Diverse Thinking Different Learning

I have been asked this question from parents and from colleagues: Is it autism? And this question is more often asked when we are talking about girls. So the conversation today with guest Dr. Megan Beardmore is about autistic girls and about understanding the less obvious presentations of autism.  Many autistic youth feel misunderstood and research shows that being autistic leads to increased risk...

Many topics of the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast come from parents and individuals who provide services to children. Today's topic has come up more than once and our guest is able to shed some light on the intersection between autism and LGBTQIA+. Dr. Laurie Stephens joins today to share the research on this overlap and what she sees herself as the Senior Director of Autism and Clini...

As we continue our conversation about different treatment and therapy options, you may discover unique options that are a right fit for your child. Today's topic is certainly unique! We're diving into surf therapy. Surf therapy is one mode of therapy among many that helps neurodiverse kids with many different skills. You may not have heard about this therapeutic tool that uses the elements of the...

Parents have recently reached out with questions and topics they'd like to hear more about. One commonality these topics have is the child or teen who is struggling with emotional regulation. That may be anger, defiance, or communication problems. So in today's episode, we're starting to explore different treatment options in the hopes of providing information to families. Today's focus is on Dial...

When one person in a family is struggling, it impacts the entire family. This is true for everything, but it is particularly true for the families of a child with learning difficulties. Today, we have the first guest of a brand new year, Dr. Lauren who has graciously been on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast before. Since the previous discussion we had about dyslexia ( episode 21 ),...

When is it important to consider an evaluation for your child? Well, the earlier the better. But then the question is, what are the differences between evaluations and which is best for your child? My guest on today's episode helps break it down and dives deep into the differences between a neuropsychological evaluation and a psychoeducational evaluation. Not only that, but we also discuss the cha...

I feel very strongly that if we put in place certain practices, more children with undetected learning disabilities would be identified early and receive appropriate treatment. There's a lot of education that needs to be done about the different learning challenges that students face. And that's why I started this podcast. In this re-aired episode of the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast...

The end of the calendar year marks the middle of a school year and for many this is a time to explore school options. Many parents are making decisions for after the holiday break or even for the next academic year. Today, we are exploring the homeschooling option and you may be surprised to find that it might be the right fit for you and your family. Today's guest is Mel Nichols, an educator who...

We are in the midst of a reading crisis in the United States. This problem has existed for a long time, but it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been said that the pandemic has caused the loss of 2 decades worth of progress made in reading. We have the knowledge, research, and science to address this issue, but we are lacking action. Today's guest is Dr. Sally Shaywitz, one of...

Imagine books where the characters have ADHD, Autism, and think differently. Now imagine a book where these characters are the heroes .  Representation is so vitally important, but those who are neurodiverse often see themselves in books as the person who gets bullied. So when deciding to write a Science Fiction novel, author Carol Kauffman knew her 40 years of experience as a speech and language...

Returning to the podcast today are Vickie Brett and Amanda Selogie in a unique collaboration episode that will also air on the Inclusive Education Project (IEP) Podcast. Through my experience as a clinical neuropsychologist specializing in pediatric assessments, parents ask a lot of great questions. In this episode, together with Educational attorneys, Vickie and Amanda, we are addressing some of...

When your child receives a diagnosis, it can be overwhelming. Even when a report is thorough and clear on what the next steps are, it can be frightening and a lot to process. This is something we hear all the time from parents, "What do I do next?" Guests Sari Goodman and Shelley Lawrence are here to answer that question. There really are many things you can and should do, but today we've narrowed...

Do you have a child in your life that just doesn't seem to care about anything? In a post-pandemic world, we're seeing children and adults alike struggling to regain the motivation they once had. This is particularly challenging for the students who have learning differences and have been trying to catch up. Today, we welcome back Dr. Ellen Braaten, author of the bestseller Bright Kids Who Can't K...

Did you know that between 25 and 33 percent of children with ADHD have a coexisting anxiety disorder? In fact, childhood anxiety is the second most common condition co-occurring with ADHD. So how can we help children who struggle with both? We've had several conversations about ADHD and anxiety separately, but now let's dive into the topic of comorbidity with today's guest Dr. Norrine Russell. Dr....

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, you might be considering your treatment options. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that for children between the ages of 4 and 6, the first line of treatment should include parent training in behavior management and behavioral classroom interventions. Medication should be used if those interventions do not result in significant improvement or...

As we record this episode in October, keep in mind that now is a good time to review your child's classroom accommodations. If they have a learning disability, learning challenges that affect them in the classroom, or mental health difficulties that also impact their ability to access the curriculum, they may benefit from classroom accommodations.  With accommodations, expectations are the same. W...

Today we are continuing the conversation about language skills and development, but this time we're discussing how speech-language therapy helps students with dyslexia. In previous episodes we've talked about speech and language development and we've talked about dyslexia, but now we combine the two because they are certainly linked. My guest today is Nancy Rose Steinbock, an absolute expert in th...

There are countless opportunities built into a child's everyday life that could be used for support in language development. The best parts are that they won't even know they're working on these skills and they're fun! Today's guest is Stefanie Trenholme, a Speech and Language Pathologist and children's book author. In our conversation today, Stefanie explains some common misconceptions about spee...

Today's guest is a force in the special education space and her journey began as a parent of a special needs child. Raja Marhaba joins the conversation today to tell you about her traumatic experiences navigating the special education system and how her journey led her to create The Jonathan Foundation. The Jonathan Foundation for Children With Learning Disabilities is a non-profit organization th...

This podcast began in November 2020 in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic with the hopes of helping parents with a child struggling at home. I wanted to bring information and expertise into their home so they can better support their children. And now, Diverse Thinking Different Learning is celebrating 100 episodes! Let's revisit the very first episode that sets the stage for the work we do...

We've discussed ADHD on the podcast before and it continues to be an important topic. But something we haven't delved into yet is what ADHD looks like in girls. Dr. Stephen Hinshaw has conducted years of research including a longitudinal study on girls with ADHD and his findings are not only fascinating but important to consider especially if you are the parent of a daughter with ADHD. Dr. Hinshaw...

With the use of technology increasing at a rapid rate among people of all ages, we have to ask ourselves how much is too much? The answer to that is kind of complicated. It depends on the content, depends on the activity, and it definitely depends on each individual user. But today's guest shares why it is important to follow your gut if you think screen time and technology use is a deeper problem...

This episode may make you angry but I am hoping that it will also motivate you to advocate for change. I've invited Dr. Bibi Pirayesh back to the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast to talk about learning disabilities as a social justice issue. This topic is certainly charged and rightfully so. Today, we discuss whether our current education system was built for neurodiverse learners. It i...

Why is intervention, particularly early intervention, so important? The answer is brain plasticity, which is the brain's ability to change, reorganize, and even develop more efficient pathways for processing information. Research into the neurological bases of reading disorders, for example, has shown the educational and cognitive strategies can reroute brain networks and the brain can reorganize...

How are you feeling about this new upcoming school year? Would you say you feel hopeful about it? Now it is really important to feel hopeful about the upcoming school year, but it isn't enough to just hope that your child or client will have a better school year. We know that there are many pieces to the puzzle of having a great school year, but hope does matter. And today our guest talks about th...