Customer Reviews

Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research and Recovery

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3 star:		(6)
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This book is one of 3 that changed our family's life. (Facing autism which made us know in our hearts the diagnosis was right & William shaw's book which details more of the science of this stuff are the other two.)I believe that there are many reasons children are on the autistic spectrum and that this book will only help some.

Our son now 4 1/2 was diagnosed with PDD NOS within days of turning 3. We saw some familiarities with the medical issues in this book and thought it worth looking into. (relux, ear infections, persistently loose stools, Milk obsession, food intolerances affecting behaviour in a cousin, bad reaction to vaccin in a normal sibling).

Wanting to be more scientific than 'try it and see' we had a number of tests done over the following 6 months. Sure enough the results were consistent with the theories: food sensitivities, enormous yeast& bacteria overgrowth, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, amino acid imbalances. I cried for a week when I realised the 'lifestyle change' the diet would mean (just coping with life seemed such hard work). But I can honestly say that it doesn't seem that onerous now and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I first feared.

We made the changes progressively - Dietary eliminations. Vitamin & mineral supplementation. Probiotics, antifungals.We saw improvements in 'behaviour'and what convinced us that these were real and not just wishful thinking was that they were accompanied by other changes:
*At 3 1/4 you could have called our son's name from 2 ft away, all day and unless you were touching him or in his face he didn't know it. After 3 days CFGF he suddenly responded to his name from 20 ft away from then on he would look up/around when his name was called. Having woken up 5 times a night EVERY night for months beforehand our son slept through and in the last 18 months he has woken up in the night on only 3 separate occaisions (wet bed/ fell out). I don't need to tell anyone going through this kind of sleep deprivation themselves what a difference that made.
*When we treated the yeasts and bacteria we saw a change in attention span, eye contact and a spontaneous desire to talk to US. This coincided with his first(that I could remember) "beautifully" formed poops. I can't imagine how we'd have managed potty training without this change). Post treatment tests showed great improvement in results. We have had recently had confirmation of this when our suspicions of a problem this summer (poor attention span, weak eye contact, less complex speech) led us to test again and following alarming results we treated the yeasts again and Wow, what a difference.
We think we have seen improvements from supplementation changes but the more gradual changes are possibly due to other reasons. We are great fans also of his wonderful ABA and AVB therapy he has received in the last year. We are still making changes but it certainly seems that the more normal his body chemistry is the more normal he seems. We believe the changes we've made have helped him be able learn from his excellent teachers.

Our son is catching up fast. His communication skills are now only about 6 months behind (from being 'in the bottom 1 percent of children' at age 2 1/2) and people who don't know autistic spectrum disorders don't guess he's any other than a little behind in speech. He will be attending a normal kindergarten next year (no aide expected to be necessary) but continuing speech therapy probably.

It hasn't just saved our son. It's saved our sanity. Bringing up a son who had almost no ability to understand what was being said to him and was clearly so frustrated that he couldn't make his needs understood was like living on Mars. Between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 the tantrums were explosive and could last hours despite all the very good advice we did get from the state early intervention program. The need for routines was all encompassing. This book enabled us to open a window in our son's mind that we and his teachers could pull him through. I worried if doing all this biomedical stuff would change his "personality". Didn't I love him as he was??. It's difficult to explain but he is still quite definitely the same person and fixing the problems feels a bit like putting on my glasses in the morning. I can seem 'him' clearly now.

When I first told friends and family about what we were doing they smiled sweetly but obviously thought I was nuts. Now the change in our son has been such that I can't count the number of times I've been told "you should write a book about this". I tell them I would......but there already IS one.

Karyn Seroussi has written a fascinating account of her son's recovery from autism. Yes, we've all been told that autism is a lifelong disability for which recovery is not possible, but the rules are apparently being rewritten. Do not let the fact that your doctor is behind the times keep you from reading this wonderful book, and trying the interventions it describes. Viewing autism as a biological disorder for which a cure is possible is an idea whose time has come, and we owe Ms. Seroussi a great deal for presenting it in such a well-written, and heartfelt manner. I couldn't put this book down, and read it in a single sitting. This book presents an important intervention which I have been using for several years. My child did not "recover" but is much improved. I am thrilled that a book is lending legitimacy to this important approach to treating autism.

