The Hidden Drivers of Autism: Inflammation, Toxins & Early Development episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 15, 2026 · 37 MIN

The Hidden Drivers of Autism: Inflammation, Toxins & Early Development

from The Functional Edge with Dr. Julia Ward · host Julia Ward, MD

What if developmental delays weren’t random—but rooted in biology we can actually address? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Paula Kruppstadt to explore the root causes behind autism, ADHD, and chronic childhood illness. We break down inflammation, toxins, genetics, and early-life exposures—and what parents can do to support their child’s brain and long-term health.- - - - - Dr. Paula Kruppstadt is a board-certified pediatrician and a pioneer in Pediatric Functional Medicine. As the founder of Hope for Healing, she specializes in identifying and addressing the root causes of developmental delays and chronic childhood illness, including autism, ADHD, and PANS/PANDAS. An Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP), she integrates nutrigenomics, gut-brain health, and environmental medicine to create personalized healing strategies for children and families.- - - - - 🎧 Get2TheRoot: Hope for Healing PodcastGet2TheRoot: Hope for Healing explores root-cause approaches to health and healing, sharing expert insights, real stories, and practical tools to help listeners uncover the “why” behind their symptoms and move toward lasting wellness.Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/get2theroot.coLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get2theroot-coFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/get2theroot.coYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@get2theroot- - - - - Connect with me:Check out my ⁠website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drjuliaward.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dr. Julia Ward, MD, on ⁠Instagram⁠:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/drjuliaward/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dr. Julia Ward, MD, on LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-ward-md-55b7672a/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dr. Julia Ward, MD, on ⁠Facebook⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/balancedbodyfunctionalmed/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dr. Julia Ward, MD, on ⁠YouTube⁠:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPz2YJi8Lw43i6XwNQiS6wg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PODCASTThank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrTalks.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/⁠

What if developmental delays weren’t random—but rooted in biology we can actually address? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Paula Kruppstadt to explore the root causes behind autism, ADHD, and chronic childhood illness. We break down inflammation, toxins, genetics, and early-life exposures—and what parents can do to support their child’s brain and long-term health.- - - - - Dr. Paula Kruppstadt is a board-certified pediatrician and a pioneer in Pediatric Functional Medicine. As the founder of Hope for Healing, she specializes in identifying and addressing the root causes of developmental delays and chronic childhood illness, including autism, ADHD, and PANS/PANDAS. An Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP), she integrates nutrigenomics, gut-brain health, and environmental medicine to create personalized healing strategies for children and families.- - - - - 🎧 Get2TheRoot: Hope for Healing PodcastGet2TheRoot: Hope for Healing explores root-cause approaches to health and healing, sharing expert insights, real stories, and practical tools to help listeners uncover the “why” behind their symptoms and move toward lasting wellness.Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/get2theroot.coLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/get2theroot-coFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/get2theroot.coYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@get2theroot- - - - - Connect with me:Check out my ⁠website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drjuliaward.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dr. Julia Ward, MD, on ⁠Instagram⁠:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/drjuliaward/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dr. Julia Ward, MD, on LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-ward-md-55b7672a/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dr. Julia Ward, MD, on ⁠Facebook⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/balancedbodyfunctionalmed/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dr. Julia Ward, MD, on ⁠YouTube⁠:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPz2YJi8Lw43i6XwNQiS6wg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PODCASTThank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrTalks.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/⁠

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The Hidden Drivers of Autism: Inflammation, Toxins & Early Development

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This episode was published on April 15, 2026.

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What if developmental delays weren’t random—but rooted in biology we can actually address? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Paula Kruppstadt to explore the root causes behind autism, ADHD, and chronic childhood illness. We break down...

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