Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners

"There is no level of inflammation, physical or mental or central nervous system inflammation, that is not damaging."

Vaish and JP Errico discuss the role of the vagus nerve in reducing inflammation (esp. neuroinflammation), cognition and supporting brain health in Episode 142.

Obviously stress and inflammation are critical in cognitive and overall health, but what is largely unknown is the role of the vagus nerve in modulating inflammation!

Vagus Nerve Stimulation can be achieved through various methods, including non-invasive devices like TruVaga (which JP helped found).

JP shares a personal experience of using vagus nerve stimulation to alleviate eczema and migraines in his child, leading to significant cognitive improvements. JP Errico's Book: The Vagus-Immune Connection TruVaga - the stimulator mentioned by JP

The 2nd most common question I get asked is this: What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet, and how do you feed your son?

So I thought I would lead you on a day's plan of a vegetarian anti-inflammatory meals.

We will talk about breakfast, a pre-breakfast (!!), lunch and dinner! And blood sugar balancing, nutrient density, gut health and more!

"If your child is having difficulty moving their body, they ARE going to have difficulty in moving their eyes."

Dr. Susan Daniel, neuro-developmental optometrist talk about vision and its role in learning and regulation for Autistic students and learners with Down Syndrome

Vision difficulties can impact a child's regulation and behavior, leading to frustration and anxiety.

Dr. Daniel explains the various components of vision, including visual gathering skills, eye teaming, and visual processing.

Tune in to learn:

• Why specialized vision exams are crucial for children with autism, Down syndrome, and other disabilities

• How vision difficulties can impact a child's regulation and behavior, leading to frustration and anxiety

• The components of Vision

• What you can do right now to support your child's learning

00:00 The Impact of Vision on Regulation and Behavior

06:09 The Relationship Between Body Movement and Eye Movement

16:23 The Gap in Vision Evaluations for Children with Disabilities

34:46 The Importance of Access to Complex Information

45:21 Passion for Helping Children and Adults with Vision Impairments

Links mentioned in the podcast:

Find a developmental optometrist here:

- www.covd.org

- www.noravisionrehab.org

The reading app Dr. Daniel mentioned: www.bookshare.org

You can reach Dr. Daniel at [email protected]

In this week's Wednesday Wind-Up, we explore the connection between motivation, feedback, choice and learning, for children with disabilities - whether Down Syndrome, Autism or a generic "learning disability".

In less than 7 minutes, you will learn exactly what 2 things you can do rightaway to build learning and motivation in your child.

00:00 The Science of Motivation and Learning 03:12 Optimizing Learning for Children with Disabilities 04:59 The Power of Choice and Communication in Learning If you are interested in learning about NON LINEAR LEARNING - check out this free guide to learn 5 strategies to turn ON your child's learning switch. Non Linear Learning

Dr. Vaish Sarathy interviews Andra McHugh, the host of the Eczema Kids podcast and founder of the Eczema Kids brand. Andra shares her personal journey of dealing with her children's severe eczema and her quest to find natural solutions.

In the face of extremely conflicting dietary advice, Andra cracked the code using functional nutrition and ayurveda.

• "There's so much that you can do within your home environment to help bring down their histamine levels and make your environment a little less triggering." - Andra McHugh

Tune in to learn about:

• Overcoming Eczema Without Steroids
• Nutritional Strategies and Topical Treatments for Children's Eczema
• Integrating Ayurveda and Functional Medicine in Eczema Treatment
• Managing Eczema Through Diet

You can find Andra at:

• Eczema Kids website

• Eczema Kids podcast

You can download Vaish's Gut Health Toolkit here.

Functional Nutrition and Learning for Kids is being renamed and redesigned.

To start with - here is a weekly Monday Mindset Shifter to think a little bit differently about your week!

This week, we are talking about the opposite of grief!

In this episode of Function and Nutrition and Learning for Kids, we dive into the profound impact of nutrition on human health with Dr. John Lewis, founder and president of Dr. Lewis Nutrition. With a prolific background boasting over 180 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Lewis shares his expertise on the role of polysaccharides in brain health and immune function, and his research's implications for serious conditions such as Alzheimer's, MS, HIV, and chronic diseases.

Join us as we explore the powerful impact of targeted nutritional intervention on brain health.

You can find Dr. Lewis at https://www.drlewisnutrition.com/

Be sure to check out Dr. Lewis's new book The Complete Nutrition Guide to Cognitive Function

Speaking of Neuroplasticity SUpport, there is still time to tune in to Dr. Vaish Sarathy's FREE workshop:

BUILDING INTELLIGENCE - at https://www.drvaishsarathy.com/intelligenceworkshop

[00:00:00] Polysaccharides for brain health.

[00:06:38] Nutrition vs. Pharmacology.

[00:12:17] Polysaccharides and their benefits.

[00:24:14] Signs of inflammation.

[00:28:37] Big Pharma domination in research

[00:31:43] Polysaccharides for cognitive health.

[00:41:38] Aloe vera polysaccharides benefits.

[00:46:57] Daily Brain Care benefits.

Intelligence is not a constant. The brain is constantly changing, adapting, and learning new skills. Most tests, including IQ tests, do not measure intelligence accurately.

In this episode, Dr. Vaish Sarathy talks about the role of AI, Growth Mindset in what she calls Intellectual Malleability - the idea (which comes from Neuroplasticity) that intelligence can change for anyone regardless of label or diagnosis.

You can sign up for her FREE workshop on building intelligence at the link below:

https://www.drvaishsarathy.com/intelligenceworkshop

In this workshop, Vaish talks about the 3-step method to building intelligence in your child with disability - be that Down Syndrome or Autism.

How can we help our kids cultivate a healthy relationship with food? If your child is struggling with picky eating, Stephanie Mara Fox talks to Dr Vaish Sarathy about the Art of Somatic Eating and how to navigate food restrictions in kids.

Especially in kids with disabilities (Autism, for example), it is important to understand that:

- The nervous system plays a crucial role in our experience with food, and regulation is key to creating a safe and regulated environment.

- Trauma can impact a person's relationship with food, and it is important to approach food behavior with empathy and curiosity.

- Tools for regulation, such as body awareness and co-regulation, can be helpful in supporting children with picky eating.

CHAPTERS

01:14 Understanding Somatic Eating

07:24 The Nervous System and Food

08:03 Regulation and Children's Experience with Food

15:43 The Impact of Trauma on Food Behavior

30:34 Tools for Regulation

35:05 Applying Regulation Techniques to Picky Eating

You can reach Stephanie at:

Website: https://www.stephaniemara.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/

Find Dr. Vaish Sarathy at

www.instagram.com/drvaishsarathy

And Download your free Picky Eating Toolkit HERE!

Being multi-lingual and multi-communicative may be the way that our kids with Autim / Down Syndrome find richness of language and expression. What does mean? And what's the latest research? Stick with me for this super-short focus episode about multimodal language and brain health!

In this episode, I talk about:

• What the documented results are of being bilingual
• How you can start right now with your child
• What this means for communication

Enjoy!

Timeline: 00:56 Bilingualism and Cognitive Protection 03:12 Enhanced Memory, Attention, and Executive Function 04:11 Takeaway 1: Expose Kids to Multiple Languages 05:04 Takeaway 2: Communicate in Multiple Languages 06:00 Takeaway 3: Using Different Forms of Communication