Maybe, like me, you have considered drugs for your autistic child, but have been understandably reluctant. Maybe you are overwhelmed by the vast amounts of information bombarding you daily concerning the causes of autism. Maybe your educational intervention progran hasn't quite worked as well as you hoped it would.

If so, get this book. It deserves a place right next to Catherine Maurice's groundbreaking book on intervention through educational methods, LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICE. Actually, it deserves a place of honor right on your kitchen table, where you can refer to it everyday, easily. What Catherine Maurice did for education vis vis autistic children, this book does for dietary intervention.

Karyn Seroussi has written a practical, clear, acessible book about how your child's diet can affect his/her whole way of living in our world. She posits that the health (particularly, a damaged immune system) of your child is one of the major reasons your child diplays autistic behaviors. She has incorporated her own child, Miles, and her own family, in a most compassionate and perceptive way to demonstrate this. I found that, in and of itself, a comfort. We are all in this together, aren't we? We need to help each other. This book is all about helping OUR CHILDREN get better.

Parents of autistic children have it hard enough without having to sift through the incredible, time consuming theories and treatments that come our way daily. Karyn covers all of these and makes them understandable. She explains things. Then she gives you step by step directions to follow to actually improve the health of your own autistic child (or in my case, autistic children: I have two!) This book makes so much sense and is so exciting to read, I wrote this review as soon as I finished it. Even if my own children do not experience the same remarkable recovery that Karyn's son Miles did (she caught his autism really early), I know, from my other reading, that this book ultimately makes total sense... and that my sons will be immeasurably improved. For that, I am incredibly grateful. Thank you, Karyn Seroussi.

Karen Seroussi has woven a remarkable, well-written story of her son's recovery from Autism through tedious dietary interventions. Her offering of recipes gives the parents considering the diet for their children a place from where to start. As the mother of two Autistic children myself, I felt compelled to read it, even though a grueling 18 month trial of the diet in our home offered few, if any, results, other than depriving my sons of what foods they were willing to eat.

Seroussi is a gifted writer, and tells her story from her mother's heart. But facets of her story disturbed me deeply. After reading this book, I felt my choice to live as a mother who has come to accept her children's Autism and lead them towards a good life in spite of grim prognoses was viewed by the author as something to feel ashamed of. While this may not have been Seroussi's intent, the insistence that something is wrong with parents who don't try her techniques, or tried the diet and had it fail are somehow lacking was very bothersome to my heart.

Granted, dietary interventions have helped many Autistic children. However, this his book implicates that any parent who does not attempt the diet which benefitted Ms. Seroussi's son is failing his/her child. Children who respond to diet are most specifically those showing a serum IGE response to specific allergens and gliadin antibodies. I'd strongly recommend any parent who considers putting a child through such a restrictive regime will get the bloodwork done first. This diet is not easy to implement and it is not easy to encourage an older child to follow it when away from home.

This book tells a rare, triumphant story. It is well documented, and worth a read. But please, don't see diet as a cure-all if the techniques outlined simply don't work for your child. The sad truth is, if diet were the cure, there would be no Autism.

If you have a child with autism you owe it to them on checking out this "GFCF Diet" thing. I have a son with autism and it is hands down the best thing I have done for him (besides hours of ABA,VBA, Speech & OT and some biomed intervention) - the diet wins.
Not only is the the healthiest thing you can do, it is the cheapest thing you can do and something you have complete control over. The diet is truly about proper nutrition for children that have wounded guts (whether you think your child has a wounded gut or not - it is something to truly try.)
Doctors and others who say - a diet cannot help children with autism are 100% wrong. I have seen it with my own 2 eyes on my child and many others.
After starting the GFCF Diet my son -
- stopped self stim behavior
- slept thru the night for the first time in 2 years
- within 6 months had great stools for the first time in 2 years
- began to be much more connected
- all the other therapies were possible
- there is a lot more I could write here - but you are going to have to believe what I am typing... it truly makes a difference.

There is also alot of sound advice on other therapies and her journey. It has a happy ending to the story as well and that was worth it enough.

