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Awaken to Alternatives: Autism, Hankins, NY (2025)

03/22/2024

I’d love to hear your experiences with equine therapy 🐴 ❤️

03/15/2024

To Train or Not to Train My Unicorn? (Our Autism Journey: Part 1)

It takes a lot of deconditioning to do what I just did.

“Autistic children thrive with structure, routine, and predictability,” is what the research says.

Stepping into my power, I say, “Not this autistic child. Not my son.”

For those of you who have been following Tristan’s journey, you’ll remember the developmental progress we experienced when we first broke free from the monotony of normal living. After a winter marked by regression, and hours upon hours trapped within a house because the weather outside was just too hostile for us, we broke free and drove to the ocean - spending 6 weeks in South Carolina in February and March 2022.

Within hours of leaving, Tristan was laughing hysterically. Looking out the window, viewing the new scenery as we drove through states along I-95, his brain began to reawaken.

Each new experience forms new synapses in the brain. Anyone who researches the internal components of autism know that these children have issues with neural pruning and dead synapses in the brain. I’m not sure how travel affects this, but I know I see incredible developmental progress each time we leave.

Then, the negative ions of the ocean touched him. Negative ions heal the body of free radical stress, decrease inflammation, and calm the central nervous system.

The sun provides Vitamin D in a way that supplements just can’t. His body only processes vitamins and nutrients from organic food, which is why I work so hard to cook each meal from scratch, to avoid contaminants, and why I spend so much money on Purium. That line of supplements and shake mixes has changed our lives and when I can’t afford it, I feel the effects.

Fast forward to the present - we tried public school for 5 weeks. I started the process just after we moved, during a period of regression, but it took almost three months for the school district to accommodate him. This is the process for a student without an updated IEP.

I met with his principal before Christmas break. They did not yet have a teacher for the classroom he would be in. The principal was one of the kindest women I had ever met - we share an interesting connection with Saint Elizabeth, the first American born saint; she is credited with starting the parochial education system. She experienced unspeakable lost but went on to build a healing village and to help many. I felt ok with sending him.

I tried to quiet my concerns about the cleaning chemicals, the electrical transformers directly across the street, the Wi-Fi, the cell phone radiation, and all of the issues I have with public education.

For five weeks, Tristan willingly and happily went to school each day. Most weeks were only three day weeks due to snow days and gang violence that shut down the district but he got up and got dressed each morning and I drove him with a smile on his face where he was greeted by people who loved him.

Our days after 2 pm became difficult for all of us. Tristan often came home in a state of distress and started exhibiting alarming behaviors. He refused to leave the house after school so we could no longer go for walks as a family, to the trampoline park or aquarium, and I had to run all of my errands with Troy and Ember before he came home. Still, this allowed me to work on my candles while he was at school and I was told to expect things to get worse before they got better.

And then came February 9th. Tristan got off the van in a state of extreme distress, running from me, eloping, dangerous behavior for a child in the city, and he continued a high pitched scream that lasted 5 days. I contemplated calling 911 because my stress level got so high and eventually my former partner took him to our old home which always reset him. This time, however, he was much harder to soothe and the screaming continued in the place where he always felt safe. When he returned, he clearly communicated to me, with words, that he did not want to return to that place.

I had looked through his planner and communication log and there was no incident of recognition that could have caused this. No fire drill, no fight with another student - just “Tristan had a rough morning, but his afternoon was better,” or something like that.

It took me a while to process all this. It triggered the guilt and the pain of Tristan’s injury by modern medicine - again, I failed to protect him.

I had to get away, to go to the ocean to find clarity. Throughout this trip, I fully expected to send Tristan back.

I’ll share more about the realizations that happened once we made it to the ocean, and my decision to return to a life of alignment, a life that some people view as ‘unstable’, but now - it is time to start breakfast for my unicorn children. 💕

Thank you for witnessing 🙏🏻

03/13/2024

Let’s catch it wild, and then soak it in poison! Once you go down the rabbit hole of researching what is in our food supply to save a sick child - and learn what is legal here vs what is banned in Europe and why - you really become so mindful of what you put in your body.

Donation-based nutritional healing sessions [no one is turned away for an inability to pay] - learn about plants and herbs that help your body to detox from this, simple dietary changes you can make to feel an overall difference in your health, or how I mitigated the problematic symptoms of autism in my child by changing our lifestyle. Distance via Zoom or in person in Scranton.

Please share if you feel called 🙏🏻

01/29/2024

I’m so grateful to those of you holding and supporting me through my dark times. A lot is coming to the surface to be healed. I’m sorry to those I am losing touch with, I’m focusing on my children and calming my nervous system. I pray for healing. I pray a prayer of gratitude for the beauty I can *still* see in my life, amidst the current suffering and pain - knowing soon, this will all lessen. The burden will be less and there will be harmony. I call it in. Thank you for witnessing 🙏🏻💗 I truly would be lost without the support of this community. I love you deeply.

