Autism ― Exploring the Benefits of a Gluten and Casein Free Diet: a Practical Guide for Families and Professionals

Once considered a rare condition, increasing numbers of children are being diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, making it one of the most common and often challenging childhood developmental diagnoses. Whilst experts around the globe strive to unravel and truly understand how autism develops and presents itself, comparatively little is still known about the condition despite decades of research and investigation.

What is becoming clear is that autism is an extremely diverse condition with a presentation often complicated by a heightened risk of various accompanying behaviours and conditions outside of autism, variably affecting quality of life and future outcomes. Based on years of experimental study and thousands of personal observations, a growing body of research suggests that some challenging characteristics present in autism may be positively affected by the introduction of a gluten- and casein-free (GFCF) diet.

Autism: Exploring the Benefits of a Gluten- and Casein-Free Diet offers parents, teachers, and other education or health professionals with an easy-to-read alternative to sifting through the combined science. Written by leading experts in autism research, food, nutrition and dietetics, the book cuts through the jargon to offer readers a no-nonsense, accessible and authoritative overview of how diet might affect some characteristics of autism, and provides a range of useful recipes and handy hints for making mealtimes fun for children with autism and related conditions who are embarking on such a dietary change.

Paul Whiteley is a Director of ESPA Research, a subsidiary of the charity ESPA (Education and Services for People with Autism), UK.

Mark Earnden is a chef and successful entrepreneur who is involved with several innovative food enterprises.

Elouise Robinson is a dietitian in the community with children and young people.