Dear Friends,

I have a family that brings their children in regularly to get adjusted. They have four kids and are incredible parents. One of their sons was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. There’s a wide range on this scale, and it’s interesting to me that this is considered a disability.

On a recent trip to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the mom shared that this son was really interested in seeing the shark tank. When he finally got to it, he stayed and watched for a very short time — maybe 30 seconds — and then moved on.

She was surprised that he didn’t seem more interested or spend more time observing. But when they got home and visited her parents, she overheard her son giving a lengthy, vivid description of what he had seen. The level of detail was astonishing. What he absorbed in 30 seconds would take most “neurotypical learners” an hour to process.

Hmm… disabled? No, not disabled at all — ridiculously gifted is more like it. Does he learn in a different manner than many children? Yes! Is he likely going to be writing paychecks for the kids he sits next to in class? Yes again.

Let’s stop boxing kids into labels. I’m not saying children on the spectrum don’t have challenges that require support to reach their full potential. But let’s also acknowledge that by expecting everyone to learn, connect, and interact with their surroundings in the same way, society has set some of them up for failure. How about we instead broadcast their successes and celebrate neurodivergence?

Herer are some helpful tips for these kids:

1. Reduce sugar: Sugar spikes create erratic brain wave activity.

This starts with breakfast! Cut the cereal and donuts and instead opt for a breakfast with proteins and healthy fats:

• Eggs + toast + avocado

• Cottage cheese + fruit

• Kodiak Cakes (a great high-protein pancake mix!) + peanut butter

• Full-fat yogurt + granola

2. Cut back on processed foods and/or choose organic grains. Most grains used in non-organic cereals, breads, and snacks are enriched or “fortified” with various vitamins and minerals. Food fortification became standard during the First and Second World Wars to help prevent nutritional deficiencies. While fortified foods certainly serve their purpose, the majority of Americans are now overeating fortified (and processed) foods.

Folic acid — the form of folate (vitamin B9) added to grains — is a known neurotoxin in high amounts. Folate, on the other hand, is totally different and essential to many processes in the body. Organic wheat is typically not enriched with folic acid.

God Bless,

Dr. Dan