Could Folate Be the Missing Key in Your Child’s Progress?

Normal folate test results may not tell you what the brain actually needs. In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS, Dr. Richard Frye, a child neurologist, joins us to explain cerebral folate deficiency, why many kids show brain-level need despite normal blood tests, and how targeted folinic acid, dairy elimination, and mitochondrial support can unlock language, calm tics, and steady behavior.

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Think your child’s folate levels are fine? Here’s why that test might be lying to you. In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS, Dr. Richard Frye shares the fascinating story behind cerebral folate deficiency, how antibodies can block folate from entering the brain, and why so many kids with autism improve with folinic acid (leucovorin). He explains how symptoms shift with age and why some children need more folate, not less.

Dr. Frye then reveals surprising connections: how dairy proteins can block receptors, why certain brands of leucovorin work better, and why ‘normal’ folate tests often mislead. He connects mitochondrial overdrive, nutrient gaps, and prenatal stress, showing parents and practitioners how a step-by-step plan helps children regain focus, energy, and progress.

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Dr. Richard Frye is a Child Neurologist with expertise in neurodevelopmental and neurometabolic disorders. He received an MD and PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He completed a residency in Pediatrics at the University of Miami, Residency in Child Neurology and Fellowship in Behavioral Neurology and Learning Disabilities at Harvard University/Children’s Hospital Boston and Fellowship in Psychology at Boston University. He also received a Masters in Biomedical Science and Biostatistics from Drexel University. He holds board certifications in Pediatrics, and in Neurology with Special Competence in Child Neurology. He has authored over 300 publications and book chapters and serves on several editorial boards.

Dr. Frye is a national leader in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research. He is President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation, Chief Medical Officer of the Neurological Health Foundation, Director of Research and Neurologist at the Rossignol Medical Center and Principal Investigator at the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.

He has lead several clinical studies on children with ASD, including studies focusing on defining the clinical, behavioral, cognitive, genetic and metabolic characteristics of children with ASD and mitochondrial disease and several clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of safe and novel treatments that target underlying physiological abnormalities in children with ASD, including studies on leucovorin, cobalamin and tetrahydrobiopterin and has an ongoing multicenter controlled clinical trial on leucovorin, neuroimmune modulators and photobiomodulation.

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Nancy O’Hara, MD, MPH, FAAP, FMAPS

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