Book excerpt: Autism represents one of the biggest health challenges facing children today. Whilst experts around the globe strive to unravel and truly understand how autism develops and presents itself, relatively little is still known about the condition. Meanwhile, strong evidence has emerged that the diet in children on the autistic spectrum can have a significant role to play in the management of their symptoms. A growing body of research reveals that some challenging characteristics present in autism may be positively affected by the introduction of a gluten- and casein-free (GFCF) diet. Autism: Exploring the benefits of a gluten and casein free diet offers an easy-to-read alternative to sifting through the science. Written by experts in autism research, food, nutrition and dietetics, the book cuts through the science-speak to offer readers a no-nonsense overview of diet and autism together with a range of useful recipes and handy hints for making mealtimes fun for children with autism and related conditions.