Do I have to stop seeing our pediatrician?

No, and please do not. Your pediatrician handles well child care, acute illness, immunizations, growth and referrals. What I do sits alongside that. I am happy to coordinate directly with them.

Will this replace our therapies?

No. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA, physical therapy and feeding therapy are doing something I cannot do, and what I do is complementary to them. What I can do is address the nutrient gaps, the gut inflammation, the folate metabolism and the mitochondrial support underneath, so the therapy your child is already getting has more to work with.

What if my child needs a specialist you are not?

Then I say so and help you get there. If I look at a history and see a child who has never had a neurology workup and probably should, or who has never had genetic testing reviewed by a geneticist, I will tell you. I will also suggest things outside my own lane when I think they would help, including chiropractic, acupuncture, or a dietitian.

What if you do not know the answer?

Then I go and find out. I have a network of clinicians who have been doing this for decades, and I tell every family that outright. Those people are an extension of me. I would rather consult four people than pretend I have all the answers, because I do not.

Are you against medication?

No. Many of the children who come to me are already on medication. Some families want to understand how to safely come off it. Some are finding it is no longer working and want to know what else is out there. Either way, medication changes happen in coordination with the prescriber, and I never tell a family to stop a psychiatric medication on their own.

What is actually included in six months?

Four visits with me, texting access in between so a problem does not have to wait a month, a written Parent Roadmap at every visit so you always know why we are doing what we are doing, and access to my online coursework covering the foundations like sleep, breathing and nutrition.

Why six months? That feels like a long commitment.

Because that is honestly how long root cause work takes. Testing takes weeks to come back. Foundations take weeks to hold. Gut work is slow on purpose, because rushing it makes children feel worse. Then there is the next phase and a real reassessment at the end. Some families do see changes at home much earlier, especially in sleep and appetite, but I do not build a plan around the fast wins.

Do you require a contract?

No. There is no contract. You are signing up for me, and I want you to be happy with that. What I ask in return is that the plan actually gets carried out at home. I can tell you everything I know and it only goes so far if it stays on paper.

What if the plan is not working?

Tell me and I change it. If your child is not responding the way I expected, or is struggling in one area more than the one I planned to work on next, I flex and go there first. If you as the parent are overwhelmed by what we are doing, we slow down. The whole time we are working together, it has to be doable and it has to fit your real life.

Are you going to hand me twenty supplements?

No, and that approach is exactly what gives functional medicine a bad name. When twenty things start at once nobody can tell what helped and what made things worse. I work in phases and things get layered out as often as they get layered in.

Do you take insurance?

No. Because I am a pediatric nurse practitioner I can provide a superbill, and some families submit that for out of network reimbursement. Whether your plan reimburses and how much is between you and your insurer.

Why does the cost vary so much between families?

Because testing is the cost driver, and testing is chosen for your child rather than run by default. Some of what I order is ordinary bloodwork your insurance covers. The functional panels are the ones that are not covered, and I choose those deliberately.

If we can only afford one test, which should it be?

I will tell you honestly on the consult. Often gut or nutritional testing answers more, sooner, for less than genomics does. I would rather you get one useful answer than three partial ones. More on cost →

Is genomic testing covered by insurance?

It is not. It is cash pay and it is an investment. The upside is that it is a one time test. Your child's genes do not change, so the report is a reference you can come back to for the rest of their life.

Do I have to stop seeing our pediatrician?

No, and please do not. Your pediatrician handles well child care, acute illness, immunizations, growth and referrals. What I do sits alongside that. I am happy to coordinate directly with them.

Will this replace our therapies?

No. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA, physical therapy and feeding therapy are doing something I cannot do, and what I do is complementary to them. What I can do is address the nutrient gaps, the gut inflammation, the folate metabolism and the mitochondrial support underneath, so the therapy your child is already getting has more to work with.

What if my child needs a specialist you are not?

Then I say so and help you get there. If I look at a history and see a child who has never had a neurology workup and probably should, or who has never had genetic testing reviewed by a geneticist, I will tell you. I will also suggest things outside my own lane when I think they would help, including chiropractic, acupuncture, or a dietitian.

What if you do not know the answer?

Then I go and find out. I have a network of clinicians who have been doing this for decades, and I tell every family that outright. Those people are an extension of me. I would rather consult four people than pretend I have all the answers, because I do not.

Are you against medication?

No. Many of the children who come to me are already on medication. Some families want to understand how to safely come off it. Some are finding it is no longer working and want to know what else is out there. Either way, medication changes happen in coordination with the prescriber, and I never tell a family to stop a psychiatric medication on their own.

