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The Brain Development Podcast

The Brain Development Podcast

By: Lara Barnes
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The Brain Development Podcast provides parents with a pathway to healing the behavioural and learning symptoms of their Autistic, Dyslexic, ADHD, OCD, Asperger's, Dyspraxic, and Dysgraphic child. This podcast covers topics like building the foundation of the brain, correcting the behavioural and learning issues you see in your child with a neurodiverse child. We shared parent success stories, expert insights, how the brain develops, what causes changes in a child's trajectory, how to help your child, gut health, microbiome, supplements, diet, nutrition, lab testing, visual and auditory systems, correcting the trajectory of a child with primitive reflexes, nervous system, photobiomodulation and so much more. Join us to understand how you can help build your child's brain to let your child shine. Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships
Episodes
  • HE STARTED SPEAKING IN 6 WEEKS! | Primitive Reflexes, Diet & Brain Development Success Story, with Parents Sophia & Richard

    HE STARTED SPEAKING IN 6 WEEKS! | Primitive Reflexes, Diet & Brain Development Success Story, with Parents Sophia & Richard
    Jun 25 2026
    If you have ever sat in your car with tears in your eyes, wondering if your child will ever speak, look you in the eye, or call you "mummy" or "daddy," this episode is your turning point. Lara is joined by Sophia and Richard, who share the extraordinary, real-life recovery story of their six-year-old son, Roman. After years of sensory dysregulation and non-verbal isolated struggle, Roman underwent a massive bottom-up neurological rebuild. By addressing infant reflexes, correcting gut imbalances, and utilizing cranial nerve work, his parents completely rewired his nervous system. Today, Roman is a thriving, fully verbal child in a mainstream school whose teacher says he "just blends in". It’s a fierce, emotional masterclass in parental tenacity, proving that when you refuse a static medical label and target the true biological root causes, an entire life can be transformed in months. Key Takeaways: Symptom vs Root Cause: Conventional speech therapy often manages the symptoms of delay with tools like Makaton, rather than addressing the baseline neurological blocks in the brainstem. The Power of Parental Tenacity: The speed of a child's neurological development is directly tied to the consistency of the parent; executing the plan daily is what creates the "explosion" of language. The 4-to-6 Week Reflex Shift: Meltdowns and behavioral spikes are often predictable phases of neural transition that resolve cleanly once primitive reflexes begin to integrate. Stacking for Saturation: Activating physical movement patterns while simultaneously introducing cognitive concepts (like letters or vocabulary) supercharges hemispheric connection. A Second-Generation Phenomenon: Neurodevelopmental traits often carry familial, epigenetic links; addressing these issues early prevents a child from getting stuck in low-level brain networks. Timestamps 00:00 – The Retrospect of Fear: Richard shares the painful reality of comparing his non-verbal son to other toddlers in retail spaces. 03:07 – The Breakthrough: Hearing "Bye Bye Daddy" for the first time and witnessing an 18-month developmental leap in just four months. 05:32 – The Gluten and Dairy Interventions: How transforming Roman’s gut chemistry cleared a hidden weight from his shoulders. 07:10 – Falling Through the Cracks: Why standard NHS card-based therapies fail to fix the foundational motor strip. 10:24 – Stacking on the Trampoline: How matching physical movement with animal naming fired Roman's right hemisphere. 14:44 – The 6-Week Meltdown Resolution: How primitive reflex integration cleanly eliminated behavioural transitions. 19:50 – From Withdrawn to Extrovert: Watching an expressive, communicative, and empathetic personality emerge. 22:10 – The Generational Proof: Sophia discusses how her own childhood speech therapy success inspired her to choose functional neurology for Roman. 26:17 – Looking Forward Without Fear: Moving past the dread of mainstream school and planning a future without medical labels. SOCIAL/IMPORTANT LINKS ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@braindevelopmentuk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/braindevelopmentuk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/larakelly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:/www.braindevelopment.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thrive Hub ⁠https://www.thrive-hub.com/⁠ HOST BIO Lara Barnes a successful woman in tech found herself managing behavioural, learning and speech difficulties with her son, she learn functional neurology and how to change the brain to correct his symptoms and build his left brain. The Building the Brain Podcast is for parents needing to understand how to help their children and show them what can be done to change little lives to allow them to shine and be their best version. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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    33 mins
  • Could a Strep Infection Be Behind Your Child's Sudden Behaviour Change?

