What is Functional Neurology and how does it apply to autism and other neurodivergence?

On this week’s episode, Dr. Brandon Crawford discusses his journey into functional neurology, emphasizing the importance of understanding neurodivergence, particularly in children with autism. He explains how sensory processing affects motor skills and cognition, and how neuroplasticity can be harnessed to create positive changes in the brain. We all agree that tailored treatment plans for our kids is so important, along with our role as caregivers in supporting our neurodivergent children.

Website: https://www.drbrandoncrawford.com/

Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/bcrawforddc/

Dr. Crawford’s podcast: https://www.drbrandoncrawford.com/podcast/the-longevity-formula

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Functional Neurology and Dr. Crawford

10:41 Understanding Neurodivergence and Autism

20:53 The Role of Sensory Processing in Neurodivergent Children

29:11 Neuroplasticity and Treatment Plans for Autism

31:10 Understanding Brain Function and Neuroplasticity

34:14 The Role of Care Plans in Autism Treatment

37:30 The Importance of Caregiver Well-being

40:36 Self-Care Strategies for Caregivers

44:46 The Impact of Light on Neurochemistry

51:01 Grounding and Its Benefits

55:39 Grounding Techniques and Cold Plunge Benefits

58:44 Managing Stress and Cold Exposure

01:01:05 Post-Cold Plunge Recovery Strategies

01:05:06 Starting Small: The Importance of Gradual Change

01:11:58 Never Accept Never: A Call to Action for Caregivers

It’s a new year and exciting new content for Moms Talk Autism! This is going to be a big year for our families as some of our kids transition from elementary to middle school. Scary, exciting, and most likely a few bumps along the way.

Big changes for the podcast as well: a brand new merch collection is almost ready. We are NOW also offering ad-free VIDEO recordings of every episode via Patreon! We can’t wait to connect with you on this platform! We can comment along with you and create chats.. Come and join the fun!!! You can find us HERE on Patreon!

Exciting collaborations, professionals, guests, community member interviews, guest hosts, and new topics coming our way this year. As always, we’ll have honest, real conversations about caregiving and disability. Connecting, commiserating, crying, and laughing at ourselves are all included, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for being here.

You don’t want to miss our last segment on this episode. We read some of your funniest “I’m That Mom” story submissions. Send us more, they are our favorite emails!

An autism diagnosis can be life-changing for your child. It can also greatly impact your family and what the future holds for family planning. In this episode, we tell our personal stories of when we decided to have or not have more children after diagnosis. It's a very personal decision and we hope hearing our stories will help you along your family's autism journey.

Instagram: @momstalkautism

Email: hello@momstalkautism.com