Complicated Kids copertina

Complicated Kids

Complicated Kids

Di: Gabriele Nicolet
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 Complicated Kids is a podcast about why raising kids can feel like an extreme sport sometimes. Join me to unpack all of it, figure out who needs what, and help your family thrive.2024 Genitorialità e famiglie Relazioni
Episodi
  • It's Not Just Autism with ​​Dr. Jodie Dashore

    It's Not Just Autism with ​​Dr. Jodie Dashore
    Jan 20 2026
    Some kids are labeled "autistic" when their bodies are actually screaming for help. In this episode of Complicated Kids, I sit down with Dr. Jodie Dashore, an internationally recognized integrative practitioner and clinical herbalist, to talk about the kids who don't fit neatly into "just autism." These are the kids with paralysis, bone pain, rashes, fevers, breathing issues, crushing anxiety, or terror—and all of it gets folded under one word: autism. Dr. Dashore shares her personal and professional story, including her son's terrifying descent into wheelchairs, tics, and "brain on fire" symptoms that were initially written off as "atypical autism." She walks us through how underlying conditions like Lyme disease, mold/biotoxin illness, PANS/PANDAS, immune dysfunction, and chronic inflammation can radically change how a child feels, behaves, and develops. We talk about why so many families are told to "accept the autism" while life-threatening medical problems go unrecognized, and why bioindividuality matters so much. Not every child responds the same way to the same exposure, and not every autistic child who is struggling is "just" autistic. Some of them are very sick, and they deserve better than a one-size-fits-all protocol. You'll hear how Dr. Dashore uses data-driven, plant-based protocols and targeted testing to figure out what a child's body is actually dealing with, from infections to toxins to immune and hormonal imbalances. We also talk about the emotional reality of being the parent who refuses to accept "this is the best we can do," and how exhausting, isolating, and necessary that can be. If you've ever felt like something is missing from your child's care, or like your concerns keep getting folded back into a single word (autism) without anyone asking what else might be going on, this episode will give you language, context, and a renewed sense that your intuition matters. Key Takeaways Autism and illness are not the same thing. A child can be autistic and medically unwell, and collapsing those realities under one label can be dangerous.Severe symptoms aren't "quirks." Paralysis, extreme pain, rashes, cyclical fevers, breathing problems, and failure to thrive are red flags.PANS/PANDAS, Lyme disease, and mold illness are real and well-documented, yet still frequently missed or dismissed.Bioindividuality changes everything. Two kids with the same exposure can have completely different responses.Nonverbal kids still feel everything. Pain and confusion often come out as "behavior."Autistic brains aren't "more fragile." Infections and toxins affect neurodivergent and neurotypical kids alike.Testing should be targeted, not random. Data helps reveal what's actually happening in a child's body.Plant-based protocols can be powerful when used thoughtfully as part of an integrative plan.Recovery is a long game. Real healing often takes years, not weeks.Parents are allowed to want more than "good enough." Advocacy matters. About Dr. Jodie Dashore Dr. Jodie A. Dashore is an internationally recognized practitioner, researcher, and pioneering clinical herbalist. She specializes in plant-based protocols for autism, Lyme disease, mold/biotoxin illness, and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). Dr. Dashore holds a PhD in Integrative Medicine, a doctorate in occupational therapy with a focus on neurology, and completed post-doctoral work in immunology at Harvard Medical School. Through her clinic, BioNexus Health, she supports families around the world with deeply individualized, data-driven care. About Your Host, Gabriele Nicolet I'm Gabriele Nicolet—toddler whisperer, speech therapist, parenting life coach, and host of Complicated Kids. Each week, I share practical, relationship-based strategies for raising kids with big feelings, big needs, and beautifully different brains. My goal is to help families move from surviving to thriving by building connection, confidence, and clarity at home. Complicated Kids Resources and Links 🌎 www.gabrielenicolet.com 📅 Schedule a free intro call 📺 Subscribe on YouTube 👾 Tell the Story (anti-anxiety tool for kids) ➡️ Instagram ➡️ Facebook ➡️ LinkedIn 🌺 Free "Orchid Kid" Checklist Enjoying the show? If Complicated Kids has been helpful, the best way to support the podcast is to follow, rate, and leave a quick review. It helps other parents find the show—and it means a lot. If there's a topic you'd love to hear covered on a future episode, reach out at podcast@complicatedkids.com. I love hearing what's on your mind and what would support your family. Thank you for being here. 💛
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    31 min
  • The Bad News About Untreated ADHD with Karin Varblow

