Two Steps Back, Or Maybe Not

The son is on the GlutenFree/CasienFree diet. Has been for about 9 months. I totally credit many positives to this:
increase eye contact
decreased head banging while going to sleep (for the first time since he was 9 months old)
for a few months he had completely stopped, but when he 'cheats' it comes back
decreased verbal stemming
increased sensory regulation in many areas
increased desire to want to socially interact
increased ability to positively socially interact
desire to wear clothing other than sweats and tshirts
increase in list of foods he will eat (meat, fruit and veges now!!!)
decrease in small unexplainable bumps on upper arms and legs
no more need for the agenda for the day
increase tolerance for changes in the routine on spur of the moment
no more red ears

So last Friday he was grumpy. And obsessive and persevering. He'd been banging his head the past 2 nights - a lot. Enough that I said - hey - what's going on here? You are OUT of sync. Saturday was much much worse. Really really bad. Obnoxiously bad. Then he has diarrhea, but is feeling fine. That night he shows me his bumps are coming back on his arm. It became very apparent that he has eaten something he shouldn't. But he denies it. We persist. It finally comes out - he had been sneaking brownies I had made earlier in the week. Yea, I noticed they were missing - thought it was the husband munching on them. Sunday was pretty bad too. Yesterday was better, and today he is just fine again.

Back in May he snuck some gluten and we had the same reaction for about 4 days, about 2-3 days after ingestion.

Interestingly - casein brings out the hyperness only. Gluten tends to bring out all ASD stuff. We do occasionally let him cheat - a dab of real sour cream on his taco instead of the tofu version. Half slice of cheese in his scrambled eggs. Not very often and not when there is something big happening in the next few days (major test, visit from family, big change in routine things). We tried an ice cream stick a few times - hyperness to the extreme, plus some motor sensory stuff (spinning and crashing).

Darn. His stomach isn't healed yet. Darn. This diet is hard at times. I shouldn't complain. We found a treatment that works significantly. We've been able to lower his anxiety and ADHD meds to the lowest possible dosage (instead of increasing them each year as he gets older, he is on less now than he was when he was 5!). It is very easy to get lots of GF/CF food in the area of the country we live in -even eating out. I'm so thankful for the research and support there is for ASD and treatments. This past weekend he asked why the doctors can't just go into his stomach and plug up the leaks. Soon son, hopefully soon this too will happen and you don't have to worry about what you eat.