Customer Reviews

Nourishing Hope for Autism

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If you are new to the world of Autism, or new to Biomedical treatments, this is the book you need! I am mommy to 2 1/2 year old Aden, who was diagnosed in Nov. on the Autism spectrum.
We started down this road in April 08, and knew very very little about Autism. When he was officially diagnosed in Nov. the Developemental Pediatrician that we saw handed us a stack of papers to read, said "don't try any CAM treatments because they don't work", and pushed us out the door. We were left with a, hey sorry your kid is autistic and there isn't much we can do. Thankfully, we didn't listen and decided to take a different road. We got this book very soon after, and it was and continues to be a HUGE help for us in our understanding of this disorder, and a great reference gude, especially on the nutrition side of it. We've learnded so much because of it!
There IS HOPE for these kids. Because of what we have done Biomedically and with therapy and early intervention classes, Aden is well on his way to recovery! Such progress has been made already in just over a month!
THIS BOOK IS A MUST HAVE for anyone who has a child on the spectrum.

As a holistic nutritionist and food therapist, I find this book to be an excellent resource and reference book. It is critical that information such as that found in Nourishing Hope is shared with parents at large (and as many healthcare professionals as would be willing to learn from it.)

Critical information grounded in research, and explained intelligently, abounds in this book. It combines science, biochemistry, logic, research, common sense, and "case study"-based information for parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

Julie Matthews has put together an excellent resource for anyone who wants real information that will impact health and quality of life for those with autism.

Additionally, the nutrition and detoxification steps outlined can and should be taken to treat and ameliorate autism - AND can be used during pregnancy, nursing, and childhood to PREVENT autism from developing - a common fear among parents as the statistics rise (1 in 150 children with autism, boys 4:1 to girls).

This book will benefit anyone who has a child in their life (at all), anyone who is considering having children, anyone who has a child on the spectrum - as well as any child battling ADHD, allergies, and asthma.

Thank-you Julie Matthews for compiling this information and authoring this great work! - K. Genzlnger, CNC, CMTA - Holistic Food Therapist / Holistic Nutritionist

If you are researching biomedical autism diets---this book is it. Recommended by medical director of ARI and Spectrum Magazine. All I needed to know in one book---digestive system info, importance of the right foods, why diets help heal, how to put a diet into place, how to cook for the diet so you kids will eat. Shows symptoms of autism that improve with diet.

I have a 5 year old son with ASD. I've spent the last 3 months off work helping him and reading up biomedical treatment books. I found this one to be one of the best on explaining the complicated science behind why biomedical works and then helping you on where to focus first and then as improvements to the program. I feel like most parents could get started on a GFCF diet, basic supplements and clean their house of toxins first, looking for their DAN dr, and get some level of improvements; then use a DAN dr and the helpful books out there to help fine tune the program and look at other treatments. Best books so far are:

Special-Needs Kids Eat Right: Strategies to Help Kids on the Autism Spectrum Focus, Learn, and Thrive by MPH, RD, LD, Judy Converse (Author)

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders by Kenneth Bock (Author), Cameron Stauth (Author)

Disconnected Kids: The Groundbreaking Brain Balance Program for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Disorders by Dr. Robert Melillo (Hardcover - Jan 6, 2009) (this book contains exercises that build on the biomedical approach; my son's been in a Brain Balance program for 3 months, plus diet, and is making progress)

Excellent first read re: autism diets and autism nutrition. Shows you why and how biomedical autism diets work. I would recommend it to parents if you are adding autism diets to your child's recovery program. Easy to follow---best 101 autism nutrition and diet education. Expert advice--but reader friendly. Practical cooking instruction with recipes for picky eaters.

Nourishing Hope's strength is in the fact that it overviews the general field of autism diets and treatments whereas most books focus on a single diet as if it is the end all be all of diets for everyone. Julie covers the strengths and weaknesses of each diet/treatment and really gives you a good pictures of what is being done in this field. I think this book is a good starting point for anyone interested in learning about this subject as well as a good wrap up if you are looking for a broader perspective on treating autism naturally.

This is at the top of my list for great books on ASDs. I refer to it time and again. I wish all parents of ASD kids would read this book and treat it as a medical illness. It really brought everything together for me and gave me a solid understanding of my son's problems. Julie provides a solid foundation that is well organized and easy to understand. Any treatment you may be thinking about, she explains in great detail. Great practical advice. Reading this was almost like going through an initial consultation. It contains so much more info than my son's DAN! (now ex-DAN) ever gave me.

I only wish she would have written more about chelation instead of referring the reader on to Cutler. She goes into detail about toxic metals, but not so much on how to get rid of them. Cutler, while a great resource, is not well written, well organized or easy to follow. We, as parents, are left to muddle through it ourselves, with little available guidance.

Thanks to Julie for writing such a comprehensive book on biomedical interventions for autism!

I have been doing biomed for years with my son. I am now a consultant and I frequently recommend Julie's book. When I discovered my child's autism I set to work researching everything I could find. I read the well known books of the time and well, they are difficult and overwhelming. Julie's book is so complete and user friendly. It is written in language that makes understanding the complex issues our children are dealing with obtainable. I wish Nourishing Hope had been available when I first started learning about Biomed. It is so clear and to the point. Everything you need to move forward is contained in this book. I have shelves full of Autism books but there are two books in my arsenal that are seldom shelved. Nourishing Hope by Julie Matthews and Amalgam Illness by Andrew Hall Cutler are all you need to recover your child from autism.

I have read all book about dietary interventions for autistic children. I learned something from every one, but Julie's book is, by far, the best resource imaginable. This book is excellent for parents, physicians, teachers, anyone who works with ASD kids. My son was so unhealthy and sick all the time. I did not understand why because I had him on the GF/CF diet. It just was not enough for Christian, he needed to go SCD, low oxalate and get off soy. Through Julie's book I was able to understand what was going wrong in Christian's gut and how to fix it. Julie lays out all the science in comprehensive details, helping me explain to family members and doctors why so many foods make Christian sick. I wanted them to understand that science based dietary interventions are not "dangerous"- doing nothing to help sick autistic kids is the real danger

This book really inspired me and helped my son tremendously.

Julie makes the various diet possibilities understandable. She presents them in a clear order, what to try first, etc. It was great to read her chapter on bioenergetic healing. So much of the diet information requires logistical expertise--shopping, cooking, getting the child to agree--and the option of getting back to the basic idea of listening to the body, asking questions of the body, and developing our own intuition about what is going on for each child, is a good reminder that we can get all wrapped up in "doing," and that we forget about just "being" with this child. Thanks, Julie. I look forward to working with the new cd.