    The Bad News About Untreated ADHD with Karin Varblow
    Jan 13 2026
    ADHD is not just about attention. It is about self-control, self-esteem, and what happens when the brain goes offline. Living with untreated ADHD is not just about missing assignments. It is about moving through the world without a reliable connection between what you know and what you do. In this conversation, I talk with Dr. Karin Varblow, a behavioral pediatrician, former teacher and social worker, neurodivergent adult, and mom to neurodivergent kids. We look closely at what untreated ADHD really costs over a lifetime, from self-esteem and identity to health, safety, relationships, and even life expectancy. Dr. Karin explains why ADHD is not simply a "school problem" and why kids who "know better" still cannot always do better in the moment. She shares her "know and go" model of the brain, which helps make sense of why lectures and bigger consequences do not lead to different behavior, and why kids so often feel confused and ashamed by their own actions. We also talk about sleep, airway, co-occurring conditions, and how things like anxiety, trauma, allergies, and disordered sleep can overlap with ADHD or even mask it. Dr. Karin breaks down what good treatment actually looks like in real life, including medication, parent training, behavior supports, and making daily life more stimulating and relevant for the ADHD brain. If you have ever wondered whether ADHD "really" needs treatment, or felt discouraged by mixed messages, this episode will help you see the bigger picture with more clarity and more compassion for you and your child. Key Takeaways Untreated ADHD is not just about school performance. It affects self-esteem, identity, health, safety, relationships, income, and even life expectancy over time. Research shows that people with untreated ADHD have higher rates of emergency room visits, poverty, incarceration, and an average life expectancy that is years shorter than their non-ADHD peers. Treatment meaningfully improves these outcomes. ADHD is both overdiagnosed and underdiagnosed, and it often shows up alongside other conditions like anxiety, depression, learning differences, sleep disorders, allergies, GI issues, and trauma. Sorting out "what's what" takes time and thoughtful evaluation. Effective ADHD treatment is not one thing. The strongest evidence supports a combination of medication and behavior modification, with behavior modification defined as training and support for parents, not "fixing the child" in a weekly session. Behavior plans that focus only on lectures and bigger consequences usually miss the mark. Most kids already know the rules. The problem is not a lack of knowledge, it is a lack of access to that knowledge in the moment. Dr. Karin's "know and go" model helps explain this: the "know" part of the brain holds rules, values, and experience; the "go" part drives behavior. In ADHD, especially around non-preferred tasks, the "go" can take off before the "know" ever gets a say. That disconnect is why kids so often say "I don't know why I did that" and mean it. They are not being manipulative. They are genuinely confused and often ashamed, because their behavior does not match what they actually believe or want. ADHD brains do have strong executive function in areas of high interest. A child who cannot organize themselves around homework may show incredible focus, planning, and follow-through when building Legos or diving into a favorite topic. Sleep, breathing, immune function, and overall health matter. Airway issues, disordered sleep, allergies, and inflammation can all worsen attention, regulation, and behavior, and sometimes even mimic ADHD. Addressing these pieces is part of good care. Supporting a child with ADHD means changing the story from "try harder" to "let's change how we're asking, what we're asking, and how we're supporting you." When adults focus on relevance, relationship, and realistic support, kids get more access to their best selves. About Karin Varblow Dr. Karin Varblow is a behavioral pediatrician and neurodivergence specialist who has built a career around coordinated, whole-family ADHD care. She earned her BA from Duke University and her MD from The George Washington University School of Medicine as a National Health Service Corps Scholar, and completed her Pediatrics residency at INOVA Fairfax Hospital for Children. Dr. Varblow's work is shaped by her unique path as a former educator and social worker, a former general pediatrician, a parent in a neurodiverse family, and an individual with ADHD herself. She supports families through medication management, parent support, behavior modification, care coordination, advocacy, and strategy development, with a focus on helping children thrive in real life, not just "meet expectations." About Your Host, Gabriele Nicolet I'm Gabriele Nicolet, toddler whisperer, speech therapist, parenting life coach, and host of Complicated Kids. Each week, I share practical, ...
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    46 min
  • Turning Autism Complexity Into Clarity with Dr. Theresa Lyons