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FAQ

Every question you are carrying, answered honestly.

Including the ones that feel awkward to ask out loud. If you do not find yours here, ask me directly.

- QUICK ANSWER

Find your question by topic

Every main page on this site goes deeper on its own subject. Start where your child is

- CATEGORIES

Getting Started

The Program & How It Runs

Cost, Insurance And Value

Your Pediatrician & the care team

Cost, Insurance And Value

School Real Life And Logistics

Questions About Child's Struggles

- START HERE

How does pediatric functional medicine work here?

You book a free consult. I listen to your child's whole story and tell you honestly whether I can help. If we go forward, we run testing chosen for your child, then work through a six month guided plan that starts with the foundations and moves one phase at a time. You get four visits, texting access in between, and a written Parent Roadmap every visit. I work alongside your pediatrician and I do not change or remove any diagnosis your child already has.

Getting Started

The questions that come up before anyone books anything.

The Program And How It Runs

Cost, insurance and value

Your Pediatrician And The Rest Of The Care Team

School, Real Life And Logistics

Questions About Your Child's Specific Struggles

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Still carrying a question this page did not answer? Ask me on the call. That is what it is for.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Patton, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC

Pediatric nurse practitioner and founder of Happy Kid Functional Medicine

I'm a pediatric nurse practitioner with more than a decade of clinical experience, and the founder of Happy Kid Functional Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. I started my career in underserved communities and spent years in primary care watching the same children come back with the same unresolved symptoms, handed from specialist to specialist while nobody actually got to the bottom of it. I built this practice so those families would have somewhere else to go.

Meet Dr. Amy Patton

If this is an emergency, do not wait on me. If your child is in crisis right now, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or go to your nearest emergency department. For a sudden severe medical change, heavy bleeding, trouble breathing, or a seizure, call 911 or your child’s pediatrician.

I am the person you call about the plan we built together, about a reaction to something we started, and about symptoms getting worse on my watch.

Where I See Families

In person in Omaha, and by telehealth in six states.

In Person

Omaha, Nebraska

Telehealth

Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, Virginia

Not on that list? Reach out anyway. I would rather tell you honestly what I can and can't do than leave you guessing, and if I can't see you I'll point you toward someone who can.

Ask me →

See everywhere I serve →

The goal at Happy Kid Functional Medicine is to help children improve their overall daily wellbeing, so they can thrive to whatever capacity that means for them.

Not a different child. The same child, more comfortable in their own body.

With you in this, Amy

Amy Patton, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC · Happy Kid Functional Medicine

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— Are You Ready To Start

Still have a question that is really about your child?

A page can only answer in general. The free Happy Kid Consult is where I can answer about your child, and it costs nothing but fifteen minutes.

Book the Free Happy Kid Consult →

Every question you are carrying, answered honestly.

Find your question by topic

How does pediatric functional medicine work here?

Getting Started

How do I get started?

Is the first call really free, and is it a sales call?

What should I bring or have ready?

Am I the right kind of parent for this practice?

Do you see children outside Nebraska?

The Program And How It Runs

What is the Missing Piece Method?

What is actually included in six months?

Why six months? That feels like a long commitment.

Do you require a contract?

What if the plan is not working?

Are you going to hand me twenty supplements?

Cost, insurance and value

Do you take insurance?

Why does the cost vary so much between families?

If we can only afford one test, which should it be?

Is genomic testing covered by insurance?

Your Pediatrician And The Rest Of The Care Team

Do I have to stop seeing our pediatrician?

Will this replace our therapies?

What if my child needs a specialist you are not?

What if you do not know the answer?

Are you against medication?

School, Real Life And Logistics

Can you help with school accommodations?

My child cannot tolerate a blood draw. Is testing off the table?

What if I cannot make the diet changes right now?

Will you use my child's real name or story anywhere?

Questions About Your Child's Specific Struggles

Can functional medicine help ADHD without medication?

Could my child's ADHD diagnosis be wrong?

Is leaky gut real or is it internet noise?

Why does my child wake at two or three in the morning?

Is melatonin safe for my child?

Does PANS or PANDAS really come on overnight?

Will genomic testing diagnose MTHFR or cerebral folate deficiency?

Should I just give my child methylated B vitamins?

Can mold in our house really be doing this?

Can you help a child with autism?

Can I just pay as I go instead of the six month program?

Could mold really be part of my child's picture?

Do you work with children with autism?

Amy Patton, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC

In person in Omaha, and by telehealth in six states.

Still have a question that is really about your child?

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