Autism is a highly controversial subject with a very vocal lobby group, and one expects differing viewpoints.  But when some professionals claim that the available research shows no indication that diet or parenting causes the disorder, this misconception needs to be corrected. It is critical to note up front that we cannot obtain causal proof for lifestyle choices influencing the development and severity of autism (however we define autism, which is another important and difficult question) without performing unethical and illegal experiments on mothers and children.  In the absence of this data, what we must rely upon are correlations and associations that, while not proof of causation, are definitely strongly suggestive.  And the scientific literature is replete with such examples, a select group of which are presented below. As part of a study into the "dietary patterns and body mass index in children with autism and typically developing children," a...(Read Full Post)