    Turning Autism Complexity Into Clarity with Dr. Theresa Lyons
    Jan 6 2026
    Autism content is not the same thing as autism science. In this episode, Dr. Theresa Lyons joins me to talk about what it really means to follow the science of autism, and why parents cannot rely on headlines, algorithms, or outdated assumptions when the stakes are this high. Theresa is a Yale trained scientist and autism parent, and she breaks down how peer reviewed research actually moves, how easily it gets distorted, and why it can take 20 to 30 years for scientific conclusions to become common medical practice. We talk about how misinformation spreads online, including research showing that 70% of the most viewed autism videos on TikTok were classified as wrong or over generalized. Theresa explains why credibility does not come from views, and why parents need to get closer to the source, or choose trusted interpreters who do. We also dig into the bigger picture that often gets missed when families are only offered behavioral therapies. Theresa shares how she thinks about risk, genetics, environment, and total load on the body, and why broad buckets like sleep, diet, hydration, and gut health matter when you are trying to support a child. This is a powerful reminder to trust your intuition, be willing to do the work, and stay curious. The goal is not to chase every rabbit hole. The goal is to build clarity, prioritize what matters, and change the trajectory one step at a time. Key Takeaways "Follow the science" should mean peer reviewed publications, not headlines. Theresa explains why going to sources like PubMed, or using trusted interpreters of that research, matters when mainstream summaries can be rushed, incomplete, or wrong. It can take 20 to 30 years for research to reach common practice. That lag matters when your child is five now, not thirty five later, and it is why parents often need to be proactive rather than waiting for systems to catch up. Mainstream media can sound credible while still being misinformation. Theresa shares how even well meaning articles can be based on shallow research done under deadline pressure, which can derail a family's decisions if they are not careful. Online engagement is not the same thing as accuracy. Research discussed in this episode found that 70% of top autism videos on TikTok were classified as wrong or over generalized, which is a wake up call about where many families are getting "education." Parents have to balance curiosity with discernment. The goal is not to chase everything. The goal is to build enough scientific literacy to ask better questions, recognize weak claims, and avoid fruitless rabbit holes. Autism is diagnosed through observation, which can hide the "why" underneath. Theresa explains how biology, chemistry, and health factors can be missed until developmental delays become obvious, and then families are left sorting out root contributors after the fact. Broad health buckets deserve attention alongside therapies. Sleep, hydration, digestion, and diet can meaningfully affect regulation and behavior, and Theresa points out that these basics are often dismissed as "just autism" when they deserve real investigation. Diet interventions require clarity about goals and consistency. Theresa discusses why families need to identify symptoms first, understand mechanisms like gut permeability and immune load, and avoid comparing "partial" changes to results from structured clinical trials. Risk is complex because genetics and environment interact. Theresa describes why research often speaks in terms of increased risk rather than simple causation, and why what is relevant depends on the individual child's context. Trust your intuition and commit to the long game. Theresa's closing message is that change is like turning a boat. It takes effort and time, but a parent's willingness to learn and keep going can meaningfully change a child's trajectory. .About Theresa Lyons Dr. Theresa Lyons is an international autism educator, Ivy League scientist, and autism parent. She holds a PhD in computational chemistry from Yale University and previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry in research and development and as a medical strategist. After her daughter was diagnosed with autism, she applied her scientific training to understanding autism research and now teaches parents how to navigate the science with clarity and confidence. She is the founder of Navigating AWEtism, a platform designed to turn autism complexity into clarity by organizing scientific information and making it accessible and actionable for families. Through her work, she has supported parents in 21 plus countries and reaches a growing global audience through years of science backed education on YouTube and social media. About Your Host, Gabriele Nicolet I'm Gabriele Nicolet, toddler whisperer, speech therapist, parenting life coach, and host of Complicated Kids. Each week, I share practical, relationship-based strategies for raising kids ...
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    27 min
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