroactive diagnoses from Washington, given that the Terry Schiavo incident has not yet faded from national memory?

5) Was this child’s Mt disease caused by a genetic mutation, as the government implies, and wouldn’t that have manifested as “ASD features” anyway?

In the concession, the government notes that the patient had a “single nucleotide change” in the mitochondrial DNA gene T2387C, implying that this was the underlying cause of her manifested “features” of autism.

While it’s true that some inherited forms of Mt disease can manifest as developmental delays, (and even ASD in the form of Rhett Syndrome) these forms are linked to identified genetic mutations, of which T2387C is not involved. In fact little, if anything, is known about the function of this particular gene.

What’s more, there is no evidence that this girl, prior to vaccination, suffered from any kind of “disorder” at all- genetic, mitochondrial or otherwise. Some forms of Mt disease are so mild that the person is unaware of being affected. This perfectly developing girl may have had Mt disorder at the time of vaccination, but nobody detected, or even suspected it.

And, there is no evidence to suggest that this girl would have regressed into symptoms consistent with a DSM-IV autism diagnosis without her vaccinations. If there was such evidence, then why on earth would these extremely well-funded government attorneys compensate this alleged injury in Vaccine Court? Why wouldn’t they move to dismiss, or at least fight the case at trial?

6) What are the implications for research?

The concession raises at least two critical research questions: What are the causes of Mt dysfunction; and how could vaccines aggravate that dysfunction to the point of “autistic features?”

While some Mt disorders are clearly inherited, the “sporadic” form is thought to account for 75% of all cases, according to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. So what causes sporadic Mt disease? “Medicines or other toxins,” says the Cleveland Clinic, a leading authority on the subject.

Use of the AIDS drug AZT, for example, can cause Mt disorders by deleting large segments of mitochondrial DNA. If that is the case, might other exposures to drugs or toxins (i.e., thimerosal, mercury in fish, air pollution, pesticides, live viruses) also cause sporadic Mt disease in certain subsets of children, through similar genotoxic mechanisms?

Among the prime cellular targets of mercury are mitochondria, and thimerosal-induced cell death has been associated with the depolarization of mitochondrial membrane, according to the International Journal of Molecular Medicine among several others. (Coincidently, the first case of Mt disease was diagnosed in 1959, just 15 years after the first autism case was named, and two decades after thimerosal’s introduction as a vaccine preservative.)

Regardless of its cause, shouldn’t HHS sponsor research into Mt disease and the biological mechanisms by which vaccines could aggravate the disorder? We still do not know what it was, exactly, about this girl’s vaccines that aggravated her condition. Was it the thimerosal? The three live viruses? The two attenuated viruses? Other ingredients like aluminum? A combination of the above?

And of course, if vaccine injuries can aggravate Mt disease to the point of manifesting as autism features, then what other underlying disorders or conditions (genetic, autoimmune, allergic, etc.) might also be aggravated to the same extent?

7) What are the implications for medicine and public health?

Should the government develop and approve new treatments for “aggravated mitochondrial disease with ASD features?” Interestingly, many of the treatments currently deployed in Mt disease (i.e., coenzyme Q10, vitamin B-12, lipoic acid, biotin, dietary changes, etc.) are part of the alternative treatment regimen that many parents use on their children with ASD.

And, if a significant minority of autism cases can be linked to Mt disease and vaccines, shouldn’t these products one day carry an FDA Black Box warning label, and shouldn’t children with Mt disorders be exempt from mandatory immunization?

8 ) What are the implications for the vaccine-autism debate?

It’s too early to tell. But this concession could conceivably make it more difficult for some officials to continue insisting there is “absolutely no link” between vaccines and autism.

It also puts the Federal Government’s Vaccine Court defense strategy somewhat into jeopardy. DOJ lawyers and witnesses have argued that autism is genetic, with no evidence to support an environmental component. And, they insist, it’s simply impossible to construct a chain of events linking immunizations to the disorder.

Government officials may need to rethink their legal strategy, as well as their public relations campaigns, given their own slightly contradictory concession in this case.

9) What is the bottom line here?

