The charity, Food the Brain, is hosting the first Smart Kids Conference. Taking place on 24th April 2025, the theme of the conference is ‘Neurodivergence – don’t just normalise it. Optimise it.’
Children’s mental health is a major concern. In recent years the number of children diagnosed with learning, behavioural and mental health problems has escalated. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders, all classifying children as ‘neurodivergent’, as opposed to ‘neurotypical’, have rocketed in both the UK and USA. In the UK one in seven children are classified as neurodivergent and one in seven are in need of special education. One in 62 are classified as autistic and numbers have increased 8-fold in 20 years.
This landmark conference brings together world experts in nutrition, psychology and neuroscience to explain what nutritional and environmental conditions are required to optimise a child’s development, intelligence, and resilience for mental health. It coincides with the launch of COGNITION for Smart Kids & Teens, which offers a free online assessment to all parents and teenagers as part of a global research project to learn how to optimise children’s intellectual and emotional development.
The conference explores the impact of nutrition and lifestyle on children’s brain development, starting from pregnancy. Professor Michelle Murphy highlights that low B vitamin levels during conception increase the risk of neurodivergence and mental health issues in children. Professor Michael Crawford emphasises the importance of omega-3 DHA from marine foods for foetal brain development. Professor Julia Rucklidge presents research on the benefits of multivitamins and minerals during pregnancy for children’s mental health.
Experts will also discuss key factors affecting children’s cognitive health. Dr Alex Richardson from Oxford University examines nutritional support for ADHD symptoms, and paediatric endocrinologist Professor Robert Lustig from the University of California San Francisco warns about high fructose diets causing early cognitive decline. “Teenagers with blood sugar problems are showing early signs of the same kind of cognitive decline and shrinkage of the hippocampus that are seen in Alzheimer’s.” The youngest non-genetic Alzheimer’s diagnosis is age 19.
Dr Tommy Wood, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, will address the role of an active lifestyle. This is supported by a presentation on the dangers of early smartphone use by Dr Jonathan Haidt, author the New York Times best-seller The Anxious Generation.
“The changes in diet, less active lifestyles and early smart phone use has created a perfect storm for a child’s healthy brain development. These are issues we have to address urgently for the sake of our children”, says Dr Tommy Wood who heads research at the foodforthebrain.org, the charity hosting the conference.
The conference is opened by Dr Rona Tutt, OBE, Past President of the National Association of Head Teachers, an expert in special needs. “People come in assorted shapes and sizes with brains that are unique. A significant minority who are neurodivergent, need to be recognised, valued and supported, so they can maximise their strengths and overcome their challenges. We need to understand what is driving this increase in neurodivergence and how best to support and optimise a child’s potential,” she says.
All proceeds go towards the COGNITION for Smart Kids and Teens, to help reach parents and their children and teenagers around the world. The Cognitive Function Test, which also includes the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and our comprehensive COGNITION questionnaire provides a free assessment and guidance to all.
The conference, which is tailored for nutritionists, doctors, teachers and health professionals, is also open to interested parents but will be followed by a public webinar to help guide parents on how to best nourish their children’s optimal development.
You can find all conference and public webinar details at: foodforthebrain.org/smartkids
