Episode 305 — Address Root Causes Or Stay Stuck
Guest: Maureen McDonnell • Date: April 30, 2026
Episode Overview
Maureen McDonnell joins Len to explore why more information isn’t the solution parents are looking for. Joined by Taryn McCracken, she explains why focusing on root causes and practical, parent-friendly guidance is what actually leads to meaningful progress.
About Maureen McDonnell
Maureen McDonnell was a holistic pediatric Registered Nurse for more than 40 years. She has organized conferences, summits, and events since the early 1990s to educate and empower families to pursue optimal health outside of a pharmaceutically dominated system.
She served as National Coordinator of the Defeat Autism Now conferences and later founded Millions Against Mandates to promote collaboration within the health freedom movement. Today, she leads the Children’s Health Solutions Series, providing practical, natural, and affordable guidance for parents.
Taryn McCracken, Creative Director of the Children’s Health Solutions Series, also joins the conversation. She plays a key role in transforming expert interviews into engaging, parent-friendly learning experiences.
Learn more at:
https://ChildrensHealthSolutions.org
https://MillionsAgainstMandates.org
You’ll Discover
Why Awareness Is Increasing, But Overwhelm Still Persists (3:10)
How To Identify Practitioners Who Truly Understand Root Causes (9:12)
The Critical Role Parents Play In Guiding Their Child’s Healing (13:05)
Why Most Conventional Approaches Miss The Bigger Picture (17:22)
How To Turn Information Into Action Without Getting Overwhelmed (36:02)
Full Transcript
Maureen McDonnell 0:00
Western medicine really shines when you're talking about acute care, when you're talking about emergency situations. You know your child has appendicitis, you break an arm, you God forbid, you have a heart attack. I want to go to the ER and I want top physicians who really excel in the western medicine model. But when you have a chronic health condition, your child has anxiety, your child has ADHD, your child has autism, they've been injured by vaccines. Say you have chronic fatigue, some sort of autoimmune illness. I'm sorry, the Western medical model does not work. It does not work. It's inept, it's antiquated, and in many cases, when they jump in to help, they can do more harm than good.
Len Arcuri 0:46
If you're a parent of a child with autism, you are being called to rise with love, courage and clarity. This journey isn't easy, and most parents aren't equipped, but you can be. This podcast is your invitation to rise higher because how you navigate matters. I'm Len and this is autism parenting secrets, where you become the parent your child needs now. Hello and welcome to autism parenting secrets. There's more information available to parents today, more than ever, and there's podcasts, there's practitioners giving guidance protocols. It's everywhere, and yet so many parents are still overwhelmed, and because they're taking in so much without a clear way to really actually use it, and even the best information, if it doesn't turn into action, gets left on the table. So that's why I'm excited to share resources that truly help parents cut through the noise, and that's why today's guest, Maureen McDonnell is here with us, and she's spent decades doing exactly that. She's worked alongside pioneers, Dr Sid Baker, and helped shape the defeat Autism NOW conferences and now through the Children's Health solution series, she is bringing forward trusted voices and turning their insights into practical, parent friendly guidance, but even with the right information, many parents still struggle to move forward. So today we're going to talk about who to trust, what actually matters, and how parents can move forward with more clarity. And the secret this week is address root causes or stay stuck. Welcome. Maury,
Maureen McDonnell 2:27
thanks so much. Len, thanks for having us.
