I am debating switching over to a gluten free diet because of my daughter's behavioral problems. I have read that it is possible that the two could be linked and I am curious if it really is or not. Have any of you switched your kid's diets because of this reason? How soon did you notice a change in their behavior? What is your reason specifically for switching to gluten free besides of severe allergies?
I have a friend whose son is on the autism spectrum. He's probably higher functioning than many who are diagnosed with "Autism" but I'm not sure he's high enough functioning to be labeled as "Aspergers." Anyway, she has always taken him to holistic docs, and tried very hard to manage his behavioral issues primarily through eating healthy and getting enough sleep.
I'm not sure what kind of behavioral issues your daughter is experiencing, but my first thought is not to drastically alter a healthy and well-balanced diet. The first "drastic" diet alterations I always suggest is to cut all the additives, sugars, sweets, caffeine if that is something she ingests. I also strongly suggest going dairy free before gluten free, as most humans have trouble digesting cow milk. Switch from fruit juices and sodas to water. Things like that.
Then, check her sleep habits. Does she have and maintain a consistent bedtime? If she is under 17, is she getting 9-10 hours of sleep a night? It is a great misnomer that kids do not require more than 8 hours of sleep. I would highly disagree. Even 11 hours of sleep at night for anyone under 17 can be the healthiest option (if you can do it) and I wouldn't suggest that this is too much.
MANY behavioral problems have a root cause of lack of good sleep.
If you tackle those two habits first, you might find that it isn't necessary to go gluten free. Unfortunately, in America and Western Europe, there is a huge marketing corner on "gluten-free" to solve everyone's health problems, and honestly, it is based in a lot more hype than fact. There are those who would adamantly suggest that the only people who need to be gluten free are those who have celiacs disease.