(Re)Defining Autism Through the Lens of Root Cause Medicine

When I was in graduate school I took an Abnormal Psychology course. During that single 9-week course we touched on many different “mental illness” diagnoses, including major depression, bipolar depression, anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, phobias, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD), schizophrenia, and a long list of “personality disorders.” We also covered neurodevelopmental disorders. The discussion on autism encompassed less than one hour. It was the 1990s. The rate of autism diagnosis was increasing rapidly at that time, but the textbooks and instruction still reflected the fact that in the 1980s, autism affected somewhere between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 5,000 American children, so the chance that any of us would really work with a large population of autistic children was expected to be pretty low.

What I was taught about autism was extremely limited. I was taught that if a child met a certain number of criteria listed in the Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), he or she should be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or ASD. The criteria for diagnosis was limited to observable deficits in socialization and communication, and repetitive/obsessive behaviors (lining things up, extreme resistance to change).

The DSM-IV was published in 1994. This was the criteria then:

The most recent version is the DSM-V-TR, which was published in 2022. Here is a worksheet from TriCare, with the most recent version’s criteria:

page 2 of the TriCare Checklist:

As you can see, nothing has changed. All of the criteria to qualify for an autism diagnosis is still behavioral.

Behaviors are symptoms. They don’t tell us the why. Observation without further investigation tells us nothing about underlying causes or reasons for the behaviors. Due to a lack of interest in conducting large-scale government-funded investigations into the underlying causes of autism, the official line continues to be that autism is a neurodivergent variation of human experience and things like chronic, painful gastrointestinal problems are “just part of autism.” Seizures are “just part of autism.” Chronic insomnia is “just part of autism.” As someone who always asks WHY, I cannot understand how chronic diarrhea up to 20 times a day or seizures so violent bones are broken can be attributed to a diagnosis that is based solely on a behavioral checklist.

Until now, the official diagnosis has been the end of the investigative process. Once a child is diagnosed, recommendations are generally limited to behavior-based therapies and psychotropic medications. The goal is to tamp down symptoms and stamp out behaviors. Parents are told there’s nothing else they can do. Accept it. The future is out of your control. Trust the experts. There’s nothing you can do to alter the path.

I know this is not true. I’ve seen what happened with my daughter when we went down the traditional road with multiple medications that were supposed to help lessen behaviors, but which didn’t help and made her symptoms worse. I thank God for the people in my life who encouraged me to go to my first DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) Conference, and later to the AutismOne Conferences. At those conferences I learned about new research and treatments from doctors and scientists who were doing the work and sharing their findings. I learned about things I could do at home to help clean up our environment and diet. We changed a lot. It was work. But it paid off with improvements in all of the behavioral categories in the DSM, to the point where the diagnosis no longer fit.

Knowing there were things I could do as a parent to help my child was empowering. So much of our power is stripped from us when we are told by medical professionals that there is nothing we can do. What a hopeless place to be. What a truly lonely and terrifying feeling. As I think about it, it occurs to me that the push in recent years for acceptance of autism must be such a relief for some parents. It’s exhausting caring for a chronically ill child who doesn’t sleep and for whom the world is a confusing barrage of constant stimulus input that is unpredictable and overwhelming. When our children’s autonomic nervous systems are on constant high alert for years on end with no end in sight and no hope for improvement, some parents may feel a sense of relief from being told, “Accept this.” I’m not one of those parents.

After that first DAN! conference I petitioned and was granted the opportunity to take the Clinician Training and I became a DAN! provider. At the time I was working as a biomedical consultant in a holistic psychiatry practice, in collaboration and under the supervision of a licensed M.D. During my tenure at the clinic, I worked with many families of children and adults diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. I also worked with patients diagnosed with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Dietary interventions, improving gut health, and correcting identified nutritional deficiencies were foundational in the treatment of our mutual patients. I saw many significant improvements, often to the point where patients were coming off their previously prescribed psychiatric medications. As gut health and nutritional status improved, so did their mental health.

For the last two decades I have continued to research and learn. I have come to understand that for many chronic illness states, there are root causes that combine in a synergistic way. In the DAN! days, those scientists and doctors were doing groundbreaking work and sharing their results with each other and with parents who attended the conferences. That was the beginning. The work and the body of knowledge from science and clinical research has expanded considerably since that time. We’ve basically gone from kindergarten to graduate school in our understanding of the root causes of chronic illness, including autism.

Underlying factors include chronic infections, systemic inflammation, tick-borne illness, mold toxicity, and heavy metals. We are learning more every day about the negative effects of emf radiation and screen addiction in children. Environmental allergies, food sensitivities, chemical sensitivity, histamine intolerance and mast cell activation syndrome and the impacts of each on the neurological and immune systems are things we now know are contributing factors and for which there are effective treatments and strategies available. The information and solutions are now known. Unfortunately, only a tiny fraction of families with affected children are aware of their existence or how to access them. That has to change.

If you’ve never heard of MAPS, let me introduce you. MAPS stands for Medical Academy of Pediatrics & Special Needs. This is NOT your average group of pediatricians. MAPS itself is a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to educate physicians and allied health professionals about Root Cause Medicine and effective treatments for chronic illnesses. MAPS is most widely known for their work with children on the autism spectrum, but their work is not limited to those diagnosed with “autism.” Hence, the “… AND special needs.”

Anyone who is suffering from complex, chronic illness is someone with special needs. I say that from experience gained through 7 years of living through CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) and fighting my way back to health using many of the same intervention strategies I used with my daughter. I was disabled for eleven years and was finally able to start working full time again in February of 2025, when I joined the team at Spero Clinic in Fayetteville, Arkansas. For the last sixteen months, I have worked as a clinical research consultant, helping patients diagnosed with CRPS, Long COVID, and Long Vax Syndrome. What I have come to realize through this experience is that the underlying root causes are the same in the adults I’ve worked with as they are in many children diagnosed with autism and other neuro-immune disorders. It’s only the diagnostic label and age of onset that is different. So, once again… what does that label really tell us?

