Kaiser’s Self-Portrait
Welcome! My name is Denise and I’m the mother of a child on the autism spectrum who wants to share the story of his remarkable transformation in the hope that it can inspire and empower other families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. I created Core Needs NYC primarily for parents on this journey who want to go beyond the standard prescribed therapies and take a more holistic path to help their children thrive.
Through my personal experience with what worked best for my son, I realized that learning and growth happen much faster when we support our children’s and our own mental, physical, and emotional needs – our “core needs” – through dietary, nutritional and lifestyle choices that restore balance in our bodies, minds and hearts.
As a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, I believe diet is the foundation for healing and the critical first step that will allow our kids to make progress in all areas of their development. It was and remains the key piece in my son’s program that has given him the opportunity to make strides academically, behaviorally and socially. In my 1:1 coaching practice with parents, I help their kids feel healthier and calmer in their bodies so that they can learn faster, improve challenging behaviors, and connect more deeply with others. Together we focus on the gut-brain connection and take steps to assess and address any underlying factors, including imbalances in the microbiome, that could be contributing to their child’s symptoms of autism.
There is a growing number of professionals in multiple fields providing alternative but proven and effective treatment options that go deeper to the root causes so that our kids can be the best they can be. I think you will see over time that what works for one child does not work for another, but the fact remains that many children are benefiting from an integrative and biomedical approach. It is important that parents have access to this information as early as possible so that they can ultimately decide what is best for their family.
When your child receives a diagnosis it can feel like the end of the world, but the truth is there is so much you can do to improve your child’s quality of life and the well being of your family. There is also a village out there of therapists, caregivers, and many more from a wide array of professions who wish to be of service to families like ours and are offering new and innovative ways to meet the needs of our kids. We hope to introduce you to some of them here and encourage you to move forward after a diagnosis not from a place of fear, but from a place of love and hope.
- Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,
- Listen to the DON’TS
- Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
- The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS
- Listen to the NEVER HAVES
- Then listen close to me-
- Anything can happen, child,
- ANYTHING can be.
- ~Shel Silverstein