Online Via Zoom
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The Microbiome Through Life
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Free Webinar Series
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Online Via Zoom ☆ The Microbiome Through Life ☆ Free Webinar Series ☆
Free | Tuesday 30 June 2026 | 12:30-1:30pm AEST | Replay Available
The Childhood Microbiome
Growing Up, Gut Health and the ADHD-Autism Connection
For every parent who's been told the gut symptoms are just anxiety - and every practitioner who knows there's more to the story.
A note from Chantel
Something is being missed.
There is a child sitting in your clinic, or at your kitchen table, who is struggling in ways that do not quite fit the standard picture. Maybe they have a diagnosis: ADHD, autism, AuDHD. The behavioural and sensory pieces are being managed. But the gut symptoms? The chronic constipation, the daily abdominal pain, the eating that has narrowed down to fewer and fewer foods?
Those usually get a shrug. Or a referral that goes nowhere.
What we now know, from a growing body of research, is that the gut and brain are not separate systems. In children with ADHD and autism, they are measurably connected: through the microbiome, through the vagus nerve, through inflammatory pathways that run in both directions.
Treating the gut changes the brain. Treating the nervous system changes the gut
This is not a niche theory. This is where the evidence is consistently pointing.
This is personal for me.
I am a naturopath who has specialised in microbiome health for over a decade. I am also a parent of two neurodivergent children, both diagnosed in their teens. One autistic, one AuDHD with a PDA profile and ARFID.
I know what it is to sit with a child who is in genuine distress around food. To watch a gut that has been struggling for years, misread as fussiness or anxiety. To navigate the gap between what conventional medicine offers and what is actually happening in the body.
That gap is real. And it is closable. This webinar is where the clinical evidence and the lived reality come together. Because parents deserve to understand what is happening in their child's gut. And practitioners deserve a framework that actually fits the complexity of these cases.
What we’ll cover:
This is a 60-minute evidence-based webinar structured around five core areas:
1️⃣ How the childhood microbiome develops
From weaning through adolescence, the microbiome is not static. Diet, antibiotics, sleep, stress, and the school environment all leave measurable marks. We look at what this window of development means for long-term gut and brain health.
2️⃣ Gut pain, IBS and functional disorders in children
IBS, chronic stomach pain and constipation are among the most common presentations in paediatric practice, and among the most frequently dismissed. Up to 15% of school-age children meet criteria for functional abdominal pain. These are not psychosomatic conditions. Current Rome IV guidelines classify them as Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI): diagnosable, physiologically underpinned, and responsive to microbiome-targeted care.
3️⃣ The gut-brain connection in ADHD, autism and AuDHD
We look at the evidence behind microbiome alterations in ADHD and ASD, why GI symptoms are the norm rather than the exception in these children, and why the AuDHD picture, with its amplified stress response, sensory feeding challenges, and sleep disruption, creates a distinct gut-brain profile that needs its own approach.
4️⃣ A real case: Noah, age 9
AuDHD, selective eating, chronic constipation, and a microbiome that told its own story. We follow his case from assessment through to a 6-month outcome: what changed in the gut, in his food range, in his sleep, and in his classroom.
5️⃣ Evidence-based restorative approaches
What actually has clinical support in this cohort: dietary diversity goals, targeted probiotics, gut permeability support, nutritional correction, OT collaboration for sensory feeding, and sleep as a gut intervention. Practical, thoughtful and gentle support.
Who this is for:
This webinar is for you if:
You are a parent or carer of a child with ADHD, autism, AuDHD, or suspected neurodivergence
Your child has IBS, chronic stomach pain, constipation, or other gut symptoms that have not been adequately addressed alongside their diagnosis
Your child has ARFID, extreme food selectivity, or a diet that has been narrowing over time
You are a GP, paediatrician, psychologist, OT, or allied health practitioner working with neurodivergent children
You are a naturopath or nutritionist wanting a clearer clinical framework for this cohort
You want to understand the gut-brain axis in children beyond what you have heard before
No prior microbiome knowledge needed.
Evidence-based, practical, and free.
What you’ll leave with:
A clear understanding of how the childhood microbiome develops and what disrupts it
A framework for understanding IBS, functional gut disorders and DGBI in neurodivergent children
Confidence in the gut-brain evidence base for ADHD, autism and AuDHD
A real clinical case to anchor your understanding
Practical, evidence-informed approaches you can apply immediately
A reading list and reference guide sent in the follow-up email
Meet Your Host, Chantel Yates
Chantel Yates is a naturopath, herbalist, and microbiome specialist with 18+ years of clinical experience, based in Taroona, Tasmania (muwinina land).
She completed a five-year GIT Fellowship with Dr Jason Hawrelak, one of the world's foremost gut microbiome researchers, and holds postgraduate qualifications in herbal medicine, naturopathy, and evidence-based complementary medicine. She works with patients and practitioners across Australia and internationally, with a particular focus on complex gut cases, microbiome restoration, and the gut-brain axis.
She is also a parent of two neurodivergent children - one autistic, one AuDHD with a PDA profile and ARFID. That experience sits at the centre of this work. It has shaped how she understands complexity, what it means to be dismissed, and what genuinely helpful care actually looks like in practice.
Chantel hosts the Microbiome Through Life free webinar series and founded the Microbiome Mentorship Series, a case-led clinical education programme for practitioners.
"I've sat across from a lot of families who have been told the gut symptoms are just stress or anxiety. This webinar is for every parent and practitioner who knows there is more to the story."
Click here to see more on her Qualifications and Career Highlights.
Are you a practitioner?
Chantel's next intake of her Microbiome Mentorship Series is now open!
Evidence-based, case-led clinical mentoring in gut health and microbiome restoration for naturopaths, nutritionists, and integrative clinicians.
If gut health is part of your clinical work, you're welcome here.
More in this series:The Microbiome Through Life
Evidence-based microbiome education across every life stage - free online, every month. All sessions run 12:30–1:30pm AEST.
Webinar 3 on Tuesday 28 July - The Midlife Microbiome
Webinar 4 on Tuesday 25 August - Your Gut, Your Brain, Your Future
Topics and registration for each webinar will open after the previous session - come back to this page to reserve your spot.
FAQS
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Not at all. Each webinar is designed to be accessible whether you're completely new to this topic or already have some background. Everything is explained in clear, evidence-based language that's equally useful for patients, parents, and practitioners.
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Each session runs for 60 minutes - approximately 40-45 minutes of presentation followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A.
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Yes. A replay will be sent to all registered attendees within 48 hours of each session. We encourage you to join live if you can, as the Q&A is a great opportunity to ask your own questions.
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No. These are genuine educational sessions built around evidence-based content you can use straight away. Chantel will mention ways to work with her further, but the focus is entirely on giving you useful knowledge.
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Yes. Each webinar is designed to bridge both audiences. The content is clinically grounded and evidence-rich, and practitioners are very welcome - both to attend for their own learning and to share with patients in their care.