If you’re the parent of a child with special needs, you’ve likely been told countless times to focus on therapies aimed at improving cognitive and behavioral development. But what if one of the most powerful ways to support your child’s brain development is actually through their gut?
The link between gut health and brain function has been well-documented in scientific literature. And Tracy Slepcevic, bestselling author of Warrior Mom and integrative health coach, offers a fresh perspective based on her experience healing her son from severe autism.
Welcome to ‘The Happy Sensory Corner in Special Ed’ – the podcast where we explore the world of sensory enrichment and environmental enrichment in special education.
Through insightful discussions, interviews with experienced special education directors, and inspiring stories of resilience, we uncover the secrets to success in special education. Discover practical strategies, sensory enrichment protocols, and evidence-based practices that can transform the lives of special education students and educators.
Anneke Elmhirst is a relationship coach and former behavior analyst. With her we discuss:
– Ethical concerns with ABA practices and how they can impact neurodivergent children.
– The importance of respect and self-regulation in building healthier relationships between neurodivergent children and their parents.
– How parent education can foster acceptance and long-term well-being for children with special needs.
Anneke shares her journey from behavior analysis to relationship coaching, revealing why she left the ABA field due to ethical concerns and how she now empowers families and individuals to thrive authentically.
Claudie explains the brain’s role in self-regulation and the neurobiology behind stress reduction in children with sensory challenges. She also shares sensory enrichment strategies, including specific games to support emotional regulation and build trust between parents and children.
Episode Highlights
@3:37 – Anneke explains why she transitioned from ABA to coaching, citing the need for more ethical, child-centered practices.
@7:28 – Anneke describes her concerns about the societal pressures in ABA, including an anecdote about pushing children toward “age-appropriate” recreational skills that might not bring them joy.
@13:33 – Anneke challenges the idea that parents must “change” their children to fit societal norms and highlights the importance of fostering acceptance.
@15:23 – Anneke shares practical steps for educating parents about behaviors like stimming and how to help them reframe these actions positively.
@24:06 – Claudie explains how serotonin imbalances contribute to anxiety in nonverbal children and describes sensory enrichment activities, like massage and music, that help children self-regulate.
@38:11 – Claudie shares a touching story about how offering alternatives for a child’s unsafe stimming behavior led to mutual respect between the child and parent.
@38:51 – Anneke highlights why respect is a two-way street and shares how children often communicate respect in unique ways.
@40:52 – Anneke discusses how teaching children to respect boundaries fosters emotional growth and independence.
Real food as the foundation of healing
For many families, busy schedules and picky eaters make it tempting to rely on processed, packaged foods. But Tracy emphasizes that these are often the culprits of chronic gut inflammation.
“We ate real food—no sugar, no refined carbs, just low-glycemic fruits, lots of vegetables, and meat.”
Processed foods, especially those high in sugar, can disrupt the delicate balance of gut bacteria and lead to increased inflammation, which affects the brain via the gut-brain axis. If your child struggles with behavior, sleep, or attention, try eliminating processed foods and replacing them with fresh, nutrient-dense options.
According to studies, diets rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole foods have been shown to decrease inflammation and improve gut health, positively impacting cognitive function (source: Harvard Health).
Eliminate common triggers: gluten, dairy, and soy
One of the most practical tips Tracy shares is the removal of inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, and soy. These ingredients, common in many children’s diets, are known to cause inflammation in the gut, especially in individuals with sensitivities.
“When I removed gluten and dairy from my son’s diet, his behavior improved and his speech came back.”
If your child is constantly irritable, unable to sleep, or experiencing regular digestive issues, consider trying an elimination diet. Remove these potential triggers for a few weeks and observe the changes in their mood, communication, and focus. You might be surprised at the brain-boosting impact of a diet that heals the gut.
Boost brain function with essential fatty acids
If you have a picky eater on your hands, getting them to consume nutrient-rich foods can be a daily struggle. Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s, play a crucial role in brain development, yet they’re often lacking in kids’ diets.
