JESSICA KINGSLEY PUBLISHERS are the main source of books on the autistic spectrum.

AUTISM AND GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS by Rosemary Kessick

AUTISM AND DIET by Rosemary Kessick

GETTING YOUR KID ON A GLUTEN-FREE CASEIN-FREE DIET by Susan Lord

THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING - a 30th anniversary collection by the Hyperactive Childrens’ Support Group (HACSG)

COULD IT BE YOU? by Dr Robin Pauc

DIETARY INTERVENTION IN AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS by Kenneth J Aitken

ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO ADHD by Diane Paul

GLUTEN AND MILK-FREE E-BOOK by Zoe Connor

DYSLOGIC SYNDROME by Dr Bernard Rimland

ASPERGERS SYNDROME AND BULLYING by Nick Dubin

CAN I TELL YOU ABOUT ASPERGER'S SYNDROME? by Jude Welton

ALLERGY BUSTERS by Kathleen Chara

SENSORY SMARTS by Kathleen Chara

WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHAT DID YOU MEAN? by Jude Welton

CAN'T EAT, WON'T EAT by Brenda Legge

DIET INTERVENTION AND AUTISM - A Practical Guide for Parents by Marilyn le Breton

FREAKS, GEEKS & ASPERGERS SYNDROME by Luke Jackson
A USER GUIDE TO THE GF/CF DIET by Luke Jackson

GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE COOKBOOK - Compiled by Marilyn le Breton for Allergy Induced Autism

Also see:-
ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER by Professor Basant Puri in the Children's Section

SCARY DAIRY, WILD WHEAT AND COPING WITH E's by Tessa Lobb in the Children's Section

Autism and Gastrointestinal Complaints & Autism and Diet by Rosemary Kessick and
Getting your kid on a gluten-free casein-free diet by Susan Lord

If anyone should know about treating autism with diet it is Rosemary Kessick. The mother of a now adult son with autism, Rosemary is a former CEO of Allergy Induced Autism, one of the charities that championed the early use of the gluten and casein-free diet in autism.

Her two short and very accessible books form an excellent introduction to the subject for anyone caring for a child or adult with autism who also has (as a significant number have) serious gastrointestinal problems. The first book, Autism and Gastrointestinal Complaints, looks at the signs and symptoms of the condition, many of which, in autistic children, may be mistaken for behavioural problems. Strange postures, for example, or pressing a hand directly above their pubic bone (often mistaken for masturbation) may merely be an attempt to relieve cramps or other chronic digestive discomfort.

She quotes alarming figures from recent research of the number of autistic people suffering from inflammatory bowel conditions, and describes the huge leap forward in diagnosis as a result of the invention of the ‘Pill-cam’ – a tiny video camera in a capsule which can photograph the full length of the digestive tract.

The books goes on to suggest ways of approaching and dealing with these conditions – which include the gluten and casein free diet.

Autism and Diet by Rosemary Kessick and Getting your kid on a gluten-free casein-free diet by Susan Lord give you day-to-day instructions as to how to implement the diet.

Rosemary Kessick explains the background to the diet, gives very specific details as to what it involves (what is excluded and what allowed not only in food but in personal care and household products) and how to cope with ‘withdrawal’ symptoms, along with some very encouraging case studies.

Susan Lord, the mother of an autistic daughter, gets ‘down and dirty’ with the food itself. What to include and what to exclude, menu suggestions and loads of recipes. She also ‘paces’ you through adopting the full diet – more than most harassed parents of autistic children can face all in one go!

Autism and Gastrointestinal Complaints and Autism and Diet both by Rosemary Kessick @ £8.99; Getting your kid on a gluten-free casein-free diet by Susan Lord @ £13.99. All from Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

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The Proof of the Pudding - a 30th anniversary collection by the Hyperactive Childrens’ Support Group

The quotes below are a tiny sample of the letters from parents and the case studies included in the Proof of the Pudding, a collection published by the Hyperactive Childrens’ Support Group to celebrate their 30th birthday and as a tribute to Miles, Sally Bunday’s son, without whom, as one parent says, ‘none of us would ever have got our children back’.

