PEOPLE IN FOOD
Journalist Lydia Wilkins is the author of The Autism Friendly Cookbook, a collection of recipes written with autistic adults and teens in mind
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Hi Lydia. As a journalist you’ve written about your experiences with autism. How does it affect you in the kitchen?
Every person is different, but the kitchen is probably one of the most inaccessible places to me. I am hypersensitive to sound, so I find in a classroom setting, for example, things become disruptive pretty quickly. Generally speaking, my motor skills are quite poor too. Cookbooks also often don’t have the amount of time a recipe will take, which if you struggle with executive functioning (the mental ability to carry out or sequence tasks) when you’re on the autistic spectrum, it makes things quite difficult. Everyone’s had the experience of something that looks like a pretty simple dish taking ages, but that’s just standard for me.
Your cookbook, The Autism Friendly Cookbook, explains how autism can affect people in other ways too, including touch sensitivity or energy levels. How have you set out the book to address these things?
There are 100 recipes, 30 of which are from other autistic individuals. The format of each recipe has been adapted in order to make it as accessible as possible. Each one has a timestamp for how long it will take, and an energy rating – so whether it’s an easy or more elaborate dish. My illustrator, Emily, who’s also autistic, has designed a key on all the recipes, so if you have a particular sensory or dietary need, you can find it quickly. I’ve also tried to keep the language as simple and as straightforward as can be, and if there’s a technique mentioned, there’s a list in the back of the book to help decode it.
Did you know?
The Autism Friendly Cookbook (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, £14.99) is out now. It also contains adaptations to suit dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.
How did you compile the recipes that went into the book?
There was a multitu
