• Eat whole foods
• Buy organic foods
• Eat a clean diet
• Remove all GMO foods
• Remove all fast and processed foods
• Remove all foods with artificial colors, artificial ingredients, artificial flavors, natural flavors, preservatives, phenols and salicylates
• Strictly limit sugars, refined salt and refined carbohydrates
• Consider implementing a low-glutamate diet and/or the Feingold diet

• Coconut oil
• Olive oil (unheated)
• Avocados
• Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT) oil
• Grass-fed ghee
• Duck fat
• Grass-fed beef tallow
• Cod liver oil (unheated)
• Walnut oil (unheated)

• Canola
• Corn
• Soy
• Safflower
• Sunflower
• Hydrogenated vegetable oils (Crisco, etc.)
• Margarine

• Pasture-raised eggs, chicken and other fowl
• Grass-fed beef, lamb and other red meats
• Wild-caught fish
• Legumes
• Nuts

These foods and ingredients can exacerbate neurological symptoms because of the excitoxicity they cause in the brain. These are some of the most-common, high-glutamate foods to remove:

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Soy protein isolate
• Yeast extract
• Gelatin
• Barley malt
• Bouillon
• Natural flavors
• Artificial flavors
• Soy sauce
• Corn starch
• Others

These will keep the gastrointestinal system and microbiome healthy and strong which in turn will keep the immune system strong.

• Eat kefir yogurts, if dairy is tolerated
• Eat fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and kim chi
• Eat umeboshi plums, which are very alkalizing
• Eat miso soup, if soy is tolerated
• Take a quality probiotic, such as VSL #3, Gut Pro, Dr. Ohirra’s Live Cultured Probiotics, Garden of Life, Klaire Labs. Work with your practitioner for a more targeted probiotic.

Blood sugar that is too high can lead to excess inflammation and hormonal imbalances.

Blood sugar that is too low can lead to attention and behavioral problems.

We recommend keeping blood sugar optimized so that it's neither too low nor too high.

Children with chronic health conditions often have hidden food sensitivities and intolerances that exacerbate their symptoms. With an elimination diet, remove potentially inflammatory foods such as:

• Casein
• Gluten
• Soy
• Corn
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Nuts
• Peanuts

• GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) diet
• Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)
• Paleo/primal diet
• GF/CF (gluten-free/casein-free) diet
• Body Ecology Diet (BED)
• The ketogenic diet

• Identify and remove possible environmental triggers, such as mold, dust, pet dander, and electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
• Identify and remove possible toxic exposures in the home from purchased products, such as detergents, soaps, lotions, and other cleaning and personal care products
• Remove animals (both live and stuffed!)
• Remove carpets
• Use non-toxic cleaners
• Use non-toxic building materials

Viruses, bacteria and other pathogens become more active when the body is in a state of stress.

By teaching your child ways to self-regulate with practices such as prayer, reiki, meditation, yoga, qi gong, tai chi and the Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping), they can become good advocates for themselves and become active participants in the recovery process.

Practitioners of techniques such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Retraining) and jin shin jyutsu can lower stress levels for your child, as well.

These practitioners can diagnose and treat gastrointestinal disorders naturally so that the child’s immune, sensory, neurological and nervous systems develop without being compromised.

• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for possible food sensitivities and allergies
• Nutritional deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin D
• NutrEval by Genova Diagnostics Labs for malabsorption, gut dysbiosis, cellular energy, mitochondrial metabolism, neurotransmitter metabolism, vitamin deficiencies, toxin exposure and detoxification need
• Organic Acid Test (OAT) for yeast overgrowth, other microbial infections and oxalates
• Inflammation markers such as C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
• Fasting blood sugar and insulin levels
• Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA)

Pathogenic infections and environmental offenders can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause neurological symptoms known collectively as PANS/PANDAS. However, not many practitioners know how to test for and treat these conditions. Common tests are:

• Serum Anti-Streptolysin O (ASO) titer
• Serum Anti-Streptococcal DNase B (ASDB) titer
• Cunningham panel
• Lyme disease and Lyme co-infections
• Specific viruses, especially herpetic viruses
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection
• Heavy metals and other toxins
• Mold

• Betaine hydrochloric acid
• Digestive enzymes with DPP-IV for gluten and casein intolerances
• Proteolytic enzymes
• BiCarb
• Bromelain
• Papaya

Always work with your practitioner to determine the brand, type and dosage of supplements. Common supplements include the following:

• Cod liver oil
• Probiotics
• Vitamin D3
• Methylated B complex vitamins
• GABA, especially PharmaGABA
• N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
• Magnesium, zinc, selenium, iodine and other minerals
• Others

• Make sure your child is pooping every day. Learn more about how to clear up constipation and diarrhea.
• Have your child exercise or move every day. Sweating carries toxins out of the body.
• See a homotoxicologist, naturopath or homeopath for drainage remedies and detoxification aids.
• Optimize blood sugar to allow the liver to spend more time detoxing rather than processing sugar.
• Ionic foot baths can help detox unwanted pathogens and are easy to do with children.
• Infared saunas can detox heavy metals through the skin by sweating. However, this form of detoxification may not be suitable for young children who lack the ability to sweat.
• Epsom salt baths add sulfur transdermally to help with detox.

Most, if not all, children with neurodevelopmental disorders including learning disabilities, have retained primitive reflexes.

Find a therapist that is trained in integrating primitive reflexes, which can cause imbalances in the way your child's brain performs.

Chiropractic neurology is patient focused and utilizes the latest assessment techniques to create an individualized protocol to rehabilitate the central nervous system and develop neuroplasticity (changes in the brain) when addressing neurological conditions.

Children with developmental delays, cognitive issues and deficits have improper communication between the right and left sides of the brain.

A developmental optometrist can check for convergence and tracking problems with your child's vision. He or she can correct these issues with vision therapy, lens and prisms. Doing so can improve hand-eye coordination and school performance.

Craniosacral therapy can reestablish central nervous system functioning. These practitioners use approaches rich in vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile input and may also do oral motor therapy.

Neurofeedback is approved as a level-one intervention by the American Academy of Pediatrics for ADD and ADHD, which are learning disabilities.

Even if your child doesn't have ADD or ADHD, they may still benefit from neurofeedback.

Find a practitioner that can perform a QEEG (quantitative electroencephalograph) brain map first so you can understand how your child's brain works.

These occupational therapists address a variety of sensory issues with a child using hands-on equipment. This type of therapy calms down the nervous system to help integrate the senses and retained reflexes.

A chiropractor can perform spinal cord adjustments, which can improve communication in the nervous system.

Many children with learning disabilities have auditory processing problems that may be causing problems with focus and concentration.

An auditory therapist can devise a listening program that is specific to your child's needs. These programs can retrain the brain, calm down the nervous system and reduce sound sensitivities.

Our Documenting Hope health coaches are trained to understand the root causes of your child's chronic health condition.

They provide hands-on helping with the practical matters of healing such as cooking healthy foods, removing toxins from the household and helping you work more efficiently with your practitioner.

Acupuncture can help lower stress and anxiety associated with sensory processing. It can also help with blood-sugar and hormonal regulation.

Children with chronic health conditions typically also have food allergies and/or food sensitivities and intolerances.

NAET (Namudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique) and BioSET are two non-invasive methods of allergy elimination.

• Super brain yoga
• Weighted vests, blanket and belts
• HANDLE therapy
• Squeeze machine
• Music therapy
• Sensory diet
• Deep pressure brushing therapy
• Sensory tactile toys