The Profound Parent Podcast - with Dr. Dana Johnson

Spending thousands on autism therapies and not seeing progress? Your child’s diet may be the missing foundation.

In this video, Dr. Dana Johnson, an occupational therapist with training in functional and nutritional medicine, explains why nutrition matters for kids with profound autism and how to start improving your child’s diet without a mealtime battle. Supplements, the gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet, red light therapy, movement programs, stem cells: parents ask me about all of it. My first question is always the same: “How’s your child’s diet?” Food is the fuel for your child’s body and brain, and every therapy is an upgrade built on top of it. If the fuel isn’t right, those upgrades have nothing to work with.

In this video, you’ll learn:

✅ Why nutrition is the foundation for every other autism therapy

✅ How today’s food can leave kids undernourished even when they eat plenty

✅ Simple whole-food swaps for picky eaters (crunchy snacks included)

✅ How to read labels, and why GFCF junk food is still junk food

✅ How to build a plate around protein and healthy fats

✅ What’s behind the “all-carb kid,” and when to see a specialist

✅ The “add, don’t take away” approach for kids with restricted diets If this video changed how you think about where your money is going, share it with a parent who’s been pouring time and money into therapies and wondering why it’s not clicking.

Subscribe for more practical help on autism, nutrition, and building the foundation first.

💬 Have questions? Drop them in the comments below!

👍 Found this helpful? Please like and subscribe for more evidence-based strategies for parents and professionals.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos on supporting children with complex autism and whole-body apraxia!

IMPORTANT RESOURCES:

🔗 Helpful Resources & Links: https://www.drdanajohnson.com https://www.spellerstampa.com

https://www.spelleratlanta.com

X: https://x.com/drdanajohnson

https://www.youtube.com/@DrDanaJohnson⁩

🔗 Spellers Method: www.spellers.com

🎬 Spellers Documentary: • SPELLERS THE MOVIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0&t=2210s

📍 Find a Spellers Center: www.spellerstampa.com  or www.spellersatlanta.com

📚 Learn About Whole-Body Apraxia: www.drdanajohnson.com

Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am a licensed occupational therapist, not a medical doctor. The content shared reflects my professional experience, clinical insights, and personal opinions, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for individualized medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. Always consult your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or qualified specialist for guidance specific to your child’s needs. Use of this content is at your own discretion and risk. Viewing or interacting with this channel does not create a therapist-client relationship.

Nadia Elkhatib is a mother, systems thinker, and the creator and host of Biohacking Autism. For more than twenty years, she has worked through health, sleep, behavior, and anxiety challenges alongside her son, Jimmy, who has autism. Before turning her focus to health, Nadia earned a master's degree in Computer Science and built a career in Silicon Valley technology. She now brings that same analytical, data-driven mindset to autism care. Through expert conversations, she helps families understand complex science, separate evidence from personal experience, and come to their practitioners with better questions instead of looking for quick fixes. Nadia lives in Silicon Valley with her husband, their two sons, and their Labradoodle, Daisy.

You can learn more about her and her work here: 

https://biohackautism.com/

Her podcast, Biohacking Autism, is available on all major podcast platforms, including YouTube. 

💬 Have questions?

Drop them in the comments below!

👍 Found this helpful? Please like and subscribe for more evidence-based strategies for parents and professionals.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos on supporting children with complex autism and whole-body apraxia! I

MPORTANT RESOURCES:

🔗 Helpful Resources & Links:

https://www.drdanajohnson.com

https://www.spellerstampa.com

https://www.spelleratlanta.com

X: https://x.com/drdanajohnson

https://www.youtube.com/@DrDanaJohnson

🔗 Spellers Method: www.spellers.com

🎬 Spellers Documentary: • SPELLERS THE MOVIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0&t=2210s

📍 Find a Spellers Center:

www.spellerstampa.com

www.spellersatlanta.com

📚 Learn About Whole-Body Apraxia:

www.drdanajohnson.com

Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am a licensed occupational therapist, not a medical doctor. The content shared reflects my professional experience, clinical insights, and personal opinions, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for individualized medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. Always consult your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or qualified specialist for guidance specific to your child’s needs. Use of this content is at your own discretion and risk. Viewing or interacting with this channel does not create a therapist-client relationship.

Chris and Jess are parents to two children, Marissa and Logan. Their daughter, Marissa, was diagnosed with autism at just 2 years old, beginning a journey of learning, healing, and advocating for their family.

Along the way, they have explored biomedical interventions, discovered the power of spelling, and taken a deep dive into apraxia. These experiences have transformed not only Marissa’s life, but the quality of life for their entire family.

Their journey continues to be one of hope, growth, connection, and discovering what is possible when you never stop believing in your child.

You can follow Chris on IG: 

https://www.instagram.com/autismdad_memes/

💬 Have questions?

