Genetic testing

Genetic testing at WIN is a laboratory test that identifies variants in the genes that govern how a person's body processes nutrients, clears toxins and produces neurotransmitters, so that supplementation and treatment can be matched to that individual. Dr. Báez-Franceschi orders it as part of the Phase I labs for children, teens and adults evaluated at our Houston and San Juan centers.

What is genetic testing?

Every person carries small, common variations in their DNA. Some of these variants sit in genes that control everyday chemistry: converting B vitamins into their active forms, breaking down and eliminating toxins, building and recycling the neurotransmitters that neurons use to communicate. A variant does not mean something is broken; it means that body may do a particular job more slowly or need more of a given nutrient to do it well. Genetic testing reads a selected set of these variants and reports them.

What it is not matters as much as what it is. Genetic testing at WIN is not a diagnosis of autism, ADHD or any other condition, and it does not predict whether a child will develop one. It is not the same as the chromosomal or whole-exome testing a geneticist may order to look for a syndrome. It is a tool to individualize treatment: it tells the physician which nutritional and detoxification pathways deserve attention in this particular patient.

Who genetic testing helps

WIN uses genetic testing to personalize the medical and nutritional plan for patients across the conditions it treats, including:

• Autism and speech delay, where nutrient-processing and detoxification pathways are commonly reviewed when building supplementation
• ADD, ADHD and auditory processing, including the neurotransmitter pathways involved in attention and regulation
• Gastrointestinal disorders, where absorption and food reactions are part of the picture
• Autoimmune disorders and other chronic inflammatory conditions

It is relevant for infants through adults; a parent's own results can also be informative for the family. Genetic testing is not sold à la carte. The physician decides at the initial medical evaluation whether it belongs in the Phase I labs for a given patient, and the results are interpreted alongside the other labs rather than on their own.

What the test looks like at WIN

Genetic testing is ordered at the Phase I initial medical evaluation in Houston or San Juan. The sample is simple: it is collected at the center or at home, following the laboratory's instructions, and the team explains the steps so parents know exactly what to do. The test is done once; unlike other labs, genetic variants do not change, so it does not need to be repeated.

Results take time to come back from the laboratory. When they do, they are reviewed at the Phase I follow-up appointment together with the rest of the specialized labs. Dr. Báez-Franceschi explains which variants were found, what each pathway does in plain language, and how that changes the recommendation for your child: which nutrients may need to be given in a particular form, which supplements to prioritize and which to avoid.

Because the test is a sample and not a procedure, there is nothing for the child to prepare for beyond the collection itself.

How it fits the Franceschi Method®

Genetic testing belongs to Phase I (evaluation and planning) of the Franceschi Method®, step 02, specialized laboratories. Its purpose is to make Phase II better: the medical and nutritional protocols built in Phase II rest on knowing how this body handles nutrients and detoxification, so nutrition and individualized supplementation can be tailored instead of guessed. It is interpreted within functional medicine alongside the food allergy, nutritional deficiency, metabolic and hormone panels, and for expecting parents it can inform the prenatal consultation.

The genetic report itself does not change, but its use does. As the protocol progresses and other labs are repeated, the physician keeps returning to it to adjust supplementation. Progress is measured throughout, and parents receive reports and training so they understand why each recommendation is made.

What families can expect

The sample is collected once, early in the process, and the results are discussed at the follow-up, often by telemedicine for families in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico after the in-person evaluation. Families should expect a conversation, not a verdict: the report becomes a reference the physician uses over months. Any early change parents notice comes from the protocol the results inform, not from the test itself, and each child responds at their own pace.

If you have wondered whether your child's body is getting what it needs from food and supplements, genetic testing is one of the ways WIN finds out. Request an orientation at our Houston or San Juan center, in English or Spanish, and we will explain how it fits into the evaluation.