Therapeutic Use Of Fish Oil for Communication

163 Comments on “Therapeutic Use Of Fish Oil for Communication”

1. Hi. I would like to purchase fish oil for my son who is 4 and has apraxia. Can you please tell me which ones I need. I know it’s 2 pulls of one and one pill of another just need the exact names. Thanks so much!

   • Hi Luisa, if you want an exact product name, many of us do use Nordic Naturals ProEFA (2) and ProEPA (1) You can however start with just one ProEFA and gradually increase it. You don’t have to start with 3 capsules. Also you can use one capsule of ProEFA and squeeze out a half capsule of ProEPA and then put the rest in a ziploc in the fridge for the next day. It’s just a 2:1 ratio which I and then most of us found best.

     Nordic carries 2 lines, professional and commercial. The 2 lines carry the exact same formulas, but the names, where they are sold, and prices vary. The commercial line of ProEFA is called Complete Omega (formally called 369 and some stores may have the older bottles) The commercial line of ProEPA is called just EPA. You can find them at stores like Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World etc. The “Pro” EFA and “Pro” EPA are both in the professional line and can be purchased through healthcare providers or sold online at stores like http://www.speech411.com The price difference is that both the commercial and professional line may sell for around the same cost -but with for example the ProEFA you’ll get 90 or 180 capsules per bottle, with the Complete Omega you’ll get either 60 or 120 capsules for around the same cost. So best for instant gratification or in a pinch to get fish oils from the store -but other than that best going ahead to order online.

     Unless you are teaching your child how to swallow capsules don’t get the jr for either line -I explain why above. And since you are new to fish oils I recommend sticking to the capsules to start as I explain above too. There is a large amount of links you may find helpful on our sister site Pursuit of Research at http://www.speechdiet.com but let me know if you have any other questions!

2. Hi. I have a question. My son is only 14 months old. He is non verbal and will be starting speech therapy this week. We recently started giving him 4ml of Nordic Naturals baby dha. I was wondering if he was too young to be switched over to one ProEFA capsule. My main concern was that the ProEFA contains GLA and borage oil and the baby dha does not. Everything I read seems to be for toddlers 2 and up. Thank you in advance.

3. Hello I’m interested on this product if somebody can email me with more information my son is 4 with both autism and apraxia thank u

4. my 3 year old son is on Nordic Naturals ProEFA (2) and ProEPA (1)
   for 6 months now and his speech has improved a lot,
   but for how many months or years should fish oils be continued.

   • We need to consume essential fatty acids throughout life as our bodies don’t produce them. However you can choose how to consume them (fish) Most of us that have children taking fish oils continue with them for years, and there are many adults who never had any type of speech issue who take fish oils because of the numerous other health benefits. You can try stopping them, increasing the essential fats in the diet, and see if you note lack of progression or any regression. Adding fish to the diet, or taking fish oils (or algae) is recommended as a healthy way to get essential fats into the body daily. Essential again means the body requires it, but can’t produce it, so we need to consume it. One other thing if you choose to increase fish in the diet is to stick to fish lower in the food chain (ProEFA for example is made from sardines and anchovies) because the lower on the food chain the less chance of contamination of mercury. Mercury binds to the protein. or muscle of the fish and has been found in larger amounts in fish higher on the food chain like tuna. This is why fish oils are a way to get the essential fats easily without the mercury as from all the tests I’ve read the main issue with OTC fish oils is rancidity -not mercury. If using fish oils always look for a high quality brand like Nordic Naturals who tests purity from contaminants like mercury as well as peroxide level (which is a way to measure rancidity) Hope that helps!

5. Is there a best way to give them the liquid from the capsules (in juice, yogurt, etc.)?

6. Jessica I have some of the serving suggestions I found best above under ‘How do you get a child to take fish oils?’ I really found it best to just serve the fish oils separate on a spoon while holding my son’s nose and having a drink ready for him to drink after (and I’d keep holding his nose for him until he started drinking his juice). But we didn’t start off like that. As I had above originally I tried various ways of serving it including mixing the fish oils into various foods or drinks. That included fish oils on his pancakes even! But if he tasted it he wouldn’t eat or drink the food. Oddly enough though not all kids are that sensitive to fish oils and as you can see above from the video of Colton some parents just squirt the fish oil from the pierced capsule right into their child’s mouth. Some parents have to actually hide the fish oil capsules from their child because they’ll chew them up like candy (and spit the capsule out after) I was not that lucky…but we found a way that worked until we were able to teach him how to swallow capsules (years later) and I’m sure you will too!

   So there really isn’t going to be a best way for every child as it’s going to depend. Yes some do mix fish oils into juice or yogurt, but the best way for your child is the simplest way to get them into your child that he’s going to like, or at least not mind!

7. Hi, my son is 7 months and is developmentally delayed in certain areas. He is very slow to babble and not mouthing alot of items. I am living in Ireland I do not have access to Nordic naturals. Could you recommend what product would be best for me to purchase for him? And what amounts would be best too? Kind regards

   • Hi Paula, if Equazen has a product that you want to use (like Equazen Eye Q Baby for your 7 month old), and it’s cheaper to purchase in Ireland, I’d recommend you use that. From the parents that I know that used both Eye Q and ProEFA the feedback is that the two were comparable formulas. And both Equazen and Nordic Naturals have high quality fish oils. You probably just read more about ProEFA on websites from the US because Nordic Naturals is a US manufacturer so would be cheaper in the US. I would check with his pediatrician about amounts but here in the US the dosage the FDA approved of essential fatty acids in infant formula is about comparable to one capsule of ProEFA- so probably would be around the same as one capsule of Eye Q…but again would check that with his ped.

8. Hi,
   I was wondering what would be the best amount of EPA to give a 7 month old boy? I can purchase Equzen eye q in Ireland but If I can purchase Nordic naturals online which product should I get and how much is safe to give an infant? Kind regards

   • Paula I answered on your other message -but please let me know if you still have questions!

9. I’m looking for a fish oil/Omega fatty acid supplement recommendation for my soon-to-be 11yo son. He is able to swallow small capsules and we used to use Nordic when he was younger…and we stopped for who knows why! ProEPA or stick with Nordic Naturals by the spoonful?

   • Marla I found ProEFA a really good start formula, and only use the ProEPA when combined with the ProEFA for apraxia at a 2 ProEFA to 1 ProEPA ratio…but you can start with just one capsule of ProEFA. If he’s not able to swallow the ProEFA capsule, you can get the ProEFA Jr. which is a small round capsule and two small ProEFA Jr. capsules will equal one regular sized ProEFA capsule as I explain above. The ProEFA Jr bottle will have the same amount of capsules per bottle and will cost around the same (a bit less) than the regular sized capsules, and for this reason will literally cost around twice as much. But when teaching your child to swallow capsules, totally worth it!! Serving fish oils by the spoonful you have to be so careful because clearly none of us wants fish oil spilled in our house, on our furniture -or kids 😀 But if you do stick with the spoon -keep in mind one teaspoon equals approximately 4 regular sized capsules- or 8 Jr. sized capsules. Hope that helps!

10. Hi Lisa,
    Could you please tell me if the liquid lemon flavored Complete 369 also works for the speech delay?

    • Yes the Complete 369 is exactly the same formula as ProEFA -they are just sold in different places (commercial vs professional- pro line) Just be careful with liquid because people tend to get heavy handed. About half a teaspoon is equal to 2 regular sized capsules of ProEFA/Complete 369. Also with the liquid once opened the shelf life is only around 4 months and it needs to be refrigerated. If you are just starting out with fish oils I’d recommend starting with the capsules and using the pin (as I share above) until you get more experienced as the shelf life is up to 4 years and doesn’t need to be kept in the fridge. And either way get the capsules too for when you travel- so much either than keeping the glass bottle cold somehow in transit 😀 I cover all this above -but know lots of info. Let me know if you have any other questions.

11. My son is 4.5 years autistic and non verbal im confuses with the details is proefa is a brand name else simply which fish oil will you suggest to help him speech and focus thanks

    • Hi Sunniyah,

      Name brand of fish oil doesn’t matter. All that matters is formula (amount of Omega 3s EPA and DHA) and if there is any Omega 6 (GLA) I have found formulas best if they have higher EPA to DHA with a bit of GLA as I say in the above article. ProEFA is a formula by a company named Nordic Naturals that many in the US do use- and it’s in the professional line of theirs. In the UK many parents use a formula called EyeQ which is made by Equazen. Depending on what you have access to you may find something else that is good. As parents we are our children’s best experts. You’ll see how the right formula of fish oil helps -and you’ll see which one is best. Most likely it’s the one I shared here because I’ve been outreaching for 16 years and it’s what has worked best for the overwhelming majority. Dr. Stordy who wrote The LCP Solution and has done research in this area says fish oils appear to be effective for over 80 percent that use them. So likely you’ll be happy with them- let me know!