The public, (including world leaders) will demand to know what is going on inside the US Federal health establishment. Yes, as of now, n=1, a solitary vaccine-autism concession. But what if n=10% or 20%? Who will pay to clean up that mess?

The significance of this concession will unfortunately be fought over in the usual, vitriolic way — and I fully expect to be slammed for even raising these questions. Despite that, the language of this concession cannot be changed, or swept away.

Its key words are “aggravated” and “manifested.” Without the aggravation of the vaccines, it is uncertain that the manifestation would have occurred at all.

When a kid with peanut allergy eats a peanut and dies, we don’t say “his underlying metabolic condition was significantly aggravated to the extent of manifesting as an anaphylactic shock with features of death.”

No, we say the peanut killed the poor boy. Remove the peanut from the equation, and he would still be with us today.

Many people look forward to hearing more from HHS officials about why they are settling this claim. But whatever their explanation, they cannot change the fundamental facts of this extraordinary case:

The United State government is compensating at least one child for vaccine injuries that resulted in a diagnosis of autism.

And that is big news, no matter how you want to say it.

NOTE: Full text of the government’s statement is posted here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/every-american-should-rea_b_88558.html.

David Kirby is the author of “Evidence of Harm – Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic, A Medical Controversy” (St. Martins Press 2005).   

Links on Vaccines and Autism

I believe information and knowledge are powerful.   The more we are informed, the better we are able to take a stand for what we believe.   

Research shows there are many causes/contributing factors in autism, and there is an enormous amount of evidence linking autism with vaccines. 

Here are some great links with information on the association between vaccines and autism.

www.safeminds.org

www.nomercury.org

www.putchildrenfirst.org

http://vaccineinfo.net

www.generationrescue.org

www.autism.com/triggers/vaccine/mercury.htm

www.autism.com/triggers/vaccine/mercurylong.htm

  Proverbs 24: 3-4: “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increases power.” 

Documentary on Recovery from Autism – “Waking up Baxter”

This documentary on the recovery of a young boy named Baxter is so amazing and well done that I had to share it!  Click on the link below:

www.wakingupbaxter.com

 Thanks to Karim Cherif for sharing it!

Autism Resources – Helpful Links for Information on the Treatment of Autism

My absolute favorite place for information about autism is the Autism Research Institute.  They hold a place dear to my heart because it was through the publications and information from the ARI that I gained a clearer understanding of the causes and treatments for autism.  Their website has been my greatest source of information and encouragement as I have navigated my way through treatment for my son.  The ARI has the most information about effective treatment of autism that I have seen online. 

For over 30 years, the ARI has been conducting research regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of autism.  They boast the world’s largest database of case histories of autistic children from around the world.  But, most importantly to me, they combine this top-notch experience with the message of hope! 

In case you have not yet discovered the Autism Research Institute, their website is www.autism.com.  They also have a monthly e-newsletter.  Here is the link to January 2008.  http://autism.com/ari/enewsletter/enewsletter_200801.htm.  Make sure to read the article “Letters:  Evolution of the Reluctant Biomedical Mom.”  It is a great encouragement!

On another note, the latest buzz has been the ABC television show “Eli Stone”.  In response, the news media is coming out with stories defending current vaccination ingredients and policy.  Here are some links with information presenting the other side of the story:

www.generationrescue.com

www.safeminds.org

May you and your family be blessed, and may your search for information and answers be fruitful!  And remember – there is hope! 

 Proverbs 4:7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding.”  NASB      

Dietary Changes in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Here is a question from Kathy about the Gluten-free/Casein-free diet and Specific Carbohydrate Diet: “I was considering putting my 5 yr. old on medication for severe temper tamptrums mostly over food. Do you reccomend trying the diet first? I think it will be hard because he is obsessed with food he binge eats.”  Kathy

Hi Kathy,

While I am not a medical doctor and, therefore, cannot advise on any particular child’s case, I have applied a simple principle to my own son’s treatment – if help can be found through dietary changes and nutritional supplements, we always try this first. There is a great deal of evidence supporting dietary intervention for autism spectrum disorders. The Gluten-free/Casein-free diet (look at information on http://www.autism.com), the Feingold diet (www.feingold.org), the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info and http://www.pecanbread.com)

