Here are a few risks you need to consider:
You can actually hide medical conditions before they are diagnosed. If you are concerned your child has a gluten intolerance, it is important to see your child’s doctor prior to making any dietary changes. Removing gluten from the diet before testing for celiac disease can alter the test results and make diagnosing more difficult.
Your child might not be getting a complete diet. Healthcare professionals warn that because so many foods contain gluten and casein, restricting it can affect your child’s nutrition. Many children with autism also have severe picky-eating disorders and implementing further restriction on their diets can be harmful to their overall nutritional intake. See The autism parent’s guide to a complete diet.
Trendy diets are expensive. Alternative diets can also put a dent in your wallet —for example, gluten-free products are found to be much more expensive (by almost 200%, yikes!).
Food products that are gluten-free does not mean it is healthy. Almost 90% of gluten-free foods marketed for children are actually quite unhealthy because of their sugar content. This is especially important for children with autism who are already more likely to be overweight or obese.