Seedlings Coaching

05/28/2023

It’s been a little quiet here! I’m happy to be back to work and accepting clients for the summer. Message me to find out how diet and lifestyle can help your child be at their best without medication! Phone consults are free 😉

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06/25/2022

Is your child struggling with aggression?
Autism support groups are full of parents who have had to make the tough decision to put their child in a residential treatment facility once they've become too big and too strong for them to handle safely. Many have had several encounters with police prior to reaching that point. The worst part? Even children as young as 5 years old can pose a danger to themselves and other children when aggression isn't addressed properly.
The conventional approach to aggression offers little help other than drugging the child into submission, which often does not fix the problem long term. If your child is displaying aggressive and violent behavior you must look into other options and do it as soon as possible as it is easier to intervene when the child is young and still at home.
Is aggression breaking up your family? Save this post and slowly address each factor at home and with the help of a functional medicine practitioner.
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06/21/2022

Could gluten be exacerbating autistic behaviors? Find out why gluten and autism don't get along.

https://seedlingscoaching.com/the-problem-with-gluten/

06/20/2022

The loudest voices on social media forget the severe side of the autism community. They often forget both those who live with severe autism.

06/06/2022

Concéntreate en nutrir y proteger el cerebro y la mente de tu hijo florecerá.

05/31/2022

Curious about what coaching can do for you and your child?
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Healing is a confusing and winding journey. Having a roadmap can speed up the process saving you time and money, sparing you a world of frustration and most importantly, get your child feeling better faster.

As an Amen Clinic Certified Brain Professional, I implement the Amen Method in my coaching sessions which looks at the four circles of life in order to detect areas in which changes are needed in order to optimize quality of life and brain function. Best of all, a lot of these interventions can be done at home!

Wondering if coaching can help your kiddo? Don't hesitate to reach out!
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04/02/2022

What better day than National Autism Awareness Day to introduce you to the little guy that introduced us to the autism world.

My Liam is special. He is smarter than me, can hear music in ways I’m deaf to and hasn’t had a mean bone in him. He is loving to everyone he meets and the best brother ever.

But he represents the “fortunate” side of autism, if that’s even the right world to describe it. Liam’s autism comes with more strengths than weaknesses. Sure we have our struggles, autism is never “easy”, but Liam doesn’t face the struggles millions of autistic children face around the world today.

Liam is the pretty side of autism, the side the autistic community claims to be a superpower. He can communicate almost at a neurotypical level. He does well in school in a normal setting and has never been in a contained classroom. Liam doesn’t need to be shielded from the world around him. Lights don’t bother him, sounds don’t bother him too much, in fact he enjoys concerts, and stuffs his face with anything I put in his plate. Liam has never been a danger to himself or others, and other than biting his nails, he has never caused self-harm or harmed others. On the contrary, Liam is affectionate and gentle.

Liam is in the side of autism that makes people believe there is nothing wrong with the autism pandemic. The side that presents itself as just “different” and not something to be fixed. The side that casts its shadow on the millions of children whose system is so dysregulated they might never function in this world on their own.

Because I work with autistic children facing extraordinary struggles, I am hyper-aware of how “easy” we have it and accept the struggles we do have with a lot of grace and always give credit to his progress to a clean diet and lifestyle. Liam would not be where he is had we relied on the conventional approach to autism. A truth that thankfully is getting more and more traction everyday.

-continued in comments

03/20/2022

Focus on nurturing and protecting the brain and your child's mind will flourish.

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03/12/2022

Does your kiddo love chocolate milk? Here's a healthy recipe both of you will love!

My boys gulp this down like water, and best of all is that I can let them. Unlinke conventional chocolate milk, this dairy-free recipe contains no sugar and is made with ingredients that nourish the brain and the gut.

Make it with your child and let him decide the level of sweetness! This is great for breakfast to fuel the brain before school or therapies.

Enjoy!

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03/10/2022

Can you drug your brain into submission?

Most psychiatrists seem to think so, but if you take a look at the effects being on meds long term has on your mental and physical health you'll quickly realize you cannot. It's a poor strategy that leads you to a place worse than where you started.

This is something that I've been pondering about a lot lately. Most of the work I do is with young children, but recently I've been in touch with several parents of adult children with developmental disorders that have gotten too strong and too violent to manage at home. After a child outgrows therapies and educational resources, they're pretty much left to their own devices and parents become desperate for help. Many times having to institutionalize their children if they are a danger to themselves and others. Sadly the only thing they get from the medical community is more drugs piled up on top of their already long list.

It is heartbreaking to see the devastating effects of this approach not just for the family but for their adult child as well.

What if instead of masking symptoms we asked ourselves why our child is displaying these behaviors and gave their brain what it needs to balance itself and function properly? Most importantly, what if we did this while they're still little and at home where we can manage meltdowns and tweak protocols without major issues? I can tell you that more families would be able to stay together.

