The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook: A Guide to Promoting Healthy Lifestyles

The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook has something to offer to everyone. The medical information regarding people with Down syndrome is helpful to parents and professionals alike who want to know more about recommendations for specific conditions, such as diabetes and celiac disease, as well as basic nutrition and physiology.

The rest of the book is devoted to issues and strategies for promoting healthful living that can be used for babies, children, teens and adults with and without Down syndrome. Joan uses universal design and visual strategies to reach people who may struggle with reading focus on learning how to be healthy.

The author is a registered and the mother of a teenager with Down syndrome, autism, celiac disease, and who is nonverbal. Using her education and her experience she blends best practices for education, communication, nutrition, and support strategies into every aspect of living a healthful life.

The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook is an outstanding resource for people with Down syndrome throughout their life span. It contains excellent information and practical suggestions for people with Down syndrome and their families. A wide variety of topics are addressed from general nutrition to nutritional intervention for diabetes mellitus, celiac disease and other health issues.

The book is well written, person-centered, and health-centered. It is beneficial when read cover-to-cover as well as when saved for use as a reference book. In addition to the writing style, the pictures make it a valuable education tool for people with a wide variety of reading abilities.

I highly recommend this book for people with Down syndrome, their families and anyone who wants to help them with their nutritional goals.


Geat Book   January 13, 2007
J. Moist
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Don't let the long (boring) name fool you, it is a GREAT book! As our daughter is getting older (she is 16,) she is taking control of her diet. I can't be with her all the time, so I have to teach her to eat healthy. This might sound simple, but it isn't. Well meaning relatives offer her foods she shouldn't eat, and others don't know that she has some 'nutritional issues,' like Celiac Disease. Our daughter has to know what she can and can't eat, as well as portion control. The DSNH not only has information for me as a parent, but it has worksheets and teaching activities for our daughter to help her learn healthy eating habits and good fitness activities. Did I say that it is a GREAT book? We copy off the worksheets and post them on the fridge, so our daughter can track what she eats during the day to make sure that she has 'hit' at the necessary food groups and water intake goals. She even has her fitness goals for the week.

The book covers nutritional information and needs from birth through adulthood. Section three is the one that we are working on right now: Teaching Healthy Choices to Encourage Healthy Lifestyles. It has everything from menu planning, to cooking and fitness. It's full of readable and understandable information for me and hands on learning for our daughter. That is a great combination if you ask me!

Our daughter will be the one in control of her own cooking, fitness activities and health in a few years. This book will help me help her to make a smoother transition to become a more independent and healthy adult with Down Syndrome.


Practical, Useful, Enjoyable Tool   November 1, 2003
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

As a principal that works with children with Down Syndrome - this book has been an excellent resource for me to share with families and with my staff. The author is extremely knowledgeable and shares her expertise in a manner that works for professionals and parents alike.

The book is easy to read and use. The content works for all ages and more than anything - it is clear that the author respects children and families.

It is a must as a resource for schools and families.


The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook: A Guide to Promoting Healthy Lifestyles   February 14, 2007
veronica wood (Australia)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Very good book
Easy to read
Very informative for parents with and without medical knowledge
Have found it very useful as a guide to my daughters nutritional needs and abilities