Biohacking Autism with Nadia Elkhatib.

This is the 29-minute Essentials edition of my conversation with Dr. Dayan Goodenowe. The full episode, with more on testing, maternal health and where his research is headed, is here: https://biohackautism.com/podcast/dayan-goodenowe-autism-brain-development-plasmalogens/What does the brain need to build itself, and why does the answer matter for a child with autism and for the parent caring for them?Dr. Dayan Goodenowe, PhD, is a neuroscientist, biochemist and the founder of Prodrome Sciences. In this condensed edition he walks through the brain as a wiring project: raw wires at birth, myelin as the insulation that lets signals stay separate, and why myelination is adaptive rather than pre-programmed. From there he explains why incomplete myelination can make noise and light overwhelming, why children with autism show reduced white matter on imaging, and where neuroinflammation and mitochondrial stress fit in.The middle of the conversation is about plasmalogens: what they are, why the body has to make them in peroxisomes, why they cannot be eaten intact, and how the body spends them like a fire blanket on inflammation. Nadia and Dr. Goodenowe then follow the same biology into later life: age as the main driver of cognitive decline, what ApoE4 actually changes, cortical thickness as the brain's muscle, and why a baseline measurement matters more than a diagnosis.IN THIS EDITIONThe brain as a wiring diagram: axons, synapses and myelinWhy myelination is adaptive, and why deep sleep is part of itSensory overload explained through incomplete myelinationWe learn by receiving: what that changes for parentsWhat plasmalogens are and why the brain needs themWhy plasmalogens cannot be eaten intactNeuroinflammation, white matter and resilience in autismAutism and Alzheimer's as two ends of the same biologyAge, ApoE4 and when dementia startsCortical thickness: the brain's muscleBaseline testing without obsessing over itCONNECT WITH DR. DAYAN GOODENOWEDr. Dayan Goodenowe is a neuroscientist and biochemist, the founder of Prodrome Sciences, founder of Dr. Goodenowe's Dietary Therapeutics, and the author of Breaking Alzheimer's.Dr. Goodenowe's education site: https://drgoodenowe.comProdrome Sciences (for practitioners): https://prodrome.comDr. Goodenowe has a financial interest in Prodrome Sciences and in plasmalogen products discussed during this conversation.FULL EPISODEEpisode 34, the complete conversation: https://biohackautism.com/podcast/dayan-goodenowe-autism-brain-development-plasmalogens/Episode 28 (solo, hormones and lipids), where this conversation was first previewed: https://biohackautism.com/podcast/autism-blood-work-thyroid-hormones-insulin/MEDICAL DISCLAIMERThis episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health protocol or your child's protocol.Several compounds and tests discussed in this episode are investigational or are not FDA-approved for the uses discussed. The plasmalogen precursor program described is in a pre-IND stage of an FDA-regulated development pathway. Biohacking Autism does not provide individualized treatment protocols, dosing instructions, or sourcing guidance for regulated compounds.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