My son is now totally connected with us, doing amazing things and is in kindergarten.

What do you have to lose? It is just a book... it is just a diet. See what it can do for your child.

Karyn Seroussi is a gem and this book is something you need to read.

My six year old daughter was recently diagnosed with "high-functioning autism." My wife had the good fortune to run into Karyn Seroussi's Feb 2000 article in Parenting magazine. We implemented some of the changes she recommends and have seen real improvements in our daughter's mood and behavior. I stayed up nights reading the book, and let me tell you, it was well worth the effort. Karyn gives all kinds of information, encouragement, and pointers for anyone trying to help an autistic child. Phone numbers, addresses, and website urls are all provided so you can do your own research. If you are the parent of an autistic child, do them and yourself a favor, buy this book and read it carefully! There is nothing to lose and potentially a great deal to gain.

Every parent of an autistic child needs to read this book. It is not just about trying dietary intervention - it is about examining various biological factors in what was wrongly thought to be an untreatable disorder.

I would like to comment on one review of Ms. Seroussi's book. One reviewer said, "The sad truth is, if diet were the cure, there would be no autism."

In her book, the author states that she estimates at least 30% of all cases of autism are caused by the improper breakdown of gluten and casein. The other cases clearly have different causes, and therefore diet would be ineffective for those cases.

My child was a diet responder and I agree with the sentiments in the book - that every parent should give it a try. The reason I am so frustrated with parents who are unwilling to try the diet is that until we have good diagnostic peptide testing, it is absurd not to give the so-called "tedious" diet a 3-month trial. When it applies, it can be quite miraculous. What kind of parent wouldn't do this harmless intervention for their child, asap? I just don't understand such an attitude.

Read all of the reviews of this book before deciding whether to read it. Most are raves, and rightly so. There is a note of sour-grapes bitterness in a couple of them. If these peoples' children were not diet responders, I am sorry to hear it. However, it is not only inaccurate to make a statement like "if diet were the cure, there would be no autism," it is potentially quite disastrous if it dissuades parents from giving it a try. One of the most outspoken advocates of biological intervention I've met is a mom whose kid did not respond, but who helped several other local children (including mine) get on the diet, two of whom recovered. I greatly admire her generosity of spirit.

Until the medical studies are in, and the doctors understand which kids need the diet, this book can be a lifesaver. It was for my precious little boy, who has come back to me and is a constant source of pride and pleasure. If you are the parent of a newly-diagnosed child with autism, "Unraveling" should be the first book you read. Period.

As a psychologist interested in learning disabilities and the brain; as a patient who was also treated for depression, panic attacks, chronic fatigue and intestinal illness through food allery diagnosis and treatment which was incredibly successful; and as a woman with a close relative who is autistic, I appreciated this well-written, beautifully presented story of a boy and his parents who cared to take the time to research his disease, to challenge the negligent and rigid traditional medical community, to find and persist with a cure, and to sacrifice their time to spread the word to the far too many families with children suffering from the epidemic of autism or developmental problems/learning disablities. We hear too often of parents who simply accept a diagnosis and put their children on the current drug (e.g., ritalin) without bothering to actually behave like parents and use sound judgement and their parental instincts. Karyn is a hero in her son's life and in the growing effort to publicize the dangers of the intense battery of vaccinations given to babies at far too early an age. Her book is not bitter, however, but inspiring. You'll hear about Miles' symptoms and behaviors, about Karyn's concerns and fears, of pioneering psychologists and physicians who literally risk their careers on finding the source and cure for autism. Karyn details all her experiences from discoveries that opiate byproducts are found in autistic children's urine (e.g., some reaction is going on in their bodies that is like putting them on hallucinogenic drugs), using the food elimination diet on Miles and finding miraculous results, working with other mothers and their "autistic" children, interacting with physicians who were finding clues and treatments such as Secretin (including her husband, a research scientist). Karyn's life completely changed with the diagnosis of autism, and always at the back of her mind is the suspicion concerning Miles' vaccinations -- until this book even offers the experimental proof found though denied and ignored by the medical community and the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing the "cash-cow" vaccines. Parents who trust medical experts need to read this book to realize in just what poor, ill-informed, close-minded, and unconcerned hands their children (and themselves,too) can be. The author goes further and tells her own and her husband's stories, and she even uses the food allergy principles to cure her chronic fatigue. This is a dramatic story, told humbly. It is fascinating reading simply as the biography of a disease. I don't believe I've ever encountered a book that I could recommend more than this one, for any person who wants to lead a better quality life. NOTE: the diet Karyn used for her son, including recipes, is included, as well as info on websites and organizations.