When Miles was born he was overly active, cried incessantly and only slept for two hours a night. Their GP offered Sally little help apart from tranquillisers for them both – which did little for her and only seemed to make Miles worse.

By chance Sally heard a radio programme about Dr Ben Feingold and his research into the effects of additives on the behaviour of young children. An additive and salicylate-free diet combined with nutritional supplements, especially zinc and essential fatty acids, made a dramatic difference to Miles’ behaviour and to that of the thousands of children who have since been through the hands of the HACSG – as the extracts in The Proof of the Pudding illustrate convincingly and movingly.

Sam
'I just wanted to let you know. Some years ago you helped me with my son who is salicylate sensitive. He has just been offered a place at Cambridge – and it is all thanks to you! Without your help school would have been a complete disaster and I dread to think what would have become of him. You saved our lives and our sanity and have given him a tremendous future – THANK YOU.’

Lisa
'The other day we were making popcorn and Lisa said, 'Mummy that’s how my head used to feel, noisy like I had fizzy lemonade in it.' So it is not difficult to persuade her to stick to your diet!'

Joe
'After following the diet changes you sent us and the daily zinc drops, Joe is a different child. In the past year we have moved house, changed schools and even been abroad on holiday – all things that would have been impossible before. Joe is now in reception class at school and is doing brilliantly – the future Carol Vorderman maths genius, the teachers say! So thank you again for giving my boy a fair chance at childhood and for listening when no one else would.'

For anyone who has, knows or treats a hyperactive child (and knows how horrendous life can be both for them and for their family) this is essential and inspiring reading – while a purchase will swell the funds of the group and allow them to continue their vital work.

To order a copy click here.
For more information on the HACSG check www.hacsg.org.uk
01243 539966, HACSG, 71 Whycke Lane, Chichester PO19 7PD

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Could it be You? by Dr Robin Pauc

Dr Robin Pauc is the director of the Tinsley House Clinic which has a particular interest in the treatment of children who have previously been diagnosed with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD, OCD and Tourette's syndrome. (www.tinsleyhouseclinic.co.uk)

Dr Pauc believes that ‘learning difficulties’ and other associated conditions, mainly related to the autistic spectrum, are not disorders as such but symptoms of delayed and disrupted development in certain areas of the human brain caused by damage during the process of birth.

Having initially expounded this theory in relation to children (Is that my Child?), his latest book, Could it be You?, extends the theory to adults suffering from the same conditions. He looks as adult diagnostic criteria, then outlines treatment programmes which include nutrition and food, exercise and computer generated exercises. He even includes brain-friendly recipes! A fascinating theory – a fascinating book.

Could it be You? by Dr Robin Pauc is published by Virgin Books
@ £10.99 ISBN 978 0 7535 1339 2
Available here

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Dietary Intervention in Autistic Spectrum Disorders by Kenneth J Aitken

As Kenneth Aitken points out in Chapter 3 of this invaluable book, dietary approaches to the management of autism tend to generate heated controversy. This is often because too much attention is devoted to why and how such and such a diet might/might not work instead of to whether it actually does work, even if no one understands why or how.

Having first outlined why it is reasonable to suppose that dietary intervention in autistic spectrum disorders might be helpful (so many people on the spectrum appear also to have gastrointestinal problems) he then goes on to examine the diets most commonly in use:

• The Mackarnass low carbohydrate/high protein diet
• The Feingold diet excluding additives and salicylates
• The Specific Carbohydrate diet, excluding most carbohydrates
• The gluten-free/casein-free diet
• The low oxalate diet
• The low glutamate diet
• The low phenylalanine diet
• The low phenol diet
• The rotation diet

For each he looks at what they are, the practicalities of following them and what evidence there is of their effectiveness.

The last part of the book describes his own Simple Restriction Diet which is based on the one factor common to all the other diets – a lower carbohydrate intake. The Simple Restriction Diet, however, also tries to tease out individual dietary and nutritional problems and to construct a long-term regime based on a detailed assessment of each of the initial stages.

Dietary Intervention in Autistic Spectrum Disorders by Kenneth J Aitken is published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers @ £16.99 ISBN 978 1 8431 0939 6

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ADHD - The Essential Guide by Diane Paul is exactly that – an excellent, balanced introduction to a condition that remains highly controversial in terms of both diagnosis and treatment.

