For decades, serotonin has been celebrated as the “feel-good” molecule, praised as the key to managing anxiety, OCD, and sensory sensitivities. Treatments like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a class of medications designed to increase serotonin levels in the brain), tryptophan supplements, and serotonin-rich diets have been built on this understanding, offering what feels…
Beat Mycoplasma: Winter Tips for PANDAS and PANS
If you’re living with PANDAS or PANS in your household, you already know that infections can bring much more than just coughs and sniffles. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is currently spreading through schools, can be particularly tricky. While it’s known as “walking pneumonia” because of its mild respiratory symptoms, for children with PANDAS or PANS, it…
The Collagen Conundrum
If you’re the parent of a child on the autism spectrum or managing conditions like PANDAS or PANS, you’ve probably tried various approaches to support their health—special diets, supplements, and everything in between. One supplement that’s been gaining attention is collagen. Now, you may have heard that collagen is great for joints, skin, and…
Is Your Child Stuck in Survival Mode? How Stress and Adrenal Health Hold the Key to Healing
Adrenal Health and Children with Complex Needs: How Stress Impacts Healing It’s a few weeks into the school term, and if your child has complex needs—whether it’s autism, PANDAS, or PANS—you may have noticed a spike in symptoms. Maybe they’re more anxious, their OCD has worsened, or they’re simply more irritable. It’s easy to assume…
Flare-Free Back to School: Top Tips
I hope you’ve all had a restful summer and are ready for the new school term. For children with PANDAS, PANS, and those on the autism spectrum, the return to school can bring a mix of excitement and anxiety. The shift in routine, increased social interactions, and exposure to various environmental factors can be…
Puberty Survival Guide: Navigating the Maze with PANS, PANDAS, and Autism
Understanding the Impact of Hormones on Symptoms in Children on the Autism Spectrum and those with PANDAS and PANS Navigating the complexities of raising a child on the autism spectrum, or affected by PANDAS (Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections), or PANS (Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) can often feel overwhelming. I understand…
Do Fish Oils Make Your Child’s Symptoms Worse?
I want to share a personal story that might resonate with many of you. My daughter developed PANDAS symptoms after contracting scarlet fever, and our journey to help her has been both challenging and enlightening. Like many of you, we turned to both medical and natural solutions to help our child and to control inflammation…
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA): Natural Solutions
What is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) represents a complex and often challenging behavioural profile observed within the autism spectrum, and often with children with ADHD, PANDAS and PANS. Unlike typical avoidance behaviours, PDA manifests as an intense and pervasive need to resist or avoid demands, leading to profound difficulties in everyday…
12 Easy Ways to Avoid Microplastics
As a parent myself, I’ve always been deeply aware of the toxic burden on our bodies. And with the exponential increase in childhood illnesses, allergies, neurodevelopmental delays, and autoimmune conditions, it’s apparent that our children are the canaries in the coal mine. Recent research has revealed that microplastics are not only pervasive but…
Extreme Picky Eating or Eosinophilic Oesophagitis?
Embarking on the journey of understanding extreme picky eating in children, it is crucial to acknowledge the complexity often hidden beneath seemingly typical behaviours. It is easy to dismiss picky eating as a mere behavioural issue or attribute it solely to sensory challenges. Among some practitioners, the go-to explanation might be deficiencies in zinc or…