    • Sunniyah yes fish oils are confusing! And the sad thing is the more you learn about them the more confusing they are! Nordic Naturals (NN) ProEFA 369 is a name brand for a formula that has higher EPA to DHA (Omega 3s) with a tiny amount of an Omega 6 called GLA. I have a page here which explains more about formula http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ After reading that over let me know if you have questions. Name brand doesn’t matter -there are parents who live in areas of the world who create their own formula by mixing together an Omega 3 fish oils higher in EPA with a primrose or borage seed oil for the GLA.

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

12. I have a 5 yr old that has been diagnosed with Severe Receptive/Expressive Speech and Language Delay. Its so frustrating not being able to understand her. And it kills me when other kids make fun of her. Would any fish oil help us?

    • Amberly you honestly have no reason not to try fish oils. They will be healthy regardless and yes many in our group have been extremely happy with the right formula (which almost always is higher EPA to DHA together with a tiny amount of GLA- so a blend of Omega 3 and 6). My main question to you though is the “severe receptive” “language” “delay” If your child has an impairment of speech- by 5 the SLP who diagnosed her should be able to tell you why. Right now it appears the reason they are providing with this diagnosis is that it’s a delay -so developmental. Or it’s receptive or cognitive. I’d for sure seek a second opinion from an SLP private that is not in any way affiliated with the first one- and don’t share this diagnosis with the second opinion SLP or the school. If you did share it already with the school and you learn there is a severe impairment of speech- you can reopen the IEP due to change in diagnosis. An expressive impairment or disorder (which is what it probably is by 5 years old as it’s improbable it’s still developmental) can create lags in language. I believe children, especially preschool children, should be provided with the benefit of the doubt. Do you have any nonverbal ways for your child to communicate? Even simple sign or picture exchange? What about an iPad? The iPad has really changed the playing field in helping show a child’s ability even if they are not able to communicate verbally. Look to the deaf community- one doesn’t have to be able to speak to be able to think and learn. There are numerous ways to communicate. Heck there is one area of the world that communicates through whistling! You may want to join our support group at apraxia.org There are many in your situation both parents and professionals to help! I have so much more to say- but probably would be best to ask and answer there as others can jump in to help too!

13. Hi !!

    My son is 22 months and doesn’t really say much of anything except for babbling. I have an appt with his dr soon to see if he needs a speech therapist….and I just bought some quail eggs to give him as my mom and mother in law said it helps in speech development. I will start him on fish oils ASAP… I am just confused as to what I need to give him or buy. I live in Vancouver, Canada…. I will look for the brands you suggested as Whole Foods. But you u pls give me a breakdown how much and what I can give him? Is morning afternoon or evening best? And how often?

    I am so looking forward to your response and to try this for my angel baby.

    Thanks so much!!

    • Hi Neda! Your son is very fortunate that he has you and the rest of his family on top of helping him early on! I’m not sure of the Early Intervention system in Canada but if you join our support group at http://www.apraxia.org I can put you in touch with others from Canada to help. In addition to nutritional good to get a speech and hearing evaluation to rule out anything with hearing. Also to find out if your son is qualified for any Early Intervention speech therapy. While I am a huge fan of fish oils and other nutritional strategies, the brain responds to multiple stimuli and therapy is key too. Have you read this page? https://cherabfoundation.org//2006/parent-friendly-signs-of-verbal-apraxia/ Anything on there sound like your child? As far as brands of fish oils -if you don’t have Nordic Naturals in your local stores, do you have Equazen EyeQ? let me know what you have and can help you. As I say in the above article name brand doesn’t matter -it’s formula, quality of the oils, and then dosage. Regardless of the reason for your child’s delay in speech I just want you to know there is so much hope! Here is a letter I was asked to write to me when my son was 3 from me in 2015 https://jakes-journey-apraxia.com/2015/05/29/letter-to-me-in-1999-from-me-in-2015/ Best, Lisa Geng

      • Thanks so much for your reply Lisa. I joined the FB page and I would love it if you could please put me in touch with people in Canada. I will have my little guy evaluated for hearing and look for Early Intervention programs in my community.

        I am going in a couple of hours to an organic market we have here called Pomme. I believe they have the Nordic Naturals…is there a specific one with specific ingredients i should be looking for? they all seem to have DHA and Omega 3 & 6…should i be looking for any other ingredient? or buy something else to mix with it?

        thanks again!!

      • Awesome -see you joined the group. I tried to tag some of the parents on your name to welcome you but the tags don’t work there. Do you mind sharing a quick message to the group just saying you are from Canada looking for support and I’ll tag a few parents.

        Sorry I didn’t get back till now about the name of the formula you would look for from Nordic Naturals -but in the store it would be called Complete Omega. (It will have borage seed oil)

14. Hi Lisa,

    I posted a question for you few days ago about Nordic Naturals Complete Omega XTRA. Did you receive it? I can repost in case it did not go through. Please let me know. Thank you.

    Naushad.

    • Sorry didn’t see that message but it’s OK see this one 😀 No don’t recommend the Xtra even though that would have been awesome if they didn’t have the EPA and GLA as high as they do. The xtra has per 2 capsules 850mg EPA, 220mg DHA, and 257mg GLA (so as you can see just looking at that the DHA and GLA are about the same) 2 capsules of ProEFA and 1 capsule of ProEPA combined will provide 695mg EPA, 280mg of DHA and 66mg of GLA. When you look at the ProEPA-there is GLA in it -so the only GLA would be from the ProEFA (which is the same as the Complete Omega) You can try a capsule, but I’d recommend the 2 to 1 as that’s what most of us found best.

15. Thanks Lisa!! You bet I will do that…

    We didn’t have the complete Omega… But I bought ultimate 3-6-9 …200 mg EPA/DHA and 75 mg GLA

    What do u think? It’s fish, flax and borage… Does that work? Thanks again

    • The GLA is a bit higher ratio wise to the Omega 3 from what we found best. The 200 combined EPA/DHA doesn’t tell you what the mg of EPA and DHA are. In general most of us found a higher EPA to DHA best. So if it was say 150 of the EPA and 100 of the DHA that would be best. Most times in order to get the formula it’s going to be either fish or algae -and even algae is a bit difficult to find where the EPA is high enough. But easy enough to try it and see -it’s still going to be healthy!

16. Hello Lisa,

    Thank you for replying to my post about the Nordic Naturals Complete Omega XTRA. I think you may be looking at a different XTRA product possibly. I just did the math again comparing 2 capsules ProEFA + 1 capsule Pro EPA against 2 capsules of Complete Omega XTRA and this is what I am seeing (numbers below are based on the product labels that are shown on the Nordic Naturals website):

    2 ProEFA + 1 Pro EFA yields 695mg EPA, 280mg DHA and 70mg GLA.

    2 Complete Omega XTRA yields 780mg EPA, 390mg DHA and 76mg GLA (NOT 257mg GLA as you mentioned in your post above).

    The EPA and DHA in 2 capsules of Complete Omega XTRA are actually slightly higher versus 2 ProEFA + 1 ProEPA combo while GLA ratio is still almost the same (76mg GLA versus 70mg GLA) so I am thinking the Complete Omega XTRA may be even more beneficial due to higher EPA, DHA and almost same GLA ratios.

    Can you please confirm if what I am saying makes sense? If my calculations above are correct then I was hoping that you would agree that one can simply use just 2 capsules of Complete Omega XTRA versus 2 capsules of ProEFA PLUS 1 capsule of ProEPA (i.e. total of 2 capsules versus 3 capsules). It will also be simpler/easier to administer 2 capsules of Complete Omega XTRA assuming you agree that the EPA, DHA and GLA ratio in 2 capsules of Complete Omega XTRA is still beneficial.

    Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you.

    • Interesting -typically the professional and commercial lines are exactly the same (other than price and where you can purchase them) but just checked and you’re right the GLA is way lower in the Complete Omega xtra vs the ProEFA xtra. Based on what I just read yes just try that one- and in the meantime I will see if I can find out why they changed the commercial line and not the professional. Here for example is one article http://www.raysahelian.com/nordicnaturals.html about ProEFA xtra and you’ll see the mg of GLA is 257 mg. I was not able to find the ProEFA xtra on the NN website -so wonder if they reformulated it. that would be awesome!!! Let me know now it goes when you try it!

17. Hello Lisa:

    Thank you for answering my question. I got one more question for you… do you have any experience with this prescription only fish oil called Vayarin (by Vaya Pharma)? Or have you heard any experiences from any of the other parents about Vayarin. Each capsule of Vayarin contains: Phosphatidylserine (PS) 75mg, Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 21.5mg, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 8.5mg

    The EPA and DHA content seems quite low but this prescription only formula has clinically shown to help improve focus for kids with ADHD symptoms.

    Please let me know if you have come across any feedback on this specific product. Thank you in advance.

    • I believe any amount of essential amino acids is better than none for most in western society as our diets tend to be filled with too much processed foods, trans fats, and not enough essential fatty acids. Having a son that grew up with a diagnosis of both ADHD and CAPD (also tested gifted by school and private evaluations) I can tell you for sure that dosage would have been way too low for him. So the question isn’t would it help. The question is what did I found as a parent to help the most. Yes I did find a higher EPA to DHA was better for ADHD too- but I still found a bit of GLA to be more beneficial for him as well. I explain more about how diet helps ADHD here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2013/03/15/diet-may-help-adhd-more-than-drugs/ along with some of the evidence on diet in general.