I am not against the use of medications, but they should always be the last resort. There's a world of interventions and therapies you can implement at home at a very low cost that will have a much deeper impact in your child's mental health for the better.

Know a parent in this situation? Share this post with them. As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments.

03/01/2022

Are you your best self when you're overwhelmed, overworked and underslept?

You're child isn't either.

Many of the symptoms our kiddos present are the result of a struggling brain, not their personality. Give the brain what it needs and watch your child's true self come into the light.

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02/26/2022

Your conventional doctor is too busy to be up to date with the latest research on brain health.

Consult a functional doctor to learn abou the world of hope that exists for your child.

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02/25/2022

Your child will love this brain-healthy treat.

Use this for breakfast or snack. Dial in the level of sweetness your child likes and you're golden.

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02/23/2022

You cannot achieve brain health without optimizing diet.
There's just no way around it, no matter your child's diagnosis.

One of my mentors once said "There is no autism recovery without diet." That simple sentence was seared on my mind from then on and I hope today it is seared on yours. Your child will not recover or even progress unless you improve his diet and that of the whole family. Same can be said of ADHD and all other developmental disorders.

There is no therapy, no supplement, no intervention that will yield its full impact if your child's diet consists of processed foods, gluten and dairy.

"But changing my child's diet is hard!" It sure is. All things worth doing require effort. "But we already have so much going?" I know you do. Quit anything and everything that stands in between your child and a better diet. It is the foundation on which you will build. It will also make things easiwer if the whole family is commited to eating healthier.

Once you have diet down your child's brain will be better equipped to process input and therapies will become more fruitful.

Where do you start?

Little steps. Don't remove all foods at once. Focus on animal proteins and non-starchy veggies. If you can't afford organic or grass-fed opt for leaner cuts. It is still better than no animal protein at all.

What has been your biggest obstacle in improving your family's diet?

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02/19/2022

How do you protect your children from difficulties later in life?

It can't be done, some might say. "Life is difficult and we can't keep children in a bubble." While this is correct, truth is you can do a lot today to enhance the organ that will responsible for making your child's decisons, their brain, by bonding with them.

Researcher Michael Resnic, PhD reported that teenagers who had a deep bond with their parents had a significantly lower incidence of teenage pregnancy, drug use, violence and su***de. The article determined that the most important determinant factor in future risky behavior was the degree of connection (limbic bonding) teenagers had with their parents and teachers.

This is so much more important with special-needs children who already tend to have less connections with their peers.

Go through the slides to see how you can nurture connection at a limbic level and thus create a bond with your child that will protect them the rest of their lives.

What are your thoughts? Let me know!

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02/17/2022

Are you burned out?

I see you. I've been there. But there is hope, and it starts with you. You cannot pour from an empty cup. I know that taking care of yourself fills you with guilt, but you have to change your mindsest around self-care if you want to be there for your child in the long run. Your child needs you to be at your best. Being the best version of yourself is the best gift you can give your special-needs child.

Why? Because having a special-needs child puts a huge burden on the caregiver's body and mind. You're bound to snap, bound to overreact, bound to lose your temper and make poor choices when under such stress. Caregiver PTSD is very real and it calls for real interventions.

Scroll for tips on how to avoid burnout. Tell me which one resonates the most.

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02/15/2022

Are ADD meds causing you trouble?

So many parents today are opting for a natural approach to ADD and for good reason. It's no secret that ADD medications can sometimes cause more problems than they fix, specially when prescribed to children.

Though neutraceuticals can definitely treat ADD successfully, we can't deny that for more severe cases medication is needed to really get it under control. This doesn't mean you take whatever your doctor prescribes and deal with it. ADD is a disorder that has several subtypes, many of them needing a total different approach when it comes to medication.

Here's a list of medications that have proven to work well for each subtype. Don't know which type your child as? Take the ADD Type test in my bio to find out and talk to your doctor about switching medications accordingly.

Have you experienced improved behavior when switching your medications?

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02/14/2022

Which ADD type lives in your home?

The reason why standard treatment for ADD doesn't work for everyone is because it doens't take in consideration that ADD is an umbrella diagnosis with several subtypes under it, each presenting itself differently in the brain.

Though most subtypes have overlapping symptoms, using SPECT scans from ADD patients Dr. Daniel Amen has been able to identify how ADD presents differently in patients and which mediacations and neutraceuticals work best for each type.

Scroll to learn about the different types. Try to guess which your child has and take the test at https://addtypetest.com to see if you got it right!

Comment and tell me if you got it right!

02/13/2022

Has your child been recently diagnosed with autism or are you looking for something more?

I’m gonna be doing a quick live chat here today at 2pm about what to do when your child is diagnosed.