I have absolutely loved the people I’ve met and the work we have accomplished together. Much of that work has involved patient education. Over the course of my working life, the thing that has meant the most to me is when patients or parents tell me I’m good at helping complex things make sense. That is my goal, whether it’s writing for Substack or Facebook, making a PowerPoint presentation, or sitting face-to-face with someone in a clinical setting. I believe in increasing the parent or patient’s sense of control over what often feels like a powerless, hopeless situation. In order to make meaningful changes in our lives, we need things to make sense.

I’ve loved what I’ve been doing, but I also have really missed having the time and connection with what I have come to view as “my community.” I know in my soul that the things that have happened in my life and to my family have been for a reason, and I feel deeply that my life’s purpose aligns with the mission of MAPS, which is to improve the health and well-being of as many children as possible in as short a time as possible. To do that, we need more doctors (MD, DO, Chiropractors, Naturopathic Physicians, Homeopaths) and other health professionals trained in Root Cause Medicine. MAPS is working hard to educate the doctors. The scientists and doctors are sharing research and clinical results and informing and guiding the future of effective treatments. It’s the very definition of translational medicine.

Okay… confession time. In the Fall of 2025, I became a stalker. Honey Rinicella was my target. Honey is the Executive Director of MAPS. We’ve been Facebook friends for some time, but we never met in person until November of 2025, when I tracked her down at the CHD Conference in Austin.

My goal from this meeting was to pitch myself and see if there was room for me at MAPS. In any capacity. We talked over the next few months. I attended the MAPS Conference in March 2026 in North Carolina and worked as a volunteer. I had the absolute pleasure of assisting the fabulous Maureen McDonnell as she presided over the inaugural MAPS Parent Conference. I came away from the conference more convinced than ever that this was where I wanted and needed to be.

I definitely believe in manifestation and as of July 1, 2026, I am the new Parent Education Consultant for MAPS. I couldn’t be more thrilled, humbled, and grateful. This is a busy time as we are preparing for the upcoming MAPS Conference in Philadelphia September 10-13. The Parent Conference is returning, and I am privileged to be the moderator for the conference.

The theme of the September 2026 MAPS Conference is (Re)Defining Autism.

The MAPS Parent Conference was created in response to a growing need within our community for accessible, medically grounded education for parents navigating chronic complex conditions in their children. While MAPS is not a parent support group, we recognize that informed families are empowered families, and we are committed to providing education that helps parents better understand the medical, neurological, immunological, and developmental challenges their children may face.

This year’s conference,

ReDefining Autism, reflects an important shift in how many clinicians are approaching autism. Historically, autism has been diagnosed primarily through behavioral observations, often without fully exploring the biological factors that may be contributing to those behaviors. Emerging research is helping us better understand how differences in brain function, neurological systems, immune health, metabolism, and biochemistry can influence development and behavior. By understanding these underlying factors, clinicians can move beyond simply describing symptoms and instead identify opportunities for more individualized evaluation and care.

Designed specifically for parents and caregivers, this interactive experience includes a full day of education from leading experts, engaging roundtable discussions, and opportunities to ask questions directly of experienced clinicians. Our goal is to help bridge the gap between families and medical education while restoring hope through knowledge, practical insights, and meaningful conversations. Whether you are seeking a better understanding of your child’s diagnosis, exploring emerging research, or simply looking to connect with others on a similar journey, we hope you will join us for a day of learning, encouragement, and community.

REGISTER NOW - Use the code MARCELLA20 for $20 off.

It’s about getting beyond the diagnosis. It’s about learning what potential root causes might be contributing factors and learning about treatments for those root causes. It’s about meeting other parents and learning about what has worked for their children. It’s about finding community and connection. It’s about hope. And it’s about healing. Whether you are a parent of a newly diagnosed child or if your loved one is now an adolescent or adult, this conference is for you. If your child is not diagnosed with autism, but has other chronic health issues, this conference is for you, too.

The parent conference is available for in-person attendance for those who are able to travel or are close to the Philadelphia area. The Sunday Conference is also available through livestream online. Presentations will be available to view for three weeks after the conference.

These are the topics for the Saturday Night Round Table Session:

And these are the topics and presenters for the Sunday Conference:

Use the code MARCELLA20 for $20 off.

We need you. Historically, parents have been the ones who have pushed for change. With the current rate of autism in the United States (officially) at 1 in 31 children, we need more doctors and professionals who understand the medical complexities and who are vested in working with families to improve the lives and futures of our children.

MAPS is growing rapidly, but with the increase in diagnosis, we need to grow faster. You can help with that mission. There are many doctors and other health professionals who are frustrated and want to help families, but they are limited in their current abilities because they don’t have the training or support necessary to fully understand where to start or how to proceed. The Medical Community at MAPS provides that training and mentorship. If you have a doctor who you believe would be open to learning about MAPS, encourage him or her to attend a conference. MAPS has made it easy for you: Click here to Recruit Your Doctor. If your doctor decides to register, share the MARCELLA20 code with him/her for 20% off the cost of the Clinician’s Conference.

And finally, please join us on Facebook at the MAPS Parent Support Page, where you can stay up to speed on all things related to the upcoming conference, access additional parent resources, and connect with other parents who are walking a similar path.

Educated and empowered parents are an essential part of the future for all children diagnosed with autism and other neuro-immune conditions. Educated parents are able to take what they learn and in turn, help us to educate the medical community caring for our children. We are stronger together, and I am honored to be a part of this mission. I sincerely hope to see you in Philadelphia in September.