Magnificent Minds: Demystifying Autism with Dr. Suzanne Goh, MD, BCBA

In this episode, I'm taking you inside a question that keeps so many parents up at night: how many hours of ABA does my child actually need, and who really decides? I open with a scene from a recent New York Times investigation, a little girl woken from her nap after exactly seven minutes because the clinic couldn't bill insurance while she slept, and I explain why stories like that reveal a system that has, in some places, started making financial decisions in place of clinical ones.I walk you through what the research actually shows about ABA dosage (the studies that found intensive 25 to 40 hour programs help some young children were real and important, but that finding got distorted into the idea that every autistic child needs as many hours as possible, which the science simply doesn't support), and more importantly, how the right number of hours should be determined for your child: their specific developmental needs, the behaviors affecting their safety and learning, and their age. I also share brand new research, an April 2026 study in the Journal of Personalized Medicine from Cortica and NYU, showing that the greatest growth across every developmental domain came from a more integrated, whole child model of care rather than from simply adding hours.And I tell you about Max, a little boy who came to me at three and a half on a required 40 hour per week program: not sleeping, melting down, and losing weight. Once we addressed his sleep, his nutrition, and his sensory needs and rebuilt his schedule around what his nervous system could actually handle, he became a different child, and on fewer hours than before. If you're weighing an ABA prescription right now, I'll give you the exact questions to ask, where the hours happen, the balance of center, home, and community, the ratio of individual to group, and whether there's still room in the week for your child to just be a child.

In this episode, I'm speaking directly to parents who may be in a tender place right now. Maybe you just received your child's autism diagnosis last week, last month, or you're still processing something you heard months ago. I know you've been on quite a journey, months of appointments, years of wondering, and now you've finally heard it confirmed. I've sat with hundreds of families right after diagnosis, and I can tell you there's no single way to react. Some feel relief at finally having answers. Others feel grief, confusion, or fear. I want you to hear me say this: it is okay to feel all of it. There's no right way to respond.In this episode, I walk you through what comes next, step by step, not in an overwhelming way. I explain what an autism diagnosis actually is (and what it isn't), how to build the right care team, what therapies actually help, why understanding your child's biology matters, and how to take care of yourself. Throughout our conversation, I emphasize that a diagnosis is not an ending, it's a beginning. It's finally getting the roadmap that helps us understand how your child's brain works so we can build support that truly fits who they are.This episode is for you if you've recently received your child's autism diagnosis and are wondering what comes next, feeling overwhelmed by where to start, looking for hope and practical guidance without judgment, or simply need to hear that you're doing a good job and your love matters most.

In this episode we're tackling the question almost every parent asks me: What about screen time?If you're raising a child with autism, this topic can feel especially charged. You've heard screens are terrible for development, but also that they help children learn. So which is it? And does screen time cause autism?I'm joined by a colleague from our Cortica team in Massachusetts, Dr. Gwen O'Keeffe, MD, JD, to give you clear, science-backed answers without the guilt or judgment. We'll cover whether screens actually cause autism (spoiler: the evidence is inconclusive), why experts are cautious about early screen use, why not all screen time is equal, age-by-age practical guidelines, and special considerations for autistic children—including why some are drawn to screens and when they're helpful versus when they become barriers to connection. I'll also explain why the first few years matter so much, when your child's brain is forming up to a million connections per second, and why interaction beats stimulation every time.The bottom line: screens aren't the problem, it's how they're used that matters. When screen time is balanced, intentional, and shared, it can support learning. When it's passive, isolating, and all-consuming, it can slow progress.Your child learns best not from screens, but from you: your voice, your smile, your presence, and your love.This episode is for you if: You're wondering about screen limits, feeling guilty about screen use, or simply want judgment-free, practical guidance.

In this episode, I'm breaking down three topics that spark intense debate but deserve clear, science-backed answers: leucovorin therapy for autism, acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy, and vaccines.After 25 years in practice and thousands of conversations with parents, I've heard the same questions: "What caused my child's autism?" "Was there something I did?"I'll start with a developmental framework that actually makes sense—comparing your child's development to a growing tree, where genetics are the seed and environment is the soil.Here's what we'll cover in this episode: Leucovorin (Folinic Acid): Why some autistic children can't get folate into their brains, how leucovorin bypasses that blockage, and the real improvements I've seen in language and communication. I'll explain folate receptor autoantibodies, cerebral folate deficiency, and why this prescription therapy isn't just another supplement.Tylenol in Pregnancy: What the largest study of 2.5 million children revealed, why the link to autism disappeared when researchers compared siblings, and how to think about this decision based on evidence, not fear.Vaccines & Autism: The research spanning millions of children, when a personalized vaccine schedule makes medical sense, and how to have the right conversation with your doctor.I'll also address that recent circumcision-autism headline and what early stress biology actually means for development.Most families don't know that autism-specific medical therapies exist or that integrating them with behavioral and developmental treatments changes outcomes. I'm on a mission to change that.This episode is for you if: You're a parent seeking clarity, a professional supporting families, or anyone who wants to understand autism beyond the headlines.