The SCD for Autism and ADHD: A Reference and Dairy-Free Cookbook for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet

This groundbreaking book serves as a comprehensive guide for the Dairy-Free version of the Specific Carbohydrate DietTM (SCD-DF). The original SCD (a grain-free, sugar-free, soy-free diet), introduced by Elaine Gottschall in Breaking the Vicious Cycle, has been further researched and developed into the SCD-DF in order to help people with autism and ADHD.

According to the Center for Disease Control, the rate of autism has now increased to 1 in 68 children in the US. It is imperative that we find a better way in which to address this health challenge faced by so many in our next generation. Most children (and adults) with autism or ADHD also suffer from digestive issues ranging from constipation and reflux to diarrhea and low vitamin/mineral levels. These issues may seem minor but addressing them through the SCD-DF can play a pivotal role in improving behavior, mood, cognition, and language.

The SCD for Autism and ADHD draws on over a decade of a nurse s clinical experience with the SCD-DF and written in collaboration with an established SCD author. The first part of the book explains the scientific research that supports the SCD-DF dietary intervention. It describes how conditions from anxiety and eczema to reflux and motor coordination are also tied to autism and ADHD. It guides families on how to start the SCD-DF from building a support network and setting up the kitchen to shopping lists, meal plans, and what to expect on the first days of the diet.

The second part of this book contains over 150 SCD-DF recipes organized into categories such as Bakery, Breakfast, Snacks, Meats, Drinks, and Desserts; with child-friendly recipes ranging from Grandma s Basic Pancakes and SCD Chicken Nuggets to Tater Tots and Lemon Vanilla Cake. It also includes a sample transitional menu, weekly meal plans, and themed menu ideas.

The dietary premise laid out in this book has been adopted by the Johnson Center for Child Health & Development in Austin, Texas, where they have recently completed a pilot study of children with ASD implementing the SCD-DF dietary protocol. The SCD itself has been undergoing several pilot studies and clinical trials recently at Seattle Children's Hospital, Stanford University, and Rush Medical Center, among others.

To find out more about this book, visit scdrecipe.com/autism/.

Raman Prasad has followed the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)™ successfully for more than 16 years, which has resulted in a return to good health and a normal life. In 1998, inspired by his recovery and remission from ulcerative colitis, Prasad founded scdrecipe.com which includes hundreds of SCD recipes, news items, and other relevant information about this dietary protocol.

Prasad is the author of the non-fiction memoir Colitis & Me: A Story of Recovery, that chronicles his life with crippling ulcerative colitis from ages 17 to 24, and how he was ultimately able to restore health through the SCD. Additionally, he has written two cookbooks: Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (Fair Winds Press, 2008), which contains a global repertoire of gluten-free and dairy-free SCD-inspired culinary delights, and Adventures in the Family Kitchen (2005), which combines traditional Italian-American and Indian family recipes.

Raman also blogs online about SCD news at blog.scdrecipe.com. He has been an advocate and spokesperson for the diet for almost two decades, and has worked alongside Elaine Gottschall in her efforts to promote the SCD to a wider audience. Raman has been invited to speak about the SCD in venues that range from Seattle Children's Hospital to the Northeast Organic Farming Association to local bookstores and libraries.

Pamela Ferro, RN, ASN, is the co-founder of Hopewell Associates, a nurse-owned practice for those seeking treatment for neurodevelopmental and biomedical behavioral disorders. She directs and manages Hopewell's Autism Program for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Pam initially found the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)™ through Elaine Gottschall's Breaking The Vicious Cycle. Pam brings her passion and knowledge to her treatment of people with autism and ADHD not only because of her relationship with her mentor Elaine, but more importantly, because of her son, Isaiah, whose life is affected by autism. For over a decade, Pam has treated hundreds of children using the Specific Carbohydrate Diet-Dairy Free (SCD-DF) - most of whom have made tremendous strides forward in their cognition, behavior, and overall health.

Pam is the president of the Gottschall Autism Foundation that provides learning opportunities for young adults with autism. Ferro has worked in collaboration with The Johnson Center for Child Health and Development, in their research study of how children with ASD can experience improvement in their GI symptoms-and therefore behavior-by adopting the SCD-DF. She has lectured nationally and locally and developed the SCD-DF Nurses curriculum under the guidance of Elaine Gottschall.

Nilou Moochhala is co-author of Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and assisted in the creation of recipes for Prasad's Adventures in the Family Kitchen. She has designed and tested the SCD-DF recipes for the Cookbook section.