The recipes also offer adaptations for people who are sensory seekers, sensory avoiders or who want to broaden their cooking horizons in the kitchen. The book has four core chapters and suits a range of dietary needs including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. Stacy Toth and her husband run Real Everything, a great blog chronicling living paleo as a family. Even though we are not strict paleo, I love Stacy’s cookbooks because she offers amazing, kid-friendly recipes that fit our ADHD Diet. Stacy has been candid about her son’s struggle with ADHD and how food was a huge part of his healing process.

I identified with several of the things Lydia mentions, gifting me language to describe something I’ve struggled with all my life but never been able to explain before. Thank you, Lydia! And when it came to day-to-today life and practical skills, the report suggested that things like cooking can apparently just be learnt. From there a step-by-step method follows. What I thought was excellent about the methods is nothing is assumed; everything is explained but the reader isn’t patronised at all. The recipe writers tell you not only what to do but what piece of equipment to do it with and what will happen in terms of the appearance, texture, and smell to the ingredient you are using.The fact that this is even endorsed by anyone is innately offensive, yet not surprising in a society that cares little for hidden disabilities. So I approached Lydia’s book hoping not only to discover some tasty food, but also hoping to learn more about my autistic self. The 3rd edition of The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook provides a current and greatly expanded review of the most commonly used diets that are important in the treatment of ADHD and autism. There are recipes appropriate to specific diets as indicated by icons and descriptors with each recipe. The authors share details about just how and why each diet works, examine specialty ingredients in-depth, and provide extensive resources and references.

Crumble is a smell I strongly associate with my childhood. This recipe has a hands-on element, so sensory avoiders may wish to use disposable gloves.

It has 100 recipes, with around 30 taken from autistic people of different ages, genders, and sexual orientations, while other interviewees contributed their expertise to other chapters.