Many children with ASD experience difficulties with the ability to sense internal body signals like hunger and fullness, also known as interoception. This can lead to challenges with eating, ranging from under-eating to overeating, due to lack of recognition of hunger or fullness. Research suggests that differences in brain structure and sensory processing in individuals with ASD may affect how internal signals—like hunger, fullness, or even emotional cues—are perceived. Essentially, the brain regions responsible for picking up these internal signals […]

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Genetic syndromes, often seen as fixed conditions dictated by our DNA, might not be as static as once believed. Rapidly expanding knowledge in this era of epigenetics, a fascinating field that shows how lifestyle and environmental factors can influence how genes are expressed, is expanding our awareness of how genes are not necessarily destiny when it comes to health. As a key factor influencing gene expression, individualized nutrition can play a crucial role in shaping outcomes for individuals with genetic […]

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I am often asked by families I work with: if autism is a neurological disorder, why and how can nutrition actually help improve health and function? Simply put: Because the brain and body are connected. There is a common misconception that a neurological disorder cannot be changed or improved and that the brain is an entity all its own. In fact, new research tells us that lifestyle factors can have a major impact on neurological health and wellness and can […]

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One common complaints of parents of children on the autistic spectrum is that their child picks and smears their stool – needless to say, every parent is eager to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. The common causes of this behavior in children with ASD include: • Medical issues (constipation, GI issues) • Sensory factors (interoception problems – not knowing you have to go, enjoyment of smell and texture) • Difficulties around teaching toilet training skills • Dietary factors […]

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Today, I spoke with a family I have been working with for years – the parents of a child with ongoing food selectivity and ASD. For a very long time, this sweet 3 year old has limited his diet to just a few select foods and despite lots of play and efforts on the parts of Mom and Dad, his progress has been slow. One of the main subjects of our talk today revolved around the issue of control.  Recently, […]

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In this post, I want to address an issue I feel is of the utmost importance for any family using the biomedical approach or individualized therapies for ASD/autism and that is, the immense value of diet. Over the years, I have encountered many families who have asked me if they can help their child progress without any changes in diet. Others had been working with supplement only protocols for years and years and though they saw initial improvement, eventually reached […]

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“I am deeply grateful for working with Roni and being exposed to her knowledge and wisdom about personal nutrition. For years I felt anxiety sending my son off to school every day, knowing how hard it was for him to remain calm and focused…knowing that he would blurt things out and run around the room sometimes, as if driven by a motor….knowing that he would be yelled at frequently. It was eroding his self-esteem. He really started to believe he […]

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Throughout my years as an autism nutritionist, many parents have shared with me that their child with autism/ASD has been suffering from chronic gastrointestinal issues that in some cases, has been present for many years. In numerous instances, when families of children with autism/ASD have turned to their doctor for support, they have been turned away, given the disappointing conclusion that the chronic GI problem will “resolve itself” with time. The fact is that up to 90% of children with […]

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If you have not considered the role of inflammation in your child’s health and symptoms, you are probably missing a major cornerstone of biomedical nutrition. More and more research is pointing to the powerful role of inflammation in the development of and symptoms seen in autism spectrum disorders/ASD. As a reminder, Inflammation is the body’s natural way of fighting off a harmful substance or injury in attempt to induce healing, but when acute or short term inflammation turns into uncontrolled […]

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