Autism West Midlands is hosting a half day conference on "Diet, eating, nutrition and autism" on Wednesday 12th September in our training suite in Birmingham. 

Date: 

Wednesday 12th September 2012

Location:
Autism West Midlands Head Office
Regent Court
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 1NU

Time: 

9am - 12.30pm

Delegate rates:

£30 - People with autism, parents and carers

£45 - Professionals  

Presentation topics and speakers

The Impact of Autism on Diet and Eating - Elizabeth Attfield 

Elizabeth will present from the perspective of a professional in the field of autism and as a parent of a young man with autism. She will discuss the main characteristics of autism – impairments in social interaction, communication and flexibility of thought and the impact these can sometimes have on diet and eating. She will also explore sensory issues and anxiety and how they can be linked with diet and eating. She will also provide information on pica (a pattern of eating non-food materials) drawing on her experiences with her son.

Elizabeth Attfield is the Autism Advisor at Autism West Midlands. She is a qualified teacher and has a son with autism. She is co-author of Living with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and edits the Good Autism Practice Journal with Dr. Glenys Jones. Elizabeth’s specific areas of autism related interest are communication, developing play and social skills and working effectively with families. 

The Impact of Nutrition and Diet on Autism - Zoe Connor 

Nutrition and diet affects children and adults with autism and autism spectrum disorders in a number of different ways. Zoe will draw on her experience of working in clinics, feeding teams and special educational needs schools to provide practical tips for managing picky eating, overeating and other common eating problems. She will also discuss the emerging evidence for nutritional approaches for the management of ASDs, and the role of dietitians in supporting exclusion diets.

As a registered dietitian, Zoe Connor is NHS-trained with ten years of experience in helping adults and children with a wide range of diet related problems. Zoe has an interest in autism dating back to volunteering as an NAS befriender whilst at university. She is the chair of a national network of dietitians with an interest in autism (Dietitians in Autism). Zoe strives to raise awareness of autism and related dietary issues amongst health, education and social care professionals, and to provide balanced and non-biased information to parents, carers and individuals on the spectrum.  

Diet, eating and autism: A personal perspective - Pamela Hirsch 

Pamela is a fascinating woman with Aspergers Syndrome. She has spent time as a vegetarian and a vegan, and is a strong advocate of organic food. She will discuss how her eating habits have been affected by her special interest – Buddhism, and provide examples of difficulties she has experienced around eating, particularly in restaurants and cafes due to her autism. 

Further information

Click here to download the conference leaflet

Read the conference leaflet online below:

How to book

Click here to download a booking form