“I used to make a little cocktail with juice and omega-3 supplements to make sure my son got the nutrients he needed.”
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in foods like fatty fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds, are known to support both gut and brain health. Research shows that they can reduce inflammation in the brain and improve cognitive function (source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition). If your child is a picky eater, mix supplements with juice or smoothies, as Tracy suggests, to ensure they get what their brain needs to thrive.
For more tips on how to engage your child in eating without the power struggle, see our article on picky eating.
Detox your home environment
If you’re investing in your child’s diet and still not seeing improvements, it might be time to look beyond the plate. Tracy shared the powerful insight that toxins in the home—like BPA, phthalates, and harsh cleaning chemicals—can wreak havoc on gut health.
“We threw out everything that had toxins and started fresh. It made a huge difference in our health.”
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that exposure to these toxins can contribute to chronic inflammation, affecting the gut and, by extension, the brain (source: EWG). Start by swapping out cleaning supplies, personal care items, and even cookware for non-toxic, eco-friendly options.
Leverage the power of intention
One of the most powerful takeaways from Tracy’s story is how she set an intention to heal her son’s body and mind. This is more than just mindset—it’s a clear, focused decision to take action.
“I set a clear intention that my son was going to live a normal life. No one could tell me otherwise.”
While setting an intention might seem intangible, research shows that having a goal-directed mindset can lead to better outcomes in health interventions (source: Psychology Today). If you’ve been discouraged by slow progress in your child’s development, take Tracy’s advice: decide that healing is possible, and take steps toward making it a reality.
For more on integrating intention into daily routines, check out our blog post on mindfulness and sensory therapy.
Be the advocate your child needs
Many parents feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of advice, therapies, and opinions thrown their way. But one thing Tracy made clear: it’s up to you to be your child’s advocate and make the hard choices necessary for their healing.
“There’s no one pill that cures all; you have to do the hard work. I did everything for my son except throw the kitchen sink at him.”
This mindset will resonate with parents who often feel stuck between conflicting advice from doctors, schools, and therapists. Tracy’s story is a reminder that real change comes when parents are willing to take control, do the research, and be persistent in finding what works.
To learn more about how you can become an advocate for your child’s health, read our ultimate guide to understanding and supporting special needs children.
Healing from the inside out
By focusing on healing the gut, you are giving your child the tools to heal their brain. Tracy’s experience is a powerful example of how small changes—like diet, detoxification, and supplementation—can make an enormous difference. If you’ve been looking for a new approach to your child’s development, maybe it’s time to start from the inside out.
Implement these principles and watch your child’s health—and brain—thrive.
Kim: If listeners want more information or to connect with Tracy, you can visit her website at warriormom.org, or check out her Autism Health Summit at autismhealth.com.
References:
- Harvard Health: Inflammation and Cognitive Function
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Brain Health
- EWG: The Impact of Toxins on Health
Transcript
Kim: Welcome to season two of the Happy Sensory Corner podcast at Mendability. We want to help everyone, especially when they are vulnerable, to feel happier, more comfortable in their own skin, and more confident so that we can all journey through life more happily. To do that, we stimulate the brain’s self-healing mechanisms with short hands-on activities to do at home, based on the neuroscience of environmental enrichment. As our brains grow stronger and healthier, all of us benefit. So, we are experts in boosting brain development, but we’re not experts in everything. For example, we are not experts in what you eat, physical activity, advocacy, education, or training. That’s why today I’m excited to introduce you to Tracy Slepcevic. Tracy, you’re an Air Force veteran, the bestselling author of Warrior Mom, and the founder of Pur Health. You’re also the mom of a son diagnosed with autism, and that is what set you on your path to becoming a certified integrative health practitioner. Your work has received impressive endorsements. I’m looking at many familiar faces and names, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Jerry Kartzinel. Tracy, this is going to be a great episode.
