Episode 033: The Hidden Biochemistry Behind Neurodivergence with Kim Rogers
Listen, I am so excited to share this conversation with you because Kim Rogers - aka the "Worm Queen" - just blew my mind with her approach to understanding the physical manifestations of neurodivergence.
If you've ever wondered why you struggle with digestive issues, sleep problems, or that constant feeling of being "wired but tired," this episode is going to connect so many dots for you.
I've been following Kim on TikTok for months because her all-encompassing chart about neurodivergence, mental health, and autoimmune conditions makes so much sense. She's taken a completely different approach than traditional research - instead of looking at autism studies (which, let's be honest, are mostly done on little white boys), she went straight to the biochemical pathways to understand what's actually happening in our bodies.
The Chart That Changes Everything
Kim created this incredible resource after her own ADHD diagnosis and her daughter's autism diagnosis. Her daughter is nonverbal, and Kim was determined to understand why - not just accept the lack of information available. What she discovered is that 80-90% of neurodivergent people have the same comorbidities, and these should absolutely be part of the diagnosis process so we can all get some symptom relief.
Here's what I love about Kim's approach: she started with symptoms, not diagnoses. She looked at hypotonia (low muscle tone) and asked what causes that. Oxidative stress. What causes oxidative stress? And she kept going up the chain until she found that one root cause was creating everything at the same time. Her jaw dropped - and so did mine when I learned about it.
The Serotonin Connection That Will Blow Your Mind
One of the most surprising findings Kim shared? Your circadian rhythm is controlled by serotonin. I know, right? This explains so much about why we struggle with sleep as neurodivergent people. Serotonin also creates melatonin, which helps you sleep. When you have low serotonin (which is common in neurodivergence), your entire sleep-wake cycle gets disrupted.
The research has all been there - Kim hasn't done groundbreaking new research. She's just connected the dots between everything that already exists. And honestly, that's exactly what we need more of in our community.
Why Traditional Medicine Falls Short
You know how I feel about being told my problems were just "anxiety and depression" that could be fixed with a pill and some therapy. Kim's work shows exactly why that approach fails us. She focuses on biochemical pathways and symptom relief rather than trying to fit us into neurotypical boxes.
When Kim talks to doctors, even pediatricians recommending vitamins, she explains the difference between regular vitamins and active forms that your body can actually use. The response? "What?" The textbooks they use in medical school are 30 years old, and there's shockingly little continuing education required for doctors compared to other professionals.
The Gut-Brain Connection They Don't Tell You About
Here's something fascinating Kim shared: neurotransmitters supposedly can't cross the blood-brain barrier, but there's actually cell signaling from the brain to the gut for neurotransmitter production. The gut and brain have their own communication system that most medical professionals aren't talking about.
This explains so much about our digestive issues. I've struggled with chronic constipation my entire life - my mom used to joke about it constantly. Now I understand it's connected to my chronic stress, fight-or-flight response, and neurodivergent nervous system. The more stress you have, the more digestive issues you'll experience.
Fight-or-Flight and Executive Function
One of the most important things Kim explained is that ADHD isn't actually a lack of education or ability - it's often a dysregulated fight-or-flight response. When you're in survival mode, executive function shuts down because your brain is focused on keeping you alive, not on organizing your calendar or remembering to pay bills.
This is why we can't just "turn on" our executive function. We have to address the fight-or-flight response first. Kim's chart helps identify the biochemical pathways involved so you can actually work on the root causes instead of just trying harder.
Communication and Accommodations
As someone whose youngest went through a phase of communicating mostly through "uh uh" sounds, I deeply appreciated Kim's advice for parents of nonverbal children. Her first recommendation? Get them access to any form of communication immediately. Language access deficits between ages zero and five can cause lifelong cognitive impairment.
She emphasizes that we all have different learning styles. Some kids need to see words, others need flashcards so they can use their hands while learning. The neurotypical expectation that all children should just hear words and learn them doesn't work for many of us.
Moving Forward with Practical Solutions
What I love most about Kim's work is that it's all about practical, accessible solutions. We're talking about supplements like tryptophan and tyrosine, nitric oxide test strips that cost $10 on Amazon. None of this requires big pharma or expensive treatments.
She's created a free resource on her website that breaks down what could be causing communication issues - whether it's facial muscle problems or selective mutism from high fight-or-flight hormones. This is the kind of actionable information we need.
The Bottom Line
Kim's approach gives us hope because it's based on understanding rather than just coping. We're not trying to change our neurotype or fix what makes us brilliant bottom-up thinkers. We're addressing the physical symptoms that make life harder than it needs to be.
The POTS, PCOS, digestive issues, sleep problems - these aren't character flaws or things we just have to live with. They're symptoms with underlying causes that we can actually address when we understand the biochemistry involved.
If you want to dive deeper into this information, definitely check out Kim's resources. And if you're ready to start tracking your own patterns and symptoms, grab my newsletter where I share tools for understanding your unique neurodivergent operating system.
Remember: there's nothing wrong with the way we think. We just need the right support for our bodies so our brilliant minds can do what they do best.
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