Drop them in the comments below!

👍 Found this helpful? Please like and subscribe for more evidence-based strategies for parents and professionals.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos on supporting children with complex autism and whole-body apraxia! I

MPORTANT RESOURCES:

🔗 Helpful Resources & Links:

https://www.drdanajohnson.com

https://www.spellerstampa.com

https://www.spelleratlanta.com

X: https://x.com/drdanajohnson

https://www.youtube.com/@DrDanaJohnson

🔗 Spellers Method: www.spellers.com

🎬 Spellers Documentary: • SPELLERS THE MOVIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0&t=2210s

📍 Find a Spellers Center:

www.spellerstampa.com

www.spellersatlanta.com

📚 Learn About Whole-Body Apraxia:

www.drdanajohnson.com

Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am a licensed occupational therapist, not a medical doctor. The content shared reflects my professional experience, clinical insights, and personal opinions, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for individualized medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. Always consult your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or qualified specialist for guidance specific to your child’s needs. Use of this content is at your own discretion and risk. Viewing or interacting with this channel does not create a therapist-client relationship.

My guest is Dr. Brian Hooker — a scientist, a father to Steve, and Chief Scientific Officer at Children's Health Defense. Steve regressed into autism as a toddler, a moment that completely reshaped Brian's career and sent him deep into research on environmental and health factors in autism.

Steve is now 28 and thriving.

In this episode, Brian shares the journey — the science, the setbacks, the breakthroughs — and the one thing he'd tell a family who just received the diagnosis. 🎧

Brian S. Hooker, PhD, is Chief Scientific Officer for Children’s Health Defense and has been involved in the organization since 2016.  He is also Emeritus Professor of Biology at Simpson University in Redding California.  He retired as full professor from the university in May, 2023 and served on their faculty for 14 years.  

 He has been active in biotechnology and epidemiology research over the last 36 years after receiving his PhD in Biochemical Engineering from Washington State University in 1990. Dr. Hooker is the co-inventor for five patents for novel genetic regulatory elements in plants and yeast and has authored over 100 research papers, published in internationally recognized, peer reviewed journals.  His diverse research interests over his career have included environmental restoration and bioremediation, plant and fungal molecular biology towards the production of plant-made pharmaceutical proteins, the elucidation of microbial protein interactomes for energy relevant bacteria, the etiology of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders and the epidemiology of vaccines and vaccine injury 

In 2013 and 2014, he worked with the CDC Whistleblower, Dr. William Thompson, to expose fraud and corruption within vaccine safety research in the CDC which led to the 2016 movie Vaxxed: From Cover-up to Catastrophe.  

Dr. Hooker coauthored with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the NY Times Best Seller, Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak.

IMPORTANT RESOURCES:

🔗 Helpful Resources & Links:

https://www.drdanajohnson.com

https://www.spellerstampa.com

https://www.spelleratlanta.com

X: https://x.com/drdanajohnson

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrDanaJohnson⁩

🔗 Spellers Method: www.spellers.com 🎬

Spellers Documentary: • SPELLERS THE MOVIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0&t=2210s

📍 Find a Spellers Center: www.spellerstampa.com or www.spellersatlanta.com

📚 Learn About Whole-Body Apraxia: www.drdanajohnson.com

Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am a licensed occupational therapist, not a medical doctor. The content shared reflects my professional experience, clinical insights, and personal opinions, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for individualized medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. Always consult your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or qualified specialist for guidance specific to your child’s needs. Use of this content is at your own discretion and risk. Viewing or interacting with this channel does not create a therapist-client relationship.

Olivia Rojo, is the mom and advocate behind (@prayingthroughautism). She's a praying mom, former inclusion teacher, and a mom to two beautiful girls—one who is a nonspeaking with profound autism. 

She also passionate about staying strong and regulated herself, because caring for her nervous system helps her be a better support for her daughter. Working out with CENTR has also become a big part of self-regulation and self-care.

After her daughters first regression into nonspeaking autism—and having three nonspeaking girls who regressed in her family—she believed for years that autism had to be genetic. She later learned it wasn’t. Years later, her daughter experienced a second major regression that was repeatedly dismissed as “just autism.” This time, she trusted her gut, kept searching, and discovered PANS/PANDAS and other underlying medical conditions.

Guided by her faith, she now advocates for profound autism families, investigating regression, and looking beyond the diagnosis to improve children’s health and quality of life.