What does the brain need to build itself, and why does the answer matter for a child with autism and for the aging brain?In this episode of Biohacking Autism, Nadia Elkhatib talks with Dr. Dayan Goodenowe, PhD, neuroscientist, biochemist and founder of Prodrome Sciences, about autism brain development, white matter and myelination, mitochondrial dysfunction and brain inflammation in autism, and the lipid raw materials the brain needs to build itself, plasmalogens among them.Dr. Goodenowe reframes the developing brain as a wiring project. Myelin is the insulation that lets signals stay separate, and he explains why incomplete myelination can make a crowded room, a bright store or a loud classroom feel like every conversation arriving at once. He describes what he sees in the white matter of children with autism, why he views many autism-related changes as adaptation rather than attack, and where mitochondrial function and neuroinflammation fit in.From there the conversation turns to plasmalogens: what they do in the brain, why the body has to make them in peroxisomes, why you cannot simply eat them intact, and what plasmalogen precursors are. Nadia and Dr. Goodenowe then follow the same biology into the second half of life: cortical thickness as the brain's muscle, ApoE4 as a question of when rather than whether, what he measures in his testing and imaging work, and why caregiver brain health across decades belongs in the autism conversation.IN THIS EPISODEThe brain as a wiring diagram: axons, synapses and myelinWhy myelination is adaptive and why deep sleep is part of itSensory overload explained through incomplete myelinationWhite matter, the corpus callosum and imaging in autismMitochondrial dysfunction and brain inflammation in autismMaternal metabolic health, discussed without blameWhat plasmalogens are and why they matter for the brainWhy plasmalogens cannot be eaten intact, and what precursors areAutism and Alzheimer's as two ends of the same biologyCortical thickness, brain volume and the aging brainApoE4 and when dementia starts, rather than whetherTesting, biomarkers and what a caregiver in their fifties might measureThe Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan community studyCONNECT WITH DR. DAYAN GOODENOWEDr. Dayan Goodenowe is a neuroscientist and biochemist, the founder of Prodrome Sciences, founder of Dr. Goodenowe's Dietary Therapeutics, and the author of Breaking Alzheimer's.Dr. Goodenowe's education site: https://drgoodenowe.comProdrome Sciences (for practitioners): https://prodrome.comDr. Goodenowe has a financial interest in Prodrome Sciences and in plasmalogen products discussed during this conversation.MEDICAL DISCLAIMERThis episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health protocol or your child's protocol.Several compounds and tests discussed in this episode are investigational or are not FDA-approved for the uses discussed. The plasmalogen precursor program described is in a pre-IND stage of an FDA-regulated development pathway. Biohacking Autism does not provide individualized treatment protocols, dosing instructions, or sourcing guidance for regulated compounds.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

More than 600 companies are building autism technology, yet most families have never heard of them.This 20-MIN ESSENTIALS edition condenses my conversation with Dan Feshbach, founder of Multiple and co-founder of TeachTown, into the core ideas families need most.Dan and I explore AI for autism, AAC, assistive technology, communication tools, sensory technology, and what it will take for useful technology to actually reach families.We also talk about why autism technology needs to move at the “speed of family,” why families need trusted tools rather than more shiny objects, and how emerging technology could support communication, work, connection, and greater independence.Dan shares the deeply personal reason this work matters to him. During a letterboard session, his son Reed described his experience in four words: “I live in silence.”His vision of a normal life was not about technology itself. It was about friendship, meaningful work, communication, independence, and being able to move through the world more freely.IN THIS ESSENTIALS EDITION:• Why autism technology needs to move at the “speed of family”• How AI can accelerate development and testing• Why 600+ autism technology companies remain largely invisible to families• The “first mile of capital” problem in autism innovation• Why families need trusted tools, not more shiny objects• AI-powered communication and support tools• Sensory eyewear and screen-free regulation technology• AAC and communication support for nonspeaking people• AI and biomedical pattern recognition• Brain-computer interfaces• Why technology should support a person's life, not become the life• Why waiting another 15 years for meaningful solutions is unacceptableWATCH THE FULL 67-MINUTE CONVERSATION:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZjnQwfAhk0CONNECT WITH DAN FESHBACHMultiple:https://www.multiplehub.org/Multiple Autism-Tech Database:https://www.multiplehub.org/autism-tech-databaseCONNECT WITH BIOHACKING AUTISMWebsite:https://biohackautism.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/biohackautism/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiaelkhatib/DISCLOSUREDan Feshbach is the founder of Multiple and discusses companies and initiatives connected to Multiple's accelerator and autism-innovation ecosystem. Biohacking Autism has not independently evaluated or endorsed the companies, apps, devices, technologies, or research programs discussed in this episode.DISCLAIMERThis program is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health protocol or your child's protocol. Emerging technologies and research discussed in this episode may be investigational, early-stage, or not yet validated for autism.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