Let me share our experience with you. Prior to removing gluten and casein from my son’s diet 2 ½ years ago, my son craved Carr’s Whole Wheat Crackers, which he called “soft crackers” and ate them almost daily. We went cold turkey when we started the GF/CF diet and stopped consuming all foods containing gluten and casein at once. For the first three weeks of the GF/CF diet, my son threw fit after fit every afternoon, yelling “soft crackers!!” and throwing himself down on the ground. Then, after three weeks, all of a sudden, he no longer asked for them and no longer threw tantrums! Generally, each time we make a dietary change, it takes a couple of weeks for my son to adapt, and then he is happy with the change.

Many times, children (and adults too) will crave foods which are problematic, so the cravings for a particular food can be an indication of foods which need to be avoided. Additionally, sometimes particular food cravings can be a sign of nutrient deficiency, so we always make sure to take high-quality vitamin and mineral supplements.

Yes, change is difficult for children with autism spectrum disorders. However, if we as parents and caregivers of our precious children remain strong, positive, and committed to implementing the change, our children sense our confidence and strength, and, I believe, will adapt more readily.

A final thought – we need to lead our children confidently, and effectively.  I believe it is absolutely important to consider my child’s wants, desires, feelings, likes and dislikes.  However, I am also responsible for taking him down this road to recovery from autism.  The very minor discomfort caused to my son by dietary changes is far outweighed by the benefit!  Many parents report significant improvements in behavior through the GF/CF diet and SCD.  I know we saw them, and I hope you do too! 

Blessings to you and your family in this journey!

Amounts of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Autism

Suresh had a question regarding amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids – here is my response: 

While I cannot make any specific recommendations for your child, I will tell you some of the resources I utilized in helping my son in his path toward healing autism. 

In her book, Children with Starving Brains, Jaquelyn McCandless, M.D. states that fish oil supplements are recommended for all children.  She suggests 500-1000 mg EPA per day and 250-500 mg of DHA a day.  Also, for children who need it, Dr. McCandless recommends 50-100 mg per day of GLA.  (p.123)

Writings published by the Autism Research Institute state that children with ASD are helped with amounts of omega-3 fatty acids ranging from 20 to 60 mg per kilogram of body weight.  So, for a 25 kg (55 lb) child, this would be 500 to 1500 mg per day of omega-3 fatty acids. 

Of course, each child is unique.  Before starting any supplementation program, I do highly recommend consulting with a medical doctor and a certified nutritionist who can adequately address your child’s specialized nutritional needs. 

Another important fact is to ensure that the omega-3 fatty acids are produced in a manufacturing facility that utilizes stringent independent and in-house laboratories to test the raw materials at critical points in the manufacturing process.  If the purest ingredients are not utilized, some omega-3 fatty acids may contain lead, cadmium, mercury or arsenic.

For more information on Omega-3 fatty acids in autism, please see my post “Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Feeding the Brain” 

Evidence Supporting Nutritional Supplements in Autism Treatment

Audrey, a concerned grandmother of a young man with autism, recently emailed with a question regarding evidence to support the treatment of autism with nutritional supplements.  Here is my reply: 

Hi Audrey,

Thanks for your question regarding evidence supporting vitamin and mineral supplementation in autism. 

Vitamin and mineral supplementation has been proven to be effective in the treatment of autism.  You can find an abundance of scientific evidence regarding the use of vitamin and mineral supplements on the website for the Autism Research Institute at www.autism.com.  Just key in “vitamins” on the site and you will be directed to many relevant articles, including data from scientific studies performed.  Also, the Autism Research Institute has compiled information from over 23,700 parents who rated various treatments for autism.  This “Parent Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions” can be found at www.autism.com/treatable/form34qr.htm  Another extremely helpful article is “Summary of Biomedical Treatments for Autism” by James B. Adams, Ph.D. which can be found at www.autism.com/treatable/adams_biomed_summary.pdf 

An amazing book is Autism:  Effective Biomedical Treatments, by Jon Pangborn, Ph.D. and Sidney MacDonald Baker, M.D.  It is available online at www.autism.com.  It is written with the physician in mind, so buying an extra copy for your grandson’s physician may be a good investment!

