The Autism & ADHD Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide to Hope and Healing by Living Gluten Free and Casein Free (GFCF) and Other Interventions

by Barrie Silberberg

"Huge changes"| "A different child"| "A miracle" | "Vast improvements" This is what parents are saying about an amazing diet that is showing extraordinary results in helping children eliminate many traits and symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, celiac disease, and other conditions. The Gluten-Free, Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet, as well as removing all artificial dyes and preservatives, is hugely effective for thousands of families. The Autism & ADHD Diet is your complete guide to the GFCF Diet. Barrie Silberberg, a mother who honed her skills using the GFCF Diet with her son, who was diagnosed with ASD, gives you everything you need to know to put the diet into action with your child, including: Packed with parent-proven tips and the best resources for the diet, The Autism & ADHD Diet will alleviate all of your questions and provide a variety of ways to make this diet work best for you and your family.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Adhd, Nonfiction, Reference, Parenting, Health

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book from a family member in the process of implementing the Autism and ADHD diet. Being a clinical psychologist, my first action was to check for a 'reference' section where scholarly, empirically-based research articles should be found supporting the diet. Red flag #1: There isn't a reference section. My next step was to skim through the text to see if any reputable authorities were mentioned as backing the diet (Russell Barkley, the Bill Gates of ADHD research; Autism Speaks, the go-to online resource for autism). Red Flag #2: They aren't mentioned. Autism Speaks is, however, listed among the 21 pages of online websites provided for additional info. in the back of the book. Great, but hmmmm ... it's starting to feel like a slippery slope so I decided to dig a little. A quick search of the Autism Speaks website yields an article titled 'How helpful is the casein-gluten-free diet?' The #1 autism online resource guide says there is "insufficient evidence of clear benefit" and recommends consulting a nutritionist because "few parents-or physicians-have the experience and knowledge to determine whether a child's diet is providing all the necessary requirements for normal growth and development." That's Red Flag #3. Furthermore, the 'Top Ten Autism Research Advances of 2012' makes no mention of diet in the cutting-edge, evidence-based research. There's Red Flag #4. Russell Barkley's ADHD facts page states "treatments with little or no evidence for their effectiveness include dietary management ... despite the widespread popularity of some of these treatment approaches." And so we now have Red Flag #5. In addition, my clinical knowledge of the placebo effect makes me wonder if this is what may be occurring with the anecdotal evidence presented in the book. We know that up to 33% of treatments (cancer included) have the potential for positive short-term benefit because we really want them to work! So that's a possible Red Flag #6. With 5 or 6 Red Flags, I've decided to stop reading this book. Being the parent of an ADHD or ASD child is definitely a roller coaster with many highs and lows, but this mom is not willing to jump on the GFCF diet ride and complicate things even more. It'd be awesome to say 'this is it!' but unfortunately the empirical support is not there for autism and ADHD. (Note: None of my review is in reference to Celiac disease, for which a GF diet is warranted because of a true allergy and inability to digest gluten.) Sorry for the very long-winded review, but I'm very glad that I didn't spend $15 on the book and will be returning it tomorrow. I'm also happy to know that I won't have to worry about nutritional deficiencies in addition to everything else!

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The way this book pathologizes ASD and ADHD is horrible. It’s one thing to utilize a diet and to get positive results from it, but the positive results one can reap from a GFCF diet are not unlike the results one can reap from paleo or the whole 30 diets regardless of whether you’re neurodivergent or not. Additionally the book glosses over how hard and how expensive the food items are for the average parent of more than one child. Let’s add in, if a partner is not present physically or financially, the efforts to undertake this are gargantuan. Hard pass.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to read this one fro to back, but while I applaud the author and overcoming her spectrum of autism, my eyes were crossing at the scientific stuff. the dietin the book is very strict gluten and casein free, which doesn't really match my situation at all. I'm not ready to go the casein free route just yet, since my son hasn't officially been diagnosed ADHD, and im having a hard enough time adjusting to a gluten free lifestyle.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silberberg advocates an extremely strict gluten and casein free diet for children with autism and ADHD. First, kudos to Silberberg for embracing the view that autism isn't "cured", and that her goal is mitigation of symptoms to enable a higher-function lifestyle. There are indeed many well-documented cases of low-functioning autistic children who become measurably higher-functioning after a change in diet, but she is careful to note that symptoms can be produced or exacerbated by any number of potential underlying causes, and diet changes do not work for everyone. But, for those who do have liminal allergies to casein, gluten, salicylates, and other substances, removing these elements can be a life-changing experience.

If you've already decided to try out a gluten and casein free diet for your autistic or hyperactive child, this book is a practical and helpful guide. However, it is also a bit frustrating and falls short in a few areas.

While she admits that the diet will not work for everyone, she is adamant that hyper-religious adherence to the diet is essential to making it work at all. This means wearing gloves, having extra food preparation utensils, bowls, plates, washing with ridiculously hot water, etc. One reviewer has described her as an obsessive compulsive afraid to let a grain of gluten land on her child's skin--a view borne out by Silberberg's manic near-paranoia. (I cannot help but wonder if Silberberg's insistance on strict adherence provides a handy point of blame if diet changes do not improve a child's life.)