      Keep in mind that not all food is researched. It costs lots of money and takes time.

      In this case what we know is that Omega 3s may be helpful as well as healthy. But as always when it comes to helpful and healthy it comes down to formula, quality of the oils, and then dosage. Even though I too found dosage not to be as key for ADHD, I just have to wonder why they made the dosage so low though in this case.

    • I am a huge fan of fish oils but appears Vayarin is a low dosage Omega 3 mixed with phosphatidylserine? Vayarin is a mixture of EPA and DHA together -and put that in a twinkie with the right formula and those 2 ingredients alone may help…but curious about why their results of their double blind study were so bad -and why phosphatidylserine is added? From this article about their study

      Vayarin and deceptive marketing
      Vayarin is marketed as a “medical food” for the treatment of ADHD. Vayarin contains Phosphatidylserine 75 mg, Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 21.5 mg, and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 8.5 mg. These ingredients are omega3 fatty acids. The recommended dose is 4 pills daily.

      The company sponsored a 15-week, double blind, placebo controlled trial followed by an open-label extension for additional 15 weeks in children ages 6-13 conducted in Israel. Two hundred children were randomized to receive either Vayarin or placebo and then 150 children continued in a 15-week open-label extension trial.

      The bottom line: The primary measure to evaluate whether there was a statistically significant reduction in ADHD symptoms was teacher observations on 8 behavioral rating scales. The findings: No difference on any of the 8 scales.

      The secondary measure was parent observations on the same 8 rating scales. There was only 1 positive finding out of 8: reduction in global: restless/impulsive scale. This is hardly an endorsement for effective outcome.”

      http://www.addadult.com/vayarin-and-deceptive-marketing/

      Also about the phosphatidylserine -you’ll want to know the source because there is “some concern that products made from animal sources could transmit diseases, such as mad cow disease.” http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-992-phosphatidylserine.aspx?activeingredientid=992

      I recommend fish oils -higher EPA than I do for autism and apraxia as I have here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2013/03/15/diet-may-help-adhd-more-than-drugs/ Diet is key for many of these conditions- and I’d recommend starting with regular fish oils. More expensive doesn’t automatically mean it’s better.

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

18. Hi Lisa,

    Thank you again for answering my question about Vayarin.

    While on subject of fish oils, I am curious to know your opinion on Cod Liver oils. We ran into reading about it while reading up on Autism and visual stimming. Some parents posted that Cod Liver Oil helped stop visual stimming in their children due to natural vitamin A thats included in Cod Liver Oils.

    My apologies if I am digressing here from main topic but thought I ask your opinion. Do you think its ok to give cod liver oil in addition to fish oil supplements (at the same time) in cases where visual stimming is an issue? Per my very brief internet search/research, Cod liver oils mainly contain Omega 3s, vitamin A and vitamin D (no omega 6s or 9s). I am mainly concerned if by combining the fish oil supplementation (like 2 proefa plus 1 proepa) along with cod liver oil is going to make the total Omega 3 intake too high.

    Your opinion will be very much appreciated. Thank you!

    • My advice is to start with the fish oils not made from the liver of the fish as you do have to be concerned with fat soluble vitamins more than you have to worry about too much fish oil. Fish oils not made from the liver of the fish don’t contain these fat soluble vitamins. In research both in adults and children dosages are far higher than what is used by most parents normally. For example Efalex which was developed by Dr. Jackie Stordy and used in research -the dosage was 2-3 capsules 2-3 times a day -so up to 9 capsules a day. Dr. Stordy wrote the book The LCP Solution which my son Tanner’s story is in under The Lellow Breakthrough http://pursuitofresearch.org/2011/10/27/tanner-gengs-the-lellow-breakthrough-for-apraxia-the-lcp-solution-book/

      If you read Dr. Andrew Stoll’s book The Omega 3 Connection dosages in adults are even higher in research- maybe up to 15 capsules a day. As long as you don’t use a fish oil made from the liver of the fish you don’t have to worry about higher amounts of fish oils based on what I’ve seen personally and through feedback over the past 16 years. Main issue can be too much of any oil may give you the runs.

      If you think of it though, as parents we tend to be more nervous about an oil that comes from a capsule vs say the oil that is on top of a slice of pizza you feed your child. Fish oil however is so much healthier!

      Outside of being healthy I’m not a CLO fan personally based on what we’ve seen as feedback over 16 years in comparison to the formula in fish oils not made from the liver of the fish that are higher in EPA to DHA. CLO tends to be a higher DHA product sometimes with little EPA -no GLA typically either. And I’m not at all one to recommend supplementing with fat soluble vitamins unless needed and advised by your child’s doctor. Don’t mess with fat soluble vitamins in upper tolerable levels.

      Fish oils are very easy to play with as typically you’ll note changes if your child is a responder rather quickly. I’d recommend starting with the 2 ProEFA and 1 ProEPA. As far as dosage over the past 16 years some parents doubled or even tripled that dosage (9 capsules a day) even in 2 year old.

      In addition to being careful with higher dosages of fish oils made from the liver of the fish due to the naturally occurring fat soluble vitamins they contain -also be careful with fish oils where fat soluble vitamins are added. CLO has been used for generations and you just have to be careful with dosage for this reason.

      However in regards to side effects, based on what happened in our group with horrific side effects I’d recommend avoiding Pharma Omega Speak which is not just a fish oil -but a fish oil where they added mega fat soluble vitamins (not naturally occurring) https://www.truthinadvertising.org/speak/ Based on what happened to my own son and others in our group I’d avoid that product like the plague. Keep in mind there are some (IMO very naive/ignorant) parents that recommend that product too. Some who had children that had some good results on that product- but also started having seizures for the first time, once that product was stopped and just regular fish oils were used (2 proEFA and 1 proEPA) the good results continued sans the seizures. That product by nourishlife is also why I so highly caution you to be VERY careful with fat soluble vitamins. There isn’t much research in the history of time for supplementing children with mega dosages of fat soluble vitamins, so if you go that route realize you just made your child the lab subject. Please learn from what happened to my son and others -trust me you don’t want to go through watching your child have severe side effects- you have no idea how horrible that is. Again over the years we never saw any side effects with fish oils regardless of dosage and again high levels of fish oils have been used in various studies and there are over 75 thousand studies to validate fish oils and they have been used in high dosages (a tablespoon a day) for generations

      So maybe going off on a tangent there about fat soluble vitamins but wanted to really stress why I believe you should worry more about too much in the way of fat soluble vitamins vs too much fish oil. also including all I write here -don’t take my word or the word of anyone on the internet over your child’s doctor. Get it checked out- research upper tolerable levels. This is why today I recommend getting nutrients through food if possible outside of fish oils.

      So saying all that what I’d recommend is starting with the 2 ProEFA and 1 ProEPA and seeing how that goes, and then try adding some CLO. Again for most CLO is not the formula you want- at all. But no harm in trying it as long as you don’t use mega amounts of it.

19. Lisa,

    Thank you very much for a very detailed reply. You have answered my question. We are not planning on using CLO in high dosages. We only want to give CLO a try due to naturally occuring Vitamin A that comes with it – even that since some parents have reported positive outcomes around visual stimming and how CLO helped them in reducing or eliminating visual stimming.

    We are already been using 2 proefa + 1 proepa equivalent formula of ND fish oils with our son and wanted to confirm that adding some CLO (just 1 capsule of Carlson’s CLO daily) won’t hurt the efficacy of the fish oil supplement.

    Thank you again!

    Naushad.

20. Hi, I have a quick question. My 3 year-old son has speech delay and possibly moderate speech apraxia; being diagnosed by speech therapy. I have started him on Nordic Naturals DHA liquid at 1/2 tsp a day. Would he be better served with Nordic Naturals Junior? The EPA and DHA amounts differed and I wasn’t sure which was better. Any suggestions?

21. Hi Lisa,
    My daughter is 35 months old and does not speak and doesn’t seem to understand me most of the time. She hardly stills still, constantly hopping around and makes lots of cooing noises which sometimes sounds like she is singing. On and off she has said words but never repeats them. I want to start her on the ProEPA and ProEFA combination which you have advocated but I am wondering if I should also add a Vit E and D supplement as well. Just because I have also read good things about them. I heard that Vit D is good for brain development.

    Would like your view pls. In addition what quantities of those will suffice without interfering with the efficacy of the fish oil.

    • Hi Gabby! You don’t mention a diagnosis and around 35 months she should have one. Have you taken her yet for a speech and hearing evaluation at least to rule out any hearing issues? Here are some parent friendly signs of apraxia https://cherabfoundation.org//2006/parent-friendly-signs-of-verbal-apraxia/ By 35 months most SLPs could diagnose apraxia. If apraxia is suspected it’s also recommended to take your son to either a pediatric neurologist or developmental pediatrician to confirm or rule out soft signs http://pursuitofresearch.org/2014/07/29/parent-friendly-soft-signs/ Most children with apraxia have at or above average IQ as apraxia in itself if not a cognitive or receptive disorder, so you really want to know what she does or doesn’t understand, and what behavior is related to frustration. Or is there a cognitive and/or receptive issue going on. I coauthored a book called The Late Talker with one of my boy’s neurodevelopmental pediatricians which may help you, you can get the paperback maybe even from your local library.

