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The Medical Center – University of Freiburg provides information on a dietary approach for symptoms of ADHD and autism, as well as on an ongoing study for which additional participants are being sought

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., the Medical Center – University of Freiburg invites you to an informational event on the so-called oligoantigenic diet for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder. The event will take place in the lecture hall at Karlstraße 62, 79104 Freiburg, and is organized by the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics. The session will cover basic therapeutic approaches as well as the protocol of a current clinical study. Participants are currently being sought for the study.

“The oligoantigenic diet is a well-studied approach for determining whether certain foods trigger or exacerbate ADHD symptoms in a child. In our previous studies, approximately 60 percent of participating patients reported an improvement in ADHD symptoms. It can also help children with autism symptoms,” says Prof. Dr. Christian Fleischhaker, Acting Medical Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg. “In this session, we will explain the study protocol and the requirements for conducting the study under professional supervision.” 

Nutritional Approach, Study Protocol, and Eligibility Criteria

In the first part of the event, the speakers will explain how the oligoantigenic diet is used as a time-limited elimination diet to identify potential individual food intolerances. They will also provide an overview of the current scientific understanding of the link between diet and ADHD symptoms. Following this, the study coordinators will present the ongoing study, which investigates whether the diet affects symptoms, oral health, and specific biological markers in the blood and saliva of children and adolescents with ADHD and/or autism. 

Children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD and/or autism who are attending at least the second grade of a general education school are eligible to participate. Participating families will incur costs as part of the study, since it is currently classified as an individual health service (iGEL). 

The dietary program is generally also available independently of study participation, in each case under the supervision of a nutritionist and a physician.