The Whole Picture: Rethinking ADHD & Autism Support
- Alexandra McCarthy
- May 29
- 7 min read
When your child was diagnosed with ADHD or Autism, did the journey forward feel confusing and overwhelming? It can feel like the focus is solely on behaviours and ticking boxes.
When a child is diagnosed with ADHD or Autism, families often feel thrown into a whirlwind of therapy sessions, school meetings, and medical advice, trying to make sense of it all while wondering what their child really needs to thrive.
Maybe it was you that received a diagnosis, and thought, what the hell now?
At Wildflower, we believe in reframing how we view neurodivergence, not as something to be fixed, but as a different way of experiencing the world. Whilst traditional supports like therapy and medication can play a really helpful role, many people are looking for more holistic approaches that look beneath the surface and consider the root causes of challenges. Holistic support doesn’t mean ignoring medical advice or therapy. It means broadening the lens and taking into account the whole person.
Let’s explore supportive, respectful, and practical ways to understand and nurture your neurodivergent self, child or loved one - starting with the root, not just the symptoms.
1. Functional Dentistry & Airway Health
Oral health plays a far greater role in a child’s development than most people realise. Functional dentistry takes a whole-body approach to a child’s mouth, teeth, and airway - not just looking at their teeth and gums, but exploring how things like tongue and lip ties, narrow airways, ability to breathe through the nose, or poor tongue posture may be impacting breathing, sleep, feeding, and even neurological function.
For instance, if a child is breathing through their mouth rather than their nose, or struggling with airway restrictions, their body is often working overtime just to get oxygen. This can lead to disrupted poor-quality sleep. When a child struggles to breathe properly or experiences disrupted sleep, their brain doesn’t get the deep, restorative sleep it needs and in turn affects their ability to focus, regulate emotions, increase stimming and behaviours, often mimicking or exacerbating ADHD and Autistic like symptoms. Before assuming it’s ADHD or Autism, check their sleep! A narrow airway can mimic attention issues.
Speech, feeding, and gut health are also affected when oral function is compromised. Supporting these areas early can make a massive difference to a child’s learning and development.
2. Primitive Reflex Integration
Primitive reflexes are the automatic movements babies are born with to help them survive and adapt in early life. These reflexes, such as sucking, grasping, and turning the head in response to stimuli, helps babies adapt to their new environment and support basic survival. As the brain develops over the first year, these reflexes are designed to fade as the brain matures. But in some children, they don’t ‘integrate’ (i.e. fade) fully, and that can create disruptions in how the brain and body communicate. Retained reflexes (i.e. reflexes that don’t fade) can interfere with higher brain functions like attention, regulation, and motor coordination.This can increase challenges associated with ADHD and Autism, and even mimic symptoms.
Retained reflexes often show up in children who are easily overwhelmed, fidget constantly, or struggle with impulse control. What’s really happening is that their brain may still be stuck in survival mode. Occupational therapists trained in reflex integration can help assess and gently support the body in completing these unfinished patterns, allowing the nervous system to settle and develop more mature, regulated responses to the world.
3. Chiropractic Support & the Nervous System
Chiropractic care is another body-based approach that focuses on supporting the spine and nervous system. Misalignments in the spine - often subtle and painless - can disrupt communication between the brain and body, which may contribute to issues with regulation, sensory processing, or emotional control. Chiropractors trained in paediatrics often work alongside other professionals to help support balance in the nervous system, using gentle adjustments to relieve physical tension and promote greater body awareness.
Some studies suggest that chiropractic adjustments may influence sensorimotor integration - the brain’s ability to take in, organise, and respond to sensory input. For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this can be especially meaningful, as sensory challenges are often at the core of their experience. By helping the body process sensory information more effectively, chiropractic care may ease the intensity of certain sensory triggers, allowing children to feel more grounded and regulated in their everyday environments. Similarly, adjustments can support the integration of primitive reflexes mentioned above.
While chiropractic care is not a cure or standalone treatment for ADHD or Autism, it can be a valuable part of a holistic approach to managing symptoms alongside other treatments and therapies.
4. Nutrition, Gut Health & Detoxification
We can’t talk about holistic support without talking about the gut. The gut-brain connection is real and powerful. Did you know that 90% of serotonin (our “feel good” neurotransmitter) is made in the gut, and disruptions here can have a direct impact on mood, behaviour, and attention. Which makes it a key player when supporting ADHD and Autism. It’s common for children with Autism to experience gastrointestinal issues like constipation or diarrhoea, which can influence behaviour and cognitive function. This typically stems from imbalances in the gut, potentially exacerbated by restrictive diets.