Len Arcuri 2:29
I'm thrilled. And again, your voice is a powerful one. I'm excited for our listeners, and I know I teed up a lot in your history and what this episode's about, but ultimately it is about taking actions, and unless you are really addressing root causes, it's very unlikely that the progress that you're hoping to see will materialize. So I know touching on that key insight is key, but otherwise, I'm excited to welcome you, and since you've been at this for many decades, I'm just wondering right now, when you look around, you know, and you think about parents today, what feels most different to you today than perhaps when you started decades ago,
Maureen McDonnell 3:11
awareness, I think there's a huge paradigm shift happening right now when it comes to health, and especially the health of our children. I think we previously have all been programmed to consult the experts when we have a condition, or our child has a condition, get a label or a diagnosis for that condition, and then the paradigm of Western medicine is basically see if there's a medication, or, in the case of autism, certain therapies are recommended, but often there's a lack of hope, there's a lack of inspiration, there's a lack of options. And in the past, I'd say, 30 years, that's shifted. Parents now are aware that there are root causes to their child's condition. You know, things like the child's mitochondria is affected. Their gut microbiome is a problem. Often in autism, there's they often have dysregulated immune systems. Their nervous system is not regulated. There's all kinds of underlying issues that a typical western medical doctor, psychiatrist, neurologist, they're not aware of and thankfully, based on the work of Dr Sydney Baker, Dr Bernie Rimland and now Dr Neuenschwander, Dr Elizabeth mumper, Dr Larry palevsky, many of the doctors who are involved with the Medical Academy of Pediatric. In special needs, which is maps where doctors go to get trained, to learn that how to deal with these, first of all, how to recognize, how to test for these underlying root causes, and then what treatments are helpful to help bring that child back into a regulated state and, and so we're in the midst of that paradigm shift. So we're parents now are not just running for a label. They're they're looking more deeply into what caused this problem. And and what can I do that's practical in many cases, hopefully natural and and also affordable, because when you enter this path of autism and autism treatment, it can get very overwhelming, confusing, expensive, and Just it results in a lot of stress and emotional turmoil for parents, as you well know. So, yeah, I think that that's the difference is, you know, back when I worked in labor and delivery, back in the late 1980s and 1990s and actually it was 1970s and 1980s parents, there were some that were choosing natural childbirth, choosing to breastfeed, choosing to raise their kids in a natural way. But I'm finding many, many, many more parents now are saying, Look, I'm going to question this crazy vaccine schedule that's escalated beyond belief. I'm going to question the type of toxic cleaning products that are in my child's school, you know, I'm going to question the nutritional value of the food that I'm purchasing or growing or have access to, or my child has access to, especially at school. And so this awareness is, is what's propelling this paradigm shift, and it's really exciting to see that. And Taryn is a perfect example. Taryn is the creative director for the work that we do, the Children's Health solution series, which I'll explain in a minute. But she's a young mom of three children birthed at home and and home schools in a home school Co Op, and is just so aware, much more aware than many, many parents that I knew back back in the day. So it's exciting. It's an exciting time.
Len Arcuri 7:37
Great. Well, yeah, Taryn, great to have you here as well. And again, this is meant to be a free flowing conversation, and I appreciate what you're sharing, Maureen, in the sense that you're seeing, you know, looking in the rear view mirror, that there's much greater awareness on the part of parents, which is phenomenal when you talk about practitioners, though, there may be more practitioners, like the maps practitioners that you mentioned, who are more aware, more equipped, see things, perhaps through a different lens and take a more holistic view. But by and large, conventional practitioners, it may not be much different than it was decades ago, which is why, as you're navigating in the space as a parent, knowing, being more discerning on what's true, what information is out there, and who especially to lean on from a guidance perspective, is a very important aspect of navigating
Maureen McDonnell 8:32
absolutely i i encourage parents back when I taught natural child roast classes And and now when I interact with parents who are seeking help from the medical world or practitioners, interview them, interview them, ask them questions. Set up a time when you can be face to face and interview them like you're interviewing a building contractor, you know a plumber, they you need to resonate with them. You need to to feel that they understand the various pathways that your particular child and you have to go down in order to get some answers and get some, get some improvement in your child's health behavior developmental issues. So I think that's really important is, yes, I, I, my hope is that every practitioner who wants to enter this field, or who is in this field of trying to help children with developmental behavior or health problems, will attend the maps conference, the Medical Academy of Pediatric and special needs, because it's there that these doctors and nurse practitioners and chiropractors learn how complex a condition autism can be, and they look at each child, hopefully they look at. Each child individually. That's what they're being taught, stemming all the way from Dr Sydney Baker's influence on the defeat Autism NOW Conference, which morphed into Maps conferences, but that's key is looking at each child individually. There's no cookie cutter approach. Not every child has low zinc level, not every child has a mitochondrial deficiency, not every child has microbiome dysregulation, most of them do, but each child has to be looked at individually, and then the practitioner needs to know which labs to really help them identify the particular problems that child has. And then once those results are back and a good physical exam is done, and you see what's going on with that child, what are the then the practitioner's job is to help the parents prioritize the interventions. You know, I may do an array of testing and come back with 30 things that are off base. But first of all, what is that parent ready for? What is that child ready for? And how can I? How can I help guide them through that pathway that doesn't make them crazy, that starts to bring about the changes you want to see in the child. And that's, again, I think parents in this realm, one of the one of the top recommendations I have is to seek out a Maps trained clinician, and every single episode we do of the Children's Health solution series, we basically not only interview a Maps trained holistic pediatrician, but several times throughout the episode, we recommend people find a clinician through that organization
