Gut Health in Autism: The Gut-Brain Connection and What Parents Should Know

If your autistic child has constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, reflux, restricted eating, food sensitivities, or other digestive problems, you may already suspect that something is going on with their gut.

You may also notice that digestive problems seem to occur alongside changes in sleep, appetite, behavior, mood, or overall well-being.

That can lead to a lot of questions:

• Could my child's digestive problems be connected to other symptoms?
• What exactly is the gut microbiome?
  
• What does the gut-brain connection have to do with autism?
• Could yeast or other changes in the gut be part of the picture?
• What role do nutrition and supplements play?
• Why do heavy metals and environmental factors come up when I research gut health?

These are some of the reasons gut health has become an important part of the biomedical approach to autism. This article explains what you should know about digestive health, the gut microbiome, the gut-brain connection, and some of the areas you may encounter as you investigate further.

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