Exploring gut health can involve reviewing the child’s diet, removing irritants like gluten or processed sugars, and supporting digestion through probiotics, bone broth, or targeted supplements. For some children, testing for heavy metals, parasites, or nutritional deficiencies may reveal hidden stressors that are contributing to emotional or behavioural challenges. Healing the gut can be a slow process, but the changes can be profound—not just for the child’s physical health, but for their overall sense of calm, comfort, and capacity to engage in daily life.
Some things to consider and explore are:
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Healing the gut may help ADHD and Autism symptoms!
5. Sensory Integration Therapy
Children with sensory processing challenges often experience the world in ways that feel overwhelming or confusing. Sensory processing challenges are really common for Autistic individuals. They might react strongly to sounds, textures, or lights - or seem unbothered by things that typically catch others’ attention. This can look a lot like ADHD, with children appearing inattentive, impulsive, or emotional in certain environments. You might wonder whether ADHD is the cause, but sensory processing challenges can present with very similar symptoms.
How to Tell the Difference
✅ ADHD is a brain-based condition related to executive function, impulse control, and attention regulation. It impacts all areas of life and is consistent across different environments (school, home, social settings).
✅ Sensory Processing Challenges are more related to how the nervous system reacts to sensory input. A child may struggle more in overstimulating environments but function well in calm, structured settings.
Occupational therapists trained in sensory integration can assess how a child processes different sensory inputs and support them with strategies, equipment, and routines that help their nervous system feel more regulated. It’s not about avoiding sensory experiences, but rather helping the child build tolerance, awareness, and resilience so they can engage in the world with greater ease.
6. Emotional & Behavioural Therapy
Children with ADHD or Autism often experience big feelings, and sometimes those feelings come out in ways that are hard to understand - outbursts, withdrawal, impulsivity, or challenges in social settings. Emotional regulation isn’t something all kids just “pick up- —it needs to be modelled, supported, and gently developed over time.
Psychologists and occupational therapists can work with children to build emotional awareness, co-regulation strategies, and practical tools to manage frustration, transitions, or anxiety. Just as importantly, they can support parents in understanding what’s going on underneath the behaviour and how to respond in ways that strengthen connection rather than control. Therapy is not about changing who a child is, it’s about helping them feel safe in their own skin.
7. Movement-Based Approaches
Movement feels like medicine for the ADHD brain! Kids with ADHD often seek out movement because it helps them regulate and stay engaged. Their brains crave stimulation, and physical activity helps deliver the dopamine they need to focus and function. For Autistic children, movement can also provide grounding and body awareness, particularly when it includes “heavy work” (pushing, pulling, jumping) which helps understand where their body is in space, or vestibular input (spinning, swinging) which controls balance and aids in better coordination. Incorporating these activities into your child's routine can support their sensory needs.
Instead of trying to stop children from moving, movement-based therapies meet this need head-on, using play, rhythm, and purposeful activity to support regulation, learning, and emotional balance. These strategies aren’t about burning energy - they’re about calming the nervous system from the inside out.
8. ENT Evaluation (Ear, Nose & Throat)
Sometimes the behaviours we associate with ADHD or Autism are actually being driven by underlying medical issues - like chronic ear infections, fluid buildup, or sleep apnea. If a child isn’t hearing clearly, sleeping well, or breathing easily, it can impact their ability to pay attention, regulate mood, or follow instructions. Before exploring ADHD or Autism, have you considered how their ears, nose, and throat might be playing a role?
An ENT specialist can assess whether there are physical issues contributing to the challenges you’re seeing at home or school.
How Can an ENT Help?
✅ Hearing & Ear Health – If a child struggles to hear clearly due to fluid buildup, chronic infections, or undiagnosed hearing loss, they may have trouble following directions, staying engaged, or communicating effectively - often mistaken for ADHD or autism-related behaviours.
✅ Sleep-Disordered Breathing – Enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or sleep apnea can cause restless nights and poor-quality sleep. When kids aren’t well-rested, they may show signs of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty focusing—key symptoms often linked to ADHD.
✅ Sensory & Auditory Processing – Some children with autism struggle with how their brain processes sound, but auditory challenges can also stem from ear-related issues that an ENT can assess.
By ruling out or addressing these concerns early, you can ensure your child gets the right support.
Small Changes, Big Shifts
A holistic approach doesn’t mean doing everything at once, and it most definitely doesn’t mean ignoring traditional therapies —it means being curious, compassionate, and open to seeing things through a different lens. It means expanding your toolbox to support whole-body health
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When we support the nervous system, meet sensory needs, nourish the body, and nurture emotional development, we create the conditions for real change.
💡 Start with one small change today and observe how your child responds—over time, these adjustments can make a huge difference in theirs and YOUR daily life!
You’re not alone in this journey. We see you, and we’re here to walk alongside you.
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