My ASD Child

“Is there a correlation between gastrointestinal issues and Asperger Syndrome? Our son seems to be very sensitive to certain foods, especially bread and milk (they cause him to cramp).” The relationship between gastrointestinal problems and Asperger’s (high functioning autism) is unclear, because most studies have not examined representative groups of kids with Asperger’s compared with appropriate controls. Surveys published in the gastroenterology literature have stated that gastrointestinal problems (e.g., constipation, diarrhea) occur in 46% to 85% of Asperger’s kids. Lower rates in the range of 17% to 24% have been reported in other population-based studies. One case-control study in the United Kingdom found that only 9% of young people with Asperger’s had a history of gastrointestinal complaints. Conversely, in one cross-sectional study that used structured interviews and matched control groups, a lifetime history of gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., abnormal stool pattern, f