Medically reviewed by Dr. Novlet Jarrett Davis, M.D., Autism Treatment Center of Raleigh If your child has autism and struggles with constipation, you are far from alone. Gastrointestinal (GI) issues are among the most frequently reported health concerns in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and constipation consistently sits at the top of that list. For many families, this isn't an occasional inconvenience — it's a daily source of pain, disrupted sleep, mood swing

Medically reviewed content from Autism Treatment Center of Raleigh — Dr. Novlet Jarrett Davis, M.D. & Dr. Kevin Davis, D.C. "Just go with your gut." Most of us have heard that advice, or given it, at some point in our lives — before a first date, a big decision, a job offer that didn't quite sit right. That gut feeling is real. It's your enteric nervous system, the dense web of neurons lining your digestive tract, communicating with your brain in ways scientists are only begi

If you're parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you've likely invested countless hours in therapies, behavior interventions, and educational strategies. You've shown up consistently, followed expert advice, and implemented every recommended technique. Yet something still feels incomplete. You're not alone in this feeling. Many autism parents reach a critical realization: behavior is not random—it comes from somewhere. What if the root cause of your child's be

What parents of children with autism, ADHD, PANS, and PANDAS need to know about the ingredients nobody talks about. You read every food label. You removed the dyes, the artificial sweeteners, the processed junk. But there's one source of hidden gut-disrupting additives that almost no one checks — and it's sitting in your medicine cabinet right now. When we talk about gut health and autism, ADHD, PANS, or PANDAS, the conversation almost always lands on diet. And diet matters e

With the rise of ultra-processed foods, the use of food additives has dramatically increased. Among these, emulsifiers have attracted significant attention from researchers due to their potential impact on gut health, metabolism, and inflammation. Emulsifiers are widely used in packaged foods to improve texture, extend shelf life, and enhance flavor. However, growing evidence suggests that frequent consumption of certain emulsifiers may disrupt the gut microbiome and contribu