Wonderfully Wired

Dr Norrine Russell has spent nearly two decades helping wonderfully wired children and their families build the confidence, executive function skills and independence they need to thrive. In this conversation, we explore her Connected Coaching approach, why every child deserves to be understood as a whole person rather than a diagnosis, and the importance of bringing parents, schools and professio...

What helps a child's executive functioning grow — and what can parents do at home? In Episode 39, the first Parent Pause from Wonderfully Wired, Elle Leher responds to her conversation with developmental cognitive neuroscientist Professor Adele Diamond in Episode 38, The Things That Make a Brain Work , and translates the science of executive function into everyday parenting. Through three simple m...

What helps a child's brain work at its best? Professor Adele Diamond, one of the world's leading developmental cognitive neuroscientists and a pioneer in executive function research, joins Elle to explore an answer that is surprisingly human. They discuss why stress can derail executive functioning, why joy and belonging aren't "soft extras" to learning, and how relationships and encouragement sha...

This version makes the distinction clear without turning the description into a disclaimer. It honours Bernstein's experience and the families he has helped, while positioning the conversation as one perspective rather than an approach you endorse in full . It also gently names the important limitation: much of his method depends on his own highly individualised work and may not translate directly...

Healing with Horses is far more than an equine therapy programme—it is a story of hope, belonging and community. Jill Burgess and Aileen Johnstone share how their Zimbabwean non-profit is restoring confidence in children who have been overlooked, misunderstood or marginalised, while rescued horses, dedicated volunteers and families are transformed along the way. Together, we explore the healing po...

Dr Laurie Faith extends an invitation to teachers "to be wide awake and curious" instead of acting on habit or bias and to let uncomfortable moments lead to intentional conversations with children that grow skills! This episode is for you if you've been introduced to the idea of Executive Function Skills (See Episode 25 with Dr Peg Dawson if you haven't) and are wondering just how you can start ha...

In this episode of Wonderfully Wired , hosts Elle and Juju sit down with ADHD expert and bestselling author Peter Shankman . Peter shares his unique perspective on the ADHD brain, comparing it to the controlled chaos of a Tokyo crosswalk. The conversation dives into the "all or nothing" nature of neurodivergence, covering Peter's "Chicken Genocide Diet" and his "Ironman" approach to managing energ...

In this episode of the  Wonderfully Wired Podcast , host Eloise Leher is joined by author, speaker, and autism dad Will Acuff for a deeply reflective conversation about parenting neurodivergent children. Will shares how his natural instinct to "fix problems" collided with the reality of parenting his son — and why shifting from fixing to knowing became transformational. Together, they explore what...

Welcome to Part 2 of our deep dive into Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) with Occupational Therapist Liesel Smal . This vital conversation addresses the challenging question: "What now?" Liesel details the process of adopting Low Demand Parenting (LDP) , emphasizing that these accommodating acts (like handing over the remote or helping with hygiene) are life-saving caregiving. However, she expl...

Dive into the critical world of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in Part 1 of this essential two-part series with Liesel Smal, an Occupational Therapist (OT) and mom of a PDA child Liesel introduces PDA as a specific neurotype that requires "good accommodation" due to the serious "gravity" of the diagnosis. Learn why avoidance is rooted in an inability ("I can't"), not a choice, often manifesti...

Welcome to Season 5 of the Wonderfully Wired podcast! In this insightful episode, host Eloise welcomes  Corneil Claassen , an educational psychologist and co-lead at the Neurodiversity Center (NDC) in South Africa. Corneil shares her powerful mission: to create a world where every wonderfully wired mind – be it facing autism, ADHD, anxiety, or learning differences – is seen, supported, and celebra...

This special bonus episode of the "Wonderfully Wired" podcast features live studio guests Juju and Sophia, both young women who have served on the Wonderfully Wired team and are "wonderfully wired" themselves. Juju, who has ADHD, describes her brain as a city constantly under construction, with changing alleys, roads, and houses. Sophia, who is gifted and intense, explains her experience as feelin...