Tracy: Absolutely. Thanks for having me.
Kim: And we’re also here with Claudie Pomares, the creator of Sensory Enrichment Therapy. She’s our chief science officer, and we provide this unique evidence-based brain stimulation program to improve all sorts of brain functions. Claudie will also be doing some short training during the episode. And I’m your host, Kim Pomares, at Mendability. For those of you paying attention, yes, I have the same family name as Claudie, and that’s because she is my mom. Hi mom.
Claudie: Oh no, son, such a good team.
Kim: Back to you, Tracy. I’d love to hear what started you on this journey. What’s your why?
Tracy: Well, my big why is my child. I was always into health and nutrition throughout my twenties and early thirties, but I never really understood it until my son was diagnosed. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I went home, got to work, and just started studying everything. I had a very clear intention that day: my son was going to live a normal life. So Noah was very low functioning. He had no speech, little to no eye contact, and frequent tantrums because he couldn’t communicate. He didn’t sleep at night, and he had a lot of stimming behaviors.
We don’t ever really realize, but there’s a gut-brain connection. Our gut is connected to our brain via our nervous system. If you have inflammation or anything going on in the gut, it’s going to affect you neurologically. And if you have imbalances—like essential amino acids or omega-6 levels that are too high—you’re going to be full of inflammation. I had learned a lot about nutrition in my twenties, but I never really understood how to address what was going on in the body. So I was on a mission. Back then, the gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free diet was called the autism diet.
I read Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy and saw that her son made great strides with that diet. I started Noah on it right away, and my naturopath helped me find the perfect functional medicine doctor. Noah had yeast overgrowth because he was an ear infection baby and had been on a lot of antibiotics. Over time, those antibiotics messed up his gut, and he developed yeast. But as I healed my son’s gut, I realized I was healing myself too. I had joint pain, fibromyalgia, chronic migraines—all of that improved.
So we went on a strict protocol. We ate real food—no sugar, no refined carbs, just low-glycemic fruits, lots of vegetables, and meat. Today I know more about ensuring that the meat is grass-fed and hormone-free. But back then, it was all about clean food. People don’t understand how much food has changed in the last 100 years. Wheat wasn’t genetically modified into dwarf wheat, and we didn’t have these food allergies. But with GMOs, pesticides, and chemicals like glyphosate, we’ve developed all these sensitivities.
You can have a pre-genetic condition for anything, but it’s usually triggered by an environmental factor. We’re swimming in a pool of toxins these days. What I do is help families lower their toxic load. I don’t say I cured my kid. I got my kid to a fully functional state. Today he’s 19 years old, he works, he goes to college, and he has friends. His social skills have improved so much. But if I hadn’t intervened, he wouldn’t have made it. When we started cleaning out his gut, he started regaining his speech, and we reduced inflammation in his brain.
Claudie: Well, it’s exciting.
Tracy: It is. I tell parents all the time, there’s no one pill that cures everything. I threw everything at my son but the kitchen sink. We did dietary changes, supplementation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We also did stem cell therapy in Ukraine in 2012, before things started falling apart there. I’m not sure I’d recommend going today, but now there’s plasma therapy, which is kind of like stem cells on a lower level and much less invasive.
Cleaning your environment is crucial too. We got rid of nonstick cookware, BPA, PFAS, and all that. It’s about reducing toxins. A great resource is children’shealthdefense.org. They have all the latest studies on toxins and health.
Kim: You’ve clearly done a thorough job of cleaning out your environment. What other strategies do you recommend for optimizing health?
Tracy: Supplementation is a big one. Take essential fatty acids, for example. Kids, especially picky eaters, might not get enough omega-3s. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, while omega-6s are pro-inflammatory, so you need a balance. Supplementation is essential because our soil is depleted of nutrients. A question for Claudie: How do you help parents get picky eaters to take supplements?
Claudie: I’ve noticed that families struggle to get supplements into their kids, especially omega oils. Any tips?
