Study Shows Children with ASD More Prone to Food Allergies

As the co-founder and clinical director of OMNI Behavioral Health Solutions, Maria Kechaidis ensures that children and families receive quality treatment and counseling services through the continuum of care. Under the management of Maria Kechaidis, the multi-specialty practice offers intensive in-home services to children with developmental disabilities like autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

A recent study from the University of Iowa has found that children with ASD are more prone to having food allergies. According to the lead author, these findings contribute to past research suggesting that immunologic disruptions begin at an early stage in life, which in turn influence brain growth and lead to the development of ASD.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that around 11.25 percent of children with ASD experience a food allergy. On the other hand, only 4.25 percent of children without ASD have a food allergy.

While the study could not determine the cause of the relationship between ASD and food allergies, previous research suggested a few possibilities that range from modifications in the gut biome to an increased production of antibodies.

The lead author recommends future studies on children since birth in order to establish a clear connection.

Greek Coffee Customs and Culture

A therapeutic counselor and medical administrator in the mental health sector, Maria Kechaidis directs clinical operations at OMNI Behavioral Health Solutions in Freehold Borough, New Jersey. She has been with OMNI since cofounding the organization in 2008. Outside of the professional environment, Maria Kechaidis enjoys many of the traditions of her Greek heritage, including the reading of coffee grounds to predict the future.

A strong and thick brew that has foam on top and unfiltered sediment on the bottom, Greek coffee plays a large part in Greek culture and serves as the centerpiece of many Greek traditions. The daily invitations for shared coffee breaks that are common among the Greek people may have something to do with the thick coffee itself as well as the thick white cups in which people serve it. Both the coffee and the cup promote slow sipping rather than big gulps.

Anyone hosting a house guest in Greece will traditionally offer coffee as a universally accepted gesture of hospitality. In return, guests will commonly toast to the “good health” of their hosts.

In addition, many people believe they can prognosticate the future by interpreting the sediment that settles in the bottom of their coffee cups.