Diverse Thinking Different Learning

The author of the book Turtles Can Win: How Learning Differences Taught Me to Run My Own Race and Still Cross the Finish Line , Dr. Paul R. Johnson , joins us for this episode. He is the owner and C.E.O. of Leschi Leadership LLC, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations and leaders navigate complex challenges, strengthen performance, and achieve sustainable success, and he brings extensi...

We are happy to warmly welcome Dr. Elizabeth Dexter-Mazza to the show for this episode. Dr. Dexter-Mazza is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified DBT therapist with more than 25 years of experience in clinical practice, training, and consultation. She co-authored DBT-based social-emotional learning curricula for elementary and secondary students and co-owns Mazza Consulting & Psychologica...

Dr. Wilson brings us another solo episode this time, opening up about how accommodations can make an enormous difference for students who learn and process information differently. Extended time, audiobooks, speech-to-text, movement breaks, preferential seating, and other means of support can truly reduce barriers and help students participate more successfully in school, but what happens when tho...

This week, Dr. Karen Wilson is touching upon resilience and how our definition of it can sometimes be part of the problem. She challenges the idea that resilience means pushing through stress, staying quiet, or succeeding no matter the emotional cost. After all, a child who appears to be thriving on the outside may actually be running on empty. After a recent conversation with a parent, Dr. Wilson...

Transitioning back to school after summer vacation can be challenging for many children, especially those who are neurodivergent. Continuing the Summer Solo Series, Dr. Karen Wilson shares seven practical, actionable strategies to help make the transition smoother. Dr. Wilson explains why even children who are genuinely excited to return to school may still experience significant anxiety. Changes...

Dr. Karen Wilson continues the Summer Solo Series to address assessments and how they can be informative yet also have their fair share of shortcomings. They can be life-changing but are often misunderstood, and Dr. Wilson unpacks what psychological and educational evaluations can actually tell us, where their limitations lie, and why they should be viewed as tools for understanding rather than cr...

Dr. Karen Wilson takes on an important topic solo this episode - screen use during the summertime when kids are out of school. With routines loosened and independence increased, many tweens and teens drift toward longer, more frequent device use, and what often begins as "just a little YouTube" can quietly stretch into hours of electronic usage, whether it be gaming, scrolling, and/or late-night s...

For this episode, we are replaying another episode of Diverse Thinking, Different Learning, this time episode 239, in which we sat down with Ashley Harding to discuss why it's so important to allow students time for rest, rejuvenation, and exploration of their interests outside of academics, especially during the summer months. As a reminder, Ashley is a fourth-generation educator and is deeply co...

This week on Diverse Thinking Different Learning, we are discussing the crucial challenge of supporting neurodivergent children without doing so in a way that hinders them from independence. Joining us to take on this topic is Dr. Tara Williams , founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants .  Dr. William is also a tenured Chemistry professor at College of the Canyons in California, and has spent...

This month, we are replaying episode 212 of Diverse Thinking, Different Learning, in which Dr. Karen Wilson discusses the ways in which dyslexia can affect a child's mental wellbeing. Even though dyslexia is commonly associated with reading and language difficulties, the emotional implications are far too often overlooked, and Dr. Wilson unpacks some of the harmful myths that have shaped the publi...

We warmly welcome Dr. Deanna Dow to the podcast. ​​Dr. Dow is a licensed clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience supporting neurodivergent individuals and families. She is the founder and CEO of Spectrum Psych LA, a multidisciplinary clinic that provides assessment, therapy, occupational therapy, medication management, and community-based support, and she has trained and worked i...

We are so thrilled to have not just one guest this episode but two -  Adrianne Meldrum and Heather Brand! Adrianne Meldrum founded and owns Made for Math, a fully online math center that supports students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other math-related learning challenges. She is a certified Multisensory Math Instructor and holds a master's degree from Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diver...