Tracy: I used to mix omega-3 oil with juice and crush tablets into a little “vitamin cocktail.” Sometimes Noah would spit it out, but most of the time, he’d take it. The key is to dilute it heavily and give it with food. I still mix his omega-3s with juice to this day, and he’s very compliant. You also need to be careful about the dosage. Too much zinc, for example, can upset their stomach.
Claudie: I also recommend physical exercise to my families. But many parents say, “Oh, he’s running around all day, so he’s getting his exercise.” But I remind them that children are smart and take breaks. Structured cardio is essential.
Tracy: I agree. I grew up in a time when kids played outside all day. Today, kids are stuck in front of screens. If I could go back, I would never have introduced my son to screens. I wish kids would play outside more. My son did martial arts, and now I pay for him to go to the gym with a trainer. He enjoys it, and it’s helped him a lot.
Kim: That’s a perfect segue, Claudie. You’ve talked about distractors, but at Mendability, we use those distractors—like toys—to trigger the brain’s self-healing mechanisms. Have you tried combining sensory inputs, like touch and smell?
Claudie: Absolutely. Touch and smell are incredibly powerful. When you combine them, the effect multiplies. For example, serotonin production can increase by 400% when you combine sensory inputs like touch and smell. This helps balance serotonin, which is often deficient in children on the spectrum. Music can also have a profound effect on brain development.
Kim: Claudia, I wanted you to talk more about the state of neuroplasticity when combining sensory inputs.
Claudie: When you combine sensory inputs, like touch and smell, you elevate the state of neuroplasticity. Research from UC Irvine has shown that this stimulates the production of norepinephrine, which helps grow new brain cells. It’s all about helping the brain naturally rebuild itself without needing external interventions like stem cells.
Tracy: That’s incredible. Another great way to relax and detox is by giving your child Epsom salt baths. The magnesium is calming, and it helps with detoxification. You can even add a drop of lavender oil to help them relax.
Kim: You just described half of our bath time routine!
Tracy: Right? It works wonders.
Kim: The only thing missing is adding the tactile component—maybe a gentle hand or foot massage with some kind of oil. That way, the brain releases even more “happy juices” and gets ready for sleep.
Tracy: Yes, exactly. I used to put a little lavender oil on my hands with some lotion. I recently learned about an app called Yuka. It lets you scan hygiene products, like shampoos and lotions, and even some food items to check for harmful chemicals and preservatives. You’d be surprised how many toxic ingredients are hiding in everyday products. We ended up throwing away a lot of our hygiene products after using the app.
Kim: That sounds like an incredibly useful tool! Another good resource is ewg.org—they do the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists for foods, but they also have recommendations for safer cleaning and hygiene products.
Tracy: Definitely! It’s about being informed and making small changes over time. For example, switching to safer household products can make a big difference in lowering the toxic load on your family.
Kim: Tracy, before we wrap up, I want to ask one last question that I think would be valuable for our audience. You’ve been such an incredible example of taking control of your son’s health. What advice would you give to other parents who feel overwhelmed after receiving their child’s diagnosis?
Tracy: My advice is to set a clear intention for your child’s healing. The day my son was diagnosed, I made up my mind that I would do whatever it took to help him live a normal, functioning life. I didn’t let anyone tell me otherwise. Listen to your intuition—it’s never wrong. It’s hard work, and there’s no one-size-fits-all cure, but you have to be willing to do the hard work and go the distance.
You’re not alone—autism is everywhere now, and there are communities and resources to support you. I started the Autism Health Summit because I wanted to bring parents together to share information on biomedical interventions, genetic testing, and more. There’s so much we can do to help our kids reach their full potential.
Kim: That’s incredibly inspiring, Tracy. Thank you so much for sharing your journey and these invaluable tips.
Claudie: Yes, thank you, Tracy.
Kim: If listeners want more information or to connect with Tracy, you can visit her website at warriormom.org, or check out her Autism Health Summit at autismhealth.com.