You can find her here:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/praying_through_autism/

IMPORTANT RESOURCES:

🔗 Helpful Resources & Links:

https://www.drdanajohnson.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/drdanajohnson/ 

X: https://x.com/drdanajohnson

FB: https://www.facebook.com/dana.johnson.5832 

https://www.youtube.com/@DrDanaJohnson⁩

🔗 Spellers Method: www.spellers.com

🎬 Spellers Documentary: • SPELLERS THE MOVIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0&t=2210s

📍 Find a Spellers Center: www.spellerstampa.com or www.spellersatlanta.com

📚 Learn About Whole-Body Apraxia: www.drdanajohnson.com

Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am a licensed occupational therapist, not a medical doctor. The content shared reflects my professional experience, clinical insights, and personal opinions, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for individualized medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. Always consult your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or qualified specialist for guidance specific to your child’s needs. Use of this content is at your own discretion and risk. Viewing or interacting with this channel does not create a therapist-client relationship.

Betsy Hicks-Russ is the Executive Director of Autism Odyssey, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting caregivers throughout their journey with education, resources, connection, and encouragement. She is also a co-host and producer of The Telepathy Tapes: Now What? podcast, where she explores autism, communication, caregiving, consciousness, health, and the evolving ways we understand nonspeakers.

You can follow her on

IG: Betsyonthego

Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTelepathyTapes/podcasts

Links from the show:

Breathing to support regulation

@injoylife_33

IMPORTANT RESOURCES:

🔗 Helpful Resources & Links:

https://www.drdanajohnson.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/drdanajohnson/ 

X: https://x.com/drdanajohnson

FB: https://www.facebook.com/dana.johnson.5832 

https://www.youtube.com/@DrDanaJohnson⁩

🔗 Spellers Method: www.spellers.com

🎬 Spellers Documentary: • SPELLERS THE MOVIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0&t=2210s

📍 Find a Spellers Center: www.spellerstampa.com or www.spellersatlanta.com

📚 Learn About Whole-Body Apraxia: www.drdanajohnson.com

Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am a licensed occupational therapist, not a medical doctor. The content shared reflects my professional experience, clinical insights, and personal opinions, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for individualized medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. Always consult your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or qualified specialist for guidance specific to your child’s needs. Use of this content is at your own discretion and risk. Viewing or interacting with this channel does not create a therapist-client relationship.

Tyler Hudson is a husband, father of three, musician, and advocate for families living at the deep end of the spectrum. From Texas, now living in Tasmania, Tyler speaks openly about grief, disability, and the responsibility we owe future generations.

You can follow him here:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tylerhudsonmusic/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tylerghudson 

You can purchase his book, "The Missing Lyrics" on AMAZON

IMPORTANT RESOURCES:

🔗 Helpful Resources & Links:

https://www.drdanajohnson.com

https://www.spellerstampa.com

https://www.spelleratlanta.com

X: https://x.com/drdanajohnson

https://www.youtube.com/@DrDanaJohnson⁩

🔗 Spellers Method: www.spellers.com

🎬 Spellers Documentary: • SPELLERS THE MOVIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0&t=2210s

📍 Find a Spellers Center: www.spellerstampa.com or www.spellersatlanta.com

📚 Learn About Whole-Body Apraxia: www.drdanajohnson.com

Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am a licensed occupational therapist, not a medical doctor. The content shared reflects my professional experience, clinical insights, and personal opinions, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for individualized medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. Always consult your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or qualified specialist for guidance specific to your child’s needs. Use of this content is at your own discretion and risk. Viewing or interacting with this channel does not create a therapist-client relationship.

Sarah Kernion is the founder of INCHSTONES, a writer, podcast host, special education consultant, and mother of three, including two children with profound, non-speaking autism. Through INCHSTONES, Sarah brings lived experience and hard-earned clarity to conversations about profound autism, disability, caregiving, communication, and special education. Her work centers the voices and realities of families often overlooked, while helping parents recognize that their instincts, observations, and experiences matter. Sarah believes progress is not always measured in milestones. Sometimes, the smallest inchstones carry the greatest meaning—and noticing them can transform how we understand our children, ourselves, and what truly matters.

IMPORTANT RESOURCES:

🔗 Helpful Resources & Links:

https://www.drdanajohnson.com

https://www.spellerstampa.com

https://www.spelleratlanta.com

X: https://x.com/drdanajohnson

https://www.youtube.com/@DrDanaJohnson⁩

🔗 Spellers Method: www.spellers.com

🎬 Spellers Documentary: • SPELLERS THE MOVIE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0&t=2210s

📍 Find a Spellers Center: www.spellerstampa.com or www.spellersatlanta.com

📚 Learn About Whole-Body Apraxia: www.drdanajohnson.com

Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. I am a licensed occupational therapist, not a medical doctor. The content shared reflects my professional experience, clinical insights, and personal opinions, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for individualized medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic advice. Always consult your physician, licensed healthcare provider, or qualified specialist for guidance specific to your child’s needs. Use of this content is at your own discretion and risk. Viewing or interacting with this channel does not create a therapist-client relationship.