      As far as supplementation -fish oils are pretty much the only one I recommend as any drug or supplement has potential side effects. Vitamin e in particular is one I’d avoid. I know the paper you are talking about with that one as it started in the Cherab private group and it was a small survey which me and other moderators collected data for. Somehow though when the paper was written there were many things in it that were not in the information we collected. In addition for most children 300 IU would be upper tolerable level -the paper quotes Dr. Stordy who co authored The LCP Solution as having in her book 3000IU as UTL, but that was a typo in the book!!! All one would have to do is check the source in the book that Dr. Stordy quotes and they will tell you it’s 300 IU- not 3000 IU!! I also know it’s a typo though because I coauthored The Late Talker book with Dr. Stordy’s coauthor (Malcolm Nicholl who is an international journalist) and I also know Dr. Stordy as my son Tanner is in her book The LCP Solution http://pursuitofresearch.org/2011/10/27/tanner-gengs-the-lellow-breakthrough-for-apraxia-the-lcp-solution-book/ Please read up on “hypervitaminosis e” and avoid any product that has large amounts of fat soluble vitamins. Most fish oils will have a small amount of alpha tocopherol (vitamin e) for stability. That’s good enough for most. About vitamin D- I do believe for those children who don’t get outside that D3 is another important supplement. Check with your child’s ped for dosage.

22. Hi Lisa,
    Thank you so much for taking the time to give me your opinion in such detail.
    I am in the Uk and the process for diagnosis can be quite drawn out. My daughter was diagnosed as having global development delay 10 months ago but she has progressed quite a lot since then to the point were the Pediatrcian was not not able to diagnose her as being austistic at her last appointment. Her hearing has been tested and it is fine. I suspect she may have a cognitive or receptive disorder because she only seems to understand about 20% of what I or her teacher say. During your various studies or research have you seen cases where cognitive and receptive disorfders ere alleviated by the Fish oil supplements. 10 months ago a community SLP evaluated my daughter’s speech and confirmed she has a speech delay but apraxia wasn’t mentioned. I will ask to see a neuro Pediatrcian and read the books you have suggested, thanks. I hope I can get them in the UK.

    • In the UK the formula I would recommend would be EyeQ by Equazen as it will be cheaper than ProEFA as it’s produced there in the UK and it’s similar. I don’t believe however that Equazen makes a formula similar to ProEPA- but see if you can find something similar that is high quality to help raise the EPA even higher.

      Where would you say your daughter falls on this matrix? http://pursuitofresearch.org/2013/03/22/speech-therapy-matrix/ Even though this was created for the school based SLPs in the US you can still use it there in the UK to get an idea of severity.

      Because we don’t know the extent of her physical limitations due to diagnosis, as there is no diagnosis, I’d still give her the benefit of the doubt that it’s possible there is much more she would like to do or say that she is not able to. I say this because for example my son Tanner was diagnosed with so much including oral apraxia. We all used to call him the “serious baby” I used to work in toy design and no matter what I couldn’t get him to smile. I remember I felt like crying when the SLP told me he probably wanted to smile many times, but just couldn’t. Always remember right now while she’s still so young that if you don’t give her the benefit of the doubt nobody else will either. You are right now her brightest voice to help speak for her. At least wait till there is diagnosis to know what is going on.

      As far as have we’ve seen results -you read this page -heck yes!! Does it help with cognition -that’s a tougher question if there really is a cognitive impairment. Sure there is evidence that healthy foods can raise the IQ slightly http://pursuitofresearch.org/nutrition-cognition-research-articles/ -but I don’t know if it will take a child from cognitive impaired to NT. But again I’d still give her the benefit of the doubt. Also make sure it’s the not only the right tests used, but the right professional doing the testing. You may want to read this for example Summary of assessment procedures Children with significant language and motor skills delays by Robert E. Friedle, Ph.D. Clinical/Neuropsychologist http://pursuitofresearch.org/2011/10/12/dealing-with-ieps-for-a-speech-impaired-child/

      Also please read this letter I was asked by the owner of this blog to write to myself when my son was 3 years old from me today https://jakes-journey-apraxia.com/2015/05/29/letter-to-me-in-1999-from-me-in-2015/ I believe it may really give you hope. As you can tell smiling on command wasn’t the only thing he wasn’t able to do -there was so much more others didn’t give him credit for and that included his cognitive functioning. And they were all so very wrong about him and his abilities. But what if I didn’t give him that benefit of the doubt? It’s just for a time until he has a diagnosis.

      Right now I’d say your main goal is to see if there is a way to secure a diagnosis. I know a parent in the UK who is working with my son Tanner’s SLP Dr. Renai Jonas (when he still needed one) here in the US through Skype. perhaps that could be an option for you too!

23. I recently purchased ProEFA-3-6-9 as well as ProEPA for my child who is 25 months with a speech delay. However, I just noticed that the amounts on the ProEFA-3-6-9 are higher than the recommended dosages addressed above. What should I do? I know that more may not always be better. I just want to make sure that I give him the correct amounts. Thanks in advance!

24. Hi Lisa,

    I’m hoping you can help me clarify this. I just received an order today for ProEFA-3-6-9 as well as ProEPA. My son is 25 months and is speech delayed. However, I noticed that the amounts on the ProEFA-3-6-9 are higher than the ones suggested above. Should I still give him 2 softgels of the ProEFA-3-6-9 and 1 of the ProEPA?

    • Hi Karen, The dosages of ProEFA and ProEPA haven’t been changed since we started using them as a group in 2000-ish. Nordic did change the way they test however -but they are still about the same dosage per capsule.

      One thing that confuses people is that sometimes the label will state “per 2 capsules” instead of per capsules. As far as serving size, as it states in the article in research the dosage for children has been anywhere from 3 to 9 capsules a day. Also to put it in perspective a teaspoon is about the same as 4 capsules. For generations grandparents were given a tablespoon a day- so that would be the same as around 12 capsules a day.

      While I typically recommend starting with 1 to 3 capsules a day (either 1 or 2 capsules of ProEFA, or 2 ProEFA and 1 proEPA) and sharing with your child’s ped. and of course too much of anything isn’t good – too much water you drown, I’ve never heard of a fish oil overdose. Just avoid fish oil from the liver of the fish because then you have to look at the amount of fat soluble vitamins they contain. ProEFA and ProEPA are not made from the liver of the fish. Whether it’s added by mother nature or manufactured and it’s added in -avoid high levels of fat soluble vitamins.

25. Hi Lisa,
    Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. Thanks a lot for your impactful response, it was really helpful. Your letter was truly encouraging.

    Re the SLP matrix it is really hard to say where my daughter falls because she is not yet of school age but I would hazard a guess to say she could be somewhere between Severe and profound. I think she has a fair degree of cognitive skills because she is very curious about activities around her and often looks at my face to gauge if I am happy with what she is touching or about to touch. There is a level of curiosity and awareness about her that tells me her cognitive skills may not be too bad.

    Re diagnosis I have asked for her to be evaluated for ASD purely because she is not speaking and seems to have sensory integration issues, she is a always hopping and bouncing around. I have started giving her one capsule of Nordics Naturals Complete’Omega D3 and one capsule of Triple strength Omega 3 by Solgar daily. In total she is consuming 689mg of EPA and 518mg of DHA. I would like your opinion on this quantity please. We are now on day 10 of taking this supplement but I am a bit concerned because since taking these supplements my daughter’s hyperactivity has doubled, she is far less attentive, started shoving her siblings and myself as fun and started repetitive behaviour which she never did. Doesn’t listen to instructions. She is constantly seeking things to hold. This is something she grew out of. Makes stimming noises which used to be negligible. I feel like the supplements may have made her symptoms worse.

    On the flip side she is more vocal, she sang a bit one day, said ‘no’ in context today. She has also been saying more sounds that sound like words. Been calling one of her siblings name which she hadn’t done in a while. I should point out that her behaviour is worse in the morning and not all days were bad. I was thinking of stopping after day 14 if the adverse symptoms persist. Any advise will be great, thanks.

    • Hi Gabby, the matrix shared would be for school aged children starting when they start preschool at 3. Your child’s private SLP should be able to assess where your child fell on the matrix. As moms though we have pretty good insight -so it probably is severe to profound.

      Also keep in mind even with apraxia once adding the essential nutrients to the diet the children may lose some of the classic symptoms. But a good SLP/neurologist will still be able to diagnose what is going on. About the formula you are using -I personally like a formula higher in EPA, and with added GLA (from primrose or borage seed oil) My advice is try the formula I recommend- 2 ProEFA to 1 ProEPA (both from Nordic Naturals) and see what you note -and then try playing around with other formulas/brands -but that’s a really good formula. All that matters would be formula, quality of the oils and then dosage. More info here https://cherabfoundation.org//2014/therapeutic-use-of-fish-oil/

26. Hi Lisa,
    Thanks a lot for the advice. I will try out that formula.

27. My daughter just turned 2 and has been in Early Intervention for the past 3 months with slow progressive, she also has eating issues and most meals are still purees. Her speech therapist suggested Apraxia as a strong possibility and suggested we start PT as well as she falls and seems unbalanced. As far as fish oil are the doses any different for a 2 year old vs. older children? She is small only 22 pounds on a good day. I just ordered the Complete Omega Liquid.

