Diverse Thinking Different Learning

1 in 54 children in the United States are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. With this number growing, it would make sense that this is a very well understood disorder. Unfortunately there is a lot of confusion surrounding ASD, what it looks like, and what to do about it. Because of this confusion, I knew we needed an expert to help us better understand and that is Dr. Lisa Hancock.   Dr. Ha...

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, our children and teens were faced with a huge transition. But now that schools are slated to reopen fully this fall, they are faced with yet another transition. Today's discussion is a wonderful gift for parents who may be concerned about their teens reentering in-person schooling, especially if they have social challenges.   On the show today is...

In today's episode, we're discussing Sensory Processing Disorder. As with many other topics, this episode could really be turned into multiple conversations, so today we're starting with what Sensory Processing Disorder is and our guest will help us understand how it manifests and interacts with other disorders.   My guest today is Courtney Duckworth-Harris, an Occupational Therapist and owner of...

How do you inspire kids to love math, and do you approach things differently when working with students who have learning disorders? The truth is, a lot of kids find math challenging and that challenge may stop them in their tracks. So how can we as parents, teachers, and caregivers help them persist? This is the perfect topic for today's guest, Allison Dillard.   Allison is the host of The Alliso...

We have seen an increase in ADHD referrals and diagnoses in the last year. Many parents reported an increase in ADHD symptoms in children who were diagnosed before the COVID-19 pandemic, and some parents wondered whether their child has ADHD after watching their child learn from home. It is important to note that while many children and families struggled during the pandemic, others thrived.  As w...

After the year we've had, we're ready to dive back into school and a sense of normalcy. But for many students and their families, fine motor skills have taken a back seat for longer than we thought. That's why I've asked Jennifer Morgan, occupational therapist and founder of MOST Kids OT to be on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast today to help us understand fine motor skills, dysgrap...

If you have a child at home or in your classroom that is very bright but struggles with learning or with other aspects of their lives, this episode is for you. Today's guest is Dr. Nicole Tetreault and as the author of Insight into a Bright Mind , she's the perfect person to have this conversation with.   In addition to being an author, Dr. Nicole Tetreault is a meditation teacher, international s...

The US Department of Justice states, "The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded in reading failure." The national reading crisis is much more than poor grades and missing assignments. And for black children, their legacy with literacy dates back to slavery.   Today's guest has made this connection through her own personal journey to advocate for her son and i...

We often discuss learning differences, developmental disorders, assessments and interventions with respect to children in the United States. But what about children across the globe who need support? Today's guest shares this staggering statistic - 90% of school aged children across the world do not receive the education and services they need; at the time of the recording, I thought that it was 5...

Poverty and socioeconomic status impacts school readiness, language development, and the important early intervention of learning disabilities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, these already underserved communities were even more drastically impacted by the inequities of our special education system. There are a lot of layers to this overwhelming problem, but through the work of organizations like th...

In today's episode, we are continuing our conversation about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with the incredible Dr. Russell Barkley. I am honored to have him on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast as an internationally recognized authority in ADHD and I know that this discussion will be a great resource for parents, families, educators, and clinicians working with the...

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often a misunderstood disorder. Even with all the research and information available to us, the misconceptions become a problem when the symptoms are overlooked. So what does ADHD look like? Is it the child that's easily distracted, has difficulty paying attention or sitting still? Yes, that could be ADHD. But there could be more to it than that. ...

Are you concerned about whether your child has made meaningful progress over the last year in school? We all know that this last year has been a challenge for many, especially children. But what learning loss can be attributed to the pandemic and what needs to be looked at more closely? Today's guest is an incredible special education attorney who is passionate about advocating for children and ad...

Passionate and highly skilled, today's guest brings to the podcast community a vast amount of information on supporting children who stutter. Her comprehensive approach is incredible and through this conversation, you will see that it should be the norm. I learned so much from her and am thrilled to share this interview with you. Trisha Thapar is a speech-language pathologist and owner of Adventur...

After last week's episode, I wanted to continue the conversation about changing the way we view traditional mental health. I knew the perfect guests to share in that conversation. Last week we discussed the benefits of art and music incorporated into psychotherapy and today we're diving into how physical activity can play a vital role.   Today on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast, I...

If you enjoy art and music and you recognize the benefit of psychotherapy for children and adolescents, this episode is for you. We know that creative expression is beneficial, but what happens when we combine it with psychotherapy? Creative expression can be a preventative measure, but can be a part of mental health treatment as well. Remember that it all begins with awareness, and today's guest...

This last year has been extremely challenging for all of us. We know that stress, anxiety, and depression have increased tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic and through personal experience, many of us have seen the difficulties in distance learning. But today I'm shifting gears. I don't have a guest to interview today because I felt compelled to celebrate the resilience we have seen in child...

There are many things parents feel when they realize their child is struggling with learning to read. Today we dive into all the feelings, including isolation, frustration, discouragement, and discuss why it is important to support the entire family when a child has trouble learning. My guest today is Maria Fagan Hassani and I am thrilled to have her here. Maria is the founder of Learning Link and...

As the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter and brighter regarding COVID-19, parents and students are facing another major transition period. While it may seem exciting to head back to campus, for many students it might not be. During this time of remote learning, students may have lost a passion for learning. Children and adolescents have been significantly impacted by the pandemic in dif...

If you have a child who thinks, learns, or experiences the world differently than others, this episode is for you. Parents of differently wired kids may be faced with a negative stigma, uncertainty, and will be making decisions from a place of fear, especially in regards to education. But today's guest shares her experience and her vast amount of support for parents to change their mindset and mak...

How much screen time is too much? That is a loaded question many parents are asking during this unprecedented pandemic and the answer isn't exactly simple. In the past, many pediatricians have set guidelines and time limits on screen time; now those are thrown out the window as millions of students have been faced with distance learning and changes in how they socialize. There is no better time to...

With today's guest, we initially had planned on talking about one thing and it went in a completely different direction. Has that ever happened to you? In this case, it is okay because the conversation I have with her is exactly the conversation you need to hear.   Today, I'm thrilled to have Dr. Karen Schiltz on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast. Dr. Schiltz is the author of Beyond...

Today we get the opportunity to continue the conversation from last week's episode on dyslexia. We've talked about what dyslexia is and the common myths surrounding the language-based disorder. But now, how can we help students who have been diagnosed? Because of our guest today on the Diverse Thinking · Different Learning, we can move forward in learning about ways to support these students.   To...

I am thrilled to welcome today's guest to help us break apart the myths of dyslexia. You've likely heard of dyslexia, but what is it really? As today's guest points out, it's more than we think it is and the work that she does to educate parents, teachers, and communities is very impactful.   Today's guest is Dr. Lauren McClenney-Rosenstein. She is a passionate advocate for dyslexia awareness with...

Today's guest is a podcast first for us here at Diverse Thinking · Different Learning . Carol Karp is a pediatric clinical speech-language pathologist with a vast knowledge in how speech and language difficulties can affect a child's life. Carol and I have known each other and have worked together for many years and she does absolutely incredible and important work. Carol's work is strength-based...