ADHD and autism: optimising the biology of focus, mood and performance
If you or your child has ADHD or autism, you have probably been handed a diagnosis and a long waitlist, then left to work it out alone. I take a different starting point: the measurable biology underneath attention, mood, sleep and energy, the levers that are rarely checked, and I optimise them so progress shows up where it matters, at school, in exams, in sport and in everyday life. This works alongside your NHS and clinical care, never instead of it, and you do not need a formal diagnosis to begin.
In short
- For people with ADHD or autism, the families around them, and anyone whose focus, mood or energy could be sharper.
- The focus is on measurable drivers: iron and ferritin, omega-3 status, sleep, blood sugar, the gut-brain axis, dopamine, protein and movement.
- Everything is evidence-based and cited, drawn from a library of 340+ guides, and framed honestly about what the evidence does and does not show.
- Complementary to NHS and specialist care. Not a diagnosis, not a treatment, and never a replacement for your clinical team.
The problem most families and adults run into
ADHD and autism are real, and a good assessment matters. But assessment and medication are only part of the picture, and the rest is usually left unmanaged. Iron deficiency that quietly worsens attention. Omega-3 levels that sit too low. Sleep that is fragmented. Blood sugar that swings and drags mood with it. A gut that is talking to the brain in ways nobody has looked at. These are common, measurable, and modifiable, yet they rarely get checked in a ten-minute appointment.
The result is trial and error: one supplement after another, advice that contradicts itself, and a sense that you are doing a lot without knowing what is actually moving the needle. The aim here is the opposite: find the few things that matter for you, in the right order, and measure whether they work.
What I actually optimise
Attention, mood and energy are not abstract. They rest on biology you can measure and influence. These are the levers I look at first, each chosen because it has a plausible mechanism and a real evidence base in focus, mood or neurodevelopment.
| Lever | Why it matters for ADHD and autism | How we look at it |
|---|---|---|
| Iron and ferritin | Iron is needed to make dopamine; low ferritin is linked with worse attention and restless sleep, even when standard ranges look normal. | Ferritin and full iron studies, read against optimal not just normal ranges. |
| Omega-3 status | EPA and DHA support brain signalling; trials show modest benefits for attention in some children. | Diet review and, where useful, the omega-3 index. |
| Sleep | Poor sleep mimics and worsens inattention, irritability and emotional dysregulation. | Sleep timing, quality and the routines and physiology behind them. |
| Blood sugar | Glucose dips drive crashes in focus and mood through the day. | Meal pattern, protein and fibre, and where relevant glucose response. |
| Gut-brain axis | The gut and brain are in constant two-way contact; gut symptoms often travel with neurodivergence. | Diet diversity, symptoms and the evidence-based steps that actually help. |
| Dopamine and motivation | The reward and motivation system underlies follow-through; lifestyle inputs shape it more than most realise. | Sleep, movement, light, protein and habit design, not gimmicks. |
What tends to improve
I do not promise outcomes, and anyone who does should be treated with caution. What I can say is what people most often come for and what the underlying changes tend to support: steadier focus and follow-through, better emotional regulation, deeper and more consistent sleep, more stable energy across the day, and the knock-on effects of all of that, schoolwork, exams, training and sport, work, and home life. The honest framing is simple: fix the foundations, measure the change, and keep what works.
This is educational and coaching support to optimise health and performance. It is not a medical diagnosis or treatment, and it does not replace your GP, paediatrician, psychiatrist or NHS care. If you are concerned about a child's development, or about your own mental health, your GP and NHS assessment pathways remain the right first step, and I work alongside them.
Who this is for
Adults with ADHD or autism
Recently diagnosed, long diagnosed, or still wondering. Build a foundation that actually supports how your brain works.
Read: late diagnosis → FamiliesChildren and their families
Parents who want more than a waitlist. Practical, evidence-based levers for focus, mood, sleep and regulation.
Read: emotional regulation → Students & athletesPerformance and study
Students and athletes who want sharper focus, better recovery and consistent energy when it counts.
Read: dopamine & motivation →How working together works
- Enquire. Tell me the situation in a few lines. No pressure, no jargon needed.
- Review. I look at the whole picture, history, symptoms, any tests, what has been tried, and find the patterns others miss.
- Plan. You get a clear, prioritised, evidence-based plan: what to look at first, what to ask your GP, and what to change, in order.
- Support. We adjust as we measure what works, so you are never left guessing or doing it alone.
Explore the science behind it
Everything here is grounded in the library. A few good places to start:
Iron, ferritin and attention
Why a normal ferritin can still be too low, and how it affects focus and sleep.
Read → LabsOmega-3 and the brain
What EPA and DHA do, the omega-3 index, and the honest evidence for focus.
Read → SleepSleep and the neurodivergent brain
Why sleep is foundational for attention and mood, and how to get more of the good stuff.
Read → GutThe gut-brain axis
How the gut and brain really talk, and what the evidence supports.
Read → MetabolicBlood sugar and mood
Why the post-meal dip drives crashes in focus and irritability.
Read → AutismAutism in women and minorities
Why diagnosis is so often missed or delayed, and what helps.
Read →