Clearly laid out, easy-to-understand chapters describe ADHD and the signs that will help you decide whether your child really does have a problem or is merely high spirited and unruly. The author then guides you through the diagnostic process – with a chapter on possible causes of both ADHD and its many closely-related conditions.

Three chapters are devoted to treatments – drug (mainly Ritalin) therapy, ‘talking’ and other alternative therapies and the dietary approach; another three to support – in school, within the family and within the community as the ADHD child grows towards adulthood. The book ends with an extensive resource list – helpful organisations, support groups and good links to on-line articles. Definitely an ‘essential guide’ – and good value at £8.99.

ADHD - The Essential Guide by Diane Paul is published by Need–2–Know ISBN 978 1 86144 060 0

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Gluten and Milk-free E-book by Zoe Connor

Zoe Connor is a dietitian and nutrition consultant who has worked for some years with autistic children following GFMF diets. Although not totally convinced of the science behind these diets, she recognises that many families will want to try them and has therefore set out to provide the maximum amount of background information and support for these families while they do so.
Although the book does include a clutch of useful basic recipes at the end, most of it is taken up with information and advice: what foods do/don’t contain gluten/dairy; what foods to choose/avoid; suggestions for well balanced meal and snacks. She gives very helpful shopping and baking tips, some recipe book suggestions and extremely useful advice on eating out, especially in ethnic restaurants.
There is a chapter on ensuring adequate nutrition when on the GFMF diet, some child-friendly tips and a list of resources.
Extensive appendices include an A-Z of grains and flours (from agar to urd...), a comprehensive list of companies manufacturing GFMF products, and the recipes.
The book costs £15 and can be bought direct from Zoe’s very informative website: www.nutritionnutrition.com
or via 077 333 78651 (office hours only).

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Dyslogic Syndromeby Dr Bernard Rimland

The founder of the Autism Society of America and himself the father of an autistic son, Dr Rimland is one of the world’s foremost research psychologists and, over the last 40 years, has revolutionised thinking about autism.
As he describes in the introduction, when his son was born, conditions such as autism were blamed squarely on parental failure and the few treatments available were exclusively psychotherapeutic.

Now thanks to the untiring work of practitioners such as Dr Rimland himself, Dr Carl Pfeiffer, Dr Ben Feingold and many others, there is a much wider (although far from universal) acceptance that not only autism but hyperactivity, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, depression, aggressive, violent and many other disordered behaviours, result from biological malfunctioning of the brain.

Dr Rimland has christened this condition the Dyslogic Syndrome and in this accessible but detailed book, he describes the victims of the syndrome and illustrates how, contrary to common belief, upbringing has little or no effect on behaviour, sociological and psychological interventions are ineffective and drug treatments positively harmful. He then moves on to examine what he sees as ‘the environmental, dietary and medical causes’ of dysfunctional thinking and behaviour.

The first of these is diet – junk and overprocessed foods, additives, food sensitivity and nutritional deficiencies.
The second is environmental toxicity – heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese), endocrine disrupters, pesticides, alcohol and tobacco. The third is medical interventions, whether as drugs (including antibiotics), vaccinations and drug-induced labour and birth.

The last section of the book loudly affirms and illustrates Dr Rimland’s belief that no brain disorder, no matter how apparently overwhelming (and this includes serious physical trauma) is hopeless.
This is followed by four basic action plans – for parents, for teachers and schools, for physicians and healthcare professionals and for judges, prison warders, probation officers and members of the justice system.
A ‘must-read’ book for anyone involved with behavioural problems in children or adults.

Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN 978 1 84310 877
Recommended retail price £16.99
Buy book here

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Aspergers Syndrome and Bullyingby Nick Dubin

Nick Dubin was not diagnosed with Aspergers until he was 27 but when the diagnosis came, it answered many questions - among them, why he had always been bullied at school.

Further investigation revealed that 90-99% of children with Aspergers were bullied at least once a week and were four times more likely to be bullied than their peers.