We are so excited to have Lynn Greenberg join us for this edition of the show. Lynn has devoted her life to being an advocate for children as a trained attorney specializing in family law and pro bono work. When her youngest son, Jonathan, was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD, she stepped into the role of being his advocate, using her expertise to help carve a path toward his success. The experien...

We are so happy to have Dr. Elina Veytsman join us for this episode of the show! Dr. Elina Veytsman is a licensed psychologist and the Director of Training at the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, where she leads groups for neurodivergent youth and their caregivers while also training interns, postdocs, and professionals. She earned her Psychology degrees at UCLA and UC Riverside, researching developmental disa...

Join us for this episode of Diverse Thinking, Different Learning as we welcome Liz Angoff Ph. D. to the podcast. Dr. Angoff is a Licensed Educational Psychologist and Diplomate in School Neuropsychology who offers assessment and consultation services for children and families in the Bay Area, California. She wrote the Brain Building Books series and Our Brains, which help neurodivergent children b...

Please join us in welcoming Leslie Catlett, MS, OTR/L to the podcast! Leslie is the founder of The Penmanship Lab , where she helps children develop confident, functional handwriting skills that support real learning. As a pediatric occupational therapist and mom of two, she approaches handwriting challenges by looking beyond neatness to understand the deeper factors affecting each child. Leslie s...

I am so happy to welcome Dr. Ellen Braaten back for her third time on the show! In case you missed those episodes and/or need a refresher, Dr. Ellen Braaten is the founding director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. She is a prolific researcher and author whose work focuses on ADHD, learning diso...

We are joined in this episode by Stacey Shubitz , K-6 literacy consultant, a former elementary school teacher, and the co-founder of the Two Writing Teachers blog and podcast. Her forthcoming book, Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities: Empowering Kids for the Future, empowers parents to navigate the special education system. In this episode, we talk openly about what it rea...

We happily welcome Dr. Allie Ticktin to Diverse Thinking Different Learning! Dr. Ticktin is dedicated to helping children and their families thrive through sensory-based play, having founded Play 2 Progress and writing Play to Progress, introducing parents to all eight senses and offering practical ways to support them at home. Blending child development science with playful learning, Dr. Ticktin...

We are happy to welcome back Jaime Porras for this episode! Jaime Porras is the District Vice President for Fusion Academy , overseeing nine campuses across Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. With more than two decades in education (including fourteen years at Fusion), he has held roles from teacher to Head of School and is passionate about fostering student-centered, relationship-driven learning envi...

For this edition of the show, we warmly welcome Joan Green! Joan Green, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist, assistive technology specialist, and founder of Innovative Speech Therapy in the Washington, DC area. For nearly 40 years, she has helped people of all ages (especially neurodiverse learners) use technology to enhance communication, learning, and independence. Passionate about a...

Joining us for this episode of Diverse Thinking Different Learning is Dr. Viannae Nelkin .  Dr. Viannae Nelkin is a board-eligible pediatric neuropsychologist and founder of The Children's Neuropsychology Center . She earned her master's and doctorate in clinical psychology, training at top institutions including Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Cedars-Sinai, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital,...

We happily welcome Dr. Adi Soffer to Diverse Thinking Different Learning this week! Adi Soffer, PsyD is a licensed psychologist who works with children, teens, and families, and she combines family structure therapy with evidence-based practices to help families strengthen communication, establish healthy boundaries, and deepen emotional connections. Passionate about guiding parents and children t...

For this episode of the show, we are joined by Amy Cushner ! Amy has dedicated more than 30 years to the Shelton School and a lifetime to advocating for neurodivergent individuals, infusing passion, humor, and wisdom into every stage she graces. From classrooms in Dallas to conferences in China, she has become a sought-after voice championing inclusive, strengths-based approaches across both educa...

Joining us for this episode of Diverse Thinking Different Learning is Rana Lustyan! Rana Lustyan is the founder of Growing Minds Coaching, where she helps students with learning differences develop confidence, independence, and academic achievement. She combines strength-based coaching, neuroscience-informed methods, and practical executive function tools to create personalized routines that last....