Of course, it is important to make sure that the vitamin and minerals are in their proper form and in the proper amount.  Let’s take folic acid, for example.  Most nutritional supplements (even many of those targeting autism) contain 400 mcg of folic acid, which is the RDA.  However, children with ASD generally need the more active forms of folic acid such as 5-methyl-tetra-hydrofolate or folinic acid instead of just folic acid.  Furthermore, the RDA for folic acid is 400 mcg, but most individuals with autism need 800 mcg of the active forms.  Another example where the form of the vitamin is critical is with B12 – most vitamin supplements contain B12 in the form of cyanocobalamin.  However, methylcobalamin has been proven to be most effective in children with autism spectrum disorders.  Vitamin B6 is another example where form really matters.  Using the correct form of vitamin B6 ensures utilization.  While most supplements contain B6 in the form of Pyridoxine hydrochloride, children with autism respond better to the more active form, Pyridoxal 5-phosphate. 

I have reviewed countless numbers of nutritional supplements, including those specifically targeting autism.  There isn’t one “perfect” supplement out there.  I am currently working on finding or developing the ones that will work correctly for autism spectrum disorders.  Check back – I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my research!

Keep pressing on in your journey for healing for your grandson!      

Progress in Autism Treatment Through Gluten-Free/Casein-Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Angela recently submitted this question following a post on the Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet and Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  My response follows:

“I would like to know what kind of results you saw in your child and how soon after starting this specific diet did you notice them. I am just now looking into this diet for my son and am trying to navigate my way through. Not sure where/how to start!

Thanks –

Edit Comment

2. acttoday  |  January 19, 2008 at 11:49 pm

Hi Angela,

Thanks for your question. I noticed improvements within a week of starting the Gluten-free/Casein-free diet. The first improvement I saw was that the red rashes and hives that had previously been all over his body were gone! A week or so after that, I noticed improvements in his behavior and fewer food cravings and aversions. I also noticed less “stimming” and obsessive behavior.

We maintained the Gluten-free/Casein-free diet for some time before beginning the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) as well. I noticed improvement from the SCD within three weeks. First, I noticed positive change in my son’s digestion and also elimination. Next, I noticed improvement in my son’s ability to handle frustration. The SCD also normalized my son’s blood sugar – he now no longer has blood sugar crashes if he doesn’t eat every two hours. He can safely go for longer periods without eating and still be focused and happy. Also, my son’s cravings for something sweet have diminished. Overall, I feel the progress from both the GF/CF diet and the SCD was quickly noticeable and have been extremely pleased with the healing which has come from both of these diets!

As far as how to start – check out the book “Special Diets for Special Kids, Two” by Lisa Lewis. In the meantime, you can get started by eliminating all forms of milk from your child’s diet. A few weeks later, you can gradually begin removing the gluten-containing grains, maybe one at a time. Try some of my recipes posted on my blog, along with other recipes in place of your child’s favorite.

I took a hard and fast approach with it and eliminated all gluten and casein at once, but many parents prefer to use the gradual approach by elimating one item at a time.

On the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, the best book to start with is “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” by Elaine Gotschall. You may possibly want to consider doing the GF/CF diet for some time first before considering the SCD. And, I need to be clear about a very important point – the SCD does incorporate certain homemade cultured milk items, which we do not do, since I personally see the necessity for remaining casein-free.  The book explains that  some children can tolerate the homemade cultured milk items, I know that my son cannot.  I feel that out of an abundance of caution, it would be better to be safe and exclude the cultured milk products.   

The best way to approach any dietary changes for your child is for you to read, read, and read some more. I applaud you for researching this topic and being willing to do what it takes to help your child! Be encouraged!

Gluten-free/Casein-free Snack Time Recipes

Snack time can be a great opportunity for sharing with your child in a few moments rest from a busy day.  And, if you share in baking a fun gluten-free/casein-free snack, it can also be a time for promoting communication, building social skills, and working on gross and fine motor skills. 

