Welcome to Episode 195 of Autism Parenting Secrets. Joining us this week is Dr. Ari Calhoun, owner of Wholesome Brain Medicine, a functional medicine practice focused on optimizing neurodevelopment and emotional regulation from the womb onwards. As an adjunct faculty member at the Medical Academy of Pediatrics, she’s a passionate speaker and educator on the importance of a biomedical approach to neurodevelopment disorders.She is particularly passionate about prevention through perinatal and early development optimization. She co-founded the Vaccine Empowerment Program, which helps support parents in making difficult vaccine decisions.Dr. Calhoun is also a founding supplement formulator and part of the clinical research team at Needed, where she helps to ensure nutritional support during pregnancy and postpartum to support both mom and baby, thereby optimizing neurodevelopment outcomes for our future generation. This episode sheds light on an important but little-understood concept called “immune activation”.Immune activation plays a significant role in brain development and can increase the risk of autism.The secret this week is…Brain on Fire Starts In UteroYou'll Discover:What is a Dysfunctional Immune System? (7:03)Why Synaptic Pruning Matters (9:44)The Importance of Immune Activation In Utero (13:49)Some Key Herbs and Nutrients That Modulate The Immune System (18:37)The Relationship Between Maternal Immune Activation and Autism (24:42)The Role Autoimmunity Plays (33:51)Ways To Address The Obstacles in The Way (40:31)About Our Guest:Dr. Ari Calhoun is the owner of Wholesome Brain Medicine, a functional medicine practice and consulting team focused on optimizing neurodevelopment and emotional regulation from the womb onwards. As an adjunct faculty member at the Medical Academy of Pediatrics, she is a passionate speaker and educator on the importance of a biomedical approach to neurodevelopment disorders. Within the world of neurodevelopment, she is particularly passionate about prevention through perinatal and early development optimization. While recognizing the intricate link between the immune system and neurodevelopment, she has co-founded the Vaccine Empowerment Program, which helps support parents in making difficult vaccine decisions.Dr. Calhoun is also a founding supplement formulator and part of the clinical research team at Needed, where she helps to ensure nutritional support during pregnancy and postpartum and goes beyond the essentials to comprehensively support both mom and baby, thereby optimizing neurodevelopment outcomes for our future generation. https://wholesomebrainmedicine.com/about/dr-ari-calhoun/References in The Episode:Whole Brain MedicineThe Vaccine Empowerment ProgramAdditional Resources:Take The Quiz: What’s YOUR Top Autism Parenting Blindspot?To learn more about Cass & Len, visit us at www.autismparentingsecrets.comBe sure to follow Cass & Len on InstagramIf you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends.