Why the Nervous System Comes First: The Missing Link in Autism Support

Lee Horine • June 17, 2025

When your child is struggling with communication, emotional regulation, learning, digestion, sensory issues it can feel overwhelming to know where to begin.


The world of therapies and interventions is vast and often confusing. But there is one place that almost no one is looking, yet it holds the key to everything else: The autonomic nervous system (ANS).


The ANS: The Operating System of Your Child’s Brain.


The ANS controls everything that happens automatically in the body: heart rate, digestion, immune responses, sleep cycles, stress responses, and more.


It also creates the foundation for brain development. Think of it like the soil in which the brain grows. If the soil isn’t regulated, balanced, and coherent, no matter how many seeds you plant , speech therapy, OT, ABA, dietary changes the results won’t be what they could be.


Before higher functions like attention, language, social behavior, or academic learning can flourish, the nervous system has to feel safe.


Why This Matters for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Challenges


Kids on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing issues, anxiety, or developmental delays often have a nervous system stuck in protection mode. Their ANS is running in a constant state of survival, and this creates chaos downstream:


  1. Digestion becomes impaired, leading to food sensitivities or gut issues.
  2. Sleep becomes shallow or disrupted.
  3. Emotional regulation becomes difficult or impossible.
  4. Sensory input becomes overwhelming.
  5. Social interaction becomes stressful instead of inviting.


In other words, what looks like "behavior" is often a nervous system adaptation.


So What Do We Do?


At Divine Spark Family Wellness, we don’t start by trying to change the child. We start by restoring balance to the nervous system. This is not about forcing change; it’s about inviting the body back into safety, flow, and connection.


We use gentle, targeted input to help the nervous system unwind stored stress and move out of chronic protection mode. As coherence is restored, the body begins to heal. And what follows is often profound:


  1. Kids begin to make more eye contact, speak more fluidly, or connect emotionally for the first time.
  2. Sleep improves.
  3. Digestion and immune resilience get stronger.
  4. Therapies become more effective because the brain is finally able to integrate new information.


We’ve seen it too many times to ignore: when the nervous system finds safety, everything else starts to change.


Why the ANS Must Come First


You can have the best specialists, therapists, supplements, or diets in the world, but if the nervous system is still stuck in fight-or-flight, you’re building on a shaky foundation.


This is why our focus is not to chase symptoms but to go straight to the root. To restore regulation, not suppress behavior. To bring the body out of survival and into safety, so that your child can grow, connect, and thrive.


You Are Not Alone.


If your child is struggling and you feel like no one is seeing the whole picture, we want you to know: we see it. We see your child. We see the brilliance behind the behavior. And we know that transformation is possible when we work with the nervous system, not against it.


If you’re ready to go deeper, to work from the ground up instead of the surface down, we’re here. Let’s begin at the foundation.


Because every child deserves to feel safe in their body.
And when they do, everything changes.

-Dr. Lee Horine


By Lee Horine June 17, 2025
When your baby is struggling with colic, feeding issues, poor sleep, reflux, constipation, or excessive crying the natural instinct is to find a solution fast. But what if these symptoms aren’t random or isolated? What if they’re all connected to one powerful root cause: the state of your baby’s nervous system? The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): Your Baby’s First Operating System. From the moment your baby is conceived, their nervous system begins shaping every organ, every function, and every reflex. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls all the automatic processes: breathing, digestion, immune function, sleep cycles, and stress responses. In the early months, an infant’s nervous system is extremely sensitive. Birth interventions, physical tension from the womb or delivery, environmental stressors, and even mom’s emotional state during pregnancy can all influence how your baby’s nervous system develops and functions. How Nervous System Stress Shows Up in Infants: When an infant’s ANS is dysregulated even subtly we may see; Arching the back or stiffening the body Trouble latching or feeding Reflux or gassiness Colic or constant crying Poor or inconsistent sleep Constipation or irregular poops Startle reflexes that don’t settle These aren’t behavioral problems. They are signals from a developing nervous system that is working too hard to adapt to stress. Our Focus: Restore Safety and Coherence. At Divine Spark Family Wellness, we use an approach that honors your baby’s sensitivity. We use extremely gentle, precise input to help calm and balance the nervous system. No cracking. No forcing. Just inviting the body to release stored tension and return to its natural state of safety and flow. When that happens, we often see: Improved nursing and digestion Longer, more restful sleep Calmer demeanor and reduced crying Easier bowel movements Better adaptability and comfort in the body Why the Nervous System Comes First It’s easy to focus on symptoms and try to fix them one by one. But if the nervous system remains in a stressed, chaotic state, new symptoms will keep emerging. That’s why we go deeper. We help your baby feel safe in their body. And when that happens, the body begins to regulate, heal, and grow as nature intended. Your Baby Deserves to Thrive If you’ve been told your baby will "grow out of it," but your instincts say otherwise, listen to that voice. You know your baby. And we’re here to support you. By working with the nervous system instead of against it, we help create the conditions for healthy development from the very beginning. Let’s give your baby the strongest foundation possible. Because calm, connected babies grow into calm, connected kids. -Dr. Lee Horine
By Lee Horine June 17, 2025
Pregnancy is one of the most miraculous and demanding transitions the body can experience. It's not just about growing a baby, it's about supporting two (or more) nervous systems at once. Yet too often, the deeper foundation that makes a healthy pregnancy possible is overlooked: the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Your Nervous System Shapes Your Pregnancy The ANS is the control center for everything that happens automatically in your body. It regulates hormone balance, blood flow, digestion, immune responses, sleep, and emotional regulation. During pregnancy. It also helps determine: How your uterus functions Whether you sleep deeply or restlessly How well your body digests and absorbs nutrients Your ability to relax, feel safe, and bond with your baby If your nervous system is stuck in a stress or survival state (fight, flight, freeze), your body will prioritize protection over connection. And this has ripple effects on your mood, your symptoms, and even your baby’s development. Common Pregnancy Challenges, Rooted in the ANS We often see moms-to-be experiencing: Anxiety or panic attacks Digestive issues like nausea or reflux Sciatic pain or pelvic tension Poor sleep Emotional overwhelm Most treatments target these symptoms individually. But what if the root cause is a dysregulated nervous system? Regulation = Relief At Divine Spark Family Wellness, we use gentle, specific input to help reset the nervous system. We work with the body’s built-in intelligence, not against it to unwind stored stress and restore a sense of safety. This kind of nervous system care can help: Reduce tension in the pelvis and spine, creating more room for baby Improve sleep and digestion Regulate mood and ease anxiety Prepare the body for a smoother, more connected birth We’ve seen moms experience remarkable shifts: symptoms ease, energy returns, connection deepens, and birth becomes something to welcome rather than fear. A Calm Nervous System Helps Baby, Too Your baby is developing inside your nervous system. When your body is calm and coherent, it sends signals of safety to your baby’s developing brain and body. This foundational regulation lays the groundwork for emotional health, stress resilience, and connection after birth. Why the ANS Must Come First No matter how many supplements, stretches, or affirmations you try, if your nervous system is in survival mode, your body cannot fully relax, heal, or prepare for labor. That’s why we start at the foundation: by creating coherence in your nervous system so the rest of your pregnancy can unfold as nature intended. You Deserve to Feel Supported If you're navigating pregnancy with a sense that something deeper needs attention, you’re right. We see you. We honor the transformation you’re going through. And we’re here to help your body, and your baby’s body, feel safe again. Let’s begin at the foundation. Because a regulated nervous system is not a luxury during pregnancy. It’s a necessity. And it changes everything. -Dr. Lee Horine
By Lee Horine June 17, 2025
We believe there is a Divine Spark inside every human being. A current of life. A signal of coherence. A knowing that healing is possible and natural. Not forced. Not fixed. Not imposed from the outside. But revealed from within, once the noise quiets and the interference clears. We believe the body is intelligent. That symptoms are not enemies to silence, but messengers to understand. And behind every diagnosis, behavior, or breakdown… is a nervous system doing its best to adapt. We don’t chase symptoms. We don’t fight disease. We restore flow. We listen to the body. We honor the design. We believe children are born whole and that the greatest gift we can offer them is a regulated, present, connected parent. We believe families don’t need more information. They need a felt experience of coherence. One that brings peace to the mind, softness to the body, and clarity to the heart. We believe true health is not just the absence of pain, but the presence of vitality, resilience, creativity, and joy. That healing is not linear. Growth is not perfect. And alignment is not static. But when we reconnect to Source, everything changes. We believe in sovereignty. In living from the inside-out, not the outside-in. In trusting the body. In honoring the soul’s timing. In breaking cycles gently, but for good. We are not here to fix you. We are here to help you remember who you are. And to hold space for your nervous system to finally feel safe enough to heal. This is not just chiropractic. This is reclamation. This is coherence. This is clarity. This is connection. This is Divine Spark .
By Lee Horine June 17, 2025
What if your child isn’t disordered, difficult, or behind? What if they’re not too much or not enough but simply overwhelmed? What if their symptoms, meltdowns, hyperactivity, anxiety, or tummy aches are signals not defects? Signals that their nervous system is working overtime. Trying to process a world that often moves too fast, speaks too loud, and asks them to be something they’re not. We believe your child’s body is wise. That their energy, sensitivities, and quirks aren’t problems to pathologize but gifts to understand. Underneath the struggle, there is a Divine Spark. A deep intelligence, a rhythm, a knowing. They don’t need more labels. They need more coherence. More safety in their body. More flow through their brain, more moments where they feel seen, heard, and safe enough to just be. This is what we do We help restore the ease that was always meant to be there. Not by forcing, Not by fixing. But by inviting their system to reconnect to its natural state free, regulated, and resilient. Because when the nervous system is at peace, the world feels safer. And when the world feels safer, everything changes. More calm, More sleep, More eye contact, More digestion, More laughter, More presence, More potential. This is not about changing who they are, It’s about helping who they are shine through. Because we see what’s possible for your child. And we’ll walk with you gently, clearly, lovingly as it unfolds.
By Lee Horine June 16, 2025
Behind your strength is a nervous system craving rest, safety, and care. You don’t have to keep carrying it all alone, there’s a way back to you. You deserve healing, too. You’ve carried so much quietly, constantly, completely. The mental load. The emotional labor. The tension in your shoulders. The pressure to be everything for everyone, while wondering if anyone truly sees you. And now your body speaks. In anxiety that hums beneath the surface. In headaches, gut flares, hormonal crashes, or a sense of disconnection you can’t explain. This isn’t failure. This is physiology. Your nervous system is doing its best to keep you going in a world that’s asked you to override your body, your truth, your rhythm. At Divine Spark Family Wellness , we help women like you come home to themselves. Not through talking it out. Not through numbing it down. Not through one more thing on your to-do list. But through gentle, precise nervous system care that meets your body where it is, and invites it into deep, cellular safety. We work with the flow of your body. We listen to the patterns of stress that have built up over time. And we help release them. One session, one breath, one layer at a time. So your body no longer has to scream to be heard. So rest feels safe again. So your clarity, creativity, and softness can return. This isn’t about managing symptoms. It’s about reconnecting to the part of you that’s always been whole. Because we see what’s underneath the burnout. We feel the Divine Spark still glowing. And we’re here to help you live from that place again. Fully, freely, and without apology.
By Lee Horine June 16, 2025
You’ve handled it, You’ve pushed through, You’ve carried more than most people will ever know, And it has worked, until it didn’t. Now the stress lives in your chest, the tight jaw, the gut tension, the sleep that never really restores you. The brain fog, the irritability, the pressure to keep it all going, without cracking. You don’t need to fall apart to deserve support. You don’t need to explain it perfectly to know something’s off. At Divine Spark Family Wellness , we work with men who are done running on fumes. Men who are high-functioning, but feel dysregulated beneath the surface. Men who want to be present with their families, focused in their work, and rooted in something real. Not just pain relief, not a quick fix. Real regulation. We work directly with your nervous system, helping it shift out of overdrive and back into a state of calm, clarity, and control. No fluff, No judgment. No need to talk it all out. Just powerful, hands-on care that helps your body finally feel safe again. So you can think clearly, sleep deeply, train harder, show up better, live better. Because the truth is: Regulated men are dangerous in the best way, They’re steady. Vision-led. Unshakable. You don’t need to do more to get there. You just need to reset the system that’s been stuck in survival. We’ve got you Dr. Lee Horine
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If your child is always moving, easily overwhelmed, or struggles to focus, it’s not a discipline problem. It’s a nervous system problem. Most parents are told that ADHD is a brain issue . What they’re not told is that the root often lies deeper in a stressed, overloaded nervous system stuck in survival mode. This is why your child might seem constantly distracted , reactive , or emotionally intense . It’s not bad behavior. It’s the only way their body knows how to cope. At Divine Spark Family Wellness , we see this all the time and we take a different approach. We help calm and rewire the nervous system naturally through gentle, neurologically-focused care. No meds. No shame. Just real support that helps kids settle, focus, and grow by addressing the root cause. Signs your child may be stuck in stress mode: Constant movement or restlessness Big emotional reactions Easily distracted or forgetful Difficulty with transitions or following directions Your child isn’t “too much.” They’re just trying to adapt in a world that doesn’t understand how their nervous system works. We do. Let’s help them feel safe in their body again and grow into who they’re meant to be. With heart, Dr. Lee Horine, Divine Spark Family Wellness Helping kids heal at the root.
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