Holly and Matt’s autistic son improves on a carnivore diet

Holly and Matt have a 19-year-old autistic son who’s been eating carnivore for a year. Wyatt was diagnosed with autism at two. Wyatt does not speak, so communication was very challenging. At 15, he was able to use a letterboard to communicate, which his parents say was “life-changing.”

Holly became interested in the carnivore diet after gaining weight. At first, she was skeptical. She started in 2021, and soon after, her years-long eczema cleared up and she lost weight. Holly never considered modifying her son’s diet prior to learning about the carnivore diet’s potential benefits for autism.

Wyatt ate mostly carbohydrates. When Holly asked Wyatt if he wanted to try the carnivore diet, he agreed. On March 30, 2022, he weighed 187 pounds at 5’10”. Two weeks later, he had lost 35 pounds.

By the end of May, he began to experience other changes. On his letterboard, Wyatt communicated to his parents that he was happier than he’d ever been and that he was no longer depressed.

At first, Wyatt’s diet was more keto, with blueberries, bacon, hot dogs, and lots of meat.

As he progressed on the carnivore diet, Holly asked Wyatt about removing blueberries, and again he agreed. Cutting out blueberries made a big difference.

Wyatt began going to church with his family and was able to attend his grandfather’s memorial service. These things were not possible for him before. Wyatt said, “Thank you for allowing me to go.” And he noticed that ”I’m able to handle so much more because of this diet.”

Because Wyatt did so well removing blueberries, Holly asked him about removing pork. He was reluctant because he ate a pound of bacon every morning, and he really liked it. Wyatt reasoned that if it could help him get better, he would do it. Wyatt says he used to “perseverate on idiotic things.” Since he stopped eating blueberries and pork, he no longer does.

Wyatt craves fat, so Holly adds butter to meat and makes crispy beef fat. Wyatt says the fat “makes my brain feel so good and calm.” After years of trying to quiet his mind, he says, “It feels good to have a calm brain.”

Holly and Matt explain that using a letterboard to communicate “unlocked” Wyatt. “It was the first opportunity to get to know our son,” says Matt. They learned many things about Wyatt that they didn’t know.

They discovered he is extremely articulate, intelligent, and has a photographic memory. He taught himself to read and loves biographies. This summer, he plans to read more than ever before.

Holly and Matt also learned that he has double vision and that his eyes cannot track objects. Since starting eye therapy, he has had stronger eye muscles and, consequently, better eye muscle control.

Wyatt expressed his love of music and is now involved in the orchestra at school. Holly is teaching him beginner piano because Wyatt’s fine motor skills have improved so much that he can move each finger independently.

The school has reported much better behavior from Wyatt since last year—no more outbursts. Teachers also observe that he is much better able than before to handle non-routine situations.

Although Wyatt’s progress has not been linear—there have been ups and downs—Matt says if he had not witnessed the changes in Wyatt, he wouldn’t have believed it was possible. Holly adds that we’ve seen “noticeable, generous, and measurable changes” since he began a carnivore diet.