12/12/2023

I want to take a moment to write a post on friendship -

This woman has altered my life in such incredible ways. She has supported me through so many trials and tribulations, I so admire her passion and the work that she does with her farm {Bethel Pastures Farm Bed & Breakfast}, the healing energy there, and the little push she gave me to succeed, the strength to believe in myself and the assistance that I needed when I needed it in the kindest and gentlest of ways.

It was in the early fall she offered to harvest some of her zinnias with me, so that I could use the petals for my candles - the healing energy of the farm directly transferred into them, the feeling is quite strong - we definitely should have harvested more of them - and this experience gave me the serenity I needed to succeed.

So many people have pushed me to succeed, I have had such a huge community of support holding and loving me through the hardest period of my life and Rochelle is one who helped me to find the rhythm I needed to thrive because of her, her family, and their land…she is one of the those who inspired my candle line:

Wander and Heal Reiki infused Soy Candles

Created with ingredients foraged from healing locations throughout my life, places that I’ve been where the energy feels different, calmer, more deeply healing; and places I will visit with my children - our healing journey, our quest to find ourselves - to live a life outside of the ordinary.

I’m grateful to her and all of you for witnessing my journey. Thank you 🙏🏻💋

11/07/2023

Love EFT tapping and Maria I has helped with many shifts in my life

04/08/2023

Gut Healing for Autism: Gluten free and Dairy free is Not Enough

Within their first two years, many autistic children begin to limit their diet to breads, milk, crunchy wheat products, cereals, and sugary yogurts. This creates abnormal and unhealthy conditions within their stomachs, particularly with their gut flora--bacteria involved in digestion and immune function. The sugars in these foods and the chain reaction they create allows harmful bacteria to thrive while destroying healthy bacteria, essential to the child's wellbeing.

Candida, an overgrowth of yeast and harmful bacteria, begins to thrive, and these harmful bacteria cause intense cravings for more of the damaging food that created them and allow them to thrive.

There is an overwhelming amount of research promoting a gluten free, dairy free diet for autistic children, and because these children have intense food sensitivities, well-meaning parents like myself often rush out to buy gluten free, dairy free breads, crackers, cookies, and cereals.

With these changes, there may be some improvement due to the elimination of extremely harmful peptides in wheat and dairy that autistic children just can't break down, but overall, there are many more steps involved in healing the gut of an autistic child, improving their health, and eliminating the problematic symptoms associated with autism. The gluten free, dairy free processed foods are still converted into sugar, and the harmful conditions in the stomach prevail.

This is why I have worked so diligently on Awaken to Alternatives: Autism. You won't find this information in a doctor's office, insurance does not cover a functional nutritionist, and many parents just don't have the time or ability to research and implement the lifestyle changes necessary for their child to succeed without a container of love and support.

I have created the very program I wish existed to guide me through the overwhelm I felt when I started my healing journey with Tristan 💚

04/07/2023

Picky Eating and Autism

It’s no secret that many kids, on the spectrum or not, are picky eaters and have aversions to healthy foods. This is in part because of the Standard American Diet (a diet high in processed foods), antibiotics, and pesticides. All of the aforementioned lead to a condition known as candida, an overgrowth of yeast in the gut, which penetrates into the tissues of the body, causing massive amounts of inflammation and allowing unhealthy bacteria to thrive.

Modern medicine will sell you on the belief that autistic children have food aversions because of sensory issues; to put all your hopes and dreams for healing your child on hold because of a myth is a false belief I am hoping to dispel for many parents. Healing your child requires a mindset shift.

My son is autistic. My son WAS a picky eater. He loved the crunchy, processed, heavily fortified unnatural foods that were feeding his candida and making him sick. He had temper tantrums, he had meltdowns, he was constantly stimming, lost in his own world, unable to make eye contact or communicate or follow any type of directive.

When I learned that nutrition could heal all of this, I knew I would stop at nothing to feed him a healthy diet.

The beliefs and the vibrations we put out into the Universe are amplified and attract more of the same. I believed my child would heal, and he did—RAPIDLY.

If you believe that changing your child’s diet won’t help, you don’t want to learn about the gut brain connection, or you CAN’T replace detrimental foods with nourishing ones, we are not the same and my page probably isn’t for you. But if you want to join me on a healing journey, and offer positivity and support both to yourself and to other parents like you, then keep reading and I’ll give you some hints.

Candida is a living organism that feeds on complex sugars--the sugars found in bread and added to almost all processed foods from ketchup to cereal. Once candida overtakes the gut, it causes intense cravings for more sugar, which can be unbearable in autistic children. Hence the “behavioral issues”…these children are experiencing extreme discomfort.

It takes a bit of research, but you can find healthy, whole foods alternatives to all of your child’s favorite foods. Here are some swaps you can make to begin the healing process immediately.

Chips and salty snacks for: Roasted nuts and seeds seasoned with spices and pink Himalayan or Celtic sea salt, tossed in organic olive oil. Table salt is full of toxins that exacerbate inflammation and contribute to microplastics in the body. Organic olive oil decreases inflammation and promotes brain health.

