Special-Needs Kids Go Pharm-Free: Nutrition-Focused Tools to Help Minimize Meds and Maximize Health and Well-Being

This is a very good book for those with children with special needs who are wanting to limit or avoid the use of pharmaceuticals that, to me anyway, seem like they are way over-prescribed for children these days (often without being tested for use in children).We have a child with autism and have used many of the tools in this book with great results, resulting in normalization of bowel habits and toilet training at age 3.5 and general better health.The book is well-written, easy to follow and open-minded in thinking and approach.Registered dietitians are experts in nutrition and Judy Converse has a vast amount of experience in treating children with special needs. It's nice to read a book written by a health and nutrition expert with solid suggestions and useful tips. I would recommend this book to all parents of special needs children.

I agree 99% with the author that we should focus more nutrition, shun unnecessary vaccines and reduce overuse of drugs. Drugs are needed, only for emergencies.

This book is fantastic and helped us immensely with our medically complex baby. I have already given it to another mom. Conventional medicine offered us no help with severe digestive/growth issues (and we go to a top children's hospital), but Judy's functional approach was exactly what we had been looking for. Can't say enough good about this book.

Now that I'm learning about this author, I find she has recently joined a practice with two pediatricians. This book is several years old, but is a great way to begin understanding the connections between our real gut and our general well-being and behavior. Her personal and professional experience serve us all as we gain knowledge about how to help kids eat well, and be well.

not worth of information

This is a great book. There are so many ways to heal through nutrition. It is so important to keep our children healthy. This is a great must read. This book is very well written and easy to read.

Special-Needs Kids Go Pharm Free is filled with practical information that can help guide important medical decisions parents make for their children. Converse discusses the underlying nutrition problems that can impede focus, learning and mood, and how to assess and fix these problems without the use of drugs. She covers when the use of reflux drugs is appropriate, and how to wean your child off of them. She discusses what to do if your baby has colic or thrush. She covers how to assess food sensitivity in children, and what to feed them if sensitivities are present. She brings us up to date on current nutrition research, noting that people with depression have a lower than normal level of inositol, a B vitamin that can help with rigidity (OCD), mood and panic attacks. Many therapies suggested by the book can be used in addition to prescription remedies already in place.Which children can benefit from the tools in this book? Children with anxiety, depression, ADHD, sensory problems, autism, and Aspergers are covered in this book. But you might be surprised that the following symptoms may also be improved with the right nutritional regimen:delayed or slow growthsleep problemsproblems with focusfrequent infectionsproblems with bowel movementsserious behavior problemsasthmaseizuresfood allergyblood sugar problemseczemaThis book is not for parents who are interested in a quick fix. Nutritional supplements alone without dietary analysis and changes will likely result in only short term gains. For many children, this will involve food sensitivity testing and possible elimination of the two most inflammatory foods, gluten and dairy. But for parents willing to do the extra work, this book can mean the difference between a child having a normal healthy life, to living with chronic health conditions.If I were master of the universe, I would make sure every pediatrician and every new parent has access to this book. With informed parents and doctors, every baby who is treated with antibiotics, who is overly fussy or not sleeping well, who isn't growing appropriately, who has frequent infections, who has rashes or elimination problems would get their little problems solved before they become big problems. One can only imagine the health care dollars that would be saved. This book is worth every penny.

Before buying this book, learn who more about the author. Know that this nutritionist believes vaccines are the root of many problems, and so it's not surprising that she shuns giving kids medicine. I actually agree with her stance that our kids get too much medicine when proper nutrition might help, but let's be reasonable. There is a place for medicine. However, this author lost my respect completely when she recently published inaccurate information about eosinophilic esophagitis and not only was rude to all the parents she upset, but completely ignored their please for an apology. We should not be buying this person's books. She frightens me. She not only believe she's an expert on things she's not, and fails to read the scientific literature before writing, but she also fails to open her mind to realize that she is wrong. You can find better books by people with true credibility elsewhere. Save your money and run!

wel written

a great reference book with reasonable suggestions and explanations. Credible source. Took it out of the library several times before I bought it.