Len Arcuri 11:59
The maps list of practitioners, right? Because they're listed there, they've gone through certain training. They have a lot of the qualities you mentioned, so it's a great way of narrowing your focus, but a lot of it does come down to a parent getting even more clear on who would be a fit for them. And I think one thing that you touched on, which I bring up all the time on this show, is that for a practitioner, a quality that's really important is curiosity. And frankly, many practitioners do not have any curiosity. They have their protocol. They have what they learned. It hasn't changed in decades. So when you talk about these maps practitioners, the Medical Academy of Pediatric and special needs, they all generally have that quality. But then even math practitioners are going to vary from person to person. So as a as a parent, if you believe what Maureen is saying, and I suggest that you do believe it, it's so individualistic for your child, you have to really look at your child say, hey, who would be a fit as a great medical guide, or as a great practitioner for my child. And if you think that through more clearly, I think you'll find that you can rule a lot of people out who might be closer to you, but not a fit. And that's where, if you're trying to discern who might be a fit, Matt's practitioners, people who show up in that directory, and I'll include the link in the show notes, are much more likely to be a fit, perhaps, for what's what's going to be helpful for your child. And then that goes to the idea of, if you're having that guide, having a root cause approach is absolutely essential,
Maureen McDonnell 13:34
essential. And also one thing Dr Sydney Baker taught me, who was this extraordinary holistic pediatrician who went to Yale and trained a lot of doctors in this how to really analyze what was going on with the child and help each child individually. He always said to me and anybody he taught, listen to the parents. Honor the parents. The parents have. They hold the key. They know that child better than anyone. So if you're sitting, you find yourself sitting before a practitioner who isn't honoring your perspective, your ideas, that's a red flag. You have to find someone that you resonate with and someone who respects you as the parent, and yes, they are the guide. There's it gets very complex with all these different conditions these kids have you want someone who really knows their science, who really stays on top of the research, who who gets themselves trained at these different conferences, especially the maps conference, because they have really cutting edge presentations at these conferences, but mostly you want to feel that mutual respect. I think that's really, really key. And another thing about listening to parents that Dr Baker taught me when I after several years of working together every day, I went off on my own. And he became my medical supervisor. And I said to Dr Baker, I said, I'll never be as smart as you. You know you went to Yale, and I'm just a nurse, and you know, you're just so brilliant. And he said, listen to the parents. They will give you the guidance you need. They will tell you where to start, and you know how to proceed, really, but it's listening and it's honoring. That's that's very critical in this particular realm of of helping children with these complex situations.
Taryn McCracken 15:32
There's two parallel systems right now which we talk about, and there's the standard pediatric treatment, where the pediatricians are treating the symptoms, and then there's this whole new emergency system of these maps doctors and different pediatricians who are actually focused on the root cause, and looking at the total child, the whole even from the outside in. And I feel these that parents are, you know, we're taught, at least in the millennial generation, to go on this parallel system with the standard pediatrician who you meet, you visit them for 10 minutes. They barely know your child, and they and what they're treating is they look at Big Pharma and they get your prescription, and that's it. And so many parents these days are actually waking up and going, Wait, that doesn't feel right. That's that didn't work for me when I was growing up, and now it's not working for my child, and they're shifting and looking for this other system that is being that is which we're, we all met at, which is so beautiful, which is coming in and becoming more popular at the maps conference that we just went to, there's over, I think, 250 new pediatricians that are that were there. So it's helping these parents find their new this new system that's being that's emerging right now. And I think it's such a beautiful time. And what I've noticed through having young kids is the groups, the online groups, have been so helpful to find these different alternatives. And then what we've created with the Children's Health solution series, we're giving parents that foundational knowledge to help them when they're going to look for the pediatrician that clicks and understands them, they actually have tools in their toolbox so they're not going in completely blind. They have the baseline knowledge to say, Okay, well, this pediatrician brought up this certain type of homeopathics, which I actually know a little bit about, and and that feels really good, because I wanted to try that. So what I think is so beautiful about the Children's Health Solutions is we're actually delivering such a beautiful foundation and knowledge for parents so that they're not completely blind when going out and looking for the correct pediatrician to find the root cause for their child.
