Ep 162: Helping a Child With Autism Thrive: What the Science Shows

Ep 162: Helping a Child With Autism Thrive: What the Science Shows

From TAKING THE HELM with Lynn McLaughlin by Lynn McLaughlin

February 11, 2026 · 39 min · Season 6 · Episode 162

About this episode

Dr. Theresa Lyons discusses how to help children with autism thrive by exploring scientific research and personal experiences.

Dr. Theresa Lyons, Ph.D. in chemistry from Yale University, shares her unique perspective as both a scientist and a mother of a daughter with autism. Drawing on cutting-edge research and her personal journey, Dr. Lyons explores the underlying health and environmental factors that can influence a child’s development beyond the autism diagnosis. She launched "Navigating Awetism" to help parents. 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤, “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞?” Dr. Lyons breaks down complex research into actionable insights that parents and caregivers can understand and apply. Key takeaways include: ​💥 Understanding the role of genetics and risk factors in autism and how research informs what we can address. ​💥 Exploring environmental factors that can influence a child’s sleep, health and behaviour. ​💥 Looking at gut health, food allergies, and sensitivities as possible contributors to well-being. (Gluten, Candida and other gut infections.) ​💥 How functional medicine approaches, including Vitamin D, B12, and other assessments, can uncover hidden opportunities for improvement. ​💥 The role of detoxification and overall health management in…

People in this episode

Host: Lynn McLaughlin

Guest: Dr. Theresa Lyons

Topics covered

  • autism
  • child development
  • health factors
  • environmental influences
  • functional medicine
  • parenting strategies

Keywords

  • autism
  • child development
  • genetics
  • environmental factors
  • gut health
  • functional medicine
  • detoxification
  • parenting

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Navigating Awetism, Yale University

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