A stay-at-home mom with a B.A. in childhood education, Ms. Silberberg is not a doctor or an academic writer, and while that's generally OK, her failure to adequately document and footnote her claims is highly problematic. She'll refer to studies, scientific "facts" and researchers without any further clue or reference to the material. This is especially frustrating due to the nature the book's content. She also hamstrings many of her arguments with a casual recommendation to try homeopathic solutions, which have been so firmly debunked time and again, it's no longer worth discussing.

Ultimately, however, the book is best when taken for its helpful GFCF resources, tips on menu planning, etc. For those who choose to try the diet with their child, the book is extremely helpful in many regards, and offers tips on introducing and maintaining dietary changes for children of all ages, within the context of a functioning household.

[FaithToshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK OVERALL. ANYONE WHO IS OPEN MINDED AND WILLING TO TRY THIS IS ONE BOOK THAT CAN HELP ALOT.

I must say that when my daughter was first diagnosed with autism and she began school, I met a parent who introduced me to this book. Wow!!! I couldn't believe all the stuff I was reading and it was VERY overwhelming. I mean VERY. It took me years to pick this book back up. This lady in this book has a child with autism and has him on a very strict gluten free casein free dye free All free diet lol. Seriously if you have a child with autism or ADHD and you are not ready to do this and most people are not, then please avoid this book. Now on the other hand if you are ready and will go to any extent then this is your bible. This book I have picked it back up and I love it, it's my bible. It's very intimidating at first if you are not ready to do this diet. This book is teaching you how and what to expect from diets and how to start them. It takes about biomedical treatments, neurofeeds, gluten free casein free diets, Detoxes, and what to avoid as far as metal, toys, play dough, etc. Overall it's a good book.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a daughter with autism, and we are considering putting her on a GFCF diet. This book is an excellent treatise on the subject. Ms. Silberberg has produced a very well-written book on the subject, as a parent of an autistic child. She put her son on this diet and had remarkable success with him. Unlike a lot of "parent-written" material, this book is intelligent and, as I said, very well-written. It includes pages and pages of resources for any parent who is considering this diet for their child(ren). And, to make it even better, unlike many books that I have seen on the subject of autism, this book is actually interesting! It's not boring. At least, it wasn't to me. I recommend this book to anyone who might be considering this diet. Very informative!

One unique thing...the last chapter of the book was written by her autistic son. Wow!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some portions of this book that will make people very upset, but put the title aside for a minute. If you have a medical need to remove Gluten (Wheat) and Casein (Dairy) from your diet, this book is an EXCELLENT resource for that. In 9 years of managing strict dietary needs, I've never read anything else that was as clear as this book.

The book breaks down: which foods are likely to contain these ingredients, how to read labels critically, how to manage dining out (if you choose to do that), other things to think about such as toiletries (i.e. toothpaste, lipstick, etc.).

I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs to go Gluten-Free and/or Dairy-Free, or, in the case where not all family members need to do that but all need to understand proper label reading.

[Adrienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had lots of information. Most of the studies sited were about children with Autism and most references for who and why it helps surrounded Autism. The author expresses strongly the need to go completely off gluten and casein (found in milk). Even a small amount at any time can cause symptoms of Autism or ADHD. He equates these foods as causing the brain in certain children to act like they are on drugs. Which indeed would be a good reason to avoid them completely. I wasn't convinced it is necessary to completely eliminate it, either because my child has minor ADHD or/and because I didn't find his findings conclusive enough.

[Annalaura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great overview book of the GFCF diet for autism and ADHD. While it is not a cure, it does offer helpful ideas and recipes and many parents have found help for their children by following this diet. It can help some children avoid stimulants as well and for this reason is a must read for any parent of a child with autism and or ADHD who does not want their child to go on drugs. That said it is still hard work and is not an easy fix. The recipes in this book are really good as well, although there is also another book that is a cookbook with even more recipes.

[Jason Verwey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference material. Presents a compelling case for GFCF diet in controlling ADHD/Autism related disorders and their symptoms; however, most evidence is purely anecdotal and there seems to be missing a lot of good hard-hitting scientific information. Lots of personal case studies, recipes, and practical advice. Good thought starter, but will not prepare you 100% for taking on the GFCF diet. Most of the information is geared towards parents with ADHD/Autistic children.

[Just · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't doubt that diet plays a factor in many conditions but the reality is how are people on low incomes supposed to afford the cost associated with changing to these specific diets. I've seen the cost of these "alternatives" and whilst I would love to give it a go to see if it helps my son I can't afford the price of the alternatives. We will, however, continue to eat as much whole foods as possible.

[Shiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for my autism research to cover part of the diet section. I am very happy it also had a therapies section to give me more information as well for later on. That being said the medical research is great, but the author sounds like an over-bearing mother who I would ignore in person.

Other that that; great book for researching.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was also very good!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative and encouraging!! Currently working for our Autistic son! :)

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The vaccine testimonials are pretty bogus, but this is a good source book for going GFCF.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any care giver of a child with Autism.

[Mabeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skimmed

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was ok, until the testimonials from people who thought autism was caused by immunizations.