Maureen McDonnell 17:52
And also, I think it's important, and I've as I get older, I mellow. I've mellowed a little bit, and my understanding and what I want to project now about the medical world, especially having a stepson who's a wonderful ER doc, is that Western medicine really shines when you're talking about acute care, when you're talking about emergency situations. You know your child has appendicitis, you break an arm, you, God forbid, you have a heart attack. I want to go to the ER and I want top physicians who really excel in the western medicine model. But when you have a chronic health condition, your child has anxiety, your child has ADHD, your child has autism. They've been injured by vaccines. Say you have chronic fatigue, some sort of autoimmune illness. I'm sorry, the Western medical model does not work. It does not work. It's inept, it's antiquated, and in many cases, when they jump in to help, they can do more harm than good. So example, the overuse of antibiotics for recurrent infections. You know, that's one of the biggest things. When kids have ear infections over and over again, and they just get more antibiotics and stronger antibiotics, and it completely destroys their microbiome. And so much the immune system is located in the gut, so many allergies can develop from that overuse of antibiotics and so and then you become desensitized to antibiotics when you really need them in the future. So that shift that, that separation, I think, is becoming clear to people, that emergency, God bless Western medicine, chronic health conditions, complex disorders, like like autism and these other things we talked about, you've got to find somebody that really is, as you say, Len, curious, that really keeps studying this and that can help guide you with respect. Um. Um, through this kind of narrow pathway that that happens when you're trying to get to the root cause of your child's problems. But man, when it's done right with the right person, the right testing, things are prioritized correctly. There's mutual respect between the physician and the parents and the child, like I witnessed so many times working with Dr Sydney Baker as his nurse, you see progress, you see children improve. May not always recover, but the now, it's decades later since Dr Baker began this journey, and so they're digging even deeper into other areas that Dr Baker and I, back when we started, were were not doing. So it's an exciting time, and yes, what we do with the Children's Health solution series is we take one condition at a time, whether it's, again, your child's anxiety, whether it's ADHD autism, how to treat whooping cough and measles. Now that a lot of people aren't getting vaccinated, or they're doing less vaccines for their children, some of these infections, I don't want to call them diseases, but natural childhood infections are coming back, and parents are ill equipped to deal with them, so we're addressing that in an episode of the Children's Health solution series. So many kids and adults have Lyme disease, and that's such a complicated situation. Well, we take each of those conditions and we create an episode around that condition. We number one, we interview the top, one of the top holistic pediatricians in that particular field. Number two, I ask questions along with our co host. My co host is Layla setner, and Layla is a very holistic educator. She has a school that teaches mindfulness and has gluten casein free, sugar free chefs, and she has a wellness several wellness centers. So she's a great one to co host with me, and we ask questions that parents want to know and very, very targeted, but ones that make sense. And as Taryn said, these episodes then help lay the foundation for parents to understand that particular condition, the root causes and the natural, affordable and practical treatment protocols. And what Taryn does is she takes that interview, she takes about, I don't know, six, seven weeks, because she's an incredible creative artist, and she turns that interview into a very engaging, inspiring, visually pleasing episode that has graphics and music and all types of visuals that help the parent understand that condition. So there'll be, there'll be graphics of mitochondria. There'll be, you know, a visual of what glutathione looks like. There'll be, you know, just ways to help us break down these complex scientific understandings and and break it down so we can all digest it. And then parents are equipped with this basic knowledge given to them from the top people in that field. And then, like Taran said, if you go to a Maps practitioner at that point, after viewing one of these episodes that are relevant for your child, you're going to be much better equipped. And that was always my thing with if you're going to spend the money to go and see a doctor who's done all this work and goes to all these conferences and gets all this training, you're probably going to pay a little bit more than your average pediatrician, and so you're as a parent, the best thing you can do is prepare the soil, is create the foundation, and that's what these children's health solution series episodes do. And best of all, they're free, so we have a sponsor. We're able to pay the doctor for their time. So we pay them for these hour plus interviews. We pay for the production, and we have a very generous sponsor. And so then we make them free to parents, teachers, therapists, other practitioners, so they can gain insights into that particular condition that maybe they didn't have before.