02/11/2022

What supplements should you be giving your kiddos?

Honestly, all of us sould be supplementing with the items on this list, however the need for them becomes urgent when we're dealing with a brain-related disorder with ASD or ADHD.

It is important to note that these are fundational supplements. From there you should work with a functional practitioner who will run labs and help you find targetted supplements for your child’s specific needs.

Which of these are you already using?

02/10/2022

Bet your doctor didn't tell you.

When you talk to parents about avoiding these foods the first question is “Then what will my child eat?” Well... everything else. One major concern though is the fact that most of our kiddos already have a limited diet and have sensory processing issues that keep them from even trying new foods.

It is important to remember that we're not removing all these offending foods at once. Go slow while working closely with your OT in introducing new foods and textures to your little one. One great resournce I just discovered is . I highly recommend her account and book.

Be open minded and creative. Use the internet to find paleo and keto versions of your favorite dishes. Meal plan and food prep will set you up for sucess. The possiblities are endless and the benefits life changing.

Scroll to see which foods to avoid and which to encourage when you have a child diagnosed with Autism or ADHD.

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02/10/2022

What is the first step when your child receives an Autism or ADHD diagnosis?

Diet.

Scroll to see which foods you should avoid at all costs and which ones to encourage. I know this is a daunting task for many parents, as a lot of our kiddos already have a very limited diet and have sensory issues that keep them from enjoying certain foods.

It's imporant to remember that you go slow, don't remove everything at once and also work closely with your OT to help introduce new foods and textures to your child.

I just came across , her account is filled great ideas you and your OT can implement right away to help your little one expand their repetoir of accepted foods.

Be creative in the kitche, plan ahead and food prep every week to give you the best chances at succeeding. Look for Paleo or Keto versions of your favorite dishes and swap no-no ingredients for approved ones. The options are endless and the benefits life changing.

02/07/2022

Your child was diagnosed with autism, now what?

I experienced firsthand the confusion that floods a parent after their child receives an autism diagnosis. We’re bombarded with resources and information and yet we’re not sure what to do. Worst yet, soon enough we’re in a whirlpool of therapies that take all of our time without offering much hope.

But there is more your practitioner did not tell you about. Swipe to learn about steps that will actually help your child thrive and improve family life.

Don’t forget to share this post!

12/30/2021

It is the time for New Year's Resolutions! Why not make it a goal to finally quit sugar?

If the thought alone has you reaching for a cookie, fear not. I've got you cover.

Here's how you can quit sugar without quitting sweets, just in time for the new year ;)

https://seedlingscoaching.com/quitting-sugar-the-sweet-way/

Quitting sweets is one of the biggest obstacles for a lot of people trying to eat healthier. Whether your motives are better health or losing weight, the thought of having to quitting your favorite treats may stop you in your tracks and derail your healing journey before it even starts. I get it. Bu...

12/30/2021

BrainMD is having an awesome End of Year Sale! Up to 70% off books and media and 20% of supplements and 30% off essential oils!

Feel free to reach out to see which supplements would work best for you!

Offer ends January 2nd.

Save Up to 70% Off During the BrainMD End of Year Sale! Now through January 2nd. No code necessary!

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11/03/2021

Do you have a little genius at home?

https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/why-do-students-with-autism-gravitate-toward-stem-majors/

Because of the ways in which their brains are wired differently, many of the skills needed for STEM programs play to the strengths of people on the autism spectrum, especially those who have what used to be called Asperger’s disorder.

11/01/2021

Excellent article that touches up on the importance of diet in Autism.

https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/the-many-faces-of-autism/

By Richard Linsk, MD, PhD Autism is an increasingly common condition. Autism Spectrum Disorder is the current diagnosis applied to children with a combination of deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication, difficulties in forming and maintaining friendsh...

10/31/2021

Life can be quite difficult for someone struggling with ADHD, specially for children.

Understanding life from their point of view can increase empathy on our part and improve the relationship.

Read below for 9 things your loved one struggling with ADHD would want you to know and let me know your favorite!

https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/9-things-people-with-adhd-want-you-to-know/

Too often those with ADHD are incorrectly labeled as stupid, flakey, spacey, unreliable, unbearable, overly sensitive, a troublemaker, or something similar. These hurtful judgments often stem from myths about ADHD.

10/30/2021

Can Autism be cured?

You'll get conflicting answers to this question. One thing is certain, there is room for impactful improvement for every child, regardless of where they fall in the spectrum.

Sadly, parent denial is often a roadblock in treating autism. How can lack of meaningful treatment impact a child in the spectrum?

Read below.

https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/what-happens-when-people-with-autism-go-untreated/

Getting a diagnosis of autism at a young age provides an opportunity to engage in early interventions that may be beneficial in offering the support needed while nurturing the unique skills of the autistic individual.