    Thanks…

28. Hi Lisa I first discovered this webpage September 2015 when my son was diagnosed with autism. He was severely speech delayed and did a lot of stimming vocally repeating eeeee a lot. He was 3 turning 4 when i started him on half capsule nordic naturals pro-efa. After 1 month I then gave one capsule then 3 months ago started with the recommended dosage of 2 pro-efa 1 pro-epa. I noticed a change almost immediately when i first started with half capsule prpefa which made me go up to the recommended dosage of 2 proefa 1 proepa. When i started him on the 3 capsules, he rarely stimmed, his speaking improved to requesting what he wants and some spontaneous words, he learned to ride a bike almost instantly, he potty trained a month into it and just a lot of great improvements with the three capsules just in 2 months of use.
    The down size of the three capsules he became a bit aggressive and got angry more frequently. As of three weeks ago as he became more aware and didn’t like the taste, for three days he spat some of the oils from his mouth. After that three days he stopped spitting it out. A week later the oils completely stopped working. He became very withdrawn, hes still potty trained, he will refuse to ride his bike and worst of all his speaking stopped. When after many prompts to speak he will say something but clenches his jaw and barely opens his mouth. Everyone notices a change. I decided to stop for a abut a week then he went back to his before fishoil self alot of stimming not answering to his name etc. I then decided to start him off slowly again with just one pro-efa, his talking came back but he’s still more aggressive, withdrawn and started clenching his jaw again immediately. I am not sure what to do now. Do you have any suggestions? I read when regression started to up the dosage which I thought about doing but the jaw clenching is really scary. It seems when the pro-epa is added he does a lot more but gets very moody.
    Thanks please reply.

    • Hi Melly,

      Anytime you notice anything like this run it past his pediatrician and neurologist. I don’t know why but yes some kids when they are raised up do go through an aggression stage which typically only lasts a week or two tops. Have that here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2011/10/08/the-worst-side-effects-may-be-from/ I do recall though one child about 14 years ago if you check the Cherab private group at Yahoo that continued to stay aggressive even though he improved. Frustration I think gets a bad rap though -I mean if you think about it to me it means he is more aware of his limitations. On the other hand can’t have your child going around aggressive to others! I typically say to raise the fish oils gradually for this very reason. What you are sharing clearly is rare, but while some think fish oils don’t work -they clearly are doing something or you wouldn’t notice anything -good or bad.

      So you already stopped them which would have been my first advice, and you started with your initial dosage which I would have suggested too. Instead of going to the 2 NN ProEFA and 1 NN ProEPA as it seems you did that kind of quick, why not try 1 NN ProEFA and squeeze out only half the capsule of NN ProEPA and raise up more gradually. How old is he now? Can you maybe start to teach him how to swallow the capsules? I have suggestions here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/07/13/easy-tips-teach-your-child-to-swallow-pills/ If not have this serving suggestion page here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/06/10/something-smells-fishy-serving-kids-fish-oils/

      Run it all past his professionals- find those you can work with as a team. That’s what I did! The most common temporary “side effect” most of us see when we start them on essential nutrients like the fish oils is the “hyper cranky fussy bratty” stage…not necessarily aggressive though.

      Just one question…when you say “. As of three weeks ago as he became more aware and didn’t like the taste, for three days he spat some of the oils from his mouth. After that three days he stopped spitting it out.” which was before the regression – are you 100 percent sure he wasn’t holding it in his mouth and spitting it out somewhere? Just curious -kids can be sneaky -I used to make my son drink a chaser of OJ after giving him his oils for this reason. (and then blot his mouth with a paper towel)

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

29. Hi lisa
    My son is 11 and has ASD and ADHD – he is quite verbal and has been receiving therapies since age 4. He has processing delay and so is not wholly conversational
    I am giving him two pills Omega Brite daily
    Someone told me about Nordic natural Pro EFA and pro EPA
    Should I switch to ProEFA and pro EPA or add it to the omega brite pills in hopes of further improving his speech and language issues? Is it safe to give both the omega brite and the ProEFA and ProEFA ? What would you recommend ?

    • Hi Humera, you don’t mention if your child is a responder to the fish oils. Meaning if you take him off do you notice a regression? When you started him did you notice acceleration in progress? While formula is key for fish oils if a child is a responder they may have even mild results on a formula that isn’t that great for most (like cod liver oil) From looking up the mg of EPA and DHA in Omegabrite (which from memory I believe is Dr. Stoll’s formula -he’s the author of the book The Omega 3 Connection) it appears it’s similar to the NN ProEPA, with slightly more EPA. What you can do is continue with one capsule of Omegabrite use one capsule of NN ProEFA 360 -see if you notice any more positive changes with that. You can also look into doubling that (so 2 of each) run past your child’s pediatrician or neurologist. You don’t mention is he on medications for the ADHD? My older son was diagnosed with ADHD and CAPD and we kept him off drugs with fish oils and other nutritional methods. As it ends up the evidence is that diet may be more effective than drugs anyway for ADHD -and without side effects. You may find this page of interest http://pursuitofresearch.org/2013/03/15/diet-may-help-adhd-more-than-drugs/

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

30. Hi lisa,
    Thank you so much for your detailed response
    It is interesting you mention cod liver oil – that is how I ended up giving my son fish oil! I started with cod liver oil and I felt that some nonspecific improvement in his awareness and language so I mentioned it to his doctor and he said yes give him fish oil and after trying a couple of fish oils I eventtually wound up giving him omega brite – the doctors told me that is what the studies were done with and he recommended the omega brite
    My son is on focalin and he has done extremely well
    The fish oil is part of his complete program – with the speech and language therapy and the medication and Rdi therapy – if I miss the fish oil for a few days ( I had run out for a week last year ) – I could see the difference! So I have been giving him the two pills –
    I was just wondering if I can add more to thing son’s language and processing and awareness with three omega brite or switch to Nordic natural pro epa and pro EFA
    He is quite used to the omega brite
    Is it worth it to switch or is it okay to add one more omega brite and make it three?
    The GLa is less in omega brite
    Thanks for your help

    • Hi Humera!

      I really don’t know much about Omega Brite but the EPA and DHA are similar to the Nordic Naturals (NN) ProEFA 369 so again instead of increasing by one which you could try -you could also try adding NN ProEPA. So either one Omegabrite and one NN ProEPA or two of each.

      Is the Focalin drug the only one you are using? That’s good he’s doing extremely well -I’d be nervous with the side effects I read about that are possible tot he heart and just read this study that in addition to all the other side effects they are now finding focalin and these other drugs effect bone density http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307389.php

      Again research has found diet may help more than drugs -and you are kind of seeing that already with the fish oils you are using. The good thing about fish oils is easy enough to try different formulas and see within a few days to a few weeks which is better.

      I wouldn’t stick so much to which are researched as again the formulas most of us use have some small scale research for autism -but doesn’t mean it’s not helping with apraxia, ADHD -and again I found the one to one ration of the 2 formulas I mention here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ (with autism and apraxia I found a 2 to 1 ratio to be better with 2 NN ProEFA to 1 NN ProEPA)

      So kind of do your own study with the fish oils…but again unlike with drugs no side effects with fish oils

      Again please read this page
      http://pursuitofresearch.org/2013/03/15/diet-may-help-adhd-more-than-drugs/

      PS- how much GLA is in Omega brite? I didn’t see any but I don’t have a bottle here and just had to go by what I saw on their website.

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

31. Hi lisa
    Thanks again for the information
    I don’t think there is much if any GLA in omega brite
    It says other omega 6 – 85 mg per three capsules – I am not sure if they include the GLA in this
    What drove me to omega brite was the high epa to dha ratio ( 7:1) but there is not much if any GLA in it
    Anyway I will discuss this with his doctor – and start with two pro NN EFA and continue with two omega brite ?
    Whatever regimen I use for my son it is imperative that it is simple for him to take and learn so he can do this on his own as he continues to get older
    Thank you for your help

    • Hi Humera!

      GLA is an Omega 6 but it’s a specific and important one. If Omegabrite had it I’m sure they’d mention it. http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/gammalinolenic-acid

      The names for Nordic Naturals formulas can be confusing, but will make all the letters small except the one that is different.

      The Omegabrite is similar to NN proeFa 369-so using Omegabrite with NN ProEFA will just be doubling what you are already using but without any GLA.

      I wanted you to use one Omegabrite and one NN proePa (NN ProEPA) to raise the EPA higher -but now that you brought up GLA -you’d be missing the GLA as that’s not in Omegabrite or the NN ProEPA

      Honestly…keep the Omegabrite and just try the one to one ratio of NN ProEFA 369 to NN ProEPA. You can double or even triple that. (so 2 of each- 3 of each)

      Again fish oils are pretty easy to try out and see which formula you find best. the dosages I have on this page again are for autism and apraxia http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ ADHD I found for my one son needed even higher EPA than we found best results with for apraxia and autism http://pursuitofresearch.org/2013/03/15/diet-may-help-adhd-more-than-drugs/

      If you want to continue with Omegabrite instead- buy some primrose oil and I figured out the mg on one of my other comments to you of how much to use per serving of Omegabrite. You can do that.

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

32. Hello, my son is 19 months non verbal (a lot of babbling) and is suspected to have autism.
    We’re looking to giving him fish oil. i read you don’t recommend giving him vitamine e as well with the fish oil, but I read something about GLA. Is this in the fish oil??? Or is it separate ?

    Would I start him with 1 EPA and half of COMPLETE OMEGA? or do the 2 EPA and 1 COMPLETE OMEGA??

    • I had bought OMEGA XTRA but I’m going back to get the correct one

    • Hi Orlando!

      Most OTC fish oil capsules do contain a bit (maybe 9 -15 ICU per capsule) of alpha tocopherol (vitamin e)which is there for stability of the fish oil. What I meant is you typically don’t need to supplement any more vitamin E than what is found in your child’s diet/IQed/capsules of fish oils unless your child’s doctor tests and finds some sort of metabolic dysfunction. This is the metabolic testing I do recommend http://pursuitofresearch.org/2012/07/09/carnitine-deficiency-testing-for-autism-and-apraxia/ and in particular for carnitine for the reasons I have on that page.

      GLA is found in some formulas of fish oils from mainly primrose or borage seed oil -it’s an Omega 6. GLA may reduce inflammation to help the EPA and DHA cross the blood brain barrier. Some studies even suggest that GLA protects DNA. You probably saw this page for formula http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/

      You can start with one Nordic Naturals (NN) ProEFA 369, the professional line is a bit cheaper than the commercial line NN Complete Omega as you get more capsules for around the same cost) I found the 2 NN ProEFA 369 to 1 NN ProEPA to be best -but again you can start with the one capsule of NN ProEFA 369 which is the same as the NN Complete Omega.

      Best,

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

33. Hello Lisa,
    Thank you for taking the time to answering my questions,
    So if I understand correctly GLA is in the fish oils from Nordic naturals ?? As long as I give him the NN pro efa 369 and 1 NN pro EPA he will be getting GLA, I could not find those PRO fish oils at the vitamine shoppe, I just ordered them online. Our son is just 18 months and since he has a few red flags for autism a speech therapist recommended fish oil.

    • Hi again Orlando, yes the Nordic Naturals Complete Omega (the commercial line) contains the GLA as I have here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ At Vitamin Shoppe you could buy the Complete Omega (instant gratification or you run out) and the professional line you can get from health care professionals or online. If purchasing online going ahead get the professional line (the NN ProEFA 369) because for example you’ll get 90 capsules for around the same cost as 60 capsules of the commercial/store line.

      Not all children are responders to fish oils. According to Dr. Stordy’s research she said it appears around 80 percent are with the right formula. My son Tanner’s story is in her book The LCP Solution http://pursuitofresearch.org/2011/10/27/tanner-gengs-the-lellow-breakthrough-for-apraxia-the-lcp-solution-book/

      About initial signs of autism. Your child is still young but good you are checking things out early. Please keep the signs of apraxia in mind https://cherabfoundation.org//2006/parent-friendly-signs-of-verbal-apraxia/

      Best,

      Lisa

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

34. Hi, My son is 3 years 8 months old and still no speaking. I just ordered nn complete omega in liquid form, how many tsp would be good to start? is there such thing as too much ? (in terms of helping his speech) Im so very worried that my son will never speak, have you ever heard of a child this old not talking and then go on to develop speech?

    • Hi Kailey,

      Do you know what diagnosis your child has? Are there signs of apraxia? https://cherabfoundation.org//2006/parent-friendly-signs-of-verbal-apraxia/ And if apraxia is diagnosed or suspected I highly recommend a visit to either a pediatric neurologist or a developmental pediatrician to confirm or rule out soft signs http://pursuitofresearch.org/2014/07/29/parent-friendly-soft-signs/

      You want to make sure if you don’t have an accurate and complete diagnosis of what is going on you get that done quickly now because it will assure appropriate therapy. If you don’t have an accurate diagnosis there is no way of knowing if the speech issues are from motor, strength or something else. If no progress is being made within 3 months even once you do receive what you believe to be a complete and accurate diagnosis, reevaluate therapy, therapist, and/or diagnosis.

      This page will help with the school IEP (both the matrix and the links under it) http://pursuitofresearch.org/2013/03/22/speech-therapy-matrix/ and this page will help with securing more therapy including through insurance http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/05/31/5-ways-to-get-free-or-affordable-speech-therapy/

      About fish oils- for a moment forget it’s fish oil. Have you ever worried how much pizza oil your child is eating? If you let the oil drip off one slice it may be more fish oil than you are serving your child. Pizza oil isn’t that bad but what about french fry or doughnut oil? There are different types of oils out there and transfats are very unhealthy. Fish oil would be a “good” fat, and I am not aware of any side effects of too much oil outside of diarrhea which will happen with too much of any oil.

      About dosage may have missed it on the page above- there are numerous links however the link for dosages is here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/
      One regular sized capsule or 2 Jr. sized capsules is about equivalent to what the FDA approved for infant formula.
      A teaspoon is about equivalent to 4 regular sized or 8 jr. sized capsules
      In research for children (see references on the above link) was typically around 2 teaspoons or 8 regular sized (or 16 Jr. sized) capsules

      I recommend mixing 2 formulas from Nordic Naturals rather than just using the one. I also typically recommend the capsule over the liquid for the reasons I have here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/06/10/something-smells-fishy-serving-kids-fish-oils/

      Let me know if you have any other questions!

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

35. Hi Lisa,

    I want to give my son fish oil since he’s not talking and is 3 and half years old. He is being evaluated for autism. Im worried about the fish oil, does it contain mercury???? Since his Dr. said mercury could be giving him autism symptoms.

    Thank you.

    • Hi Samantha, mercury adheres to the muscle of the fish-and mercury can only adhere to protein, for this reason, it is highly unlikely if not impossible for any fish oil to contain mercury. https://cherabfoundation.org//2005/mercury-levels-and-neurological-conditions/ https://cherabfoundation.org//2006/efa-resources/ As you can see with testing by multiple parties that is the case, so your doctor probably doesn’t have all the accurate information on fish oils.

      OTC fish oil can be rancid (which is measured by peroxide level) which is why to purchase Essential Fatty Acids from reputable companies that will verify their products purity in writing.

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

36. Good Afternoon Lisa,

    I started my daughter on 2 capsules of efa 369 and 1 of pro epa.
    After the third day, my daughter seemed to have lost her appetite. Is this normal or should I give her a lower dose?

    thank you!

    • Hi Jesse, 3 capsules of the fish oil you used would be around the same as 3/4 a teaspoon. There could be around that much oil on a slice of pizza. I haven’t heard of this amount of fish oil affecting appetite, but I would try stopping the fish oils and see if you notice a difference in appetite- and then start again. This is the page on dosage http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/

      Did you notice anything positive with the fish oils? Let me know.

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

37. Hi Lisa, thanks for sharing so much helpful information. My daughter is 15 months in a few days and her speech development seems very off. She was tongue and upper lip tie as an infant, and she would babble very little or actually go through silent phases of days. At the beginning, I noticed she would say Mama only if she had a finger or something in her mouth, as if she needed to activate her muscles… She has spoken no words yet and, in between normal babbling, she often produces strange vowel sounds (strings of “aaahhh” but said like she is struggling to communicate something else). Her receptive skills are pretty high. She understands everything I say but cannot waive or imitate sounds. She points, clap her hands and is happy and social (although has stranger anxiety at times), she met her other milestones so I do not suspect autism. After reading all I could, both my husband and I suspect apraxia instead. I’d love to give her fish oil ASAP. I feel very terribly guilty because, in the midst of my pregnancy, I ran out of DHA supplements and given my doctor didn’t prescribed it, I simply stopped taking it. I cried myself to sleep so many times already and I am praying there is a path for my little one to learn to speak… My question is what brand and dosage should I use for her being so little? (we are in the US). Also can I join any FB group to connect with other parents on this topic. I feel very lonely as I no longer have my parents and I could use some extra support. Thank you.

    • Hi Mary- most experts in apraxia will say you can’t have a definitive diagnosis until 3 years old. You don’t mention if your child has yet had a speech and hearing evaluation (but with the tongue and upper lip tie maybe in therapy? I have a page here that may help with that http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/07/26/vpd-support/ )

      If not in speech therapy yet -here are some ways to secure some speech therapy http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/05/31/5-ways-to-get-free-or-affordable-speech-therapy/ I would also contact Early Intervention through your state for an evaluation to see if your child qualifies

      Here are signs of apraxia https://cherabfoundation.org//2006/parent-friendly-signs-of-verbal-apraxia/ and here are the soft signs we typically find with apraxia today which would have to be diagnosed by either a pediatric neurologist or developmental pediatrician http://pursuitofresearch.org/2014/07/29/parent-friendly-soft-signs/

      Fish oils will be healthy either way -but I’d say the first step for you is to find out if anything is going on. To secure an accurate diagnosis if there is something so you can secure appropriate therapies.