Len Arcuri 24:50
Great. Yeah, no, I appreciate you expanding on that. So, yeah, it's a video series very well produced. Can definitely help you hit the ground running when you start working with a practitioner. And it also might. Help you have greater awareness to ascertain who that right practitioner might be. So that's where information is key. You raising your your awareness to a heightened sense of awareness is really important, and that's where just a regular Google search might reveal sources that seem credible, that seem that are mainstream and generally accepted, which, again, may actually steer you in the wrong direction. And so that's where I know, even before we started recording, we were talking about the concept of, you know, what's in the mainstream, and there is a lot of misinformation in the mainstream in terms of things that are generally agreed upon that may not be really accurate, or at the very least, may not be the right fit for your child. So I loved how you talked about Dr Sydney Baker and his guidance, right the parent has key insights and a sense that no one else will. And so to be able to work with a practitioner who acknowledges and understands that, who cherishes that, you know? So I think we we now have two key qualities of practitioners, right? The first one was curiosity, and then the second one is somebody who actually listens to the parent. And the reality is, the conventional world, there's no time for a practitioner to be curious or to listen, which is why, if you want someone who's going to really give you personalized guidance of what's right for your child, more than likely, you'll have to invest in someone who might cost more, but will be able to take the time to give you something that's tailored to your child, as opposed to a one size fits all.
Taryn McCracken 26:38
Yeah, those practitioners are there. They're trained on that one lane, that one pair. They have the blinders on. They're not going to see all of the other ways to treat the trial, because that's not what they're here to do. They want to keep you within the system that they have been trained on that has worked for X amount of years, X amount of patient. Worked, worked, which we all know, it works for a different system than what we're aiming for with our children. And another thing that I found very helpful, that I just want to reflect back is, instead of using the Google search, I've shifted and now I'm asking these questions in these moms groups, there's this natural minded mom group, and hearing from the parents who have lived through the experiences with their child, who have done who have been on this road longer than I am, I have found so many more valuable insights and information than honestly on Google. It's almost like just creating these little micro networks between parents and with maps. Maps is actually we just had the first parent conference, which was just geared to getting parents together. And so parents could ask the experts the questions, and then the parents go back into their own networks and share the information with their with their little groups in their town. So I just see that parent to parent connection being so valid, especially with the era of AI and where we're going with that we really don't know the truth when we're just blindly searching on Google. And so really just making sure this, that we create this intergenerational and these parent groups to continue spreading the truth knowledge about what we've seen with these children and the results that we're getting with the with these natural, affordable and practical solutions?
Len Arcuri 28:30
Yeah, no, and that's where the overwhelm is, because there's so many more ways to get information. And some parent support groups can be dynamite. Others can be horrendous in the self. So you have to be really discerning about, again, where are you getting your information from? And again, I think we all would like to say, hey, well, what we believe is accurate everyone else is, isn't you know. So that's where you have to really understand who's putting it together, what the source. And that's where, again, in the mainstream, there's a lot of great information, and there's a lot of great conventional pediatricians that for certain kids could be a great fit. But the reality is, most parents, at least, who are watching this have a complex child who's not easy to figure out, and that's where even more so you want somebody who's listening, who's tuned in, and again, who can give you guidance of what makes sense for your child, and perhaps what to do and in what order, because there's an art to this. So you're a parent going it alone. You know, it's really important to have the right people on your team who are advising you. You're still the decision maker, but make sure you have the right people in the right box and Absolutely. Taryn, yes, you can also really benefit from what other parents have gone through. But again, just be discerning, because there's a lot of parent support groups that are out there where people parents are well intentioned, but also sharing information that might cut against what's going to be right for your child. So the key is, stay in that decision making mode. Take in perspectives, but. Never Surrender your authority to anyone, whether it's a practitioner or being overly influenced by another parent, because your child may be very different than than their child
Maureen McDonnell 30:09
and and what I love about maps too, that, not that this is a commercial for maps, but, you know,
Len Arcuri 30:14
like maps,
Maureen McDonnell 30:16
they're very careful about vetting their presenters. You know, we used to do that with the defeat autism. Now conferences too. There were other conferences where, if you had the latest shiny Penny, you know, you could get up to the podium and tell parents that this penny was going to save your child. And what I loved about being the organizer, the coordinator of the defeat Autism NOW conference is working with Dr Bernie rimlin, Sid Baker and Dr John Pangborn is every presenter went through their filter, and they had to have be well referenced, and the information had to be really solid before we would allow them to get up there in front of these vulnerable parents Who are just waiting for, you know, the miracle cure and but like on these parent groups and other types of conferences, you don't have that. You don't have that vetting system. And I also just wanted to go back for a second and explain one of the reasons your typical allopathic medical doctor isn't well versed in what we're talking about. Root cause is because in their training, as Taryn alluded to, you know, it's very pharmaceutically based, but they are not taught to open Pandora's box. The root cause Pandora's box is toxins. You have to look at all the toxins that are affecting our kids, everything from, you know, the food they're eating that's containing glyphosate and other pesticides and the chemtrails and unfiltered water, and, I mean, personal care products, cleaning products, you just goes on and on. So that's one part of the triangle, and then the other part is diet. You know, Bobby Kennedy right now is trying to implement, I think it's up to 50 med schools now have agreed to teach nutrition in med schools. It was 26 a couple weeks ago. Now, 50 have agreed. So that's, I don't know what they're going to be learning, but, you know, a little basic training there wouldn't hurt
Len Arcuri 32:19
step in the right direction,
Maureen McDonnell 32:21
another factor that typical allopathic doctors are totally ill equipped to deal with, and that nutrition piece, that diet piece, is so critical in children who are on the autism spectrum, detoxing their life and adding really great nutrition
Taryn McCracken 32:38
and environmental such as EMFs is a new this is all new. Too. Weird.