I am the father of a 3 1/2 year son who has been diagnosed with Autism just four months ago. I am a natural sceptic and a person who typically relies on empirical evidence, especially when it comes to medicine. I read Ms. Seroussi's book and questioned a great deal of the information and considered some of its assertions as 'fringe' thinking. However, a few things she descibed about her son and his development struck a cord: numerous ear infections, an almost drug-like haze over my son, and finally - milk. He drank a ton of it and always wanted more. Six months ago, we found out his 6 week old sister was in fact allergic to milk, and food allergies tend to be hereditary. The parallels were compelling. We consulted our physicain about doing a complete allergy test on him and she was reluctant because he showed no outward signs (rashes, bumps, diarrhea). The specialist who treated my daughter was also sceptical but agreed to run some tests. The results ... a severe milk allergy and an allergy to wheat. Both practitioners were shocked and taken back. FINALLY! We are on to something. If we had not read this book, chances are we would not have known about some of these intertwined relationships that could lead to or complicate autism. There is probably no silver bullet and it may not be true for your child, but you should unquestionably read this book to find out about emerging thoughts on the causes and treatment of autism. This sceptic is not so sceptical any more.

I'll divide this into two parts.. The subject and then the book itself.

Over a year ago I started dating a woman whose 4 year old child has autism. On one of my many book store trips (I personally keep both barnes and nobel and amazon afloat ;-)), I saw this book on my way to get coffee. I didn't even read the subtitle, it was a pure impulse buy.

Reading through the first few chapters I began to identify with some of the behaviors. The behaviors often relate to food or peculiar correllaries to food. Some of it was medical history. Some of it were questions like "Why do all the autistic children I've met have asthma and eczema (bumps on the skin)? What is that diaper rash that won't go away?". I quickly devoured the book and finally made it to the implementation section. It took awhile but I finally convinced my (by then) fiance to read the book. Once she did, she was convinced that we must try this.

Nearly, Immediately after implementing the diet, my stepson (by then) began simple speach and just spontaneously potty trained. After he was off it for awhile we experimented at reintroducing the foods, he immediately regressed and became physically affected! My stepson is not cured of autism and probably never will be (although others claim to be), but I feel that with this diet (as prescribed by the book), he'll have a productive and happy life.

The book:

The book is well written in a story-like manner. The descriptions of the diet and of that etymological subtype of autism that will respond to the diet, are effective and seemingly complete. The end of the book, the "how-to implement" is not comprehensive enough. For this you'll need to do more research. There are a number of maillists to do this and the book points you to a number of other resources. Many areas have even opened support groups for the diet. I don't fault the book for this as its not the objective, this tells you what and why. Others tell you how.

If your child has autism, this diet is non-invasive (unlike medical experimentation) and though a bit cutting edge, its not a big step. In 5-10 years this will be considered blanket fact. The diet is difficult, its especially hard with daycare/school/etc. but while it is a lifestyle change, its worth it. Lastly, the diet does not "cure" autism, nor is it a substitute for behavioral and speech therapy, its what alows greater progress to take place.

As for my stepson, he now uses complete sentances to tell us what he wants and can relate simple concepts. He originally just screemed "help help help". He's (at five) recently taken to pbs.org and fully understands the concept of "click" and moving the mouse. He can't yet relate abstract things "how was your day" but has shown small sniplets of past-tense: "I like today". Whats most important is that he TRIES to use language and synthesises new meanings and thoughts. He gets alot of the grammar wrong and most of the pronouns, but he's on the verge of conversational language. His "understanding" has progressed more than his "expression" at this point (where before the opposite was true). Do we credit all of this to the diet? NO. But the diet allowed it to happen. Read this book.