By Ellen Notbohm

The dawn of the computer age created excitement and wonder: machines that seemed to function as high-performance brains performed calculation tasks instantaneously and had phenomenal memory. They certainly seemed smarter than humans - and just as temperamental.
It didn't take long to discover that these infallible new brains were in fact every bit as fallible as the real brains that programmed and used them. We would input data incorrectly and then complain that the computer didn't work. As we began to understand this disconnect, a new phrase entered our lexicon: GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out. No matter how wondrous the potential of the computer, it cannot create good output from bad input.

In this regard, the human brain is just like the computer. The quality of its output will be only as good as the input. Garbage in, garbage out. Food is the power source upon which our brains, our true 'personal computers' depend. We are, in fact, what we eat - or what we neglect to eat. The quality of that fuel (or lack thereof) affects the output - something we commonly refer to as 'behavior.'

Behavior is always a form of communication. A child's behavior is not always deliberate, but it is always telling us something about how they are experiencing their environment. They may, however, be years away from being able to self-identify the causes of their behavior. In the meantime, we adults often over-estimate their ability to verbalize what the trouble is. So we see "behavior" and we assume it is willful.

We assume too much, and in doing so, we neglect the more difficult search for the source of our children's behavior and moods. That search frequently leads to food.

Food allergies & Food Sensitivities
These are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. An allergy is a disordered immune-system response. Even a trace amount of the allergen will trigger an allergic response. Food allergies affect far fewer people than food sensitivities, but they are more serious (up to and including fatal reaction). Some common food allergy triggers are eggs, nuts, dairy products, wheat, corn, soy, fish, strawberries.

Food sensitivity is a drug-like reaction to a substance, usually based on the amount or degree of exposure to the offending substance. Two red jelly beans may incite hyperactive or aggressive behavior in one child, whereas another may be able to tolerate a handful. Some common food sensitivity triggers are food dyes, preservatives and additives such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), dairy products, processed carbohydrates such as white flour and white sugar, citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs.

Poor Overall Nutrition
A child may be eating a lot, but if it is of low nutritive value, his brain may be literally starving, acutely affecting his behavior.

The link between nutrition and behavior has been increasingly tested over the past few decades as more and more processed 'food products' have replaced actual food in its original form. In the provocative documentary Supersize Me, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock visits a so-called behavioral high school in Appleton, Wisconsin whose staff saw problem behaviors decline dramatically after converting their school lunch program from processed foods to whole, fresh foods. Further result was an increase in attendance and academic achievement.

An easy way to improve nutrition is to become conscious of eating foods closer to their original form, with as little processing as possible-whole grains rather than refined flours and cereals, whole fresh fruits and vegetables rather than products processed with large amounts of salt and sugar, natural, unprocessed meats that aren't cured with salts and nitrites, or "enhanced" with "basting solutions."

Running on Empty
If your child's behavior is deteriorating early in the day, skipping breakfast could be the culprit. Children's brains are hungry in the morning, whether they recognize it or not; there is overwhelming evidence that children who eat breakfast do significantly better in school than those who do not. The re-fueling of the brain after the long night's fast enhances energy and focus, reduces irritability and anxiety, and has been shown to improve children's overall food choices during the rest of the day.

Thirst
Without adequate hydration, a child can become lethargic, cranky and unable to focus. But fluid consumption should not come at cross-purposes: soda and artificially flavored drinks composed mainly of sugar and food dye may address one problem while creating another. Glucose slows the speed at which the stomach empties its contents, so sugared drinks can actually contribute to thirst by delaying the movement and absorption of fluid into the intestine.

Plain old water is without comparison a hydrator and thirst quencher. Kids may consider water 'boring,' so as with food, change habits slowly. If your child is drinking soda every day, start by eliminating one serving per day and work your way down to where it's a special-occasion treat.

Voicing Pain through Behavior
Don't overestimate your child's ability to communicate gastrointestinal problems. Children aren't born with the ability to identify cause and effect; it develops gradually over childhood. Your child may be voicing physical pain through extreme behavior. Acid reflux (heartburn) can cause esophageal or abdominal pain and create sleep disruption. Constipation, diarrhea, chronic flatulence, ear infections, tooth and mouth pain can all be brought on by certain foods. More serious illnesses such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) require ongoing medical supervision.

As spell-checking, error-detecting computers developed over the years, the term GIGO faded from use. But in its place came an equally dangerous reiteration: GIGO meaning garbage in, gospel out. It's an acerbic warning that we should not accept our computer's output at face value as truth. The same goes for your child's behavior. The truth may be, quite literally, in the pudding.

Ellen Notbohm is the author of three award-winning books on autism, including Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, a 2005 ForeWord Book of the Year Honorable Mention winner.