Maureen McDonnell 32:43
Vaccines. Sorry, that's the third part of the triangle. You know when your kids are getting 26 in the first year and 52 before the age of five and 79 before age 18? I mean, parents are definitely waking up to that, and allopathic doctors typically are not questioning that third element of the triangle, and and parents are and and people who are aware and conscious and trying to help our kids identify the root causes are looking at all three of those areas. But as Dr Baker, who used to say, if all you have is a hammer to heal a child, everything looks like a nail, right? But in this case, you need more tools. You need more tools in your toolbox to identify the real root causes of your child's condition. So yeah, the hammer can be helpful, but there's a lot of other tools that practitioners need to acquire in order to truly help these children with these complex conditions?
Len Arcuri 33:43
Yep, and there's a lot of different ways of characterizing the root causes. You can bucket them like as you did in certain ways, but you know, one other helpful way is just it's all about traumas, thoughts and toxins. Those are three things that could absolutely be root causes, and that applies for your child. It can apply to you as a parent in terms of what might be holding you back? And yeah, there's a lot in the environment, right? We live in a much more toxic environment, so the goal is to play better defense, perhaps, if there's issues, then the detoxification is key. And again, it's a much more complex environment. Now, currently, what we're dealing with is radically different than you know when you started out. Maureen, right in terms of, it's always been a toxic world, but we're in a exponentially more so. And number of the items that you mentioned, whether it's EMFs, vaccines, again, it comes down to for your child, your unique child, what is something that's not a fit for them? What's something where you need to be better playing better defense, and it's a really hard thing for a parent to figure out in isolation, which is why forming your team, having good advisors, having parents who are further down the road, all that can be helpful. Just be very discerning on who gets a place at the table, who gets to be on the team. Them, because not everyone with opinion belongs on your team.
Maureen McDonnell 35:03
Right? Exactly, exactly. So I would just encourage parents to check out our website, the Children's Health solutions.org website, which is where every one of these episodes are available. And as I said, they access them for free. But we interviewed Kathy me and the other day from mindset kids, and she just off the cuff, said this statement that when you become aware, you have to share. And so that's really our role. And I believe it's the it's it's a role other parents need if we're really trying to create a new paradigm, and as Taryn said, a parallel system that's really impactful and going to help more and more families. Then when you become aware, it's almost like, I hate to sound put a little Irish guilt on you, but it's really our obligation to share. So I really hope when people go to that website and watch an episode or two or three or six or seven, they will let their like parents in their group who are like minded also have access to the website and these episodes.
Len Arcuri 36:26
I think that's a very dynamite suggestion. Yes. So consume the content, watch the videos. I love the care that you both put into creating these assets, these, these, these tools or resources for parents. So yes, consume it and then before you share it, though, which definitely do that, put it into action. Because, again, it's easy to watch the videos and then nothing happens, right? No, there's no Nothing's different. And it's just like with the maps conference dynamite that they had a parent day at the last conference. I know they're going to have another multi day conference in September, and I'll include a link to that in the show notes as well. But again, just showing up for a conference and consuming things unless you can find a way to put it into action. Then again, it's awareness can only get you so far. So the key is ultimately, having a plan that's addressing the root cause. You as a parent, know your child better, you can formulate that, but make sure you have the right support around you to be able to actually, ultimately turn it into consistent action. Because we know there's a lot that's more, much more as possible for these kids, for sure, but it ultimately requires, usually, and I'm sure you'll both agree, uncomfortable action. Usually what is needed is never easy, but it makes all the difference.