Frozen, prepared, or fast-food chicken nuggets for: Organic, pasture raised chicken, cut into bites, tossed in arrowroot flour and sauteed/fried in organic olive oil. Arrowroot flour is rich in potassium, B-vitamins, and iron, all of which are common nutrient deficiencies in autistic children. It is also an anti-inflammatory which promotes immune function and does NOT spike blood sugar levels or feed candida as gluten free flour does. It provides a nice crunch on chicken.

Convention bread for: Paleo bread or sweet potato toast. Lots of recipes available on the internet, my own personal collection coming soon.

Once you have a few healthy foods that your child will eat, repeat those meals over and over as you learn new ones. This nourishes your child’s body instead of filling up their belly with harmful ingredients. My go to recipe for Tristan was roasted chickpeas with roasted vegetables—there are ways to make all of this crunchy. I’ll post more info and recipes in the future.

***Awaken to Alternatives: Autism ~ a 6 week mind body spirit healing program with picky eating support…live classes begin April 10! DM me to begin your healing journey!***

04/07/2023

The Program I Wish I Had When I Started My Journey with Tristan

Awaken to Alternatives: Autism is a mind body spirit healing program for autistic children and their parents. This program was created based upon my family’s healing journey with my son Tristan, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 ½.

In the beginning, Tristan was unable to communicate his needs and desires, he was constantly overwhelmed and we struggled with countless emotional meltdowns each day, he was self-injuring, didn’t respond to his name or understand simple directives, and there was no eye contact-it was like he was lost in his own world.

We didn’t find the healing we were seeking with modern medicine and ABA therapy, so we forged a different path through gut healing and nutrition, detoxification, superfoods, immersing in nature as therapy, and shamanism, spiritual and energetic healing that not only helped Tristan in immense ways, but also helped to calm my central nervous system and release childhood and generational trauma.

Awaken to Alternatives: Autism is a culmination of all of those things.

When you enroll, you will receive a comprehensive gut healing protocol created by my dear friend and Functional Nutritionist & Gut Health Specialist Brittany Prince, which will teach you about all of the common underlying medical conditions associated with autism that modern medicine does not teach parents about, like leaky gut, candida, mold, mycotoxins, viruses and co-infections, and bacterial imbalances like SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). You will learn why your child alternates between constipation and diarrhea and conditions such as IBS. And you will understand how all of these conditions along with the health of your child’s gut and immune system, affect his/her brain in terms of neurotransmitters, synapses, and inflammation.

In healing the gut and dealing with these underlying conditions, you can hope to see developmental progress and speech development as I did with Tristan, along with a decrease in stimming, sensory sensitivity, overwhelm and meltdowns.

On Monday nights beginning April 10 at 7 pm EST, for 6 weeks, we will meet as a community to offer support and encouragement to you and your child on your journey. These meetings will be facilitated by my loving friend, holistic psychologist, and Rewilding retreat facilitator Dr. Kristy Vanacore, who has over 15 years of experience supporting autistic children AND their families in the healing process, and myself (I am a nutrition coach for autism, a spiritual healer and Reiki practitioner and a mother who healed the problematic symptoms associated with autism in her child—my son is now thriving).

We will work to decondition the programming we receive from modern medicine and the school system surrounding autism and its classification as a disability, myths surrounding behavioral disorders, and teach you simple and enjoyable ways to care for yourself and your child aimed at regulating the central nervous system to feel calmer and less anxious, the importance of nature and the science behind its physiological effects on the body, and you will naturally begin to discover your child’s gifts and talents that are often hidden behind the false beliefs we hold after being exposed to these larger systems that are aimed at masking symptoms and forcing our children to appear “less autistic” in order to fit into the public education system.

You will learn to advocate for your child and you will be completely in tune with what is best for his/her development. These classes are live and will be recorded if you are unable to attend.
On weekends, you will have the option to attend live spiritual healing sessions, all of which are meant to serve as a form of self-care for the parent, to nurture your mind body and spirit as you walk the path towards healing with your child.

The healers and practitioners I have brought in as guests, and the modalities that they offer, have all been so helpful to me on my healing journey and supported me through times of struggle, sadness, or chaos, because let’s be honest, the path to healing is not always easy.
In these sessions, you will experience different types of breathwork, which are so calming to the central nervous system and helping to regulate the physical and emotional body, especially in those of us who have experienced trauma.

There is an offering of a breathwork ceremony with a gifted medicine man and shamanic practitioner that employs a type of somatic circular breathing that can have the same effect of years of psychotherapy in a single one hour session. This type of breathwork in a ceremonial context also strengthened my intuition in making decisions regarding my son’s path, knowing exactly what was right for him in terms of supplements, superfoods and adaptogens, and alternative therapies.

Other sessions include EFT tapping, which is supportive for anxiety and emotional regulation, which is so needed as a parent of a child with additional needs, chakra balancing and body scan to learn to work with your energetic field and your child’s, and Reiki and subconscious reprogramming.

You can see a schedule of these events linked below. Again, all of these are recorded and you will have lifetime access to the recording.
If this program sounds like the next step in your healing journey, I invite you to send me a direct message and I will get you all the info needed for registration. Sending love and blessings to you all!

Awaken to Alternatives: Autism

03/22/2024

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