Unfortunately many common Aspergers’ traits (difficulties with multi-tasking, low frustration tolerance, motor difficulties, obsessive ‘special interests’, problems with reading non-verbal cues, auditory processing delays, gullibility and the odd use of language) make those with Aspergers ideal targets for bullies. But this does not mean that they have to remain victims and Nick Dubin offers a wide range of strategies to ensure that they do not.

These include ‘empowering the victims’ - increasing self-esteem; finding role models; ensuring a safe haven into which to escape; involving bystanders as supporters; understanding the bullies; empowering teachers who often understand little about Aspergers and can all too often be, themselves, the bullies; and empowering parents to help their children and to educate the teachers.

Much of what Nick says relates specifically to Aspergers victims of bullying but many of his strategies are applicable to any bullying situation and would certainly be helpful for parents of allergic children who were being bullied.
An excellent, enlightening and supportive book.

Asperger Syndrome and Bullying by Nick Dubin is published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers and costs £12.99 ISBN 978-1-84310-846-7

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Can I Tell You about Aspergers Syndrome? by Jude Welton

Beautifully designed and written to help the rest of us, adults and children, understand the condition and be able to communicate with those with it.

Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN-13: 978-1843102069
Recommended Retail Price: £6.95

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Allergy Busters by Kathleen Chara
Sensory Smarts by Kathleen Chara

Explains, in the first person, the problems ASD children can have with allergies and extreme sensitivity to noise, taste, temperature and texture.

Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN-13: 978-1843107828
ISBN-13: 978-1843107835
Recommended Retail Price: £7.95 & £8.95

Buy ALLERGY BUSTERS....!
Buy SENSORY SMARTS......!

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What Did You Say? What Did You Mean? by Jude Welton

An illustrated guide to the metaphors that we use so freely - to the constant confusion of so many literally- minded children, and adults, on the autistic spectrum.

Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN-13: 978-1843102076
Recommended Retail Price: £12.95

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Can't Eat, Won't Eat by Brenda Legge

In this book Brenda, who has a son with Asperges Syndrome, deals with some of the horrendous eating problems of children with autistic spectrum disorders. However the book would make enlightening reading for the parents of any 'fussy' eater.

Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN
Recommended Retail Price: £12.95

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Diet Intervention and Autism - A Practical Guide for Parents by Marilyn le Breton

Marilyn le Breton describes her son Jack's 'miraculous' return from autism on the gluten, casein, MSG and aspartame free diet. A gripping and inspiring story with lots of practical advice for parents embarking on the diet.

Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN - 1-85302 - 935 – 1
Recommended Retail Price: £12.95

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Freaks, Geeks and Aspergers Syndrome by Luke Jackson
A User Guide to the GF/CF Diet by Luke Jackson

Luke Jackson is 13 and has Aspergers Syndrome. His brother Matthew is 18 and is dyslexic and dyspraxic; his brother Joe is 8 and is AD/HD; his brother Ben is 5 and is autistic. For the last two years Luke, Joe and Ben have been on a gluten, casein, MSG and Aspartame free diet. This has made a huge difference to their lives.

But Luke is no ordinary 13 year old - not even an ordinary Aspergers Syndrome 13 year old. He is extraordinarily articulate and has written not one, but two books. Freaks, Geeks and Aspergers Syndrome is about his experience with the gluten/casein free diet. A User Guide to the GF/CF Diet is a guide to help other Asperger teenagers (and their parents) through their teenage years.

Whether or not you have any involvement with autistic spectrum disorders, both books are fascinating - hugely entertaining, exciting and revealing glimpses of the motivation behind so many autistic traits. An absolute must read for anyone on the autistic spectrum - and even more so for their parents and carers.

Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers - ISBN - 1-84310-098-3 & ISBN 1-84310-055-x
Recommended Retail Price for both: £12.95

Buy FREAKS GEEKS....!
Buy A USER GUIDE......!

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Gluten & Dairy Free Cookbook - Compiled by Marilyn le Breton for Allergy Induced Autism

A very comprehensive cookbook compiled by the mother of a severely autistic child whose life has been transformed by the diet. Although it is designed for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders on a very strict casein, gluten, MSG, aspartame and DGA free diet the 400 odd imaginative recipes would be invaluable to anyone following a gluten or casein free diet.

Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN 1-84310-067-3
Recommended Retail Price: £14.95

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