Taryn McCracken 37:47
Yeah, I like to call it fun comfortable. So shifting from the UN to the fun, and instead of be it's just sometimes you can feel so overwhelmed, especially after that parent conference. It's like, wow, where do I begin? And it's just that one stepping stone. So just one new shift a month. Let's focus on this one new skill, this one root cause a month has been really beneficial for me, and then in the next and three months goes by and you just shifted three major things, either in your environment or your diet, or maybe you paused on the vaccine schedule, whichever avenue you do in the next six months, look at, look at all the progress you've made. So not you don't have to make all those changes immediately, but just focusing on one thing in your stepping stone to success with your child
Maureen McDonnell 38:36
and also Len you. You mentioned that another triangle, the trauma, thoughts and toxins and thoughts are incredibly powerful. And as parents go through this, having a positive attitude, because it can feel overwhelming if you choose to, you know, address it like an avalanche of information. But if you're focused on your intention, you know, to help your child to optimize their health and well being, and you stay positive in your thought process, you're going to attract the right people the right situations. I imagine that's what you do. Len in your consulting, you help parents, well, explain that a little bit to
Len Arcuri 39:18
me. Yeah, it's Well, I appreciate that. Yeah, it's a huge part of how I advise parents, and it is helping them to reveal because, because the mindset you're right is important, that attitude and that we can adopt, but it's usually the second piece, which are the beliefs that we're holding. You know, these stories that we tell ourselves that we are certain are true, and those tend to generate the friction that can hold a parent back. So yeah, I've dedicated my life to helping parents unearth these stories, these beliefs. Because if you can just become aware of what's hidden, parents can shift like that. So this, if you visualize the journey of a parent helping their child, and they're carrying this big. Backpack. There's a lot of weight on their shoulders. They can shed an incredible amount of weight just by reprogramming, reprogramming themselves in terms of these stories that they tell themselves. So yeah, that's a huge part of it, and it's usually stories the parents telling themselves, about their child, or about, quote, unquote, autism, or more often than not, definitely was the case for myself. It's about these stories we tell ourselves about ourselves that can really weigh us down. And there's such a liberating feeling when you can course correct and shift in a much more powerful way that plus a positive mindset, the parents, unstoppable,
Maureen McDonnell 40:38
fabulous. I love that. I think we're all unstoppable, you know, I think with that type of tools in our tool bag, you know, we have we have the knowledge and the awareness and the paradigm is shifting. We have each other. There's so many great organizations now, you know, you look at what del big tree is doing. You look at what children's health Defense is doing. You look at what moms across America are doing. Look at what you're doing. Look at what Cathy Meehan is doing with mindset, where she's connecting families with holistic pediatricians. And of course, the Children's Health solution series, and you know, ma'am the millions against mandates is is taking its focus and putting it more on the Children's Health Solutions. Now, we've done a lot of work in the in the realm of trying to get rid of mandates and making people aware of of of what's going on, what was going on during covid and how to stay healthy, but our focus now is shifting more to just the solutions for our children. So we I, and I know Taryn too, we really appreciate you having us on the show and being able to talk a little bit more about this exciting program that we created with the help of Layla CENTNER, and we just, you know, we shared it with 10s of 1000s of people, but my goal, honestly, is to share it with millions of people around the world. I think it's so focused on practical solutions and and natural things that they can do and and and in many cases, very affordable. So it's a shift in mindset, it's a shift in lifestyle, but it's it's so worth it, and and all of us are there to help support and guide parents.
Len Arcuri 42:35
Wonderful. Well, thank you both for what you're doing, you and your whole team, and I'm delighted to be able to help spread the word about this resource, so everyone will be in the show notes, but otherwise, check it out. I can guarantee you there's at least one topic, probably many topics, that are quite relevant for what you might be experiencing. So again, thank you both for the time and care that you're putting into this and just wishing you great success in getting this out to more parents. Thank you. Len, appreciate your time. Your child needs you running on all cylinders now, and the fastest way to rise is with personalized one on one. Support. Get started today. Go to elevatehowyounavigate.com
