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Children's Neurologists in NJ

What is Functional Neurology for Children?

What is Functional Neurology for Children?
by Dr. Marc Funderlich
April 1, 2019

Functional Neurologists who work with children take a different approach to brain-based conditions than standard Medical Pediatric Neurologists. Medical Neurology specializes in detecting tissue damage on imaging, deals with the acute care phase of traumatic brain injuries for infants and prescribes medications to change brain chemistry. In general, this approach is designed to cover up any weakness in your children brain. As Functional Neurologists, we look at the brain from a completely different perspective.

Our job is to find the things interfering with your child’s natural brain development and remove them. While this sounds easy, it is a complex process that takes time and dedication! The best way to start is by examining your child’s brain using developmental reflexes, physical tests, computer tests, and eye movements. After this exam we are able to determine if your child’s brain is immature for their age. A mismatch between brain development and actual age can lead to a disconnection in your child’s school, social, or sports performance! Once we have object evidence of your child’s disconnection, we need to figure out why that disconnection exists. Normally we do comprehensive blood work in conjunction with specialized immune testing. This allows us to see any underlying reasons why your child’s brain is not on track. Common reasons for developmental delay include in utero stress, pathogens, chemical exposure, autoimmunity, iron deficiency and inflammation. The brain needs several things for optimal development. The three things that are a must for your brain are energy, oxygen and stimulation and we deal with all of them here at Core Therapies. We use Laser Therapy and Nutrition for energy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for oxygen, and Directed Neurologic Rehabilitation for brain stimulation.

We believe that even if your child has not been diagnosed with something such as ADHD, Genetic Disorder, Seizure, Stroke, Autism, or a Developmental Delay it is still worth having your child checked. All too often parents are told that an infant missing or lagging on milestones is acceptable, that there is nothing to do to help this along. This is not true. We hear stories every day of parents being told to just wait and watch when in fact there are things that can be done. If you’d like more information about our Functional Neurology work with children, please reach out to me at

Some FAQs about Functional Neurology at Core Therapies

Q: What age ranges do you work with?
A: Our youngest patient is 2 weeks old and we do see some teens. For intervention to work best, pre-
puberty is recommended and the earlier the better.

Q: Is there anything invasive while you work with my child?
A: No, there is nothing invasive during regular Functional Neurology sessions. Any blood draw we
request would be the most invasive part. Sometimes we can use a saliva test instead.

Q: Do you do screens on “healthy children”?
A: Yes, it is best to screen early and often for both brain development and blood chemistry!