Diverse Thinking Different Learning

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 face a negative stigma, uncertainty, and may make decisions from a place of fear, especially in regards to education. But today's guest shares her experience and encourages parents to change their mindset and make decisions from a place of possibi...

With different types of technology becoming more and more accessible, today's guest has found the surprising and amazing benefits of virtual reality on neurodivergent individuals. As the father of a child on the autism spectrum, Vijay Ravindran discovered first hand what the technology can provide for those who think and learn differently. Vijay's positive experience led him to create Floreo, a re...

In this short summer episode, we're talking about social media. There was a recent health advisory issued by the US Surgeon General on social media use in adolescence and ways to mitigate risks. The findings on excessive social media use are not entirely surprising, but it is important to keep in mind the added risks for neurodivergent kids. Today, we'll talk about what those risks are and six way...

Auditory processing and language processing are two subjects that overlap, but not everyone understands how they are related and how they impact children who struggle with both of them. Joining me today to help me discuss this is Lois Kam Heymann, a speech and language pathologist with over four decades of experience with auditory processing disorder and auditory language processing challenges. Pa...

It's time for a summer mental health check in. This time of year, children are home from school for their summer break and it is a great opportunity to connect, explore, and celebrate progress. With the United States in a national state of emergency in child and adolescent mental health, it's important now more than ever to support your child's mental health. So in this episode, you'll learn 10 ti...

The end of a school year is a great time to reimagine learning environments for the next academic year. While that may seem like a topic only applicable to teachers and their classrooms, these redesign ideas are amazing additions to a child's home as well. Today's guest is Lindsay Astor Grant, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of Learning Redesigned. At Learning Redesigned, Lindsay he...

In today's episode, we have the author of an incredible book called Canaries Among Us, Kayla Taylor. And in our conversation today, we are tackling three topics at once: bullying, learning differences, and anxiety.  Canaries Among Us is a raw and honest exploration of the everyday lives of children challenged by learning differences, anxiety, and bullying. Author Kayla Taylor blends science and po...

A common struggle for parents and families is how to help their children understand their developmental and learning differences. For some parents, they don't want to have the conversation at all. But today's guest not only explains why it is important for a child to understand their brain, but the language we can use to start shifting a negative narrative. Dr. Liz Angoff is an Educational Psychol...

We have talked about many different topics on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast, but today's topic of conversation is a new one. Although a new topic, it is a concern for many parents. Today we are talking about tics and our guest is an expert in this area. I'm thrilled to invite Dr. Kim Edwards to the show to talk about tics and Tourette Syndrome. I've had the pleasure of working wi...

We know that anxiety is common and many of us have experienced some level of anxiety. But there are many myths and misunderstandings about anxiety that could be preventing a child from getting the care and treatment they need. One of the myths you might have heard is that "kids will grow out of it." While stress and fear are normal components of childhood development, 80% of children who are exper...

With depression in children and teens on the rise, it is important to know the red flags and what to do to help. 3.2% of children between 3 and 17 are diagnosed with depression but when do you know what is expected sadness and when it crosses into something more serious? Today's guest helps us understand what depression looks like in children and adolescents and what they need and want from their...

We've talked about occupational therapy on the podcast before, but we've never dug into a struggle for some children and families that occupational therapy can help. The topic of picky eating comes up for many families, for both neurodiverse and neurotypical children. And parents of picky eaters know that it impacts so many aspects of their lives, not just mealtime.  While picky eating is a common...

Social justice is a topic of discussion on several episodes of this podcast and today's guest joins the conversation on this important part of education. Because, social justice is truly a framework for equity in education. Today's guest is Dr. Charles Barrett, an experienced school psychologist, speaker, and author of Social Justice in Schools . Dr. Barrett knows that significant contextual facto...

Let's continue our conversation about treatment today with a discussion on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety and issues with mood. CBT has shown to be an effective treatment for individuals with anxiety and depression, and research shows substantial support for CBT as an effective first line treatment for children. More research shows that up to 60% of children and teens treated with CB...

Do you experience struggles around morning routines, getting to school, transitions, homework, mealtime, getting off screens, and bedtime? You're not alone. And if so, you don't want to miss this conversation with Dr. Karrie Lager.  With Dr. Karrie, we're taking another look at a treatment modality that could be right for you and your family. It's called Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and...

As we ease into the summer months, this time of year we begin to think about summer travel plans. And with the recent emphasis on neurodivergence, traveling is more accessible than ever before. But it can still seem daunting to travel with a child who is anxious or inflexible. In fact, a recent study shows that 87% of parents surveyed said they wouldn't even consider traveling with their neurodive...

Navigating a complex world is daunting and it becomes even more challenging for people who think and learn differently. These students may struggle in the traditional school environment, particularly with engagement. They might even ask, "What's the point?"  But the traditional school environment isn't the only option and today's guests from Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning join this convers...

Research has shown that family environment is a significant predictor of outcomes when it comes to traumatic brain injuries. But how can family environment, things like parenting, intimacy, and communication styles impact outcomes in children and adolescents with learning challenges? Turns out, family environment has a huge impact on the way every child's brain develops and Dr. Jesse Fischer joins...

Today we welcome back Elizabeth Hamblet, who previously discussed the transition from high school to college in an earlier episode. She's back today to discuss it further after the publication of her new book Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities .  Elizabeth has worked for two decades as a learning disabilities specialist in college disability services offices....

What is a transition assessment, and how do you know if your child needs one? If they do, when do they need it and what does it look like? There are a lot of questions about transition assessments and today we have the perfect guest to answer them all. Today, we welcome back Dr. Gwennyth Palafox (Dr. Gwen) to the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast. Dr. Gwen is a clinical psychologist and...

Many parents hesitate to jump to a medication treatment for their child's ADHD and ask about alternatives to medication. On this podcast, we have talked about different medication options but also behavioral therapies, mindfulness, and classroom accommodations, but today we're talking about an empirically supported non-medication treatment for ADHD and the results look very promising. Today's gues...

For most of us, clutter can become distracting. Now imagine how clutter can impact those who find it difficult to focus all the time. Clutter is so easy to pile up and if we're feeling disorganized on the outside, it makes us feel cluttered on the inside. Today's interesting topic can apply to everyone and their family and can benefit us in some surprising ways. Today's guest is Wendy Zanders, the...

Today, we welcome back podcast guest Adrianne Meldrum, founder of Made for Math. In a previous episode, Adrianne and I discussed multisensory interventions for kids who struggle with math, and it was extremely helpful to parents and teachers. This time, we're talking about accommodations for students who struggle with math. And some of them might be surprising both because of what the accommodatio...

The ability to get started on a task right away even when you don't feel like doing it is an executive functioning skill for students and adults. And it's not just an academic skill, it's a life skill. That's why it is an important topic and discussing it can help a lot of students and their families. Returning to the podcast are Jenny Drennan and Hannah Ross. Jenny and Hannah have both been on th...

What can we do to create more inclusive communities where students' needs are met? This conversation needs to be had and is probably the most important conversation we've had on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast to date. There is a lot to unpack here, but today's guests show us that every journey and every discussion has a first step and they're here to help us take it. Maria Kennedy...