Autism Case Study Presented by: Rocco Di Vincenzo, Consultant Dietitian
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms can range from mild to severe, and include difficulty in social interaction, restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviour and impaired communication skills.
It is estimated that around 1 in 150 people in Australia have autism, males are four times more likely than females to have it and the prevalence is increasing.
There is evidence that nutrition can play a significant role in helping manage behavioural and developmental symptoms.
Rocco has a unique skill set with his qualifications, experience and collaboration with integrative medical doctors.
In his case study Rocco illustrates the use of integrative medicine and nutrition in the management of a Ned, a 4yr old boy with autism.
Rocco reviews the evidence for the role of inflammation and a disturbed gastrointestinal microbiome in children with ASD.
He describes the four most important areas of treatment within the integrative biomedical model:
- Reducing the ‘inflammatory’ load to threshold
- Helping the gut heal
- Optimising nutrient intake and uptake
- Optimising the ability to effectively eliminate waste (bowels, liver, kidney, skin)
Rocco explains his use of integrative medicine and nutrition in the management of Ned. This includes using results from blood biochemistry, organic acid testing and dietary assessment.
Ned continues to make major improvements in his health including in the following areas: sleep, mood, social, physical and digestion.
Rocco Di Vincenzo is a dietitian with formal qualifications in integrative functional nutritional and environmental medicine. He has a special interest in addressing gastrointestinal and liver disorders, neurological disorders such as depression/anxiety, neuropsychiatric disorders including Autism, autoimmune disorders and metabolic syndrome.
Rocco worked as a Community Senior Dietitian for over a decade and was the Chief Dietitian at Swinburne University Hospital, the first Integrative Hospital in the Southern Hemisphere. He established the DAA Integrative Functional Nutritional and Environmental Discussion Group who support and guide interested Dietitians in this emerging area of nutritional medicine.
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