      Please join our support group at http://www.apraxia.org You are not alone -you are doing all the right things reaching out so young to make sure. There are lots of us to help -to be your big sister <3

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed "Approved for the Feingold Diet"
      772-335-5135
      "Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice"

38. Hi Mam,

    I need to raise my sons issues who is 3.3 years old and on spectrum.
    Can you please send me your email id so that I can send yo setails about him.

    • sent you an email Sadanand

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

39. Dear Lisa
    I want to start fish oil for my year 4 year old who has speech delay and waiting for an ASD assessment. I looked at Nordic Naturals with the dosage you recommend which is the
    EPA: 695 mg
    DHA: 280 mg
    GLA: 66 mg
    But when I looked at the composition of their EPA and EFA, the formula I came up to achieve the above was 1 capsule PRO EFA + half capsule PRO EPA ( 2 + 1)??!! Am I looking at a different product or what?

    The other thing is that since I am in the UK, I am also considering the Equazen formula, but even with 6 capsules a day, I won’t get the recommended dose really! Will it still be as effective?

    Many thanks

    • The confusing thing Radwa is that with the same formula of NN ProEFA 369 the capsules on the bottle have the dosage of 2 capsules, and the same formula of the liquid has the dosage as a teaspoon which would be around the same as 4 capsules. I explain that here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/

      Saying that since you are in the UK get the EyeQ as that is a comparable formula to the NN ProEFA 369 and since it’s manufactured in the UK will be cheaper and easier for you to purchase there.

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

40. Hi Lisa,
    I’m a bit confused on what to order. First, can you tell me the difference between EFA and EPA? I’m sure it was mentioned above but my mind is so overwhelmed with all this information. Also when I google NN ProEPA I keep getting pills for cardiovascular health. These are not the correct ones right? Could you possibly post a link for each kind I need to order? Thank you for your time and what an amazing page full of information you have created.

    • Hi Becky,

      I know fish oils are confusing- I have a page here just on dosage/formula which I believe may help. http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ This page also goes into the difference between the commercial and professional line -I know it’s confusing. Let me know if you still have questions!

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

41. Hello my son is 18 months old and has hearing loss as well as developmental delay. He is currently in E.I and wears hearing aides. He does a lot on stimming and has seen neurologist for it but they are not concerned, I suspect it may be Autism. I found on amazon several options of the prepa and proefa . I found the NN Proefa 369 1000mg soft gels 180 count and the regular proefa same mg and same count. Also i found NN Proepa 1000mg 120 count , the pro epa xtra and pro epa with concentrated GLA. I was going to try cod liver old since i have heard it helps with stimming which he does with his eyes. Can you tell me which one do you recommend the most? I don’t have problems with his mood although is he is frustrated he bites his hand, but eats well and sleeps well.

    • Oh the poor little guy is dealing with so much Jazmin -hearing loss and speech delay. Just one of them alone can lead to so much frustration! The stimming isn’t necessarily a sign of autism- lots of little children can stim at times. Could be helping with his sensory input too? Do you know if he has any soft signs when you took him to the neurologist? http://pursuitofresearch.org/2014/07/29/parent-friendly-soft-signs/

      Also just in case here are parent-friendly signs of apraxia http://pursuitofresearch.org/2014/07/29/parent-friendly-soft-signs/

      About fish oils it’s all about formula rather than name brand and have that info here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/

      For the biting his hand -you may want to look into some oral motor toys for him to chew on instead http://pursuitofresearch.org/2012/07/22/oral-motor-dysfunction-exercises-and-therapy-for-autism-and-apraxia/

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

42. Hi there Lisa,

    Thank you so much for all your knowledge. I had a question. I have been giving my 3 year old son (consumer brand) Nordiac Naturals Complete Omega 1/2 teaspoon. I have definitely noticed an improvement in following directions, words coming out and lots of imitations. He is still not able to put phrases together. He is in therapies and developmental school. he has been diagnosed with mixed expressive/receptive lang disorder and sensory processing disorder. ( not sure if spectrum we are going to wait to do evaluation since he ism making progress). My question is should I continue with 1/2 teaspoon or can I increase it and if I need to add anything else. thank you

    • Hi Humaira,

      You don’t mention your child’s age. I caution parents to be extremely careful with accepting a diagnosis of a receptive disorder unless you 100 percent agree with it -provide your child with the benefit of the doubt as ability to talk isn’t necessarily linked with ability to think and learn http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/08/study-cognitive-ability-can-far-exceed-verbal-ability/ Is he showing any signs of frustration in not being able to communicate the way others do? Does he appear to understand more than he can say?

      Does he fit any signs of apraxia? https://cherabfoundation.org//2006/parent-friendly-signs-of-verbal-apraxia/ If you or the professionals suspect or diagnose autism or apraxia it’s recommended to seek an evaluation by either a pediatric neurologist or developmental pediatrician to confirm or rule out soft signs http://pursuitofresearch.org/2014/07/29/parent-friendly-soft-signs/

      I would say it’s worth going ahead with the evaluations to secure a diagnosis that is accurate because it will help with the IEP and insurance. I typically recommend evaluations by an SLP and either a pediatric neurologist or developmental pediatrician for preschool age- and for school age if needed an educational psychological exam as well. I don’t typically recommend the psych exams preschool age due to the high level of misdiagnosis of autism and ADHD

      For fish oils the half teaspoon you are using would be about the same as 2 capsules a day. I have dosage that works best for most on this page- try it and let me know! http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

43. Hi Lisa,

    I have a 5 year old son and a 3 year old son. Both my sons have had speech delays . The 5 year old is doing well now with speech and the 3 year old is on a few words and I am hoping that will increase. They both had early intervention and no diagnosis made yet .The concern I have with my kids is that they are very hyper active and most days its a challenge as we have a of tantrums . I have started eyeq liquid yesterday so very early to observe any changes .
    I came across this website today and its very interesting.
    I wanted to ask you if I should continue with eye q or should I move to proefa ( 2) and proepa (1).
    I can order this Nordic naturals online but wanted your opinion first.
    If you can please email me and let me know your opinion.
    I really appreciate your help.

    Regards
    Ruksana

    • Hi Ruksana,

      I’m so sorry I missed this question until now -I do so much outreach as so many of our groups including http://www.apraxia.org Not all children that take fish oils are what we call responders, but according to Dr. Jacky Stordy who did research in this area and like you is from the UK (at least I’m guessing that is where you are from being you are using EyeQ) found around an 80 percent success rate with the right formula. Typically within a day to three weeks you’ll know- did you see results with the EyeQ? Experience is that the NN ProEFA 369 formula and EyeQ are similar- so no reason to pay more for the NN proEFA 369 is the EyeQ is cheaper and easier for you to get.

      Please update!

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

44. Hi Lisa,

    Our son is two years old with speech delay and potential ASD. We started him on just 1 capsule (put into his almond milk) of NNProEFA 3.6.9. We gave him 1 capsule one day, skipped the next (not intentionally), and then 1 capsule on the third day. The day after we gave him the 1 capsule his stool was dark, tarry, and his butt was really read. So we are stopping the capsules until we understand what might be happening.

    Is this an a-typical result or expected?

    Thank you

    • Hi Caring Parent!

      Nope I’ve never heard of that and we talk about poops a lot in our group. Normal stools don’t have to be solid though, they can be “mushy” as you can read here https://www.gutsense.org/constipation/normal_stools.html But tarry stools looking like there is blood in the stool? I’d take him to his doctor to check this out if that is the case based on what I read here https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003130.htm But then again from what I read here http://www.mayoclinic.org/stool-color/expert-answers/faq-20058080 black stools can be from eating black licorice.

      If your child isn’t allergic to fish, I’ve never heard of any true side effects in 17 years of outreach now with regular fish oils.

      The same amount of EFAs in one capsule of NN ProEFA 369 is about equivalent to the dosage the FDA approved for infant formula. It may be coincidental that after a day of giving one capsule of fish oil his stools changed. Too much of any oil can cause loose stools, but one capsule (which is about a quarter of a teaspoon) again would be considered a highly conservative dosage for a child. In research for children they typically use around 8 capsules (2 teaspoons) a day http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ Most of us think nothing of our child eating pizza or doughnut oil, but believe fish oil scares some people because it’s in a capsule -but it’s one of the most highly researched supplements out there with literally tens of thousands of studies to validate it’s health properties/benefits to our body. I have more on fish oils here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2010/12/01/therapeutic-use-of-fish-oil-for-apraxia-autism-and-other-communication-impairments/

      I would again recommend contacting your child’s pediatrician or neurologist- or even a pediatric gastroenterologist.

      Please update what you find out, but again no never heard of this before and hope it’s nothing and he’s OK.

