Walk Now for Autism - Unless You Follow the Gluten Free Diet

Return to Eden, where I work as a GF Product Specialist, has participated in the local Walk for Autism for the last two years. We are consistently the only company who brings gluten free/casein free samples. The food area offers wheat bagels and muffins, while fruit is put out only after the walk is over. We were all set to participate this year, when we were told that we didn't have enough samples to hand out, so we were unceremoniously uninvited.

Now I have to admit that there is no direct link showing a benefit from being Autistic and following the gluten free/casein free diet, but there is a definitely a group (think Jenny McCarthy) who believe following the diet is the key to managing Autism, whether you have a gluten sensitivity or not.

I can't for the life of me understand why the organizers of this event consistently do not take into consideration the dietary needs of their walkers. I also don't see why they wouldn't want someone like me handing out literature, coupons and other pertinent information that will help parents manage the gluten diet and show them where they can shop (personal tour) for gluten free products.

This event should be more about providing options to the parents of Autistic children and less about how many samples I am bringing.

I sincerely hope the organizers of this event are not as restrictive in the future and take into account not only the dietary restrictions of the participants, but their informative needs as well.