FUNTIONAL MEDICINE - That's What!
Integrated Autism Therapies (IAT) is the only ABA and autism related therapies service in Utah that offers a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner (FDN) and a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC) as part of our integrated service options for clients and their families. IAT founders realized from personal experience that autism and traits do not simply stem from just observable behaviors or antecedents. There are biomedical aspects, environmental exposures, inflammation, nutrition deficiencies, and digestive issues that all play a significant role in contributing to autism related behaviors and health issues. Yet these additional aspects are the most overlooked and rarely considered with typical services that only focus on ABA, Speech Pathology, or Occupational Therapy.
IAT has a FMCHC and an FDN practitioner in training on staff to ensure that each client is provided the opportunity to get the most out of their ABA and other autism-related therapies.
So, what exactly is a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach? Most of them are public health professionals in the medical, health, nutrition, or fitness science fields who have received additional and in-depth training.
A FMCHC and FDN are educated with the tools necessary to look at each client individually and search out the root cause of health and behavior issues instead of just addressing symptoms. They apply wellness principles with the goal of deepening each client’s insights about their individual obstacles to health and provide opportunities to overcome them. They don’t diagnose, unless they are a medical practitioner, but they can work alongside practitioners or independently to provide education and resources to assist with improving health and well being that are overlooked at times with traditional health services. Any research and studies provided by a FMCHC or FDN practitioner is required to be evidence and researched based.
A FDN can work with a practitioner to facilitate lab work to investigate sleep issues, food sensitivities, gut permeability, issues breaking down proteins, parasites and pathogens, stress hormones, hormone imbalances, oxidative stress levels and liver congestion. These labs are a service option IAT will be offering soon.