A couple of our favorite snacks are gluten-free/casein-free biscuits and gluten-free/casein-free blueberry muffins.

GLUTEN-FREE/CASEIN-FREE BISCUITS 

1 1/3 cup brown rice flour

2/3 cup tapioca flour

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (if you don’t want to use this, then reverse the proportion of brown rice flour to tapioca flour)

1 Tablespoon sugar (I use turbinado sugar)

1 Tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup coconut oil (note – if melted, put in refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.)

¾ cup rice milk or almond milk

 Mix dry ingredients, then cut in coconut oil using pastry blender or mix on low in mixer until mixture is crumbly.  Slowly stir in rice milk or almond milk until dough leaves sides of bowl.  (Dough will be soft and sticky.)  Lightly knead dough approximately 10 times on floured surface (use mixture of tapioca and rice flour).  Roll or pat dough until approximately ½ – ¾ inch thick.  Cut with floured cookie cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet.   Bake in 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. 

Let your child help you in measuring ingredients.  I let my son stick his fingers in the flour, sugar, and salt.  It’s wonderful tactile stimulation for him.  Let your child use the rolling pin to roll out the dough – it’s a great gross motor exercise.  Let him roll small pieces of the dough into balls between his palms or with his fingers for a fine motor exercise. 

Try using cookie cutters in shapes relating to your child’s interests.  If your child loves outer space, he’ll love star biscuits.  If he’s an animal lover, try finding a dog bone cookie cutter, then use the baked “dog bone” biscuits for a game of pretend. 

GLUTEN-FREE/CASEIN-FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS 

¾ cup rice milk or almond milk

¼ cup coconut oil (if melted, place in refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes)
1 egg

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

¼ tsp. xanthan gum

¼ – ½ cup sugar or honey (I use only ¼ cup and add extra sweetness with stevia)

Stevia – to desired sweetness (you can actually replace all of the sugar in this recipe with stevia if you like)

2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

 Beat milk, oil, and egg.  Stir in flour, sugar, stevia, baking powder, and salt and stir only until flour is moistened – batter will be lumpy.  Gently fold in blueberries. Bake 20-25 minutes in 400 degree oven.   

Both of these make great snacks that are easy to carry along when you are out of the house. 

I have great memories of cooking both of these recipes with my son, but especially the biscuits.  I look back now and see how much social progress it has brought him.  And baking together always brings a shared joy, a smile, and a time for relationship building.  We are making so much more than just bread!  Be blessed!

 John 6: 35 “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”  NASB   

Substitutes for Casein in Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet

When eliminating casein from the diet, many parents naturally turn to soy because it has become so popular in mainstream culture – soy milk, soy ice cream, soy cheese, etc.  While I must admit that soy milk and soy ice cream taste really great, unfortunately, soy is not a good substitute for casein in a gluten-free/casein-free diet.  Many doctors and healthcare professionals effectively treating autism encourage soy avoidance.  (See Children with Starving Brains by Jaquelyn McCandless, M.D.)  In many autistic children, the protein in soy causes problems similar to those caused by casein.  Also, food allergies are a common problem with children with autism spectrum disorders, and soy is a very frequent food allergy.  Soy should especially be avoided with boys because soy encourages the production of estrogen. 

Instead of milk or soy milk, try almond milk or rice milk.  Blue diamond brand makes an unsweetened almond milk (original or vanilla), which is great for those trying to keep sugar intake at a minimum.  It can be sweetened with a bit of stevia.  Watch out for hidden gluten in rice milk – one brand does not list any gluten containing ingredients in the ingredients list; however, on the side of the box is a statement that there is some gluten in the product.

I have not found a cheese substitute that is casein-free and tastes good.  (Watch out for casein, caseinate, and also for whey.) 

As far as a substitute for butter in baking – solidified coconut oil works very well.  It will melt when the temperature approaches 80 degrees, so you may have to put it in the refrigerator for a little while before using it to firm it up a bit. 

Experiment with your recipes, and you will find what works best for you.  Remember that the extra effort really is worth it!