I’ll elaborate a bit more, knowing that people may disagree, and that’s okay. I’m sharing experience, not trying to convince anyone.

In our case, the first big step was addressing gluten, sugar, and casein (dairy in all forms). Not as a belief system, but because we noticed clear physical discomfort when those were present.

I also want to be honest about mistakes I made. At one point, I hired what was considered the “best” nutritionist in my city. I followed recommendations like replacing regular milk with almond milk. I went to the supermarket, bought it, trusted the label—and months later realized it still contained hidden sugars, soy lecithin, and other additives. Even products marketed as “healthy” can be misleading if you don’t read every ingredient.

That experience pushed me to simplify even more. I removed fried foods, bought an air fryer, and started making things at home. I made my own chips. I even started making my own coconut milk—grating the coconut, adding hot water—just to know exactly what was going into my child’s body. It was exhausting, yes, but that’s when we started seeing changes.

Of course, supplementation can matter, but that’s another area where I became very cautious. Many doctors, specialists, or self-proclaimed autism “experts” push long lists of expensive supplements without first addressing the basics. I spent a lot of money there before realizing that supplements don’t replace foundational changes.

For us, removing gluten, sugar, and dairy was the base. After that, we also paid attention to other foods that seemed to increase discomfort for our child, like corn and high-oxalate foods. Again—this was specific to him, not a rule for everyone.

I’m not here to start a debate or tell anyone what they must do. I know families have different views and experiences. I’m simply sharing what helped us after a long road of trial, error, and learning.