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Naturally Recovering Autism with Karen ThomasAuthor: Karen Thomas, Founder, CEO
Inspiring parents with natural solutions to create the most fulfilling, healthy and productive life possible for their children with autism. Empowering Parents with the Resources to Naturally Recover Autism from a mom who has done it. Having once been told her son could not recover from his symptoms of autism Karen Thomas now shares what she has learned through over a decade of personal research and experience that has brought her own son to recovery. Her background as a Craniosacral Therapist allowed her the awareness that the brain could heal if given the right support. Learn how you can allow your child a clear path for a happier and more fulfilling life with improved communication, better sleep, improved social abilities, and overall improved health. Get your FREE GUIDE to the top 7 foods to eliminate from your child's diet for better sleep, calmer moods, improved focus and speech at, NaturallyRecoveringAutism.com /7foods For more resources go to, NaturallyRecoveringAutism.com Language: en Genres: Kids & Family, Parenting Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Halloween Candy and Autism: Healthier Choices for Your Child [Podcast Episode #256]
Episode 256
Wednesday, 7 October, 2026
Halloween is such an exciting time for kids. Costumes, parties, decorations, trick-or-treating—and, of course, lots and lots of candy. But if you have a child with autism, Halloween can sometimes come with challenges you weren’t expecting. Maybe your child becomes more hyperactive or irritable. Sleep gets disrupted. Digestion changes. You notice more difficulty focusing or regulating emotions. Or perhaps you’ve worked hard to make dietary changes at home, and suddenly your child comes home with a bag filled with foods and ingredients you normally try to avoid. The good news is that Halloween doesn’t have to mean taking all the fun away. With a little planning, you can help your child enjoy Halloween while still supporting the healthy habits you’ve worked so hard to create. Why Halloween Candy Can Be Challenging One of the things I always encourage parents to do is look beyond a symptom and ask: What changed? We talked about this recently with going back to school. A child may suddenly be exposed to different foods, environmental factors, disrupted routines, less sleep, or other changes. Halloween can create another sudden change. A child who normally eats a relatively clean diet may suddenly consume significantly more sugar, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and other ingredients than usual. For some children, parents may notice changes in behavior, digestion, sleep, focus, or overall well-being around the same time. That doesn’t mean every child will react the same way. Our children are individuals, and their bodies can respond very differently. The important thing is to pay attention to your own child. Look Beyond the Sugar When parents think about Halloween candy, sugar is usually the first thing that comes to mind. And yes, Halloween can bring a tremendous amount of sugar into a child’s diet in a very short period of time. But sugar isn’t the only thing I look at. Many brightly colored candies and processed treats contain long ingredient lists that may include artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, corn syrup, and other highly processed ingredients. This is why I encourage parents to become label readers. Turn that package over and look at what is actually in it. Sometimes we become so focused on the front of a package—especially words like “natural,” “gluten-free,” or “organic”—that we forget to look at the ingredient list. Remember: gluten-free doesn’t automatically mean healthy. A gluten-free candy or cookie can still contain a lot of sugar, artificial ingredients, or other things that may not be a good fit for your child. Food Dyes Are Worth Paying Attention To Artificial food colors are another ingredient parents may want to watch. Brightly colored candies can contain several different synthetic dyes, and some children appear to be more sensitive to these ingredients than others. If you’ve noticed that your child tends to become more restless, irritable, unfocused, or has difficulty sleeping after eating certain brightly colored foods, start paying attention to the labels and looking for patterns. You don’t have to guess. Keep things simple. Write down what your child ate and what you noticed afterward. Over time, patterns can become much easier to recognize... Click Here or Click the link below for more details! https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/256