More than 600 companies are building autism technology, yet most families have never heard of them. What could change if AI, communication tools, sensory technology, and future neurotechnology reached the people who need them?Dan Feshbach, founder of Multiple and co-founder of TeachTown, joins Nadia Elkhatib to explore the hidden world of autism technology. They discuss what families actually need from innovation, why strong ideas often fail before they reach daily life, and how technology may support communication, connection, regulation, employment, and independence.Dan also shares the deeply personal experience that shaped his work. During a letterboard session, his son Reed described his experience in four words: “I live in silence.” His vision of a normal life was not about technology itself. It was about friendship, meaningful work, communication, independence, and being able to move through the world more freely.In this episode:• Why more than 600 autism technology companies remain largely invisible to families• AI and autism, including pattern recognition, faster prototyping, and the limits of current systems• AAC for autism and communication support for nonspeaking people• Assistive technology for autism, including augmented reality, sensory tools, haptic devices, distraction-filtering eyewear, and digital support characters• Why technology should support a person’s life rather than become the life• What makes a useful tool different from a shiny object• Why autism innovation faces a “first mile of capital” problem• What Multiple looks for in founders applying to its accelerator• What mission-aligned investors, donors, mentors, and limited partners can contribute• The future of brain-computer interfaces and minimally invasive communication technology• Why families cannot wait another 15 years for meaningful solutionsCONNECT WITH DAN FESHBACH AND MULTIPLEMultiple:https://www.multiplehub.org/Multiple Autism-Tech Database:https://www.multiplehub.org/autism-tech-databaseCONNECT WITH BIOHACKING AUTISMWebsite:https://biohackautism.com/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@BiohackingAutismInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/biohackautism/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiaelkhatib/Follow Biohacking Autism on your podcast app, and share this episode with someone who wants a clearer view of the technology, communication tools, and innovation being built for people with autism.DISCLOSUREDan Feshbach is the founder of Multiple and discusses companies and initiatives connected to Multiple’s accelerator and autism-innovation ecosystem. Biohacking Autism has not independently evaluated or endorsed the companies, apps, devices, technologies, or research programs discussed in this episode.MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMERThis episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health protocol or your child’s protocol. Emerging technologies and research discussed in this episode may be investigational, early-stage, or not yet validated for autism.ABOUT BIOHACKING AUTISMBiohacking Autism with Nadia Elkhatib explores complex questions affecting people with autism and the families who love them. Through expert conversations, lived experience, and evidence-aware discussion, the podcast examines communication, nervous-system regulation, caregiver health, emerging research, technology, and the practical decisions families face every day.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

A shorter, focused edition of our full John Slattery conversation.Leucovorin, also known as folinic acid, has become one of the most discussed topics in autism research. John Slattery, co-author of the 2018 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of folinic acid in children with autism and language impairment, joins Nadia Elkhatib to explain the essential findings in about 24 minutes.They cover what the trial actually measured, why language and communication mattered, folate receptor alpha autoantibodies (FRAAs), FOLR1, how folate reaches the brain, the reduced folate carrier, testing, and why some children may respond while others do not. John also clarifies what the FDA actually approved in 2026 — FOLR1-related cerebral folate transport deficiency — and why that is not the same as a broad FDA approval of leucovorin for autism.The conversation also addresses a practical question many families raise when their own clinician is unfamiliar with leucovorin, and John describes the access model being developed by Meadow Biosciences. This discussion is descriptive and educational; Biohacking Autism does not provide prescribing or medication-acquisition services.Want the complete science and context? Watch the full 1:41 conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP-Rm0XOLsgConnect with John Slattery Meadow Biosciences: https://www.meadowbiosciences.com/Research & References2018 Molecular Psychiatry randomized trial: https://www.nature.com/articles/mp2016168FDA — FOLR1-related cerebral folate transport deficiency approval: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-patients-cerebral-folate-transport-deficiencyAmerican Academy of Pediatrics — leucovorin and autism interim guidance: https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/autism/use-of-leucovorin-in-autistic-pediatric-patients/Disclosure John Slattery is Co-founder, President, and CEO of Meadow Biosciences and has disclosed advisory relationships with BioTess Ingredients, Tesseract Medical Research, and Advanced Powder Dynamics. These relationships are disclosed for transparency.Medical Disclaimer This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice or an individualized treatment recommendation. Leucovorin is a prescription medication. Individual testing and treatment decisions should be made with a qualified healthcare professional who knows the person’s medical history.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy