Dr. Carol Brown, founder of the Equipping Minds foundation takes us through the factors involved in cognitive development:

1. Processing 2. Working Memory 3. Comprehension and Visualization

4. Reasoning abilities and more ... while describing why it is important for learning to happen in a joyful manner and how IQ and academics are not at all the same thing as ability. 

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

Robin Ray Green joins Vaish Sarathy for this enlightening podcast about how acupuncture helps with:

-chronic inflammatory dysfunciton

-immunity

-gut health

and more, and this is sometimes possible WITHOUT NEEDLES, through a remarkable technique called Acupatching. 

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

In the 50th episode of Functional Nutrition and Learning for Kids, one of my favorite thought leaders, Soma Mukhopadhyay, talks to us about:

-how learning channels determine teaching

-the 4 goals of RPM - not just information download - but cognition, sensory, tolerance and communication goals. 

-the importance of a sensory map when working with a child (as opposed to a label) If you are interested in helping your child jump start their learning and sensory goals, I highly recommend checking out RPM.

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

If there is ONE thing you are likely not doing with your child with Autism or Down Syndrome, it is THIS strategy.  Doing this will make the difference from teaching repeated ABCs and moving to writing poetry and studying advanced literature.

I call this non-linear education!

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

"There is a direct causal link between mental health issues and neuroinflammation." 

With this powerful statement, Dr. Rosann Capanna-Hodge leads us into the steadily increasing world of brain -inflammatory conditions in children: PANS, PANDAS and Autoimmune Encephalitis.  Listen to understand key identifying features of each of these labels, and how to navigate your way through this condition as a parent.

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

Did you know that ancestral trauma has been found to have epigenetic implications that can impact physiology all the way down to digestion and metabolism? Lee Ann Foster guides us through the concept of epigenetics, of the various tools she uses including neurofeedback, and how healing is always multimodal. 

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

Every child has a right to experience a pain-free life. Dr. Jim Adams's group has found through years of research that a vast majority of autistic children (by some estimates, over 80%) have Gastro Intestinal (GI) symptoms.  This pain can manifest as behaviors and can unfortunately be treated as behaviors.  In this podcast, Dr. Adams talks about his path-breaking research on MTT. Amazingly, in this trial, he worked with a group of children 80% of whom had a diagnosis of "severe autism". By the end of the trial, less than 20% were still diagnosed with "severe autism". To me this indicates the enormity of GI issues that are misdiagnosed as, and underdiagnosed in Autism.  Take this podcast, print out Dr. Adams's work, and take it to your PCP. Ask to see a GI doctor if your child is Autistic. 

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

Have you given thought to 

-Nutrient deficiencies

-Pain, or

-Expression as conditions that could disturb sleep.  What about: 

-Omega 3 Status, Blood Sugar Balance and Core body temperature as variables in allowing your child to stay asleep.

Sleep Whisperer Deepa Kannan talks to us about 15 factors that can affect a child's sleep. Bring a notebook and take notes. 

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

Becky Dawson is mom to a teen with chronic congenital seizures and a manual therapy practitioner.  Here she discusses how manual therapy helps remove blockages, adhesions and restores free circulation and communication within the body.  If Nutritional or Functional Med work is not sufficient for your child, think about whether manual therapy may be the missing component.

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.

Did you know that Melatonin doesn't just affect sleep?

In this mind-blowing episode, Dr. LaRosa calls Melatonin the Great Modulator, which is a great name for a great molecule.

We discuss how melatonin can modulate neuroinflammation, GI inflammation, and even affect immunity in the context of COVID. 

Disclaimer: The information in this Podcast is for educational purposes only. Vaishnavi Sarathy, Ph.D. is an educator, not a doctor, specifically not your child’s doctor. Please consult your physician before implementing any supplement or diet recommendations.