      Best,

      Lisa

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      getIQed.com
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

45. Hello I’m just about to purchase the nordic naturals proepa and proefa!!! I know 2 proefa to one proepa but can anybody tell me how and when we give them ? Like do you give them all together in the morning or throughout the day ?

    Thank you

    Son is 3.5 diagnosed autistic 4 days ago completely non verbal except the eeeeeee vocal stim and a lot of other sounds … has little receptive language can’t follow instructions no gesture etc …. although has just started taking us by the hand when he wants to go somewhere or wants something else.g when he wants to play upstairs he walks us to the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs… when he wants the TV changing he comes and get us by the hand and brings us to the living room sits us down and passes us the remote .

    • Hi Helen,

      The page you asked this question on has most of the basic info linked to -but here are the direct links to what you are looking for

      How to serve fish oils to a toddler http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/06/10/something-smells-fishy-serving-kids-fish-oils/
      Dosage of fish oils http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/

      I recommend all at once in the earlier part of the day as serving late can affect sleep. Please let me know if you have any other questions

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

46. Hi Lisa ,
    I have a 3.5 year son with speech delay and I really want to try the proefa and proepa.
    I am based in U.K and the only one I have found so far is Nordic naturals omega 369 complete with d1000 mg 120 capsules . Can you please let me know if I start him on this then which proepa to give as I could not find any in U.K. .. .From what I understand from the forum . It’s one capsule of proefa ..Is that correct ? I have a 5 year old who also had speech delay but now he is a lot better . Both my children had early invention but no diagnosis made. Thank you

    • Ruksana if you are in the UK you should get the EyeQ which is comparable to the Nordic Naturals (NN) ProEFA 369. There are parents that used both and didn’t see any difference between the 2 formulas -so just get the one that is cheaper for you. Since EyeQ is manufactured in the UK that will be easier to get for you and cheaper. I included that on this page http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/

      Let me know if you have any other questions!

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

47. Hi Lisa.
    Hope you can help.
    My son is 6, and has Developmental Language Disorder (formerly known as Specific language impairment) and we were using the Nordic Naturals pro-Efa capsules for some time and noticed quite a change in his attention span, which in turn helped him to be able work on his speech with his SLT and focus better in school.
    However I now seem to be unable to get hold of this capsules and have looked everywhere. I even e-mailed the company to find out if it had been re-branded or if they could recommend an equivalent but I didn’t hear back.
    We have been using another fish oil however i doubt that it is of the quality we had with the Nordic naturals. Are there any that you would recommend to use which are the equivalent to the NN pro-efa?
    We are in the U.K.

    Thank you!

    Victoria.

    • Hi Victoria- you are probably best off with the name specific language impairment and ASHA still uses that as your son is 6 years old and not good to have the word ‘developmental’ or ‘childhood’ in front of the diagnosis name as the impairment may follow him through his school career and in about 4 years those words start to take on other meanings. Most that use the NN ProEFA 369 in the Cherab group have used it to help with speech (expressive) and while it may help with language too, most of our experience has been with apraxia which is an expressive (speech) disorder.http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/12/the-first-scientific-conference-on-therapy-for-verbal-apraxiadyspraxia/ The NN ProEFA 369 is still available but as I have on this page http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ you can only find it through healthcare providers or online at sites like http:/www.speech411.com You can get the exact same formula at your store through the commercial line and it will be called Nordic Naturals (NN) complete Omega- and it will contain borage seed oil just like the NN ProEFA 369. The only reason most of us get the professional line is because you get more capsules for around the same cost. But the commercial line is great for instant gratification or when you run out

      Oh no after reading all of that saw you are in the UK -nevermind you should just get the EyeQ which is manufactured in the UK and from what I’ve heard from parents that have used both EyeQ and NN ProEFA 369 they are comparable

      Hope that helps!

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

      • Hi! My name is Courtney, after reading this blog, I am a new mom, to 3 baby girls, one which is 2, and we were told by her therapist she possibly has childhood speech apraxia. I am trying to find her the best formula, she is a very picky eater, so I would love to get her on something to give her those healthy fats she needs, She is eager to learn right now and anything I can do to help get her going I would love to know more about! I’m new to all of this , so your advice would be such a blessing! ? TY courtney! Momof3

      • Hi Courtney,

        Most experts in apraxia will say you can’t have a definite diagnosis until 3 years old. Is your 2 year old close to 3? On this page, do you see a lot of signs of apraxia? https://cherabfoundation.org/2006/parent-friendly-signs-of-verbal-apraxia/

        If apraxia is diagnosed or suspected it’s highly recommended to confirm or rule out soft signs with either a pediatric neurologist or developmental pediatrician https://pursuitofresearch.org/2014/07/29/parent-friendly-soft-signs/

        The only type of apraxia you can diagnose as young as 18 months is oral apraxia -but that appears to be quite rare http://pursuitofresearch.org/2017/02/03/why-more-should-know-what-oral-apraxia-is/

        As far as fish oils this is the dosage I recommend that works for the majority https://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ and how to serve http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/06/10/something-smells-fishy-serving-kids-fish-oils/

        Best,

        Lisa Geng
        President CHERAB Foundation
        Creator IQed Smart Nutrition
        “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”
        Please consider a donation to the Cherab Foundation
        Donations are tax-deductible, our federal tax ID number is 22-3685234

    • Nordic Naturals – liquid oil I have been giving to my son as well, I notice a huge improvement
      good luck

      • Hi Indira,

        That’s awesome that you are seeing huge improvements -but you may want to try the capsules over the liquid for the reasons I have on this page http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/fish-oil-capsule-vs-liquid-for-children/ Here is how you’d serve them http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/06/10/something-smells-fishy-serving-kids-fish-oils/ and also you may after that want to try raising the EPA with NN ProEPA http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/

        Lisa Geng
        President CHERAB Foundation
        cherab.org
        Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
        Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
        getIQed.com
        772-335-5135
        “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

    • Nordic Naturals is sold at Sprout’s. I thought you could get on Amazon as well, but not positive. I also like Wiley’s fish oil, maybe even better than Nordic.

      • Nancy, there is a difference between the commercial and professional line for Nordic Naturals and stores are only allowed to carry the commercial line as I have here http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ With fish oils as I have on that page it’s not name-brand that matters but formula, quality of the oil, and then dosage.

        Nordic naturals is very strict with quality and who has their professional license to be a distributor. I recently spoke to someone in the professional division about their products selling on Amazon and they informed me to share with our group not to purchase their products on Amazon as nobody is authorized to sell their products on Amazon or eBay. It’s come to their attention in some of the products they purchased that some of the bottles contained cotton. Nordic Naturals doesn’t put cotton into their fish oil bottles so that is frightening as that would mean some of the fish oils being sold on Amazon appear to have been tampered so you don’t know unless it’s purchased from an authorized distributor.

        Lisa Geng
        President CHERAB Foundation
        cherab.org
        Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
        Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
        getIQed.com
        772-335-5135
        “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

48. Hi Lisa.
    Hope you can help.
    My son is 6, and has Developmental Language Disorder (formerly known as Specific language impairment) and we were using the Nordic Naturals pro-Efa capsules for some time and noticed quite a change in his attention span, which in turn helped him to be able work on his speech with his SLT and focus better in school.
    However I now seem to be unable to get hold of this capsules and have looked everywhere. I even e-mailed the company to find out if it had been re-branded or if they could recommend an equivalent but I didn’t hear back.
    We have been using another fish oil however i doubt that it is of the quality we had with the Nordic naturals. Are there any that you would recommend to use which are the equivalent to the NN pro-efa?
    We are in the U.K.

    Thank you!

    Victoria.

    • I think I just answered this but if I didn’t let me know!

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

49. Thanks Lisa for your quick reply. We’ve temporarily removed blueberries from our son’s diet — we read that that could be the cause of what we were seeing regarding his stool — and he’s now back to taking the 1 capsule of NNProEFA 3.6.9 for the past four days. And everything is normal with his stool now.

    It was likely just the blueberries. We’ll try not to let him eat quite so many (they’re his favorite) 🙂

    • Now I can’t recall what happened to his stools -but I wouldn’t limit blueberries unless he’s allergic as they provide some healthy nutrients. Perhaps just introduce them slowly and only start with a few and gradually increase them? I use the Nutrabullet a lot to make smoothies and blueberries are great in there too 😀 how is it going with the fish oils?

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”

50. Hi Lisa
    I stay in the UK, my son is 5years and non verbal, I can access the liquid fish oils, and he doesn’t mind with medication. Please what dosage can I administer with the liquid form of fish oils, and how do I up it? Thank you

    • Hi Onyeka,

      On this page http://pursuitofresearch.org/2016/09/13/dosage-of-fish-oil-for-children/ I explain that the formula called EyeQ which is manufactured in the UK is supposed to be a high quality fish oil, many have found it comparable to the NN ProEFA 369. Try that and let me know!

      Lisa Geng
      President CHERAB Foundation
      Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
      Conceptualist for IQed “Approved for the Feingold Diet”
      772-335-5135
      “Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice”