The gut and the brain are in constant conversation. When a child is struggling with communication, attention, mood, sleep or eating, looking at the gut-brain connection can add a piece of the picture that speech therapy alone can't see. We use specialist laboratory testing to help build that fuller picture.
We recommend testing where it's relevant. We never require it.
The gut-brain axis is the two-way communication network between the digestive system and the brain. It's a genuinely active area of scientific research, and it's why a problem that shows up as behaviour, focus or communication sometimes has roots that aren't in the brain alone. The nervous system carries signals between the brain, the body and the gut, rather than sitting in one isolated place.
For some children, what's happening in the gut, in the immune system, or in how they process certain foods is one of the things worth understanding when the usual approaches haven't given the full answer.
When it's relevant for a child, Hulya may draw on functional laboratory testing from one of the world's leading specialist labs. It usually involves three panels:
Articulate Kids is the only clinic in the UK bringing speech and language therapy together with brain and gut laboratory testing and the Lights On™ Method, and we're the exclusive UK provider of this testing. That matters because the results don't sit in a folder. Hulya reviews them with the laboratory, meets with you to talk through what they mean in plain English, and turns them into a written plan you can actually follow.
After more than 25 years and 40,000 appointments, what she brings to the results isn't just a set of numbers. It's the experience to see how a child's gut, brain, senses and communication fit together, and to know which threads are worth pulling.
Testing tends to be most useful for families who want to understand what might be driving a difficulty, not just work on the symptoms, and for children where communication concerns sit alongside things like restricted eating, gut symptoms, sleep problems, or big swings in mood and regulation. If you're not sure whether it's right for your child, that's exactly what the assessment and a conversation with Hulya are for.
Three panels, usually gut, neural and food. The price covers the tests, Hulya reviewing the results with the laboratory, a meeting to talk you through what they mean, and a written plan to follow.
No. Nothing beyond an assessment is required to work with us. We recommend testing where it's genuinely relevant, and we're always happy to explain why. It's your decision.
Yes. The samples are collected gently, and for the gut panel that's usually done at home rather than in clinic.
No. It isn't a diagnostic tool. It's one extra source of information that feeds into a wider plan, alongside clinical assessment and, where appropriate, your GP.
Hulya reviews them with the laboratory, then meets with you to explain what they mean in plain English and writes you a clear plan to follow. You're never left to interpret a report on your own.
Each month, Hulya runs a free webinar for parents on the gut-brain connection, sensory regulation, mood, and childhood development. Open to anyone, no fee.
Start with an assessment, or come to Hulya's free monthly webinar where she explains the whole-child approach and answers parents' questions.