Meet our tech-savvy friend Joan Green! Joan's been working with assistive technology since the 80s—and she's got the tools and stories to prove it. From calendar tricks and color-coded Google Drives to goblin tools and immersive readers, this episode is jam-packed with tips that make learning easier for our wonderfully wired kids (and adults too!). Easy wins with everyday tech Tools that organize...

This episode, the second of two  in a series with Dr. Arno Louw from the University of Johannesburg, focuses on how AI can be a student's best friend and assistant, particularly for wonderfully wired learners. The key takeaway is to use AI to help with the work that is difficult for you, not to do the work for you. This involves prompt engineering , asking the AI better questions by giving it back...

What if AI could help tailor education for every learner? In  this Part a of the Wonderfully Wired & UJ partnership episode, Dr. Arno Louw  a senior specialist in instructional and e-learning and manager of the CAT lab at UJ, with his incredible knowledge, fun, and enthusiasm inspires us to see AI as a tool to support difference and neurodivergence. We discuss how AI can be your brilliant teachers...

I loved my conversation with Casey Anley talking about burnout in the Wonderfully Wired.  What does it look like to acknowledge each person's unique energy and work with the available energy instead overrding each body's need for rest. What should you look out for in yourself and in your child? Casey Anley is an educational psychologist. She wears many hats - neurodiversity advocate, executive fun...

Dr Peg Dawson has had a fruitful career as school psychologist and  for over 20 years worked at the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders in New Hampshire for which she received a liftime achievement Award from the American National association of School Psycologists.  Her contribution to all of our collective understanding of Executive Functions and how we can help wonderfully wired kids th...

  Dr Jade Rivera is professor at the Bridges Gradual School for Cognitive diversity with a passion for 'a strength based world for neurodivergent humans'   She's been a force for change in education for wonderfully wired kids  for over fifteen year designing 'micro schools' that serve niche communities in creative ways showing ideas like project based learning and grade less classrooms aren't just...

"There is a prevailing narrative that black dads are deadbeats, that they often abscond their responsibilities." said   Buzwe Mabuza, founder of Black Dad's are Cool Dads and one of my three guests on the podcast this month     "Providing and disciplining. That's all that we were told we can look forward to when we become dads. But I'm a present dad, I'm active and I have a couple of friends who a...

"If the research shows that Working Memory is a better indicator of academic success than IQ, then why aren't we honing in on this skill in education?" This compelling question is posed by Dr. Erica Warren, our guest on this month's Wonderfully Wired podcast. For quite some time, we've understood that IQ isn't the sole predictor of a child's academic success. Children can exhibit areas of extraord...

For years, my guest Caroline Maguire wondered why nobody in the industry was serving Wonderfully Wired kids by explicitly teaching them social skills. As a Wonderfully Wired person herself, Caroline thought it was "bonkers," that nobody was acknowledging how hard it was for these kids and teaching them the skills they were lacking. Wonderfully Wired kids often struggle to understand social rules:...

This month we are featuring the incredible insights of Dr. Liz Angoff from ExplainingBrains.com. Dr. Liz's approach to assessments is transformative, focusing on celebrating the strengths of a child's brain, recognising challenges, and using a child's language to understand the uniqueness of their brain. This process is inherently more collaborative and respectful, involving feedback to the child...

In this episode, we dive into the world of AI-powered active listening tools and their potential to support individuals with dyslexia. Our guest, Nick Koshnick, a dyslexic physicist and data scientist, joins us to share his insights and experiences. Key Topics Discussed AI-powered Writing Tools: We explore how AI can assist dyslexic individuals in writing and communicating more effectively, emphas...

In this episode, I speak with Victoria Bagnell from Connections in Mind. Victoria specializes in training teachers and executive function coaches. Her organization is dedicated to supporting children in developing their executive functioning skills. We begin by understanding what executive functioning is and why children need support in this area. Victoria provides insights into what executive fun...

Join us for an inspiring conversation in this first episode of the Season 3 of the Wonderfully Wired Podcast , featuring Zak and Nadine Judge. Zak, a university student in his twenties studying computer design, and his mom, Nadine, share their journey with ADHD. They discuss the discovery of Zak's difference, the decisions they made about his schooling, and the strategies that worked and those tha...