    Could a Strep Infection Be Behind Your Child's Sudden Behaviour Change?
    Jun 18 2026
    A child can go from typically developing to washing their hands a thousand times a day almost overnight, and the cause may have nothing to do with primary mental illness. Lara Barnes talks with Vicky Finlayson of The Happy Healthy Unicorn about PANS and PANDAS, autoimmune conditions where infections like strep, Coxsackie virus or impetigo trigger antibodies that mistakenly attack the brain's basal ganglia, producing sudden OCD, tics, anxiety and behavioural regression. Vicky draws on her clinical work and her own daughter's diagnosis to explain how leaky gut, histamine and immune dysregulation feed into these flares, and what diagnostic testing and natural interventions actually help. Listeners will learn the specific symptom patterns and infection history that point toward PANS or PANDAS rather than a standalone psychiatric label, which blood markers and panels can clarify a diagnosis, and practical dietary and supplement strategies parents can start using straight away. If your child's behaviour changed seemingly overnight, this conversation offers a different lens worth hearing. KEY TAKEAWAYS Watch for a sudden, overnight onset of OCD, tics or severe separation anxiety rather than a gradual decline, since this abrupt shift is one of the clearest signals pointing toward PANS or PANDAS rather than a standalone psychiatric condition. Review your child's infection history for known triggers such as impetigo, scarlet fever, strep throat, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, or persistent sinus infections, since identifying the original infectious trigger shapes which treatment approach will actually help. Address gut health as a first step, removing inflammatory foods, added sugar and refined carbohydrates while adding vegetables, protein and pro- and prebiotic foods, since a leaky gut is described as a major driver of the neuroinflammation behind PANS/PANDAS flares. Request specific blood testing, such as ASO and DNase B strep markers or broader panels covering Coxsackie virus, Lyme, Epstein-Barr and immune activity, if you suspect PANS/PANDAS, since standard psychiatric evaluation alone often misses the underlying infectious trigger. Try natural histamine-lowering and immune-calming supports such as nettle, quercetin, magnesium, inositol and Epsom salt baths alongside dietary changes, since mast cell activation and immune dysregulation commonly drive symptom flares in these children. QUOTES "There is hope, there is recovery from this condition." "Every mental health condition has a biological cause anyway." "The brain is just being hijacked, and it's completely in a loop." "Everything is changeable in this realm." "Awareness is critical, early recognition and appropriate medical evaluation can really change outcomes." SOCIAL/IMPORTANT LINKS ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@braindevelopmentuk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/braindevelopmentuk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/larakelly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:/www.braindevelopment.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HOST BIO Lara Barnes a successful woman in tech found herself managing behavioural, learning and speech difficulties with her son, she learn functional neurology and how to change the brain to correct his symptoms and build his left brain. The Building the Brain Podcast is for parents needing to understand how to help their children and show them what can be done to change little lives to allow them to shine and be their best version. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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    27 mins
  • Building a Better Future for Neurodiverse Children | The Thrive Hub Launch

    Building a Better Future for Neurodiverse Children | The Thrive Hub Launch
    Jun 11 2026
    What if there was a place where you finally felt understood? Vicky Finlayson joins Lara to introduce Thrive Hub, a new community created for parents navigating the challenges of raising neurodiverse children. Drawing on their own experiences, they share why so many families feel isolated, overwhelmed by conflicting information, and unsure where to turn for trusted guidance. The conversation explores the importance of education, community, practical support, and understanding the whole child rather than focusing solely on symptoms. They discuss making expert-led guidance more accessible, empowering parents with knowledge, and creating a safe space where families can connect, learn and grow together. At its heart, Thrive Hub was built to help families feel less alone and more confident as they support their child's development and wellbeing. Key Takeaways Community and connection can be just as valuable as information. Parents need trusted guidance to navigate conflicting advice. Understanding the root causes behind symptoms creates better outcomes. Education empowers families to make confident decisions. Accessible support can help more children and families thrive. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Thrive Hub01:05 – Why Parents Feel So Alone02:35 – Searching for Answers in a World of Conflicting Advice04:20 – Creating a Safe Space for Families05:55 – The Power of Expert Guidance & Community Support07:30 – From Personal Struggle to Shared Mission09:05 – Making Healing More Accessible10:40 – Understanding the Whole Child12:15 – Education, Empowerment & Parent Confidence13:40 – Supporting Families Beyond the Child15:00 – The Vision for Thrive Hub15:45 – How to Join & Final Thoughts SOCIAL/IMPORTANT LINKS ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@braindevelopmentuk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/braindevelopmentuk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/larakelly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:/www.braindevelopment.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Vicky Finlayson Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyhealthyunicorn.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thehappyhealthyunicorn⁠⁠⁠ Thrive Hub https://www.thrive-hub.com/ HOST BIO Lara Barnes a successful woman in tech found herself managing behavioural, learning and speech difficulties with her son, she learn functional neurology and how to change the brain to correct his symptoms and build his left brain. The Building the Brain Podcast is for parents needing to understand how to help their children and show them what can be done to change little lives to allow them to shine and be their best version. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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    19 mins
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